The Watchtower, November 1, 1951
Download: PDF — The Watchtower, November 1, 1951
"YOU ARE MY WITNESSES," SAYS JEHOVAH.—Isa. 43:12
The WATCHTOWER
Announcing
JEHOVAH'S
KINGDOM
NOVEMBER 1, 1951
Semimonthly
THE TRIUMPH OF CLEAN,
UNDEFILED WORSHIP
FINAL VICTORY OVER BABYLONISH
RELIGION NEAR
COMFORT FOR MEN WHO SIGH AND CRY
CHARITY IN CHRISTENDOM
CONCLUDING THE REPORT ON JAPAN
“YOU ARE MY WITNESSES,” SAYS JEHOVAH.—Isa. 43:12 THE PURPOSE OF "THE WATCHTOWER"
Literal towers in Bible times were elevated vantage points from which watchmen could observe happenings, warn of danger, or announce good news. Our magazine figuratively occupies such a vantage point, for it is founded on the very pinnacle of wisdom, God's Word. That elevates it above racial, national and political propagandas and prejudices, frees it from selfish bias. It is not bound by any traditional creed, but its message advances as the light on God's purposes and works increases.—Habakkuk 2:1-3.
It sees things Scripturally. When it observes this generation afflicted with greed, delinquency, hypocrisy, atheism, war, famine, pestilence, perplexity and fear, and persecution of unpopular minorities, it does not parrot the old fable about history repeating itself. Informed by Bible prophecy, it sees in these things the sign of the world's time of the end. But with bright hope it also sees opening up for us just beyond these woes the portals of a new world.
Thus viewed, "The Watchtower" stands as a watchman atop a tower, alert to what is going on, awake to note signs of danger, faithful to point out the way of escape. It announces Jehovah's kingdom established by Christ's enthronement in heaven, feeds his kingdom joint-heirs with spiritual food, cheers men of good will with glorious prospects of eternal life in a paradise earth, comforts us with the resurrection promise for the dead.
It is not dogmatic, but has a confident ring in its voice, because it is based on God's Word. It does not privately interpret prophecy, but calls attention to physical facts, sets them alongside prophecy, and you see for yourself how well the two match, how accurately Jehovah interprets his own prophecy. In the interests of our salvation, it keeps sharp and faithful focus on Bible truth, and views religious news generally.
'Be watchful in these perilous times,' God admonishes. So keep on the watch by regularly reading "The Watchtower".
PUBLISHED BY THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
117 Adams Street
Brooklyn 1, N. Y., U. S. A.
N. H. KNORR, President
GRANT SUITER, Secretary
"They will all be taught by Jehovah."—John 6:45, NW; Isaiah 54:13
CONTENTS
Charity in Christendom 643
Comfort for Men Who Sigh and Cry 645
Concluding the Report on Japan 648
The Bible at Your Doorstep 653
Bearing Fruit Manyfold from Right Soil 655
The Triumph of Clean, Undefiled Worship 656
Final Victory over
Babylonish Religion Near 665
Questions from Readers 670
Announcements 672
Abbreviations used in "The Watchtower" for the following Bible versions
AS - American Standard Version LXX- The Septuagint Version
AT - An American Translation Mo - James Moffatt's version
Da - J. N. Darby's version NW - New World Translation
Dy - Catholic Douay version Ro - J. B. Rotherham's version
ED - The Emphatic Diaglott RS - Revised Standard Version
Le - Isaac Leeser's version Yg - Robert Young's version
Unless otherwise indicated, the Bible used is the King James Version
Printing this issue: 1,310,000 Five cents a copy
PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGES SemiMonthly Monthly
Semimonthly
Monthly
Afrikaans
Italian
Arabic
Portuguese
Cebu-Visayan
Japanese
Chishona
Hussian
Danish
Norwegian
Cinyanja
Slamese
English
Pangasinan
Ciwemba
Sikololo
Finnish
Slovenian
Greek
Slovak
French
Spanish
Ibo
Twl
German
Swedish
Kanarese
Ukrainian
Hiligaynon-Visayan
Tagalog
Malayalam
Yoruba
Hollandish
Zulu
Polish
Iocano
Watch Tower Society offices Yearly subscription rate
America, U.S., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn 1, N.Y. $1
Australia, 11 Beresford Rd., Strathfield, N.S.W. 8s
British West Indies, 21 Taylor St., Port of Spain, Trinidad$ 1.72
Canada, 40 Irwin Ave., Toronto 5, Ontario $1
England, 34 Craven Terrace, London, W. 2 7s
Jamaica, 151 King St., Kingston 7s
New Zealand, G.P.O. Box 30, Wellington, C. 1 7s
South Africa, 623 Boston House, Cape Town 7s
Remittances should be sent to office in your country in compliance with regulations to guarantee safe delivery of money. Remittances are accepted at Brooklyn from countries where no office is located, by international money order only. Subscription rates in different countries are here stated in local currency. Notice of expiration (with renewal blank) is sent at least two issues before subscription expires. Change of address when sent to our office may be expected effective within one month. Send your old as well as new address.
Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N. Y., Act of March 3.1879. Printed in U.S.A.
CHARITY IN CHRISTENDOM
IT WAS the night before Christmas, and just as surely as the season, every busy street throughout the nations of Christendom was crowded with its share of "Santa Clauses", collection drums and charity criers. For weeks in advance hospitals, foundling homes, religious and philanthropic organizations had raised their pleading voices. Newspapers, radio and television issued forcible reminders of the time of year. Like a new hat in spring, charity was trotted out and modeled for all it was worth. Prominent citizens and politicians took the lead in demonstrating the mode of the day. Religious heads stood by and applauded. The average man was expected to follow the leader and do his bit.
