Nations in Fear at the Name Called upon Us
1. What did Jehovah do in behalf of himself as regards ancient Egypt, and what is it time now for him to do again?
IT WAS high time for action, because the name of God and of his Christ was involved. Long ago in ancient Egypt, Jehovah said through his prophet Moses to Pharaoh the king: “In fact, for this cause I have kept you in existence, for the sake of showing you my power and in order to have my name declared in all the earth.” (Ex. 9:16) By first bringing ten destructive plagues upon old Egypt, then by delivering the enslaved Israelites and by destroying the military forces of Egypt in the Red Sea after he miraculously brought his people through, Jehovah God did something for which he is known even today. Jeremiah 32:20 addresses Jehovah God as “you who set signs and miracles in the land of Egypt down to this day and in Israel and among men, that you might make a name for your own self, just as at this day.” Truly he made a name for himself then, and it was declared throughout the inhabited earth. But the later generations forgot, and ours, the latest generation, has forgot. Bible prophecy and its fulfillment since A.D. 1914 fix this as the time for Jehovah God again to make a name for himself.
2. (a) For what outstanding purpose has God preserved the Bible till now? (b) How does a recent article by a Jewish archaeologist agree with this purpose of the Bible?
2 It was not in vain that he inspired the writing of the entire Bible of sixty-six component books. It was not without purpose that he preserved the Holy Bible to this day despite the efforts of the larger section of Christendom to destroy it. He preserved it to this day for it to be used in making his name known. His name Jehovah is the most used and most famous name in the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The name that ranks next is that of Jesus Christ; which fact is as it should be, since Jesus himself said to his disciples: “I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.” (John 14:28) For one thing, Jehovah had the Bible written in order to preserve his name. Even the noted archaeologist, Dr. Nelson Glueck, although a modernistic Jew in his views, admits this fact. In a recent article entitled “Book of Faith and of History,” Dr. Glueck says, in paragraph three:
The Bible is basically a religious, not a historical work. It was compiled above all else in order to explain the nature and to exalt the name of God. Its unity and authenticity stem from the fact that its undeviating and single purpose is to expound the singleness, uniqueness, universality and significance of God for Israel and for all mortal beings. The hero of the Bible is God, as the source of all creation and the Father of all mankind.—The New York Times Magazine, page 29, September 25, 1960.
3. (a) At the “war of the great day,” what will God do in his own behalf, but what is he also having done before then in this behalf? (b) By means of whom?
3 The “war of the great day of God the Almighty” is getting nearer. In it Jehovah will again make for himself a name that will ring throughout eternity. (Rev. 16:14, 16) But already before that universal war of heaven and earth he is causing his name to be declared with honor in all the earth. By means of whom? Not by means of Christendom, but by means of those Christians distinguished by the Scriptural name “Jehovah’s witnesses.” Direct reports of this we have from 181 lands and island groups, these encircling the whole earth. It is by Jehovah’s spirit that they are accomplishing this in the face of religious persecution and opposition. To all the nations it has become very apparent that Jehovah’s name is called upon them. Are nations for that reason in fear?
HOW AFFECTED BY FEAR
4. How did Christendom make for herself a fear-inspiring name, but with what religious effects?
4 Until recently Christendom had made for herself a name that for centuries put the pagan nations in fear. Christendom did this, not because of the fact that the name of Jehovah was called upon her, but because of her religious persecution and oppression, her blood-spilling wars and crusades, her colonialism backed up by heavily equipped armies and navies. By this unchristian course Christendom has brought the greatest reproach upon Christ’s name as well as God’s name. Today matters have changed considerably.
5. (a) What name has become a bugaboo to Christendom, and how has she reacted to this? (b) In whose name does Christendom not put trust, and hence what honor has gone to a certain small band?
5 What has now become a world bugaboo is the name Communism, particularly to Christendom or the political, religious, social and industrial rulers of Christendom. Away back in 1879, in its September issue, which was its third issue after beginning publication, the Watch Tower magazine warned Christendom of this Communist menace in a leading article entitled “The Day of the Lord.” Since then a block of Communist nations occupying one third of the earth has been built up, and Christendom keeps herself powerfully armed against it. Because of fear at what a nuclear war may mean, merely a “cold war” rages between Christendom and the aggressive Communist bloc. Christendom puts no trust in Almighty God, whose name is Jehovah. Hence, not to Christendom, but to the small band of peace-minded, unarmed witnesses of Jehovah has gone the honor of making the fear-inspiring name of Jehovah known world-wide.
