For to the right and to the left you will break forth, and your own offspring will take possession even of nations, and they will inhabit even the desolated cities.

Isaiah 54:2-

11. (a) How was God’s heavenly “woman” blessed in 1914? (See footnote.) (b) From 1919 onward, what blessing have the anointed on earth experienced?

¹¹ Earthly Jerusalem was blessed with such a time of renewal after the Babylonian exile. “Jerusalem above” has been even more blessed.* Particularly since 1919, her anointed “offspring” have flourished in their newly restored spiritual condition. (Isaiah 61:4; 66:8) They ‘took possession of nations’ in that they spread abroad into many lands to seek out all those who would join their spiritual family. As a result, explosive growth occurred in the gathering of the anointed sons. Their final number of 144,000 appeared to be filled sometime in the mid-1930’s. (Revelation 14:3) At that time the focus of the preaching work ceased to be the gathering of the anointed. Still, expansion did not stop with the anointed.

12. In addition to the anointed, who have been gathered into the Christian congregation since the 1930’s?

¹² Jesus himself foretold that besides his “little flock” of anointed brothers, he would have “other sheep” that must be brought into the sheepfold of true Christians. (Luke 12:32; John 10:16) Though not among the anointed sons of “Jerusalem above,” these faithful companions of the anointed fill an important and long-prophesied role. (Zechariah 8:23) From the 1930’s until today, a “great crowd” of them have been gathered, resulting in unprecedented expansion of the Christian congregation. (Revelation 7:9, 10) Today that great crowd numbers well into the millions. All this expansion has created an urgent need for more Kingdom Halls, Assembly Halls, and branch complexes. Isaiah’s words seem ever more apt. What a privilege to be part of that foretold expansion!