Then the day after Christmas dawned. The stores were jammed again—this time with people exchanging their gifts. But the streets were barren of "Santa Clauses", of collection drums and their criers. Press and radio pleas let up. Tension eased. Charity went temporarily out of fashion. Prominent persons and politicians could derive little publicity from further giving. The clergy sought other means of filling church pews. The poor man's pockets were empty. So charity retired to await the fanfare of its next entrance cue.
Can any seriously deny this graphic description of Christendom's "holiday spirit"? Of the charity-boasting clergy of his day, who behind the scenes schemed for the substance of poor widows, Christ Jesus said: "Look out for the scribes that desire to walk around in robes and desire greetings in the market-places and front seats in the synagogues and most prominent places at evening meals. They are the ones devouring the houses of the widows and for a pretext making long prayers; these will receive a heavier judgment." —Mark 12:38-40, NW.
Then, noting the temple contributions of the rich and prominent and seeing in their midst a poor widow, and noting her offering, Jesus observed: "Truly I say to you that this poor widow dropped in more than all those dropping money into the treasury chests; for they all dropped in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, dropped in all of what she had, her whole living."—Mark 12:43, 44, NW.
Please note that Jesus condemned, not the giving, but giving for sake of show. It is so evident that the well-to-do and the politicians choose the most prominent incidents of charity to popularize their gifts "out of their surplus".
A train derails and crashes into the headlines. Or perhaps a factory explosion covers the front page. On such occasions or when flood, fire, earthquake or windstorm make many homeless and rob others of life or limb, as surely as the press is there to report it, so will other familiar figures turn up. The community chest will be there, the Red Cross with its blood bank will be there, priests fully outfitted with pious face and last rites will be there and politicians will rush back from a Florida vacation so that they can be there all to offer charitable help.
But let the disaster be on a smaller scale where the returns in publicity are not so promising; then the widely acclaimed charitable organizations do not flock to the scene. It is clear that they choose the publicized tragedies, that their giving may be publicized along with the event. The motive of attention and credit perches plainly on their every "good deed". Contributors to the community chest receive a red feather; to the Red Cross, a button; to disabled war veterans, a poppy. A religious cardinal is considered a particularly appropriate individual to open a charity drive. He is photographed performing his contribution act, then his benign generosity is re-echoed from coast to coast through the newspapers reporting it. Sometimes it seems as if such figures scheme to see how little they can give and yet receive the maximum credit, praise and attention. Finally, after all of the shouting is over, greedy charity racketeers move in to scoop up the lion's share, leaving only scraps for the supposed objects of the "charity".
With a view to the purpose of true charity, Jesus said: "Take good care not to practice your righteousness in front of men in order to be observed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. Hence when you start making gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, just as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, They are having their reward in full. But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, that your gifts of mercy may be in secret; then your Father who is looking on in secret will repay you."—Matt. 6:1-4, NW.
In Jesus' time it was customary for prominent Jews to be announced by the blast of a trumpet as they made public donations at the temple in Jerusalem. Without equivocation it can be seen how Jesus condemned this. Today's givers in charity do not stop with a little trumpet. Their beneficent works must be boomed to the skies in the press, over the radio, on the newsreels and now by television. Not only their other hand, but the whole world must know what they are doing. Feathers, buttons, flowers and stickers label those who gave to this or that. Some business establishments and schools almost reach a state of frenzy to obtain a 100 per cent employee or attendance subscription to a current welfare drive of civic prominence. But of what avail such public display of righteousness? Nothing other than to be glorified by men—and that, said Jesus, was all the reward they would ever get.
Nothing more than the modern example of "charity" by nations shows the emptiness of such vain display. The United States let India lie in unparalleled famine for months, deaf to her cries for bread, while strutting her generosity before nations of more political significance.
Jesus advocated using one's substance for preaching the good news of God's kingdom. (Matt. 19:21, NW) He specifically prohibited advertising his acts of mercy in curing the sick when the only return would mean self-credit to him personally. (Luke 5:12-14; 8:49-56) On one occasion the apostles Peter and John caused a lame man to walk rather than heed his request for money, which they explained they did not have for that purpose.—Acts 3:1-8.
Today Christians carry on the most charitable work of all history. Their preaching of 'this good news of the Kingdom in all the inhabited earth for a witness' brings spiritual healing to new praisers of God.-Matt. 24:14, NW. Comfort for Men Who Sigh and Cry Holy Bible
NEVER, in all of man's miserable history, have world conditions brought greater agonizing sorrow on humanity than they do today. Every department of activity, every field of endeavor, every branch of society continues to sink deeper and deeper in the mire of corruption and sin. As a result, good upright people throughout the earth are sighing and mourning, and the proverb explains why: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man beareth rule, the people sigh."—Prov. 29:2, AS, margin.
Political integrity in government has broken down in every department. Not only among petty local officials but also on the highest international level, within the inner circles of the supposedly sacred United Nations, deceit and wickedness abound. Even in the military establishments and law-enforcement agencies graft and corruption flourish. Sometimes wicked officials are voted out of office, other times a whole government is overthrown by revolution or, again, the people in their despair turn to military dictatorships or godless communism for relief. Yet the burdens and hardships upon their necks are not lightened in the least. "As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people."—Prov. 28:15.
Economically, conditions go from bad to worse. Honesty and fairness are unknown quantities in the business world.In
their place lying, greed and deceit are looked upon as established ethics by the cruel eyes of commercialism. Price wars, taxation artificial shortages, and many other vices work together to bring oppression and misery upon the people.
No longer is implicit confidence placed in the judicial courts, for many of their weighty decisions hang on the tiny threads of technicalities, and in some instances they "sell justice" to the highest bidder. Likewise faith in the school systems has been shattered. At a tender age children learn the ways of this world, and as they advance through the colleges and universities many prepare themselves for a lifetime career of "respectable" crime. Witness the recent scandals in high school dope traffic and collegiate sports. Socially, this world is more corrupt than ever before in history. Juvenile delinquents of the past generation grew up to become the present adult delinquents, who in turn breed and bring forth a crop of offspring that outdo their parents in unrestrained wickedness. In many cases all sacredness of the family has disappeared altogether, and divorce mills and abortion clinics flourish.
