31. (a) How is the Ruler out of Bethlehem a match for the lionlike Assyrian aggressor? (b) How have Jehovah’s people since 1919 been like a lion among nations, and how must we keep our hearts in the future?

³¹ The modern-day totalitarian “Assyrian” comes from the lions’ capital prefigured by ancient Nineveh. (Nah. 2:11, 12) But our Leader is the Ruler out of Bethlehem, the King greater than David, who, as a shepherd boy, slew a lion with Jehovah’s help. (1 Sam. 17:34-37) He is himself the “Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David,” and knows no fear. (Rev. 5:5) Since 1919 the remnant or “remaining ones” of spiritual Israel have been like a lion among nations. They have fearlessly obeyed Jehovah’s command through his Christ and have preached ‘this good news of His established kingdom in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.’ They have been undaunted by the hatred, opposition and persecution from both the prophetic “king of the north” and the “king of the south.” (Dan. 11:40-45) The hundreds of thousands of dedicated, baptized companions out of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues have likewise displayed lionlike courage and fearlessness by the spirit of Jehovah. In the future let our hearts never quail with fear at the maneuvers and the numbers of our ferocious enemies.

32. (a) For whom will the “day of Jehovah” be fear-inspiring? (b) According to Micah 5:9, what beckons us onward, and in moving onward what shall we still more become like?

³² As we enter shortly into the great day of Jehovah, it will be fear-inspiring for only our foes, because Jehovah’s execution of His judgment of destruction will be against them, not against us. His hand will be high in triumph above his adversaries, and all these enemies of His will be cut off. That means too that the hand of the fearless remnant and their companions will then be high in victory above our adversaries, and all these enemies of ours will be cut off. Victory beckons us onward in the further Kingdom ministry that lies before us in all the nations under the leadership of the “Lion that is of the tribe of Judah.” “Follow me,” he says. By following him we shall become still more innumerable, like the dewdrops, and be a refreshing blessing from Jehovah God among many peoples for their everlasting life in His righteous new world.

Spiritual Prosperity in Colombia

● The press of the United States, and particularly the Protestant press, has had much to say about the persecution of non-Catholics in the strongly Catholic country of Colombia. However, in spite of how strongly Catholic the people of Colombia may be, there are many of them sincerely hungering for the truth about Jehovah God, his Word and kingdom, as the following figures show:

At the last celebration of the Lord’s supper or evening meal, 7,700 were present in Colombia, or three persons of good will for every Witness. At the weekly Bible study of The Watchtower the attendance is 150 percent of the number of Witnesses in the country, or one person of good will for every two Witnesses, taking for granted that all the Witnesses attend every Watchtower study. As for increase in the number of Witnesses: in 1945 there were two in all Colombia, in 1961 a peak of 2,013. During the past ten years there has been an increase of from 11 to as much as 51 percent in a year. Truly there is spiritual prosperity in Colombia among the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses.