A Brochure With a New Look
THE information in the preceding article was presented earth wide during 1986 at the “Divine Peace” District Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Herewith we summarize further interesting comments made by the speaker:
“Look! I Am Making All Things New.” That was the title of a booklet published by the Watch Tower Society back in 1959. A booklet of this kind had been requested by missionaries in Japan. A need was felt there for a publication that would present the Kingdom message in a clear, simple manner for the benefit of people not well acquainted with the Bible itself. Under the supervision of the Watch Tower Society, more than 30 missionaries shared in compiling the booklet. Did this new booklet fill the need as it became the principal instrument for starting new studies in Japan?
The results speak for themselves. At the time of the release of the “Look!” booklet, there was a peak of 1,390 Kingdom publishers in Japan. Today, the peak is 114,480 publishers. Almost all of these were introduced to Bible study through the “Look!” booklet. During the past 27 years, more than 8,750,000 copies of this booklet have been distributed in the Japanese language alone. And in the past 20 years, Japan has reported a new peak of Kingdom publishers every month except two. Though there are no doubt other causes contributing to this fine increase, there is no question that using the “Look!” booklet to start Bible studies has been a big factor.
This booklet has now been updated, according to present needs, and was released at the “Divine Peace” conventions as a magazine-size brochure of 32 pages. A new section has been added on the topic “Bad Things—Why Does God Permit Them?” Further, the concluding paragraphs have been rewritten to give the student warm encouragement to associate with Jehovah’s organization. Now the publication appears with large, readable type and a number of teaching illustrations. Its beautiful new four-color cover spread is depicted in reduced size on the opposite page.
Is this new brochure, “Look! I Am Making All Things New!,” to be used only in the Orient? It will no doubt be very effective there. However, it is believed that the “Look!” brochure will be useful also throughout the world field in starting Bible studies. Almost 30 years have passed since the original booklet was produced. During that time, knowledge of the Bible has sunk to a new low, even in lands that claim to be Christian. Instead of hearing from their parents the well-known stories from the Bible, a new generation has grown up with eyes and ears glued to television, absorbing whatever the world has to offer. This, together with other distractions of a pleasure-mad world, has crowded out precious hours that might have been used for spiritual development. The modern generation, whether in Christendom or elsewhere, knows very little about God’s Word. It needs the ‘milk of the Word,’ as set forth plainly in the “Look!” brochure.—Hebrews 5:12.
Worldwide, there are people whose hearts are inclined toward righteousness and who will rejoice to learn how they may become identified with the “great crowd” that will survive Armageddon. (Revelation 7:9, 14) In our house-to-house service, we may find many who are impressed by the lovely picture-cover of the brochure and by the captivating description of Paradise in the opening paragraphs. On a return visit, we can use the array of scriptures cited in support of those paragraphs to show that this hope is much more than a dream. Then, through a regular Bible study, using the “Look!” brochure, we can help them get started on the way to life. As Jesus said in prayer to his Father: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”—John 17:3.
May all of us make zealous use of the “Look!” brochure in beaming forth Kingdom truth, the “great crowd” joining with the remaining anointed ones of the royal priesthood in ‘letting their light shine before men.’ (Matthew 5:16) May the illustrious name of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah be fully sanctified. May it be demonstrated for all time that the promises of Jehovah God, Creator of heaven and earth, are ever “faithful and true.” He it is who declares from his throne in heaven: “Look! I am making all things new.”—Revelation 21:5.