And what about the organized systems of religion? During this period when moral integrity and fidelity have constantly decreased, church membership has constantly increased. Proof this is that there is more churchianity and less Christianity. Proof too that the leaders of these religious systems are greatly responsible for the crime and wickedness now running wild. For hire the priests and ministers, by their traditions and doctrines of devils, make void Jehovah's saered Word, the Bible. As a result the people have turned away from God and his holy Code of Ethics and substituted the vain philosophies of so-called science.
The whole crowd, the blind people and their blind guides have fallen flat on their faces in a muddy ditch.—Matt. 15:14.
PEOPLE DIVIDED IN ATTITUDE
This is a frightful commentary on the present system of things; nevertheless it is an honest evaluation of conditions as they exist. It is as the prophet Isaiah declared when telling of Christendom's prototype, Israel: "Ah! sinful nation, guiltladen people; brood of evildoers, children who deal corruptly; who have forsaken the LORD, and spurned the Holy One of Israel, and gone back in estrangement from him!" (Isa. 1:4, AT) Jeremiah also fittingly describes them, saying: "For among my people are found wicked men: they watch, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxed rich. They are waxed fat, they shine: yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? Astonishment and horror is come to pass in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so."—Jer. 5:26-31, AS, margin.
Of course, the wicked, who now prosper at the expense of others, "love to have it so." They do not desire a change. Their unfortunate victims, on the other hand, fall into two classes: those who become bitter and cynical and turn to selfish fleshy pleasures in an effort to forget the suffering of fellow creatures and the terrible reproach upon God's name brought by
these wicked conditions; and those persons of good will, a great multitude of such among all classes, creeds and cults, who are deeply concerned and who lament and sorrow because of the present abominable conditions. The crying of this latter group is not because they are "sissies" unable to "grin and bear it". Rather, it is because they have the same love for God's righteous laws that moved the stouthearted psalmist to exclaim: "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law." (Ps. 119:136) These are the ones that are now blessed and comforted by God.
There is no question as to those making up this class of good-will persons, for they are given a special mark of identification. "And Jehovah said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem [the city called by God's name and which well pictured Christendom today], and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof." After such marking work is completed, the prophecy says, the execution forces of Almighty God will move swiftly at Armageddon and will utterly destroy every man, woman and child who is not properly marked, that is, all who do not sigh and cry because of the wickedness committed in the earth.—Ezek. 9:2-5, AS.
HOW COMFORTED AND COUNSELED
The comfort that these mourning ones receive comes from "the God of all comfort", the one "who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those in any kind of tribulation through the comfort with which we ourselves are being comforted by God". 2 Cor. 1:3,4; 7:6; 2 Thess. 2:16, NW.
It is "through the comfort from the Scriptures" that Jehovah gives hope to those who are out of sympathy with this present system of things.
(Rom. 15:4, NW) It is through the inspired Scriptures that Jehovah says: "Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger." "Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; . . . Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate." "O ye that love Jehovah, hate evil." (Zeph. 2:3; Amos 5:6, 14, 15; Ps. 97:10, AS) "Let your love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is wicked, cling to what is good." "Let everyone mentioning the name of Jehovah renounce unrighteousness."—Rom. 12:9; 2 Tim. 2:19, NW.
If one loves righteousness and hates evil, as this class of individuals do who are disgusted with the Devil's setup in the world today, they will flee the filthy paths of unrighteousness and will walk along the beautiful highway leading to the glorious new world. The pure word of counsel is: "O man of God, flee from these things. But pursue righteousness, godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper." "So, flee from the desires incidental to youth, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, along with those who call upon the Lord out of a clean heart." "Keep yourselves free from every form of wickedness."—1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; 1 Thess. 5:22, NW.
HOPE PLACED IN A NEW WORLD
Amid this world crisis a knowledge of Jehovah God and his purposes as revealed to those whom He comforts gives them a contentment and confidence and peace of mind not enjoyed by others. They are not unduly worried and fretful, and do not fuss and fume about current developments from day to day. They are not envious of
the present prosperity of the wicked. Not impatient, they do not wrongfully charge God with being slow about uprooting violence in the earth. (2 Pet. 3:9) Instead they heed the comforting counsel of the Proverbs and Psalms: "Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways. For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah; but his friendship is with the upright." (Prov. 3:31, 32; 23:17; 24:1, 19, AS) "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in Jehovah, and do good; . . . Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and he shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."—Ps. 37:1-3, 7, 10, 11, AS.
What a precious promise that is! Those who long to live under a just and righteous rule in peace and contentment will have their prayers answered, and that very soon now. The great Theocrat, Jehovah the Almighty, has already begun to rule as King upon his glorious throne in the heavens and, now speedily, he purposes to clean out all rebellion and iniquity, destroy those who now wreck and ruin the earth, and establish a new world wherein will dwell righteousness. (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 11:18) Those, therefore, who now withdraw their approval and support from the Devil's Babylonish world and give their full allegiance to God's new world will have the grand opportunity of living under that theocratic rule forever and ever, all to the praise and glory and vindication of Jehovah God.
Concluding the Report on JAPAN
This article continues the series that is following the travels of the Society's president, N. H. Knorr, and his secretary, M. G. Henschel, in the South Pacific and Asia
AFTER discussing the Korean matters with the brothers, we discussed future expansion of the work in Nagoya, Japan. The company in Nagoya is very new, having been formed three months ago, but April saw a new peak of 37 publishers. All eagerly looked forward to the evening meeting. Many were unable to attend the Tokyo assembly. The Kingdom Hall is formed by taking out the sliding doors between three rooms. Everyone sat on the floor on his feet and lower limbs, which is the Japanese custom at home.
