“Gather Yourselves Together”

JEREMIAH spoke the above words as calamity threatened ancient Jerusalem and Judah. It was urgent that repentant, true worshipers of Jehovah be gathered for salvation. Likewise today, apostate Christendom is about to perish in “a great crash,” along with the entire world empire of false religion. Though the years have stretched out since 1914, when the clergy of Christendom gave full support to the bloodbath of World War I, “the burning anger of Jehovah has not turned back” any more than it did during the comparable time period that spanned the reigns of Judah’s kings from bloodguilty Manasseh to faithless Zedekiah. The meek of the earth must now seek Jehovah in order to survive.​—Jeremiah 4:5-8; 2 Kings 24:3, 4; Zephaniah 2:2, 3.

How has the modern-day warning been given? The magazine that you are now reading has been one effective instrument. Continuously since 1879, this journal, like a watchman on his watchtower, has called attention to the impending fall of false religion, as typified by Babylon, and the peaceful Millennial Reign of Christ that will follow. (Isaiah 21:6-12; Revelation 20:2, 3; 21:1-4) From its initial issue of 6,000 copies in English, it has expanded until The Watchtower​—Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom today enjoys a global circulation of 12,315,000 copies in 103 languages. Moreover, its format has been enhanced over the years. It is now printed in four colors in 21 languages, but other editions also appear in attractive form, as befits the magazine’s vital mission.

With the increase in production, it has become necessary to decentralize the printing, so that this is now handled by Society-operated factories in 35 branches outside the United States. Further, from January 1987, editions of our companion magazine Awake! printed in the United States, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, and Japan will be in four colors. In the United States this has been made possible by the installation of three MAN-Roland high-speed rotary magazine presses at the Watchtower Farms factory at Wallkill, New York.

The Society’s branch in Japan is also using three high-speed presses to produce Bibles, books, and magazines in a number of Asiatic languages. Moreover, this branch has given generous support to the Australian, Korean, and South African branches in equipping them with four-color presses, so that these three branches are now moving into four-color magazine printing.

Over the years, there has been a sharing of resources among the Society’s branches, with the headquarters organization setting the lead. Thus many have been assisted according to the need, whether it has been in constructing or extending branch buildings, equipping these, or in financing the all-important preaching work in the field. This “equalizing” process, made possible by the generous contributions of Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the earth, has been richly blessed by Jehovah.​—2 Corinthians 8:12-15.