day of Jehovah cometh, for it is nigh at hand; . . . A great people and a strong; . . . They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his ways, and they break not their ranks. Neither doth one thrust another; they march every man in his path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off their course.”—Joel 2:1, 2, 7, 8, AS.

20. What part does love play in the advance of these forward-moving fighters, and making what difference?

²⁰ What has drawn these forward-moving fighters together into this triumphant theocratic army with power that is irresistible? It is simply love, love of God with which he draws men together. We are determined to let nothing stand in our way of expressing our love for him. (Rom. 8:35-39) This love of Jehovah, together with love of fellow man, is the perfect bond of union. With it we resist the hate-breeding infection of this selfish world. It is the great difference between the New World society and the old. Satan’s world will never destroy this love from the midst of God’s organization, but it will live through Armageddon and exist as the firm foundation for serving Jehovah in blessedness for eternity.

21. What must we do to be sure that Jehovah will never stop loving us?

²¹ Love of Jehovah and our brothers now serves as the great stabilizer of our determined efforts to maintain firmness of faith and mighty acts consistent with it. It causes us alertly and manfully to accept whatever responsibility Jehovah is pleased to bestow upon us in caring for his kingdom interests. Because such unselfishness is our motive, our brothers and, above all, Jehovah surely will forgive our unintentional shortcomings, weaknesses and imperfections of the flesh. Jehovah had his inspired apostle give us this assurance. “But the complete end of all things has drawn close. Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant with a view to prayers. Above all things, have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pet. 4:7, 8, NW) Jehovah will never stop loving or blessing us if we “stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on as men, grow mighty.” Everything Jehovah does for us he does out of love. So with thoughtful appropriateness, Paul concludes his compact encouragement, which we commend to you ministerial servants with special recommendation: “Let all your affairs take place with love.”—1 Cor. 16:13, 14, NW.

The Bible Banned

● In 1229 the Council of Toulouse issued forty-five canons to end heresy. One of them “forbids the laity to have in their possession any copy of the books of the Old and New Testament, except the Psalter and such portions of them as are contained in the Breviary or the Hours of the Blessed Virgin; most strictly forbids these works in the vulgar tongue.” Some centuries later Henry VIII worked feverishly to keep Bibles from being smuggled into England. Public notices gave warning: “No women, nor artificers, nor apprentices, journeymen, serving-men, yeomen, husbandmen or laborers shall read the Bible in English to himself or another, privately or openly on pain of a month’s imprisonment.” And yet today when millions of people can read the Bible freely, most of them are Bible illiterates.