The meeting was opened by a Kingdom song sung in Japanese. The Japanese brothers read the words written in Hiragana, one of the several forms of Japanese writing in current use, from a large chart hanging in the front of the hall. Then Brother Henschel gave a very interesting talk on the proper use of time, which was especially appropriate for new publishers. I followed by explaining the importance of all servants of Jehovah becoming teachers, not just students, and told them about the new Japanese Watchtower as one instrument to be used in this teaching work. All the Nagoya publishers were happy over this new provision of Jehovah. It was a joy to see so many new people taking to the truth in this big field, Nagoya, and I felt there were great possibilities for expansion. This meeting greatly pleased the missionaries and company publishers
alike. Here 128 persons had attended, the most yet to come to the Kingdom Hall.
The next morning, Wednesday, everyone went out into the advertising work using the few remaining handbills of the original 40,000 which began to be distributed on Monday, April 22. After all the handbills had been distributed the placard workers continued their work. That afternoon the eight Gilead graduates of Nagoya and myself had a meeting where problems were discussed which related to the missionary home and general preaching activity. I advised the missionaries to work very closely with the new Japanese publishers, training them to develop into mature servants of Jehovah. These would be the ones that eventually would do much fruit-bearing.
In the evening at the newly built auditorium of the Trade School Hall, situated near the main Nagoya railway station, the public lecture was delivered. At the opening time a good crowd had already gathered and during the first half-hour of the lecture an almost steady stream of people came in until the entire lower floor was filled and the ushers began to direct the people to the balcony. The attendance reached 396.
Although the Japanese have a habit of leaving immediately after a lecture has been completed, almost an hour passed before the missionaries and the visitors had finished answering all the questions of some who attended the meeting and who were hearing the message for the first time.
Studies were arranged for, directions to the Kingdom Hall given and information given concerning the work.
Several new publishers are talking about entering the pioneer service as soon as they are eligible. Others are wanting to increase their service, while still others want to begin. The service talks on Tuesday night especially helped in this respect.
OSAKA
The next morning all rose early to have breakfast and accompany seven of us to the station where we departed for Osaka, the next stop. Osaka is situated four hundred miles southwest of Tokyo and is a great industrial city. The Osaka company of Jehovah's witnesses was formed in November 1949 by some interested persons. However, later some of these people were led away from God's organization by the company servant, who claimed he had powers of divine healing. In order to assist those who wanted to stick by the organization, the branch office arranged for a missionary to visit them from the Kobe missionary home every Sunday. Since that time the Osaka company has met in the City Hall building and conducted regular study and field-service activities in the same way as is done by Jehovah's witnesses throughout the world. The Lord's blessing has been on the work and the company has grown now to a peak of 38.
The Osaka publishers were very glad when five new missionaries arrived from Gilead School about six weeks before I reached there. A very nice Japanese home located in the center of the largest residential area of Osaka has been rented for the use of the missionaries, and just as soon as the missionaries learn some of the language the company will, without doubt,
greatly expand and their presence will be felt. The arrival of these five sisters caused quite a stir; and this is what happened.
They were interviewed by a reporter upon their arrival and subsequently a photograph of them appeared in a Japanese newspaper along with a story about their 'hardships' in obtaining accommodation, not being able to speak the language, and what work they intended to do. In a couple of days they were inundated by a flood of letters written in Japanese from all over Japan, either sympathizing with them or expressing interest in their work and asking for information. The letters were translated and answered and many studies were started. One letter was from one of Jehovah's witnesses who had been in prison in Japan during the war and who did not know that the work had started up again here until he saw the newspaper report. He was put in touch with the branch. More than a hundred letters were received and now the sisters are off to a good start in the midst of a good company.
On the evening of May 3, I addressed the company publishers (45 being in attendance) on the divine healing matter, and they appreciated it. The next night I spoke to 180 persons in a packed hall in the Osaka City Hall. Many persons obtained literature after the meeting and doubtless the work will continue to increase. Many persons who came to the lecture came as a result of an interesting article in the leading Japanese-language newspaper. Upon my arrival at the missionary home I was interviewed by a reporter of the Asahi newspaper, some pictures were taken and an excellent short article appeared concerning the work of Jehovah's witnesses. The newspapers and radio stations have given much favorable publicity to Jehovah's witnesses. I also received some mail from Japanese interested in our work.
Due to this publicity many persons associated with the organization before 1938 are now reassociating with the Society. In 1938 the work of the Society was banned by the Japanese government and the majority of the brothers were thrown into concentration camps. They were scattered and many thought the organization had ceased to exist and so were not able to actively work in harmony with Jehovah's organized people. Unbounded is their joy now that they have at last found the organization and can work under the direction of the Society.
All of Jehovah's witnesses are enjoying many thrilling experiences. Here is one as related by a pioneer brother. When witnessing from house to house he met an elderly Japanese man. He explained his purpose in calling and the man said he was very much interested in the Bible. In fact, for more than twenty years he had been a Protestant clergyman. This man is a learned scholar, reading Greek, English and Japanese. In addition to his clerical duties he had been a professor of English language at a large Japanese university. The two arranged to study the Bible in the man's home. After several weeks of study the interested person began to go regularly to the meetings of Jehovah's witnesses. A little while later he expressed his desire to preach with Jehovah's witnesses in the way that Jesus and the early Christians preached, namely, from house to house. This brother has now completely left the false religious organizations and is living the life of a true Christian.
The work in Osaka is now properly organized, the publishers appreciate the loving provision of Jehovah in sending missionaries to help them and they are determined to use their time and talents to preach the gospel among the two million of Osaka, "the Pittsburgh of the Orient."