6. What shows whether the Russian Soviet Union is in fear of Jehovah’s witnesses?
6 Really, though, is the Russian Soviet Union in fear of Jehovah’s witnesses? Definitely yes! Otherwise, why would Communist Russia try to destroy them? And why, with all the Catholic and Protestant religions openly operating in Russia, are Jehovah’s witnesses the religious group that is under ban and that is driven underground?
7. How did a staff writer in the Toronto Daily Star comment on Russia’s fear at Jehovah’s witnesses?
7 Says one staff writer, Mark Gayn, in the Toronto Daily Star of July 2, 1960, page 7, under the headlines: In The Red World Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘Spiders’ to Soviet:
All religion is anathema to the Soviets. Unaccountably, however, nothing infuriates them quite as much as do Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Moscow hunts out the Witnesses. It aims bolts of lightning at their faith. And it presents their active proselytizing as a mixture of the devil’s own shenanigans and Allen Dulles’ subversion. The attacks on the Witnesses are featured in the Moscow press under such titillating headlines as “Apostles of The Powder Keg” or “Spiders.” The stories, of course, are made to fit the headlines. (”They are spiders, and spiders dislike light. They weave their snares in dark corners, then crawl away to the side to wait until a victim begins to quiver in the web. And they do find victims.”)
Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses? This is the Pravda answer.
“From the first day of its existence, the sect, Jehovah’s Witnesses, entered the service of the most reactionary circles of American capital. Wealthy patrons gave the new sect an entry into the colonial countries to implant a spirit of mute submissiveness, and set the Witnesses against the young Socialist movement in Europe . . . ”
. . . Pravda reports that the Witnesses are becoming increasingly active. By word of mouth and through illicit leaflets, the Witnesses are arguing that no man should bear arms, setting up illegal churches, and holding illicit prayer meetings. The conspiracy of faith is spreading, and all the mighty resources of the state seem unable to destroy it.
And no one bothers to explain how anything like this could happen in the 43rd blissful year of the greatest revolution known to man.
8. (a) According to news dispatches from Moscow, whom do Jehovah’s witnesses not fear, but what counsel of Jesus do they follow? (b) What kind of fear is excited in Communist lands, and to what does it lead?
8 Under date of July 7, 1960, the New York Times carried an RNS dispatch from Moscow under the heading “Moscow Accuses Sect - Says Jehovah’s Witnesses Maintain Soviet Activity.” Under date of February 12, 1961, the Times published a nearly column-long article under the headline “Rise of Religion Worrying Soviet,” in which it twice mentioned Jehovah’s witnesses. According to this these witnesses of Jehovah do not share the world’s fear of communism, but follow the words of Jesus Christ, in Matthew 10:28, when he sent his apostles out to preach God’s kingdom: “Do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” As a result God’s name and kingdom are being declared even behind the Iron Curtain. The fear excited by this activity in Communist lands and in other lands under totalitarian government is not a wholesome kind of fear, because of the selfishness of such political rulerships. It is a fear that is marked by a hatred of God’s name. Such a fear leads to destruction in the war of God Almighty’s great day!
THE WHOLESOME KIND OF FEAR
9, 10. (a) What did Jehovah promise to make for the “people for his name,” and since what events has this been true? (b) How did Jehovah foretell this in Jeremiah 33:7-9?
9 This, however, is not the only kind of fear that is excited among the nations at the name that is called upon this remnant of dedicated, spirit-anointed followers of Christ. For these his visible organization on earth, his anointed “people for his name,” Jehovah promised to make a name as well as a name for himself. This has particularly been true since 1919, when this anointed remnant came out from the bondage that they suffered during World War I and fearlessly set themselves to declaring God’s name and his Messianic kingdom. Their deliverance from the oppressive powers of Christendom was by the power of their God, to whom they were fully dedicated. Before the Christian Era Jehovah’s people for his name, his witnesses, were represented by Judah and Israel. Addressing his name people of today under those same titles, God said:
10 “I will bring back the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel, and I will build them just as at the start. And I will purify them from all their error with which they have sinned against me, and I will forgive all their errors with which they have sinned against me and with which they have transgressed against me. And she will certainly become to me a name of exultation, a praise and a beauty toward all the nations of the earth who will hear of all the goodness that I am rendering to them. And they will certainly be in dread and be agitated on account of all the goodness and on account of all the peace that I am rendering to her.”—Jer. 33:7-9.
