Though Mordecai’s personal life had been saved and he had been exalted, Haman’s ten sons were still alive and there still stood the decree for the extermination of all the Jews throughout the empire on Adar 13. Mordecai realized that there was a way out for the Jews, one that Haman’s decree had not allowed for. This was authority for Jehovah’s people to gather together and fight back in self-defense. Now the Jews could take the initiative against those who would destroy them and destroy the malicious enemy instead. To this provision the king agreed and the decree was sealed with his ring and copies were sent to all 127 jurisdictional districts.​—Esther 8:1-14.

This part of the drama had a dramatic fulfillment during the critical decade in the 1930’s. Realizing they were entitled to take all peaceful, law-conforming measures for the protection of their lives, God’s servants proceeded to appeal to the courts and the governments in behalf of their God-given work of finding those honestly disposed toward Jehovah and his people. Further steps of unification were taken and the theocratic structure of the organization came to its full realization by 1938. God’s people were now fully united and ready when the time for the antitypical fulfillment of Adar 13 should arrive.c

17. When did the antitypical day of Adar 13 arrive, and what occurred?

¹⁷ This time came during the period of the second world war. All the evidence points to the conclusion that the enemies of God’s people determined to use that war situation with its patriotism, its nationalism, its bias, its false accusations of Communism on the one hand and Nazism on the other in order to get Jehovah’s witnesses and destroy them. A global attack shaped up that appeared as though it might completely blot out the worldwide preaching of the Mordecai and Esther classes and their companions who had now begun to join with them.d It could have been a bleak day indeed, one of mourning, but these faithful servants of God did not take this concerted action lying down. During this time represented by Adar 13 Jehovah’s witnesses fought as they have never fought before. They made a spiritual fight to preserve their spiritual lives all around the world, fighting from a centralized headquarters, presenting an organized front against the enemy. There were casualties, but there was no fighting with carnal weapons by Jehovah’s people. (2 Cor. 10:3, 4)

When World War II began in 1939, there were 71,509 of Jehovah’s people united in their defense of true worship. By the time this war was over among the nations of the world, far from being annihilated, the faithful band of active witnesses had almost doubled, and 1945 saw 141,606 carrying on the spiritual warfare against God’s enemies.