TARUMI (KOBE)
After the public meeting in Osaka we went directly to the Osaka railway station, using the modern subway system. The subway was not crowded at ten o'clock at night, but when we got to the railroad station, that was packed with people who were leaving the city. There was one gate marked "Foreigner", which we entered, and we were thankful for this; otherwise we would have been in a long line. Some of the missionaries from Kobe had come over to Osaka that evening and they accompanied us to Tarumi. This trip was an experience. Getting into an interurban train in Japan in a crowd means everyone for himself. All of the graciousness and politeness that the Japanese people show in their homes is forgotten when they are trying to get on a train to go somewhere. The customary bowing is dispensed with. So we just had to crowd in with the rest of them and keep pushing, which was more of a problem for us who were carrying suitcases. It was about an hour and a half to Tarumi, a suburb of Kobe.
We stayed at the missionary home and had a delightful visit with the twelve missionaries. Ten of them had been there 18 months and their Japanese was quite good They are getting along splendidly with their company. We were told that after six months of working in Japanese territory they felt quite at home in conducting Bible studies with the Japanese people. It was not natural for them to use the language, but their willingness to persevere and their helpful service were appreciated by the Japanese people, and these were glad to learn about the truth.
These brothers reported too that the best results were among the one-time Buddhists. This may seem strange because the Buddhists have to cast off many superstitions when they become Christian. The Buddhist is willing to investigate.After a year and a half of study with one Buddhist woman she has become an excellent publisher and she enjoys going from house to house.
When someone says "I am a Buddhist" it gives her pleasure to say "I too was a Buddhist", and then she starts to explain. This Japanese sister now has five Bible studies of her own and in one of these studies twelve different families are represented. This shows what a powerful force the Japanese witnesses will be in Japan when hundreds, and we hope thousands, will begin preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. It is going to take time, however, to wean the Japanese people away from their religious traditions and to establish them in the truth.
At the Tarumi company's service meetings all the missionaries, brothers and sisters, take part in demonstrations in Japanese and the brothers give talks on Informant articles. Every one of the persons that have been sent to this home in Japan stated he wanted to work in no other territory. That territory is just right.
Our visit to Tarumi was climaxed by the one-day assembly on Sunday, May 6. The missionary home in Tarumi is of the Western type, with all wooden floors, two stories and basement, and around the home there is a large lawn and beautiful grove of pine trees. We were fortunate in being able to rent this home from the army and hope that we will have its use for a long period of time. In the morning at nine o'clock the brothers assembled for field service. This was followed by a baptismal talk by a missionary, in Japanese. Thirteen Japanese brothers and sisters were then taken to a public bathhouse and immersed.
After that all of us went out in the field service. We had the pleasure of advertising the public meeting.I went from door to door with one of the brothers who had just been immersed and I was able to see
firsthand what we had already been told concerning entering the homes, and I observed the courtesy of the people. Brother Henschel was working with Brother Haslett at the railroad station, distributing leaflets, and he observed how many people would read the back of the handbill which announced the booklet The Joy of All the People and inquire if they could get it immediately. Brother Haslett made quite a few placements by persons' asking for the booklet without its being displayed.
The afternoon public meeting was to start at two o'clock, and shortly before that time hundreds of people were coming into the yard at the missionary home on the hill. Benches had been set around, mats of straw and blankets were placed on the lawn for many of the people to sit on. Attendance was 454. The yard was filled with people and the joy of the Tarumi missionaries knew no bounds. This was an answer to their 18 months of service work and showed how richly the Lord was blessing them.
The doctor living across the way was very friendly and kind to the brothers. He calls the home "the lighthouse of Kobe"; and truly a lot of people came to this house to see the light from the Word of the Lord.
That night those of us who had come from Tokyo took the train back. We left Kobe at 8:55 and arrived in Tokyo at 9:15 the next morning. We got some sleep that night in our reclining chairs and were glad that we got seats at all, for the crowd was great. There was still much to do in Tokyo the remaining two days of our stay in Japan. Arrangements were made after hearing Brother Henschel's report on Taiwan to try to send Brothers Steele and Tohara to Taipeh, the capital, for about a month to follow up on the work of getting the Kingdom service on a better footing. If all plans for the trip work out, after about a month in Taiwan they are to stop a week or two in Okinawa and visit the company there, which is made up of Filipino contract workers.
There is some interest among those who speak Japanese, too; so public talks will be given. The brother who attended the Tokyo convention gave much helpful information on the position in Okinawa before he returned.
It was good to learn that during the week's absence from Tokyo many things had happened. Four of the brothers who had been in Japan for only two weeks had obtained 30 subscriptions for the Japanese Watchtower during the past six days. They were certainly delighted, and this shows that if you put forth the effort and try things can happen. These brothers had already started Bible studies with a number of people in their own homes or they invite the people to come to the missionary home. All day long there is someone in the Kingdom Hall studying with one of the missionaries.
YOKOHAMA
On Tuesday we went to Yokohama to see the fifth missionary home. This had been opened up just one week before. It is located on the top of a hill overlooking the city of Yokohama. The brothers had already been out in the field service and that day we met some of them a few hundred yards from the home; rain or no rain they were busy. They told us they had had a number of interesting experiences. They were just getting settled, but they were delighted with the assignment and arrangements were made to have one of the sisters spend two weeks with them giving them lessons in the language an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. After that the circuit servant will be visiting Yokohama and it will be part of his work to teach the new missionaries some of the language. With one month of hard study and the missionaries' putting in two to four hours
a day digging into books for 30 days, they should be able to pick up enough of the language to carry on their preaching work without too much difficulty. But the study of the Japanese language is going to be a lifetime job. I did want them to get off to a good start, so all of the new missionaries were given special help by setting aside definite hours for study and they were given teachers.