11. (a) What forces have tried to destroy their spiritual progress since 1919, and with what success? (b) Upon whom has their spiritual progress reflected, and what does Zephaniah 3:19, 20 show would result?
11 This is what accounts for all the spiritual well-being and prosperity of Jehovah’s witnesses and the impressive increase that they have enjoyed since 1919. Nazism, Fascism and Catholic Action and many nationalistic forces in Christendom have tried to destroy them and their prosperity, peace and unity since that year, but in vain. The persistent spiritual well-being, prosperity and growth of the Witnesses around the earth have reflected favorably upon their God. They have been a credit to his name. For this cause he has favored them, as he also promised in Zephaniah 3:19, 20, saying:
“‘Here I am acting against all those afflicting you, at that time; and I will save her that is limping, and her that is dispersed I shall collect together. And I will set them as a praise and as a name in all the land of their shame. At that time I shall bring you people in, even in the time of my collecting you together. For I shall make you people to be a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I gather back your captive ones before your eyes,’ Jehovah has said.”
12. How have Jehovah’s witnesses fulfilled this scripture?
12 In fulfillment of this, the active, progressive witnesses of Jehovah have imparted honor to his name. Their courageous freeness in preaching, their spiritual intelligence and their high moral standards speak well for the God of their deliverance.
13. As a result of this, what observations have many honest people in all nations made concerning the remnant?
13 As a result of this, hundreds of thousands of honest people in all nations have observed that the remnant of anointed witnesses are in themselves a name for advertising the Lord God and are a praise to His worthy name. They are something of beauty for him in the earth, displaying God’s goodness toward those who love and obey him and who keep his commandments and who follow his Son Jesus.
14. What is the effect of their observations upon this “great crowd” of people, and what is the result of the action that they take?
14 Impressed by these observations, this “great crowd” of people who are seeking the one pure religion as set forth in the Bible are filled with a fear of the name that is called upon his anointed remnant of witnesses. Their fear is accompanied by a love of the name of the adorable God, the only one whose name is Jehovah. (Ps. 83:18) Hence they also imitate Jesus by dedicating themselves completely to his God and Father and being baptized in water to testify to this dedication of themselves to God. Thus they join the anointed remnant in following in the footsteps of the “fine shepherd,” Jesus Christ. They become part of his flock of symbolic sheep. The result of this faithful action on the part of these “other sheep” is, as Jesus foretold, “one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14-16) They all become united worshipers of Jehovah God.
PROPHESYING UNITEDLY
15. (a) Hence, what work must such “other sheep” do? (b) In agreement with Joel 2:28, 29, what prophesying have the anointed remnant been doing?
15 As a follow-up of such dedication and water baptism, what work must these “other sheep” of Christ’s flock do? They must do what the prophetic Scriptures foretold and what the remnant of the anointed “little flock” are doing—prophesy or preach. Upon this remnant of spiritual Israel, his “people for his name,” Jehovah has poured out his spirit in final fulfillment of Joel 2:28, 29 regarding the “last days.” The predicted effect of this was to be prophesying by all, whether men or women, young or old. True to Joel 2:28, 29, the anointed remnant have been prophesying, especially since 1919, after they were delivered from religious captivity. Under the enlightenment of God’s spirit upon them they have recognized that the kingdom of God is the thing to prophesy about now, in order to fulfill Jesus’ prophecy: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”—Matt. 24:3, 14.
16. How do the prophecies figure in with the remnant’s preaching, and who join them in this preaching?
16 So as the remnant preach they make known and discuss all the Bible prophecies about God’s kingdom and its everlasting blessings for faithful, obedient mankind. This prophetic preaching is therefore the work, God’s work, in which the “other sheep” join. They too become witnesses of Jehovah, like the anointed remnant.
17. (a) Why have the anointed remnant made every provision for this prophesying? (b) Since when particularly has assistance been given them by others and under what Society have arrangements for prophesying been made?
