The Watchtower, October 1, 1953
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"YOU ARE MY WITNESSES," SAYS JEHOVAH.—Isa. 43:12
The WATCHTOWER
Announcing
JEHOVAH'S
KINGDOM
OCTOBER 1, 1953
Semimonthly
NEW WORLD SOCIETY
ATTACKED FROM
THE FAR NORTH
THE ATTACK BY GOG OF MAGOG
NEW WORLD SOCIETY ASSEMBLY
OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
AWAKENING THE SLEEPERS
QUESTIONS FROM READERS
©WTB&TS
“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
Awakening the Sleepers 579
New World Society Attacked from the Far North 580
The Attack by Gog of Magog 581
New World Society Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses 584
"Czech Reds Persecute Jehovah's Witnesses" 595
Questions from Readers 607
Announcements 608
Check Your Memory 608
Abbreviations used in "The Watehtower" 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
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Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N. Y., Act of March 3, 1879. Printed in U. S. A.
AWAKENING THE SLEEPERS
ONE of Jehovah's witnesses was offering the Awake! magazine at a subway entrance situated in New York city's largest hotel. Among the passers-by were two smartly dressed young women, one of whom, noting his slogans and the name of the magazine he was offering, jestingly remarked: "That's right. I am sound asleep!" With a smile the witness replied, "Miss, you know, many a truth is spoken in jest."
But no wonder the young woman joked about being asleep. Is it not ridiculous to call to people to awake in this, the fastest moving of all ages in history?
Nevertheless the fact remains, the vast majority of the people are asleep and do not know it. They may think they are witty by making such a remark, but actually they are stating a sobering truth. How so? Because they are asleep to the really important things, to the only things that really matter. They are sound asleep to the significance of the many momentous events that have taken place since 1914 in fulfillment of Christ's great prophecy as recorded at Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. They are asleep to the fact that the time is fast running out for this old wicked system of things and that they must get out of it if they would not go down with it.—Rev. 16:14, 16; 18:4.
What has put them to sleep? Preoccupation with selfish concerns, dishonest commercial advertising, political propaganda, false religious teaching and the theories of
a worldly-wise pseudo-science; all of which act as opiates to the people.
At the time of the great deluge only Noah and his immediate family were awake to the time they were living in and they showed it by their actions; not only by building that large chestlike boat, but also by sounding the warning to others to awake before it was too late. (2 Pet. 2:5) Today, we, as Christian witnesses for Jehovah, have a like privilege and responsibility, for did not Christ state that as it was in the days of Noah it would be in the days of the Son of man? If we fully appreciate these facts we warn: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and the Christ will shine upon you."—Eph. 5:14, NW.
Surely if our neighbor's house were on fire and we knew that he was not aware of that fact, perhaps even sound asleep, we would be very urgent about awaking him and his family to their danger. Yet the work that Jehovah has given to his witnesses today is far more important and urgent, for what is involved is not merely a spending of the remainder of our three-score years and ten in this wretched system of things, but the spending of an eternity in God's new world of righteousness and happiness. In fact, unless we do our best to awaken these "dead" ones, we ourselves will share their "perpetual sleep."
As properly trained ministers, at every opportunity let us sound the warning to awake.
New World Society ATTACKED from the Far North
THE time gets nearer when all nations will witness a demonstration of power such
"Say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In that day when my people Israel dwelleth securely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the uttermost parts of the north." Ezek. 38:14, 15. AS.
—Ezek. 38:14, 15, AS.
as mankind has never witnessed in all its thousands of years of existence. It will be a sudden manifestation of overwhelming power from behind an outward appearance of weakness. Although meeting the combined strength of the nations when at its maximum, it will put them to everlasting shame and contempt. The more marvelous it will be because it will be in behalf of those who are apparently helpless and who have no physical might against those nations, when these attack them. It will expose a mighty foe who long has gone under a mystical name and whose identity was therefore a mystery. It will be a display of the devastating power of the only one able to cope with this foe and will win eternal glory for his name. It will exalt him to the highest in the estimation of all who are privileged to live through this awesome exhibition of divine power. It will have a lasting effect in behalf of the righteous, peaceful world for life in which a New World society is now being formed on earth. Shortly this society may expect to be the object of the attack by this terrible foe, but also to be witnesses to his defeat by their invincible God and to survive into the blessed new world.
us to consider the attack now when it is about to be made. The attacker was foretold under
2 If an attack upon a peaceable, inoffensive, benevolent society was so important as to be foretold over two thousand five hundred years ago, it is more important for
the name of Gog.* It was Jehovah God who tagged this violent attacker with this cryptic name. Ever since, Bible students have puzzled over the application of the name. Now that the time has approached for us either to stand up against the attack as a member of the New World society or else to become enmeshed in the organization of attack, it is advisable for us to examine the features of this foe and identify who it is, while we look to the Giver and Interpreter of prophecy for guidance to the identification. It is really the obligation of the New World society to do this, because they must take up a stirring prophecy from the pages of God's Word and pronounce it against Gog in this critical time. As it is written: "The word of the LORD [Jehovah] came to me, saying, 'O mortal man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the great prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, "Thus says the Lord God [Jehovah]."'—Ezek. 38:1-3, AT.
The New World society has long been associated with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, which has been interested in the subject of Gog for years and has sought to understand it. Back in 1897 the Watch Tower Society published the fourth volume of the Studies in the Scriptures, first entitled "The Day of Vengeance" and later given a change of title to "The Battle of Armageddon."
In chapter eleven this book set forth that the nation of Israel restored to the land of Palestine would be the object of Gog's attack, and, on page 554, it said: "Israel will finally be besieged by hosts of merciless plunderers, designated by the prophet as the hosts of Gog and Magog (Ezek.38), and great will be the distress of defenceless Israel." Over thirty years later the Bible prophecies were examined further in the light of events since A.D.1914, to reveal that, not the Israelites according to the flesh, but the Christians who are Israelites inwardly, spiritual Israelites, are the people destined to be the target of Gog's attack from the far north. In 1932 the Watch Tower Society published
Book Two of a series entitled "Vindication." This book took up part of Ezekiel's prophecy and, without wanting to be dogmatic on Gog's identity, page 311 set forth this conclusion about him: "Gog is one of the princes in Satan's organization, invisible, of course, to human eyes, with a possibility of the power to materialize in human form. The land of Magog pictures the spiritual or invisible realm of Satan, and includes Gog and all the wicked angels within his division of Satan's organization, and which 'bear rule over all the earth'." Since then twenty-one years have passed and much prophecy clarifying the Holy Scriptures has been fulfilled meantime; and is our conclusion today the same as the above? For a factual and Scriptural answer the following article should be read.
The Attack by of Magog
THE Holy Bible reveals many marvelous things to us about the invisible realm of spirit persons. It discloses that Satan the Devil has an invisible organization of demons and that there are spirit princes in it. Daniel's prophecy reveals that there was one such spirit prince in unseen charge of the Persian empire, when it dominated the world, and also that there was a spirit prince in charge of the rising power of Greece, which was to overthrow Persia and succeed it as the dominant world power. (Daniel, chapter 10) The Bible's last book, Revelation, indicates that up to a certain date there would be seven such
world powers having to do with Jehovah's witnesses, these, in the order of their rise to dominance, being (1) Egypt, (2) Assyria, (3) Babylon, (4) Medo-Persia, (5) Greece, (6) Rome, and (7) the AngloAmerican world power of today. According to what Daniel's prophecy suggests, each of these seven world powers has had a spirit prince in secret charge of it. In Revelation Satan the Devil, their ruler, is pictured as a great fiery-red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns and upon its heads seven diadems. Thus the fact that Satan the Devil has headship over the seven princes of the seven world powers is pictured in that the great dragon in heaven has seven diademed heads.
According to the facts of history, headship over Gog is not pictured in any of the dragon's seven heads.
2 Of course, that was while the symbolic Dragon was still up in heaven. Then came
American world power. The image that this Anglo-American world power took the lead in recommending was the League of Nations, today the United Nations. In Revelation, chapter seventeen, this League of Nations or United Nations is itself pictured as a wild beast of scarlet color and with seven heads, upon which the prostitute woman Babylon the Great sits as
A. D. 1914, a year of war not only for the earth but also for the invisible heavens because that year Jehovah God enthroned the newborn kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ and "war broke out in heaven." The Dragon and its angels fought against the Kingdom but did not hold onto even a bridgehead in heaven. "So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him." (Rev. 12:7-9 NW) Thus the seven spirit princes were
rider. That seven-headed wild beast really results from the preceding seven world powers, but it acts like an eighth king or world power. It is so spoken of in these words: "And the wild beast that was [before World War II] but is not [during World War II], it is also itself an eighth king, but owes its existence to the seven, and it goes off into destruction." (Rev. 17:8,11,NW) In view of this eighth world power, the question now is, Did the sevenheaded wild beast from the sea grow another head and become eight-headed? Did Satan the Devil then appoint an eighth
cast down, the Dragon's headship over whom was indicated by its seven diademed heads.
The Dragon has a visible organization, of which the seven world powers have been dominant members. This entire visible organization is pictured as a wild beast, it too having seven heads, to correspond with those dominant world powers. This wild beast came up out of the sea. But upon the scene another wild beast appears, rising out of the earth. Its one head has two horns like a lamb's. After performing great signs it recommends making an image of
spirit prince to supervise the League of Nations (now the United Nations) and thus did the great Dragon add another head to its seven? The Divine Record does not say so. When the Dragon is finally cast into the abyss at Armageddon and the wild beast from the sea is cast into destruction in the lake of fire, they are still understood as having each the same number of heads as before, just seven.—Rev. 19:19,20.
5 One fact we must remember: The League beast or eighth world power is really under the seventh world power for it
the seven-headed wild beast for mankind's worship.
4 Briefly, the two-horned beast out of the earth pictures the two-membered world power of one speech today, the Anglowas this Anglo-American combine that designed and then put breath of life into the League beast. Hence this eighth worldpower beast is actually under the unseen control of the spirit prince of the seventh world power. This fact would do away with any need of an eighth demon prince. Despite the existence of the League or United Nations or along with its existence, the seventh world power and its spirit prince wield just as much power in Satan's world as before the great Dragon was ejected from heaven and before the League of Nations was formed.
Consequently there exists no eighth demon prince for the seventh prince to have a rivalry with or to be succeeded by. Such would be the case if Gog were a new and eighth spirit prince newly raised to power to act as Satan's chief of staff on the battlefield of Armageddon. Since World War I Britain itself may have weakened, but her horn of power today is reinforced by the atomic bomb, and her partner America has become the world's most powerful nation. In view of this fact the seventh world-power prince would still dominate in Satan's unseen organization.
6 This seventh world power becomes the "false prophet" of Revelation (16:13; 19:20; 20:10), and when we see frogs hop out to croak and urge the world rulers on to Armageddon, what? It is not out of the mouth of the eighth world power or "image of the wild beast" that a frog hops, but it is out of the mouth of the "false prophet" and out of the mouth of the wild beast from the sea with still only seven heads. (Rev. 16:13-16) So there is visibly nothing on earth for any eighth spirit prince to be represented by in Bible symbolisms. Hence the suggestion of twenty years ago that Gog was an eighth demon prince is now seen to be without proof. However, that suggestion was leading us in the right direction for locating Gog, namely, in the spirit world and not in the visible earthly, human society. Therefore Gog still represents, not a visible human ruler or nation, such as Russia, but a spirit ruler. Whom, then, does Gog symbolize?
IDENTIFIED
7 It is evident now that Gog is a figure prophetic of the ruler of all seven demon princes, namely, Satan the Devil. So Gog pictures that original Serpent, the Dragon, not when up in heaven but when down here at the earth. That is to say, after he has been cast out of heaven and been restrained at the earth with his seven demon princes. Thus Gog pictures Satan during the short period of time that he has left between the end of the war in heaven and the battle of Armageddon. After his ejection from heaven Satan the Dragon is angry with God's woman who gave birth to the Kingdom. So it is the Dragon that goes forth to make war upon the "remaining ones of her seed" who observe God's commandments and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus. It is the Dragon out of whose mouth the frog hops to gather the world rulers to Armageddon. It is the seven-headed Dragon itself that takes charge of the final attack and the ensuing war at Armageddon.—Rev. 12:7-17; 16:13.
True, Jehovah God does use Jesus Christ to fight as his chief of staff at Armageddon. But why is that so? Because Jehovah had foretold that, because the Serpent misled our first parents into sin in Eden, the Seed of God's woman would bruise the great Serpent at the head. At Armageddon Jehovah has Jesus Christ, the woman's Seed, do the crushing. (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20) This would not, however, call for Satan to mimic God in this respect and appoint a new, untried demon prince to fight as his chief of staff at Armageddon. The Dragon, having already tried out a full set of seven demon princes, now assumes charge personally to face Christ on the field. He now knows that Christ is the (Continued on page 596)
New World Society Assembly OF Jehovah's Witnesses
THE events occurring at Yankee Stadium,
to 26, gave eloquent testimony that Jehovah has indeed a name-people in the earth. For eight days, Christian men, women and children associated in love, peace and unity as members of the New World society, entirely oblivious to the fact that they were of different races, tongues and nationalities. (John 13:34, 35) To make for ready introduction to one another, each wore a convention badge giving his name and his home congregation or his country, if from a foreign land. The preaching work of Jehovah's witnesses is performed in 143 lands, by 510,228 witnesses. The assembly was truly international, some 22,000 from 95 lands outside of the United States came by sea, air and land.
A not insignificant segment of the New World Society Assembly was located at Trailer City, near New Market, New Jersey, forty miles from the stadium. On its 200 acres 1,500 trailers parked and 6,000 tents sprang up practically overnight along theocratically named streets. Connected by direct wire with Yankee Stadium, its 80 buildings and meeting tents provided amply for both the spiritual and the physical needs of its 45,000 inhabitants.
The assembly was well organized. Its twenty-three departments, Attendant, First Aid, etc., staffed by upward of 20,000 volunteers serving freely and cheerfully, were marvels of efficiency that amazed outsiders. Nothing was overlooked: translation of lectures for deaf-mutes; tape recordings for the benefit of those who could not come; sessions in twenty foreign languages for those who could not understand English; and provision for visiting the Brooklyn Bethel and factory, WBBR, Staten
Island, and the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead after the assembly.
The convention program itself was masterfully conceived. Each day had its "territorial" theme, Asia Day, Africa Day, etc., in the interesting and meaty branch servants' and missionary reports. Themes of new truths were heard almost daily in the major hour lectures given by the president and vice-president. And finally there was the continual flow of new publications, 75 in all, from the first day to the last, in English and in many foreign languages. Truly Jehovah's spirit and power was upon his people and to him went all the praise. But on to the first day's program.
FIRST DAY FEATURES GRADUATION
Sunday morning, July 19, at Yankee Stadium was bright and sunny. Promptly at 9:30 a.m. the voice of F. S. Hoffmann, branch servant of Switzerland and assistant chairman, rang out sharp and clear over the convention's own excellent sound system as he opened the New World Society Assembly with the call for a song followed by brief discussion of the day's text, and prayer.
It being Earth's Four Quarters Day; eight interesting 4-minute reports were next heard from literally the four corners of the earth. Then followed G. Fredianelli with "Missionary Service as a Life's Work," a heart-to-heart talk to pioneer ministers to consider the missionary field by one who has been in it for many years. Modern Macedonia not only calls but actually shouts, "Come over and help us!" Instead of indifference, the missionary's chief problem is to find enough time to take care of all the interest found. "You need the foreign fields to obtain the superlative happiness!"
At 10:30 the chairman of the assembly, Percy Chapman, branch servant of Canada, gave the address of welcome. 'Jehovah is a happy God; his people are a happy people; let nothing mar that happiness. We are all here for the same purpose, to worship Jehovah God. Get the most out of the assembly by attending all of its sessions.' He closed by making the convention's first release: the beautiful leather-bound edition of the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures.
The afternoon saw the graduation of the twenty-first class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, presided over by its president, N. H. Knorr. Parting counsel to the 127 students, seated to the right and the left of the platform garden, was first given by the school's five instructors: U. V. Glass, D. H. Burt, E. A. Dunlap, M. G. Friend and A. D. Schroeder, the school's registrar. J. F. Markus, servant of Kingdom Farm, where the Gilead school is situated, also gave parting words of admonition. Further fine counsel was given the students by the school's vice-president, F. W. Franz: "Do missionary work, thoroughly accomplish your ministry." (2 Tim. 4:5, NW) Learn to understand the people as well as the
language; take a personal interest in them; be as physicians visiting the spiritually sick. Be interested also in your fellow missionaries; you need one another. Keep reading Paul's admonition on love at 1 Corinthians 13.
Climaxing the graduation program, Brother Knorr spoke for more than an hour on "Gathering Men of All Nations into One Flock," in which he highlighted the role of shepherd of Jehovah God and his Son, the Shepherd-King Christ Jesus, and contrasted the pastoral activity of Jehovah's witnesses with that of the selfish clergy. His forceful refutation of the charges made against the missionary activity of Jehovah's witnesses was especially enthusiastically applauded.
During his remarks Brother Knorr digressed to give a striking demonstration of what Gilead has accomplished by asking all those of previous classes in attendance, as well as those comprising the next class, and who had been seated out in front, to rise, class by class. At the conclusion he handed out diplomas, together with a gift, the class picture and notice of foreign assignment to the students as they came, one by one, to the platform. The students, who had come from 28 different lands, were being sent to 44 different countries.
The platform at Yankee Stadium The afternoon's thrilling proceedings had been witnessed by 77,634 at the Yankee Stadium; the 48,753 listening at the overflow tents and at Trailer City bringing the first day's peak attendance to 126,387.
During the afternoon Brother Knorr also expressed appreciation for the contributions that enabled the Society to bring so many to the assembly from distant lands, released the August 1 Watchtower containing the text of his talk and which introduced a new feature "Check Your Memory," and announced an improvement in the method of studying The Watchtower congregationally.
The evening's two-hour program, presented by the graduating class, consisted of a series of demonstrations in which certain visitors to Gilead were shown about the classrooms and library and told about the subjects studied and methods used. Results of their training were also interestingly and effectively illustrated. By way of diversion, beautiful as well as amusing musical numbers, chiefly folk songs, were rendered throughout the program.
The closing remarks, made a few minutes early because of showers, stressed the seriousness of attending Gilead to those contemplating it. It is a wonderful education, never to be forgotten nor regretted; it will even be taken with them into the post-Armageddon world, but—count the cost. And then, a closing prayer.
NORTH AMERICA DAY
The forenoon of Monday, July 20, gave conventioners opportunity to tell New Yorkers more about the New World society, they already having some knowledge of it from the friendly and well-illustrated reports appearing in their morning papers. And while eight foreign-language sessions were in progress in various sections of the stadium, pioneer ministers interested in foreign missionary service met for more information and to fill out preliminary applications. In a heart-to-heart talk with these Brother Knorr observed that missionary service is not just training at Gilead and an airplane trip to a foreign country, but also carries with it heavy responsibilities. However, the blessings are great.
Monday being North America Day, where in 12 lands 193,568 ministers are busy, the program featured the progress of the work in North America, of particular interest being the ten-minute branch servants' reports. For example, in Costa Rica in seven years their numbers had increased twelvefold, from 155 to 1,825; and in Panama the numbers had increased fifteenfold in eight years!
The climax of the day was reached at 3:30 p.m., when the president of the Society, N. H. Knorr, delivered the keynote speech, "Living Now as a New World Society." The New World society is here to stay and is growing; the nations of the world will not be able to stamp it out. It is God's creation by his Word and spirit and will continue in spite of what may happen to the legal Society. Christians must abandon old-world habits; we cannot expect to take them into the new world.
At the close of his discourse, which repeatedly raised his audience to a high pitch of enthusiasm, Brother Knorr released a most practical ministerial aid, the 416-page pocket-sized Bible handbook, "Make Sure of All Things", which quotes more than 4,500 Bible texts under 70 main themes and has a valuable index listing 287 religious subjects. Then he presented a resolution clearly outlining the position of Jehovah's witnesses as a New World society in regard to Jehovah's Word, to the Kingdom and its establishment in 1914, and their separateness from the nations of the world. The resolution, after being seconded by the assembly's chairman, was adopted by the 125,040 present at Yankee Stadium, overflow tents and Trailer City, with thunderous applause.
The evening's program featured a series of demonstrations that illustrated the many ways in which the Bible handbook, "Make Sure of All Things", could be effectively used. Concluding the evening's program, R.
E. Morgan of the Brooklyn office spoke on "Getting the Full Value Out of Your Ministry School."
ISLANDS OF THE ATLANTIC DAY
In addition to another series of foreignlanguage meetings, Tuesday forenoon July 21, the third day of the assembly, saw a special meeting for branch, circuit and public-relations servants. At this meeting Brother Knorr stressed the value and purpose of maintaining good relations with the press; to project, not personalities, but the truth of God's kingdom. Avoid antagonizing; get constructive ideas across; have information accurate. M. G. Henschel, a member of the Society's board of directors, emphasized writing stories as news and not quibbling with the press over the amount of space or its location. U.V. Glass counseled on making the most of radio and TV possibilities. C. Quackenbush, of the Society's editorial staff, gave pointers on writing style: stories must move fast, have current interest. Methods of contacting editorial agents were discussed by M. Cole. L.A. Swingle, also a member of the Society's board of directors, gave helpful advice on the value and use of photographs in telling one's story.
Tuesday noon the first issue of the Convention Report appeared and at 1:30 the program for the day began with reports on the progress of the work among the "Islands of the Atlantic," the theme of the day, where 17,346 ministers are preaching in 29 islands.
The day's feature was special instruction for branch servants. First speaker was Brother Knorr. Branch servants must be keenly interested in their country and its people and must be able to expand with the work. They must not be too busy to engage in the field service. "Quality, not quantity, is important! Might as well leave the sheep in the world as to bring them to an unclean organization!" At the close of his remarks Brother Knorr released a 32-page preaching aid, "Preach the Word", containing a testimony regarding Jehovah
and the Kingdom in 30 different languages.
Then M. G. Henschel gave counsel on treatment of Gilead graduates. Branch servants should warmly welcome missionaries, acquaint them with local customs and take them into the field at once. Next A. D. Schroeder spoke on "Keeping Up with the Truth." Branch servants must fully familiarize themselves with the contents of The Watchtower. He recommended going over the main article three times. H. C. Covington, the Society's legal counsel, stressed caution and perseverance in "Know Your Rights as a Citizen." Spy out the land as did Joshua; avoid getting expelled; you cannot help them if you are not there. The world has a proverb, 'Don't butt your head against a stone wall.' "But God's Word says he has made our heads as flint. If we run up against a brick wall, flint is harder yet. So we will crash through if we butt against it long enough!" Counsel to "Recognize the Theocratic Organization" by F. W. Franz concluded the series. The "faithful and discreet slave" organization is appointed by Jehovah God. Above all others, branch servants under it should obey organization instructions. A count showed that 125,592 had heard all this valuable instruction.
In the evening, after more reports from the Islands of the Atlantic, E. C. Chitty, secretary of the International Bible Students Association, London, spoke on "The Fruitage of the Spirit," basing his remarks on Galatians 5:22. Concluding the day's program, answers were given to service and Scripture questions by two speakers, both members of the Society's board of directors. First T. J. Sullivan dealt with questions relating to the Society's policy on various aspects of disfellowshiping, and then H. H. Riemer answered a number of Scripture questions.
SOUTH AMERICA DAY
Wednesday, July 22, was a full day at Yankee Stadium. At 9:00 a.m.C.A.Steele began his discourse on baptism. He discussed the appropriateness of immersion, the need to dedicate oneself to Jehovah to gain salvation, and that it is indeed a dedication to a person, Jehovah, and not just to a work.
'Remember the date, July 22.' All together, 4,640 presented themselves for immersion, which took place at the Riverside Cascade Pool.
While candidates for immersion were leaving, those remaining centered their attention on the next feature, a discussion of "Will You Be an Irregular Praiser in the New World?" by L. E. Reusch, district servant. Having dedicated themselves to Jehovah, his witnesses must give him first place in their lives. Drawing an analogy from Malachi, chapter 1, he asked irregular praisers if they would think of treating their worldly employers the way they treat Jehovah God.
Then followed special instructions to the Society's traveling representatives, known as district and circuit servants. Speaking on "Principal Work of All Servants" Brother Knorr thrilled his audience as, step by step, he outlined a great house-to-house training campaign, having as its goal the qualifying of every last one of Jehovah's witnesses to give effective short sermons as occasion required at any doorstep. Varying aspects of the duties of the district and circuit servants, particularly in their relations with the branch offices, were then discussed by members of the Brooklyn and Canadian branch offices.
The reports heard in the afternoon, from 1:30 to 3:30, made it clear that this was South America Day, the continent where at the present time 12,828 ministers are letting their light shine in 12 lands, lands where gross darkness prevails in spite of four centuries of domination by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. By 3:30 a vast audience of 132,811 was on hand to hear Brother Knorr's powerful discourse on "Walk in the Name of Jehovah Our God for Ever." After showing the importance of the name of Jehovah, the inconsistency of modern translators who exclude it from their versions and the insult they give Jehovah by so doing, he thanked God that
provision had been made for a translation that does restore His name to its rightful place, and with this produced Volume I of the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, consisting of the Octateuch, the first eight books, from Genesis to Ruth inclusive. This news was received with prolonged and deafening applause.
In the evening, M. G. Henschel gave a stirring discourse on "The Day of Salvation." Drawing a parallel between Daniel in the lions' den and Jehovah's witnesses today, he pointed out that leading an upright life is part of our giving testimony. Hated solely because of the message they bear, Jehovah's witnesses do not break faith but keep on preaching and even baptizing right in prisons and concentration camps. The conventioners next heard another "fighting speech," by H. C. Covington, on "They Oppose Freedom of Worship." Tracing the Society's legal battles through the years, both in the United States and in other lands, he highlighted the importance of prayer in these legal battles and admonished his audience of 125,000 to be cautious as serpents, as innocent as doves and as fearless as lions.
ASIA DAY
An unusually heavy rainstorm greeted the conventioners on Thursday, July 23, the fifth day of the assembly. But rain or no rain, the morning's foreign-language sessions were held, circuit servants met to have their questions answered, and there was a special meeting for those interested in serving at the Brooklyn Bethel. The latter learned that requirements for Bethel service include, first of all, full dedication to Jehovah God; other requirements being that the applicant have good health, be without encumbrances and within the ages of 18 to 35. Serving at Bethel is not just one grand convention but means much hard work; but with it also comes much joy, as it is a great privilege to serve one's brothers world-wide, and Bethel has many privileges peculiar to it. (Since members of the Bethel family at times find it
Aerial view of part of Trailer City necessary to leave, openings continue to occur and anyone interested should write the president's office regarding such service.)
The entire afternoon's program on Thursday was given over to the missionary work in Asia, earth's largest and most populous continent, where in 20 lands but 2,620 ministers of the New World society are bringing comfort to men of good will. Particularly interesting was the two-hour feature, presided over by W. L. Thornton, of Brooklyn, in which missionaries, branch servants and native ministers answered the question: "How do you witness to Oriental people and cultivate interest in the Bible?" presented, incidentally, in native costume. Before the demonstration was fully over, the rain ceased for the day, to permit a beautiful ensemble in costume.
Among the points well made were that Oriental prejudice against the Bible as a Western book was ill-advised, as most of it was written in Eastern lands; that the Kingdom message should be judged on its merits and not on the basis of who brings it; that science does not conflict with the Bible but rather corroborates it. For the conclusion of the program Brother Knorr came to the platform and released the 64-page booklet Basis for Belief in a New World, a Bible aid especially prepared for use by missionaries in Oriental lands, containing all the arguments presented in the course of the afternoon's demonstration and many more. Since prejudice against the Bible is not limited to the Orient, ministers throughout the world will find it a valuable aid, and those at the assembly enthusiastically registered their keen appreciation of it.
"What Did You Learn from The Watchtower Last Year?" was a question that A. D. Schroeder answered in the course of the evening's program, which he did by reviewing a number of the leading articles that appeared in 1952. He particularly noted the emphasis these placed on Jehovah's witnesses' now being a New World society and the imperative need for it to
keep clean if it would survive Armageddon. F. W. Franz, the final speaker, in his discourse on "New World Society Attacked from the Far North" gave a detailed consideration of chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel, the text of which talk appears in this issue of The Watchtower. In spite of the bad weather some 87,000 had heard the afternoon's assembly program and 112,700 the evening's.
AFRICA DAY
The forenoon's program provided for the final series of special meetings for foreignspeaking brothers and the circuit servants, and the last opportunity for regular field service. During the course of the afternoon many thrilling reports were heard from the "Dark Continent," where 78,305 Kingdom publishers in 34 lands are teaching men of good will to drop polygamy and other tribal customs, to read and write and to worship Jehovah in holy array. A surprise feature was introduced by Brother Knorr: beautiful unaccompanied singing by our native African brothers in Northern Rhodesia, by means of a tape recording. Harmony and intonation seemed perfect although sung from memory and without benefit of instrumental accompaniment.
At 2:00 p.m. A. H. Macmillan, for many years traveling representative of the Society, discussed "Requirements Necessary for Ministry." Not theological seminary training, but full dedication to Jehovah, knowledge of his Word and purposes, and a desire to teach others the truth, were required. Later in the program a symposium of three speakers gave suggestions on 'How to Approach People at the Doors.' The basic requirements are knowledge of God's Word and love in one's heart. A neat appearance is also essential. Opening remarks are very important; conversation should be pleasant and friendly.
"The Purpose of Our Witnessing," noted L. A. Swingle, the final speaker of the afternoon, is to separate the "sheep" from the "goats," but, above all, to vindicate Jehovah's name. At the conclusion of his talk he released, to the great joy of his listeners, four new tracts: Do You Believe in Evolution or the Bible?
"Which Is the Right Religion? The Sign of Christ's Presence and Man's Only Hope for Peace.
Programed in between African singing, missionary and branch servant reports was the evening's first discourse, "The Living Word," by Grant Suiter, secretary and treasurer of the Watch Tower Society. (Heb. 4:12, NW) 'It divides between "soul and spirit" in that it distinguishes between actions and motives. It is powerful—provided we get the sense of it. Its most important feature is its revelation of the true God, Jehovah.' Concluding the evening's program was C. D. Quackenbush's heartwarming talk on "Rearing Children in the New World Society." Instruction must begin early in life and must be backed up by consistent example. "If you don't want little Pharisees, then don't be big ones!" Addressing his remarks to the children he showed from examples in nature that parents discipline for the child's own welfare, because they love them. The close of the assembly's sixth day found 124,150 conventioners returning to their places of rest happy and light of heart.
EUROPE DAY
The outstanding program feature for the forenoon of July 25, the seventh day of the assembly, was a five-part symposium, "Advancing the Interests of the New World Society by Being a Pioneer."Pioneering, that is, spending 100 hours monthly in the ministry, is practical, the first speaker emphasized, as thousands have proved. Many more could be pioneers if they but had the faith and appreciation.
Next, "Meeting Your Financial Problems" was discussed. Pioneers do not evade financial responsibilities, they just are not enslaved by them. They meet their obligations by keeping expenses low, by finding part-time jobs and willingly adapting themselves to whatever work may be available, regardless of how humble it may be.
"Pioneering Is a Serious Business," stressed the succeeding speaker. But "perhaps it is still more serious not to take it up if able to do so." It means budgeting one's time, making advance preparations, having something definite to say at the doors and varying one's presentation so as not to get in a rut.
In "Covering Your Assignment in City and Rural," pioneers were admonished to make time count and to arrange their activity so as to be able to spend fifty hours monthly in the basic house-to-house work. And finally, Scriptural and living examples were produced to show that pioneering is practical for septuagenarians and teenagers alike.
Reports from Europe, begun in the morning's program, were continued in the afternoon. There in 23 lands, 174,257 happy servants of Jehovah are seeking to make others also happy, many thousands endeavoring to do this even behind the Iron Curtain. Then followed another meaty five-part symposium: "The Value of the Congregational Book Study." Strategic location is important because of its being a service center; its conductor must set a good example in field service and be kind and patient. It serves as a training ground for new ones, to start out in the field and speak up at meetings. It is of special value in times of bans when only small groups can come together.
The climax for Europe Day came at 3:30 with the lecture, "Flight to Safety with the New World Society," delivered by N. H. Knorr, the Society's president. In this powerful talk Brother Knorr drew a parallel between Jerusalem A.D. 66, when Rome's armies surrounding Jerusalem suddenly withdrew, permitting Christians in Jerusalem and in Judea to heed Jesus' words and flee to safety, and Christendom, which is now surrounded by the armies of the anti-God forces within the "disgusting thing that causes desolation," making it imperative that all flee before Armageddon makes it too late. The
City
Above: View from bleachers of an afternoon session
Below: Yankee Stadium during public talk, July 26
GEM
WITNESS eager and intent audience of 134,333 hung on every word and was thrilled when at the conclusion Brother Knorr released the 384-page beautifully-blue-bound study aid, "New Heavens and a New Earth".