The two-week stay in Japan was a most interesting period. There were so many things to do and so much was accomplished. The 47 missionaries are certainly anxious to push ahead with their work. They are content in their homes, they are pleased with their assignment and they love the people. They know there are great prospects ahead and that the work in Japan is just beginning. At the four public meetings 1,731 persons had attended. Hundreds of names were turned in and many new studies started. Just as we were leaving Japan some reports for the month of April had been gathered together. Already 250 publishers had reported, including the 47 missionaries. That means there are now more than 200 Japanese publishers in the country. All of this was accomplished in a little more than two years. As we carried the baggage out of the Kingdom Hall to the jeeps that were to take us to the airport at Haneda, we said good-by to three groups studying the Bible simultaneously in different parts of the hall. One group had seven persons, another three, and another two. We had no doubt that these people were definitely interested in the truth, for outside the rain was pouring down and yet this bad weather had not turned these newly interested ones back. Yes, the Japanese people are looking for good news, they are anxious to learn, and with Jehovah's witnesses being anxious to teach them a wonderful witness will be given in the months and years to come.
The Bible at Your Doorstep
THE Bible brims with proof that Jehovah God knows and protects those who belong to him. So relatively few have they been, so different have they seemed, because they have ever followed closely the written instructions of God's Word, that such ones have always appeared as an oddity to the world. In the days of the prophet Isaiah that prophet and those with him were held up for "signs and for wonders" to the people.
It was likewise this prophet Isaiah that boldly indicated God's people by their true name, 'Jehovah's witnesses' (Isa. 43:10-12, AS), "my trusty witnesses" (Mo). Such a name in itself would seemingly say that a great period of witnessing or bearing of testimony about Jehovah and his purposes lay in store for this people. "'Lord,' I asked, 'for how long?' He answered, 'Till they are ruined, till their towns are empty, and their houses uninhabited, and the land left desolate.'"—Isa. 6:11, Mo.
Still, for all of the preaching accomplished by Isaiah and a host of other prophet-witnesses for God, even the covenant people of Israel were not converted from their selfish transgressions of God's laws. They were smarter than God and thought to improve upon his written Word with an intricate muddle of traditions. So that headstrong people were eventually abandoned as a nation. They were the only losers. Against this backdrop, Isaiah prophesied of an even worse condition of darkness over the world during the last days of this "system of things".
But the nations cannot be glad with God's people if they do not know God. They
cannot know God unless they know His Word, his means of communicating with us, his 'light for our feet'. (Ps. 119:
105) And they cannot know his Word, the Bible, when their newspapers daily announce their wholesale violation of its principles, or when, as related recently by a librarian in Britain, a young man comes seeking "the book from which the film 'Samson and Delilah' was made".
Yet, ironically enough, people who today sorely need Bible education may be turning it away from their very doorsteps. Still faithfully carrying out the divine instructions through Isaiah, Jehovah's witnesses of this century go through the cities and to the houses, and will continue to do so while they have inhabitants. Housewives can testify authoritatively to the visits made by Jehovah's witnesses. One did in the June 23, 1951, issue of the Catholic magazine America. In her interesting account, this Ohio Catholic woman, perhaps unwittingly, touched upon the main reason for the general Bible ignorance yet prevalent in even the great democracies.
This reason stood out in the writer's own attitude toward her witness caller. Her item in America said in part: "With each remark she quoted me chapter and verse, as those who ignore Tradition are so wont to do." The Catholic Church is well known for its heavy reliance upon the "traditions of the fathers", by which she means the "fathers" of Christendom or of papal Rome.
The writer goes on to reflect the impatience and indignation she felt at this call. She had opened her conversation by attempting to cut short her caller: "Before you go on-I am a Catholic and we are quite familiar with the Bible." Was she so familiar with it? Then why run to "tradition" for defense? Her short article tells that she accepted a copy of The Watchtower from the witness. But she claimed she could not read it "in good conscience", so it would go to her priestmoderator at her next study club meeting. But would the magazine likely be studied at the "study club meeting"? Of these club meetings, the writer reveals: "Our program consists of book reviews—Catholic, to be sure, but that is not studying our religion. It was too difficult for our priestmoderator to establish an interest in a textbook he recommended. Until we met in the homes and served light refreshments, practically no one came, although we meet only once a month."
It is apparent that tradition-bound Romanism has not offered the people an incentive for Bible study. The writer tried to shield the church, blame the people and make Jehovah's witnesses, though real Bible students, appear to be spiritually shabby by comparison. But she made honest admissions that demolish her pretensions. She went on: "Did I feel a trifle humiliated that this woman at the door could—and did—study her religion and, what is more, was willing to 'hoof it' from door to door in its interest? And here I was, a part of a 'study' group too mentally lazy to learn more, not about a man's garbled version of the Word of God, but about Christ's own Church."
"A man's garbled version of the Word of God"? How can she tell? She had said that she could not or would not read The
Watchtower. Then what, besides her imagination, proves it is "a man's garbled version"? But she concluded with a very important suggestion: "Would it not have been better to invite that woman into my home and, with as much quiet and dignity as the small children would allow, to answer her 'arguments'?" Yes, it would have been much better, if this party is sincerely interested in Bible study. The Watchtower is a world-famous Bible-study journal. It invites, not blind acceptance, but careful study, to prove its every statement with the Bible. Unlike papal Rome, it makes no claims to infallibility. Rather than this Bible principle of 'proving all things', is it not the blind acceptance of traditions that makes possible the spread of human "garbled versions of the Word of God"? Jesus thought so. He said pointedly to the tradition-fed clergy of his day:
"You have made void the commandment of God for your tradition. Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men."-Matt.15:6-9,Dy.
Isaiah called their religion "a mockery, a mere tradition learned by rote". (Isa. 29:13, Mo) No, such tactics do not inspire interest nor cultivate knowledge or appreciation of God's Word. But opening the Bible up for inspection, at the doors, in private home Bible studies, in halls, auditoriums and large stadiums as Jehovah's witnesses frequently do at large conventions—this does hold interest and build confidence. Not once a month, but two or three times a week, do they fill their meeting halls. No idle boast is this. The Catholic writer observed the witnesses' zeal and this is simply offered in explanation. Nor is this some mysterious secret for a select few. All are urged to try it, letting shine upon them the light from God's Word.
