As by a miracle, in 537 B.C.E. a band of exiled Israelites and their attendants marched out of Babylon and settled in their homeland. They set themselves to rebuilding Jerusalem and its temple and making their long-desolate homeland like a paradise. No longer was there any reason for them to beat themselves upon the breasts in “lamentation over the desirable fields, over the fruit-bearing vine,” that had been left to desolation by the Babylonian conquerors in 607 B.C.E. What a manifestation there then was of holy spirit in action! The onlooking pagan nations were amazed! Psalm 126:2 reports that they said: “Jehovah has done a great thing in what he has done with them.”

 7. In our twentieth century the worlds of Psalm 126:2 were said with regard to whom, and why?

⁷ The same thing has been said in our own twentieth century. With regard to whom? Not with regard to the natural Jews who settled in Palestine after World War I and later fought with “a military force” to establish the Republic of Israel, in 1948. No, but the prophetic words of Psalm 126:2 were said with regard to the internationally hated and persecuted Bible Students, who were liberated from bondage to Babylon the Great in the postwar year of 1919. Upon such restored Christians, who were spiritual Israelites, there came an outpouring of spirit from on high. It reminded Bible Students of the Pentecost of 33 C.E., although it was not accompanied by visible “tongues as if of fire” that sat upon the heads of the disciples miraculously enabling them to speak different, unlearned foreign languages.​—Acts 2:1-4; Joel 2:28, 29; Isa. 32:15.

 8. For what postwar work had the remnant of spiritual Israel been preserved, and why could they rightfully take up the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses”?

⁸ As a result, these spiritually energized Christians became more lively in Jehovah’s active service than ever before. Witnessing, witnessing, witnessing to God’s established kingdom​—world wide! became their rousing cry. That was now their main purpose in living. According to the Bible, that was the reason why God preserved them alive through World War I and freed them from bondage to Babylon the Great. (Matt. 24:9-14) So they reassembled their scattered members and reorganized for carrying out the Kingdom witnessing world wide down to the end.

¹⁰ Throughout the earth a “great crowd” of God-fearing people are determined that the name shall stay alive and meaningful, even though they themselves are not spiritual Israelites. They have noticed what the God who bears the name Jehovah has done for his name people, the remnant of spiritual Israel. They have detected upon which people it is that God’s spirit has been poured out from on high. So those who make up the “great crowd” today are the ones “among the nations” who are saying: “Jehovah has done a great thing in what he has done with them.” (Ps. 126:2) The God who could do such a thing with so small a remnant of spiritual Israelites is the God whom the “great crowd” want to worship and serve. Fearless of international hatred and persecution, they have dedicated themselves to the same God through Christ and have aligned themselves with the anointed remnant of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses. They too have taken upon themselves the responsibility of being His Witnesses, unashamed.​—Rev. 7:9-17; Zech. 8:23.