More than half of the evening's program was taken up by more European reports, after which the third symposium of the day, "Your Ministerial Manners," brought excellent counsel to all the conventioners. District servant J.W. Stuefloten admonished: Proper manners are not inherited but must be cultivated by application of God's Word and by much training and discipline. O.L.Pillars,a circuit servant, gave some plain talk on proper conduct between the sexes. It is proper for them to associate with each other but evil appearances must be avoided.
Colorful counsel that hit home time and again, judging by the response, was given by U. V. Glass on woman's place in the organization. In the New World society woman must recognize her limitations. She has no authority to criticize congregational servants nor should she resent counsel given her by them. By serving faithfully within her sphere she will win the respect of all. District servant C. W. Barber discussed the validity of the ordination of Jehovah's witnesses and pointed out that proper ministerial manners include being loving, humble and teachable. N. Kovalak, also a district servant, took for his theme 'putting up a hard fight for the faith.' It is necessary to put up such a hard fight because of imperfection within us, because of evil humans about us and because of the demons. Putting up a hard fight means regular study, faithful attendance at meetings and going in the service.
ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC DAY
On Sunday morning, July 26, the final day, interesting reports were heard from the Islands of the Pacific, in 13 of which 31,304 of Jehovah's ministers are making disciples of all nations.
Brother Franz followed, thrilling his audience as he revealed, in the course of
his remarks on "Filling the House with Glory," that the "desire of all nations" of Haggai 2:7 that was to come in was not, as we once thought, God's kingdom or even Christ Jesus, but the men of good will now associating themselves with the remnant of Christ's body and that right now these are fulfilling the prophecy relative to 'beating swords into plowshares.'—Isa. 2:2-4.
John O. Groh, convention servant, then gave "Some High Lights on the Assembly." He reviewed the vast preconvention activity, gave interesting statistics regarding Trailer City and the various convention departments, and noted the fine publicity the press had given. In conclusion he thanked the 15,000 to 20,000 volunteer workers for their excellent co-operation and expressed appreciation to the New York city police, health and sanitation departments, the unions and the management of Yankee Stadium for their cooperation.
Between the morning and afternoon's English sessions a Spanish public lecture was given by R. M. Gonzalez, vice-president of the Watch Tower Society of Cuba, in one part of the stadium. An audience of 4,075 heard the discourse "It Is Time to Consider God's Way," and afterward received the Spanish edition of God's Way Is Love.
At 3:15 a musical program was presented featuring excellent arrangements of Kingdom songs beautifully performed by the 77-piece convention orchestra under the able direction of the assembly's musical director, V. R. Duncombe of Canada, and vocal selections. At 4:00 o'clock the chairman of the assembly, Percy Chapman, introduced the speaker of the afternoon, N. H. Knorr, to speak on the subject, "After Armageddon—God's New World."
With due deliberation and sustained power the speaker logically and Scripturally developed his theme, being applauded from the first two sentences. Armageddon was not to be a mere political or international conflict but Jehovah's war of universal proportions. (Rev. 16:14, 16) The march to Armageddon is on.
The question today is not, Which bloc will yield? but, Will the nations yield to the King of kings? After Armageddon God's new world will take over, bringing with it health, everlasting life and even the resurrection of the dead. In conclusion he urged, "Prepare now for that eternity of all new things, to live in it and be forever happy. Get ready now to live AFTER ARMAGEDDON in GOD'S NEW WORLD!"
Two free copies of the booklet containing the lecture were offered to all in attendance. The official count showed that 91,562 had jammed into Yankee Stadium, 25,240 heard the lecture in the overflow tents around the stadium and 49,027 listened at Trailer City, making a total of 165,829. WBBR broadcast it to many more thousands.
The sun gradually lowered behind the stands to the west. The closing moments of the assembly were stealing on apace. Just a short intermission, and then the convention lifted its voice in songs of thanksgiving to Jehovah, after which came the "Closing Remarks by the President." For the next hour he gave earnest admonition
to praise Jehovah, basing his remarks on Psalm 145, during which he announced that the 1954 yeartext will be Psalm 145:2, "Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever."—CB.
Then speaking informally Brother Knorr told about plans for Brothers Franz, Henschel and himself to visit the brothers in Central and South America. He commended the assembly on its good behavior, and announced that during 1954 district assemblies will be held and in 1955 a series of conventions, spreading across the country from the west coast of the United States to England and the continent's mainland. Then, with a song and a prayer of thanks to Jehovah, the greatest assembly of Christians ever to be held ended.
IN CONCLUSION
Truly, here are a people separate and distinct, a New World society based on the principles set forth in the Bible. Its principles work, for those at Yankee Stadium could look about them each day and see scores of thousands, all dedicated to Jehovah and living by those principles. Truly the world saw a powerful demonstration of the spirit of Jehovah at work!
"CZECH REDS PERSECUTE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES"
UNDER the heading, "Czech Reds Persecute Jehovah's Witnesses as Well as Catholics," the United States Catholic weekly, Our Sunday Visitor, May 17, 1953, published the following London dispatch:
"In Czechoslovakia the heavy hand of Communist repression has fallen with impartial ruthlessness on the Catholic Church and a group which has ranked as one of the Church's most vehement opponents—the Jehovah's Witnesses. Reports here disclosed that 2,260 Jehovah's Witnesses—460 of them women—are under arrest in Czechoslovakia. Among them is their leader, Bohmil Miller, who was sentenced recently to 15 years at hard labor. Another is Jan Sebin, former leader, who has been condemned to 18 years' imprisonment. Sebin spent six years in the Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps in Germany under the nazis. The illness and
physical disabilities he suffered as a result forced him to relinquish his post of command in 1950. The Jehovah's Witnesses-known in Europe as the International Bible Students' Association—has also been severely persecuted in other Iron Curtain countries, especially Eastern Germany. Leaders of the movement here said they believed the measures taken by the Prague authorities have all but eliminated the sect in Czechoslovakia."