Bearing Fruit Manyfold from Right Soil
IN MOST parts of the earth the past season's crops have been harvested and farmers are viewing the results. For some it was a good year full of joy and satisfaction; for others it was a poor year heavy with sorrow and disappointment. Not all the seed planted sprang up, not all that came up grew to maturity and produced fruit, and not all that bore fruit produced an abundant quantity with high quality. Since poor condition of the soil in many cases was the principal cause for failure, successful farming begins with planting the seed in the right kind of soil. And so it is with the Kingdom truth. It must be planted in good soil if fruitfulness for eternal life either in heaven or in paradise earth is to be realized.*
Jesus' parable or illustration of a sower showed that no partiality would be shown; the message of the established Kingdom, symbolized by the "seed", would be scattered far and wide among all kinds of men on the crusty roadside, the rocky places, weed patches of thorns and thistles, and some upon good, fertile soil. Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23; 1 Tim. 2:3, 4.
Just look at the soil along the side of the road! Beaten and packed hard by the pounding traffic of those madly racing after commercial, political, military and social pursuits. Why, the message of God's kingdom has no chance to sink down or take root in the hearts of such preoccupied individuals. As a result the seed sown among these hard-surfaced and crusty-hearted persons is soon snatched up and gobbled down by Satan the Devil and his religious "black birds" and vultures. Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12; John 8:44.
Other seeds of gospel truth fall on the ears of those that Jesus likens to "rocky"
soil. At first they receive the message about God's kingdom with joy, but later, when the scorching heat of persecution and ridicule beats upon them, the tender blades of truth that began to sprout in them wilt and die out altogether. Beneath their shallow surface soil these people have a hard, stony heart that holds no moisture and prevents the truth from taking deep root. Foolish people, who do not appreciate that all true Christians are bound to suffer persecution!—John 15:20; 16:2-4, 33; 2 Tim. 3:12.
With others it is a case of trying to raise a double crop off the same ground. They receive the Kingdom message but the thorns they allow to grow up in their hearts soon choke and kill it. These persons are so deeply tangled up in the briery affairs of this old world that their whole time and attention are taken up with the cares and anxieties of life.
Last of all, Jesus describes the good and happy results obtained when the Kingdom message falls upon the right kind of soil. "These are the ones that, after hearing the word with a right and good heart, retain it and bear fruit with endurance." (Luke 8:15, NW) They produce abundantly, "this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty." (Matt. 13:23, NW) So it is the heart condition that makes the difference between barrenness and fruitfulness, between death and life.
The fruit produced is the "sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which make public declaration" concerning Jehovah's glorious Word and name and purposes. (Rom. 10:10; Heb. 13:15, NW) So keep your heart receptive to the truth. "My Father is glorified in this," Jesus said, "that you keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples."—John 15:8, NW. The Triumph of Clean, Undefiled Worship
"And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith."
-1 John 5:4, NW.
EHOVAH challenges all the gods of this world. When we remember that in India or Hindustan alone there are some 330 million gods and goddesses and then when we take the gods of the religions of other lands into consideration, we see that it is a case of millions of gods, visible and invisible, against the one God, Jehovah. The battle of the gods is near. The question is, Who will triumph? Backed by the outcome of previous contests, the answer is certain: The battle will go only one way, and Jehovah will triumph as God, the only living and true God of the universe!
2 Communists and atheists in general, skeptics, infidels, and hardheaded materialists of this twentieth-century world will scoff at the suggestion of a war of the gods. They will say that what gods there are exist only in people's minds and so a war of such imaginary gods is ridiculous. But all such materialistic people will have to admit that the worship of such gods is a reality even in this modern world, and that the belief in such gods and the worship of such gods have played a powerful part in the course and destiny of all nations, without a single exception.
3 Let those materialists deny the existence of invisible, spirit gods, still they must admit that many men and women
alive today are raised to the position of gods among men; they are deified and reverenced and hailed as saviors and world benefactors. This goes not only for political figures such as Premier Stalin of the Soviet Union but also for religious figures such as the pope of Vatican City, who is adored and given the title of vice-god, and also the Dalai or Grand Lama of Tibet. All informed persons know that it was as recently as December 31, 1945, that Emperor Hirohito in an Imperial Rescript for the New Year proclaimed that the Japanese Tenno or Emperor is not a god. Printed in every Japanese newspaper, this rescript ordered the people to forget the "false conception that the Emperor is divine and that the Japanese people are superior to other races and fated to rule the world". A New York Times headline read, "A 'God' Denies Divinity," and yet today many Japanese tenaciously cling to the Shinto belief that their emperor is a god, a "Son of Heaven", descended from the "Sun Goddess". (New York Times, January 6, 1946) But while one god, whose worship once mightily influenced the course of the Japanese nation, is stripped of his divinity by hard facts, numberless people are becoming afraid of the modern process by which the political state is being deified and its prominent figures and emblems are being made gods and idols and are being worshiped. In this worship even the materialistically minded people are being caught.
Whereas they brand the gods of others as false and imaginary, they themselves are found guilty of making gods to themselves according to their own mental ideas and desires.
4 Let all such be called "false gods" by the people who have the discernment to see that such are no gods or not deserving of being treated as gods. But the written
or gods to help it against the god or gods of the other nation, so pitting gods against gods. Victory was attributed to the gods of the victorious nation.