17 Under the irresistible force of God’s outpoured spirit, the anointed remnant have made every provision for carrying on the prophesying that must be done before the “coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah,” in order that everyone who wants to get away safe may fear his name and call upon it for salvation. The “great crowd” of these “other sheep” are among those who want to get away safe and gain life in Jehovah’s new world under his kingdom. (Joel 2:30-32) As tens, yes, hundreds of thousands of these have been gathered into the “one flock” under the “one shepherd,” they, in turn, have assisted the anointed remnant in gathering still other thousands, particularly since 1935. In that year this “great crowd” of the “other sheep” were identified as being those pictured in Revelation 7:9-17. So the arrangements and facilities were made to get the life-giving prophesying done on a more productive basis and on an increasing scale, and were regularly improved and enlarged under the Watch Tower Society. For example:
18. In behalf of the theocratic ministry, what arrangement was announced and instituted by the Society’s president at headquarters?
18 On February 9, 1942, while World War II was still raging, the president of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society announced that an “advanced course of theocratic ministry” would be started right there in the Society’s Brooklyn headquarters for the benefit of the members of the staff of workers, there being an average of about 192 that year. The president read a letter about this ministry course to this large Bethel family of workers after their family study of The Watchtower that Monday night. This family school, held each week, provided much practical material to be put in a contemplated schoolbook entitled “Course in Theocratic Ministry,” setting forth fifty-two lessons on its ninety-six pages.
19. During those World War II days what work was contemplated, what was inaugurated in 1943, and what is the situation with it today?
19 Even during those dark World War II days, postwar missionary work on a global scale not attempted heretofore was foreseen. Toward the realizing of this, the Society set up on its Kingdom Farm near South Lansing, New York, the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. On Wednesday, February 1, 1943, the Society’s president inaugurated this school for missionaries from among Jehovah’s witnesses. Eighteen years ago, that was seemingly an audacious step. But today the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead still functions, on a new location opposite the Society’s Brooklyn headquarters. It has far better facilities and a longer, more thorough course of study and training for students brought in from all parts of the earth.
20. What release and demonstration were featured at the Call to Action Assemblies of 1943, and so what sprang up as time went on?
20 But the home field of witnessing was not neglected. In due time the book Course in Theocratic Ministry was completed and printed on the Society’s Brooklyn printing presses. Call to Action Assemblies, two days long, were held April 17 and 18, 1943, in hundreds of cities in the United States and Canada. Here the plan for starting weekly Theocratic Ministry Schools in all the congregations of Jehovah’s witnesses was announced. The schoolbook was released, and the way the book would be used and the school be conducted was demonstrated. At that time Jehovah’s witnesses were under wartime ban in a number of lands, or importation of their literature was forbidden. Yet wherever the congregations could get copies of the book, schools were begun. In short order hundreds of such Theocratic Ministry Schools sprang up. After World War II ended, thousands of them were formed among congregations the whole world around.
21. What schoolbooks were released in 1945 and 1946, and on what special occasions?
21 Something larger than the 96-page schoolbook Course in Theocratic Ministry became necessary. So on April 27-29, 1945, special assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses were held. Then on Saturday night, April 28, just three days before Adolf Hitler, the vicious foe of Jehovah’s witnesses, committed suicide, there was released to these assembled witnesses the new 384-page book of 90 lessons, Theocratic Aid to Kingdom Publishers. In 1946, the first postwar year, at the Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly of six days in Cleveland, Ohio, a new schoolbook, “Equipped for Every Good Work,” was released on August 8. These two school manuals served for years.
22. (a) At the New World Society Assembly in Yankee Stadium in 1953, what work was stressed, especially with reference to congregation servants and circuit servants? (b) In this behalf, what special instructions did the November (1953) Informant give?
22 In 1950 international assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses began to be held at Yankee Stadium, New York city. At the second of these, in 1953, from July 19 to 26, entitled New World Society Assembly, the Society’s president laid stress on the preaching of Jehovah’s witnesses from house to house. Among the points emphasized was that every appointed servant in the congregations should be a trainer of house-to-house publishers of God’s kingdom. Particularly should the circuit servants, each of whom visited a specified number of congregations, specialize in such training work. Just about four months after this, the Kingdom publishers’ monthly paper, Informant, as it was then called, carried a special article on presenting the “good news of the kingdom” from house to house in a more forceful way. How? “By using the Bible at the doors.” On this point the November (1953) Informant said:
After introducing yourself, making known your mission and what you have for the people, a very effective witness can be given by reading a few select texts from the Bible and weaving them into your witness. . . . By thus reading pointed scriptures from the Bible to substantiate your witness, you can achieve greater variety in your three- to eight-minute sermons at the doors.
