New York: The Convention City
A SMALL dot on maps of the United States is being looked at with keen interest by people in Europe, Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, South America, Central America and North America. The dot represents a city they plan to visit this summer.
But these people are not ordinary tourists. They are coming to New York city for a special purpose—to attend the international assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses.
This assembly will mean a great influx of people in a matter of a few days, but New York is well capable of handling them. It has plenty of accommodations.
Since these people will be coming to worship and serve Jehovah God, it brings to mind how assemblies for the same purpose made Jerusalem a great convention city. In ancient times people traveled great distances to assemble there three times a year, as required by God’s law to Moses: “On three occasions in the year every male of yours will appear before the face of the Lord Jehovah.” (Ex. 23:17) They were to appear at the sanctuary located in Jerusalem.
Of course, God has no sanctuary in New York city, and neither has he given a command for people to assemble there. The reason Jehovah’s witnesses have made it their convention city for 1958 is the fine facilities it has for a large international assembly. It is easily reached by every means of modern transportation. Three immense airports can readily care for the conventioners arriving by air. Those coming on trains and buses will be handled with ease by the big railroad stations and numerous bus depots. Boats bringing other conventioners will dock in one of the world’s finest harbors. Those coming by automobile will find excellent, high-speed highways leading into the city.
The Witnesses do not have a Scriptural command to assemble in any particular place as the Israelites did, but they do have a Scriptural command to have conventions. This is found at Hebrews 10:24, 25: “And let us consider one another to incite to love and right works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.”
Jehovah’s witnesses obey this command by holding many conventions, and occasionally an international one. But it is a problem to find a place large enough and suitable for their needs. Fortunately, New York city has something that does meet their needs—two large stadiums within a few blocks of each other. Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds will be used for the 1958 international assembly.
Another feature that makes New York a fine convention city is its excellent transportation system. Large crowds can be brought quickly from all parts of the city to any one point. And then a few hours later they can be just as quickly whisked away.
As the festival of booths in ancient Israel lasted for seven days, followed by an eighth day of assembly, so the international assembly of the Witnesses will last eight days, July 27 to August 3. It will be a rich feast of spiritual food. This will make it very different from the many hundreds of conventions that are held in New York city every year. It might be mentioned that 767 conventions and expositions were held there in 1956, drawing a total of 3,717,000 delegates and visitors. But of all these gatherings this assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses will be distinctly unique. It will be an immense international gathering of ministers who will do in New York what is commanded at Hebrews 13:15: “Offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which make public declaration to his name.”
This great assembly will add to New York city’s prestige as a convention city. But more than that, it will focus public attention on the fact that God’s kingdom is mankind’s only hope for peace, security and life.