5 The Roman empire, however, gave recognition to the gods of all the nations it conquered and absorbed into the empire. This it astutely did in order to keep the subjugated peoples in a better frame of
Word of Jehovah, the Holy Bible, warns us that there is a god of this evil world who exercises a blinding influence upon all the people of this world, "among whom," as we read, "the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through." (2 Cor. 4:4, NW) We also read in the Bible: "The things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and
mind. It tried to create a fusion religion including all the recognized gods of the empire. While it tolerantly let each one in the empire choose his own local gods for worship, it set up the emperor as a god. It required the people to worship him as a god common to them all. In this way it bound the sprawling empire more tightly together. There was one god, however, which the empire did not thus incorporate in its pantheon, or hall of the gods. He was Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of
become sharers with the demons." (1 Cor. 10:20, NW) Thus the Bible, Jehovah's Word, teaches that there are superhuman, invisible spirit persons whom all the nations of this world worship as gods, and that these are the malicious demons under the prince or ruler
faithful prophets and servants, including Jesus Christ and his true followers. Emperor Constantine, of the fourth century A.D., tried to fuse Jesus Christ into the pantheon of the Roman empire by amalgamating pagan religion with the corrupted Christianity
who is the great of his day. But the faithful Christians who
er, Satan the Devil, who is the great blinder of human minds. The worshiping of these and of idols which stand for them is false worship. In all ages there has been a contest even between these false gods, as one nation has gone to war against another nation and has appealed to its god
held to the Holy Bible flatly refused to recognize such a fusion. They kept separate.
6 True Christians, and by this we do not mean Christendom, recognize and serve as
God the only One whom Jesus Christ acknowledged and served as God, and that is his heavenly Father, Jehovah.
Expressing this intransigent position of true Christians, the apostle Paul wrote them: "We know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no God but one. For even though there are those who are called 'gods', whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'
sion, because of the depravity and illiteracy in which it has left the people, because of the failure of its aims and policies and because it has no certain message of light to show the people the way to a clean, prosperous, happy, peaceful and secure world. False religion is an ally and an inseparable part of this sordid world and fights with it against the only living true God. Even Christendom does so
there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him, and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and we through him. Nevertheless, there is not this knowledge in all persons." (1 Cor. 8:4-7,NW) According to this, there has always been a conflict between the worship of Jehovah, the God and Father of Jesus Christ, and the worship of all the so-called "gods" of this world, including Christendom. The worship of the only real God Jehovah is the true worship.
She claims such a name because she professes to be the realm where Christianity is practiced, but she is filled with "lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power". The Bible which she possesses stands as a witness against her and condemns her as having an apostate form of Christianity. She suffers, but it is because she has not heeded the warning of the apostle Peter: "Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a busybody in other people's matters. For what merit is there in it if
by the worshipers of such gods of this world, those who worship Jehovah as the only God face the same question now as in all the past sixty centuries of human history, Will their worship survive? Will it triumph? About the answer to this question there can be no uncertainty. The one living and true God Jehovah will triumph over the false gods despite their millions in number. Hence the true worship of Jehovah God will triumph over all false worship and will alone survive. The day for that triumph is very near.
when you are sinning and being struck blows, you endure it?"—2 Tim. 3:1-5 and 1 Pet. 4:15; 2:20, NW.
9 The reproach now falling on the religion of both Christendom and heathendom is therefore not without cause; it is deserved. It was with this religion in mind that the slogan was first raised in London, England, in 1938, "Religion is a snare and a racket. Serve God and Christ the King."
10 Because the people in general fail to make a distinction between the false and the true, and because worldly religion has made an odious name for itself, there has
RELIGION UNDER JUDGMENT
8 It is no exaggeration to say that all religion today is under reproach, the true religion and the false. The false religion is suffering reproach because of its hypocrisy, because of its ignorance and confubeen a tendency in recent years to avoid using the name "religion" in connection with the truth and the organization of Jehovah God. But apostate Christendom has brought great reproach upon the name "Christianity", to which she claims
What question faces Jehovah's worshipers? and how is it answered?
9. Why is false religion now suffering reproach?
What distinction do many fail to make? yet how is this distinction shown proper by consideration of the terms "Christian" and "Christianity"?
the exclusive right. If we were to avoid a name just because of the shame and vitu- peration which Christendom has unjustly brought upon it, then we might as well avoid the name "Christianity" and refuse to be called "Christians". Some think the name "Christian" was originally given as a name of reproach to the followers of Jesus Christ. (Acts 11:26) Yet we can accept that name, just the same as we can accept the name "Judean" or "Jew" in a spiritual sense. Why? Because we adhere to Jehovah's promise to Judah, that "the sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be". (Gen. 49:10, AS) We can accept, too, to suffer as a Christian, because Peter tells us concerning the faithful follower of Christ: "If he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name." (1 Pet. 4:16, NW) So you can either take the name "Christian" in vain and bring reproach upon it as Christendom does, or you can suffer unjustly as a Christian. If you live up to the name "Christian" in spite of the suffering it brings, you can glorify God in this name. In the same way a distinction needs to be made between the false religion and the true religion.
11 The apostle Paul applies the term "religion" to the false kind when he makes these admissions: "You, of course, heard about my conduct formerly in Judaism, that to the point of excess I kept on persecuting the congregation of God and devastating it, and I was making greater progress in Judaism than many of my own age in my race, as I was far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers." "After the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee." (Gal. 1:13, 14, NW; Acts 26:5,
AS) Paul tells us, too, that some in his day pretended to carry on the form of worship that angels were supposed to carry on, a "religion of angels" or a "cult of angels". (Col. 2:18, Dy and Mo) But it is the disciple James who makes a distinction between such false religion and the true religion, the pure Christianity, when he says: "Act on the Word, instead of merely listening to it and deluding yourselves. For whoever listens and does nothing, is like a man who glances at his natural face in a mirror; he glances at himself, goes off, and at once forgets what he was like. Whereas he who gazes into the faultless law of freedom and remains in that position, proving himself to be no forgetful listener but an active agent, he will be blessed in his activity. Whoever seems to himself to be religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, his religion is futile. Pure, unsoiled religion in the judgment of God the Father means this: to care for orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself from the stain of the world."—Jas. 1:22-27, Mo.
…