23. Where had direct Bible sermonettes already been used, and why?
23 Direct Bible sermonettes had already been extensively used in lands and provinces where Jehovah’s witnesses were either banned or forbidden by law to carry their Bible literature with them from house to house, as in Quebec Province, Canada.
24. (a) What schoolbook was released in 1955, and next year what arrangement did the Kingdom Ministry make for all congregations? (b) What was inaugurated on March 9, 1959, and in behalf of whom?
24 In 1955, in the international series of Triumphant Kingdom Assemblies beginning in June, the new Theocratic Ministry School book entitled “Qualified to Be Ministers” was released. In the following year the monthly service paper now known as Kingdom Ministry began publishing detailed outlines for the weekly service meeting. Thus all congregations everywhere could have uniform service meetings for the instruction of Kingdom publishers. Three years later the opportunity for the special training and equipping of the congregation overseers or servants opened up. At the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, at Kingdom Farm, on March 9, 1959, the Kingdom Ministry School was inaugurated. It provided four weeks of free instruction and training for successive class groups of congregation servants who could accept the invitation to attend.
25. Since the transfer of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, what has been done with the Kingdom Ministry School at Kingdom Farm, and how have foreign branches of the Society been favored in this regard?
25 Since the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead was transferred to Brooklyn in February, 1961, the Kingdom Ministry School at Kingdom Farm has been enlarged to take care of four class groups of congregation overseers at a time. Also, the Kingdom Ministry School has been established in conjunction with Watch Tower Society branch offices around the world, as, for example, in Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Australia, the Far East, and so forth. This has been greatly blessed by the Most High God. It has resulted in more and more, better-qualified congregation servants, to watch over God’s flock and to supervise their work of prophesying, witnessing.
26. Thus today who are the ones prophesying, in what proportions, and in what languages?
26 Thus today the anointed remnant of Kingdom heirs are not the only ones prophesying. They are being joined by more and more of the sheeplike persons in all the nations who are learning to fear the name of Jehovah, which is called upon the remnant anointed with God’s spirit. Whereas the reported number of the remnant of spiritual Israel today is only 13,255, the number of their “other sheep” companions who are regularly reporting preaching service in the field each month is 900,000. And as in the case of the anointed remnant, so in the case of these “other sheep” who fear Jehovah’s name, “all sorts of flesh” are prophesying, the old, the young, the men, the women, the employers, the employees, in 144 languages as of this date, all these proving themselves to be Jehovah’s witnesses.
27. Of what is this a very timely sign to all the nations?
27 What a significant sign this is to all the nations of the world! It is a sign that the great, illustrious, fear-inspiring day of Jehovah is nearing and that now, in the remaining brief interval, is the time to call upon the name of Jehovah in faith, in order to be saved for everlasting life in His new world.
28. What has been Jehovah’s manifest expression toward us for identifying ourselves as His witnesses, and what does the persecution that he has let come upon us indicate?
28 What a tremendous responsibility rests upon us for being called witnesses of Jehovah! Let the opposers challenge our right to identify ourselves by this name! Jehovah God himself has not condemned us for doing so. Rather, he has blessed us for striving to live up to the obligations of that name, to walk worthy of bearing that distinguished name. The persecution that he has let come upon us for prophesying or preaching about his kingdom is not a mark of his curse or disapproval. It is a proof that we are not of this condemned old world but are of His righteous new world.
29. What is our determination with respect to Jehovah’s name, and what prayer taught by Jesus will we keep praying?
29 Gratefully we acknowledge and bear our responsibility with regard to His name. If we do not respect and fear the name of Jehovah and bring honor upon it, then the God-seeking people of all the nations will not fear it either nor call upon it for eternal salvation. However, our determination is to honor and exalt the name of Jehovah, doing nothing to bring reproach upon it. We will treat his name as most holy. We will help all other sheeplike persons also to sanctify it, as we keep praying the prayer that Jesus Christ taught us to pray to Jehovah God: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.”—Matt. 6:9.