Soviet Union to investigate the abuses against their fellow witnesses of Jehovah in your country and to grant freedom of worship to our brothers in Christ.

The petition was sent to you in scores of languages from 199 assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses. Every copy was sent by registered airmail. And further to ensure having this important matter reach your attention copies of the petition were also transmitted through Soviet diplomatic representatives in each country.

A total of 462,936 of Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide have endorsed this petition and are awaiting news of the action that will be taken by the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for the relief of the suffering Christian witnesses of Jehovah there.

As the governing body for Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide we are authorized to transmit herewith a composite petition covering the problems of Jehovah’s witnesses within the Soviet Union. And as ministers of the Supreme God, Jehovah, we are obligated before Him to ask your consideration of this serious problem. We still stand ready to send our delegation to Moscow for the proposed discussions.

We, representing the 462,936 petitioning witnesses of Jehovah, respectfully request your early reply. The responsibility now rests upon you before the Most High God Jehovah: “Otherwise, you may perhaps be found fighters actually against God.”—Acts 5:39, NW.

Submitted by the Directors,

WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA

N. H. Knorr, President

F. W. Franz, Vice-President

Grant Suiter, Secretary-Treasurer

H. H. Riemer, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer

T. J. Sullivan, Director

L. A. Swingle, Director

M. G. Henschel, Director

Enclosure

By pressing this issue Jehovah’s witnesses have discharged a threefold duty. They have witnessed to Jehovah’s supremacy; they have pointed out to Jehovah’s enemies the wrongness of their course and they have endeavored to aid their brothers behind the Iron Curtain.

They rest assured in Jesus’ promise: “Shall not God cause justice to be done to his chosen ones who cry aloud to him day and night, even though he is long-suffering toward them? I tell you, He will cause justice to be done to them speedily.”—Luke 18:7, 8, NW.

Questions From Readers

● Why do Jehovah’s witnesses believe human creatures will live forever on the earth, since the Bible declares that the earth is to be burned up?

It is true that the Bible says: “The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” But it is also true that the Bible says: “The earth abideth for ever.” These statements seem contradictory. Actually, when properly understood they are not.—2 Pet. 3:7; Eccl. 1:4.

Referring to the attitude of scoffers in the last days, 2 Peter 3:5-7 (NW) says: “For, according to their wish, this fact escapes their notice, that there were heavens in ancient times and an earth standing compactly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God, and by those means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water. But by the same word the heavens and the earth that are now are stored up for fire and are being reserved to the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men.”

The apostle Peter here refers to the flood of Noah’s time. The heavens and earth “of that time” were destroyed by water, Peter says. But