It is of interest to note that the foregoing report, while stating that the Reds are persecuting Catholics and Jehovah's witnesses with an impartial hand, fails to give the figures for the number of Catholics in prison. Based on the latest published figures, 1951 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, this report would indicate that 90 per cent of the witnesses in Czechoslovakia are now in prison.
THE ATTACK BY GOG OF MAGOG
(Continued from page 583)
woman's Seed assigned to bruise him at the head as a serpent. So would the Dragon trust some inexperienced spirit prince with this vital task of conducting field maneuvers to stave off the crushing heel of the woman's Seed from "that original serpent," the Dragon? Never! Armageddon is his big fight, like that of a roaring lion cornered in his lair. Furthermore, Ezekiel's prophecy pictures this as Jehovah's fight against
Gog, hence against Satan the Devil, thus making it a fight between the true God and the false, between the God of the righteous new world and the "god of this world." (2 Cor. 4:4) "Thus saith the Lord Jehovah:
Behold, I am against thee, O Gog."—Ezek. 38:3, AS.
seven sons, hence one of Noah's grandsons. (Gen. 10:2) Where his land was is uncertain but it is usually located geographically in northeastern Europe and Central Asia, the land of the fierce Scythians and Tartars. However, this does not mean that in Ezekiel's prophecy the "land of Magog" means now the land of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. At Revelation 20:8 Gog and Magog are mentioned, but there both are names of earthly lands and they have a different time-location from that of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel's prophecy. In
9 It should not seem unusual that Gog is used to picture Satan the Devil. In the same book of Ezekiel the king of Tyre is used to picture the Devil from the time he was in Eden and when he became iniquitous and was cast out of God's family and was abased as if being cast down to a Tartarus. But now, as Gog, Satan is pictured after he has been hurled from heaven down to the earth and is held in check here until at Armageddon he is transferred from his Tartarus condition into the abyss and put under a sealed cover there for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:1-3,7) Incidentally, the allies of Gog in his final attack are nations that were heavy commercial traders with the king of Tyre.—Ezek. 27:2-25; 28:13-18.
10 Gog is said to be of the land of Magog. "Magog" was the name of one of Japheth's
Ezekiel Magog is premillennial, whereas in Revelation Magog is located at the end of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. So, in Ezekiel's prophecy, Magog corresponds with the realm of its chief ruler, Satan the
Devil, and represents his spiritual realm. This agrees well with the fact that the Bible leaves the location of Magog indeterminate to man, hence a realm beyond man's intimate knowledge. Magog is a limited spirit realm near the earth's vicinity, for it is the location of Satan, the Dragon, after he and his wicked angels have been forced down there by the war in heaven. From that standpoint it is a degraded land, where the spirit inhabitants are subject to Jehovah's disposition and held in reserve for him to express his further judgment.
11 The land of Magog, therefore, pictures the debased realm of the invisible part of Satan's world since A.D. 1918. But Gog still has also a visible part to his world organization. He still has earthly allies and subjects, as is shown in Ezekiel's prophecy, which addresses him as "Gog, the great prince of Meshech and Tubal." (Ezek.38:3; 39:1, AT) Some translations render this, "Gog, prince of Rosh,* Meshech, and Tubal."
(AS; Mo; Yg; Ro; LXX) And since the name "Rosh" really means, not Russia, but "head," it was reasoned that Rosh meant Satan the "head" and so Gog was a mere prince of Satan the Devil, a "prince of the chief." (AV, margin) But if we reason this way, it would also mean that Gog was a prince not of Satan the Devil only but also of Meshech and Tubal and subordinate to all three of them; which is not the case. However, other modern translations show that, instead of a subordinate prince, Gog is the "chief prince," the great chieftain. (RS; Soncino; Fenton) Some call him the "great prince." (AT; Bover-Cantera) Others call him the "sovereign prince." (Lienart; Crampon; Maredsous) Calling Gog by these superior titles in translating the Hebrew text again strongly indicates that he is Satan, "the ruler of the demons," and not an eighth subordinate prince who sallies forth to represent him on the field of battle. Gog, that is, Satan the Devil, does not stay back home in the rear in the land of Magog, to await the bursting in of God's fire upon him there. No, he egotistically takes charge of his vast hordes of aggressors and madly leads them in attack upon the remaining ones of the Seed of God's woman.
12 Meshech and Tubal, of which Gog is the sovereign prince, here picture a part of Satan's visible organization. So do Persia, Cush (Ethiopia), Put (Libya), Gomer and the house of Togarmah, whose hordes form part of Gog's final assault forces in the disastrous expedition that they are duped into undertaking by the symbolic frog, the "inspired expression," that leaps out of the
Dragon's mouth. Ancient Meshech and Tubal were both Japhetic. Like Magog, they derived their names from the sons of Japheth. But the Bible reports Meshech and Tubal as doing a great business with human slaves and brass utensils in the markets of the king of Tyre, who is also a prophetic picture of Satan the Devil. Meshech and Tubal were situated to the north of Palestine. They represent those who do business with Satan the Devil for commercial profit. By the time of Gog's attack Persia, which was once the fourth world power, has declined so far that its forces become a minor part of the mixed army of Gog. Hence Gog's attack could not have been away back there several centuries before Christ in the days when Persia was the dominant world power. Persia was the one that let the Israelites, the captives of Babylon, return to the Holy Land. So Persia knew of the restoration of Israel's remnant to the Land of Promise. Even today the good news of God's kingdom is being preached to some extent in the modern land of Persia or Iran.
13 The troops of Cush (or Ethiopia) and of Put were Hamitic. Since Put was southeast of Cush in Africa and corresponded to Somaliland, it shows how far south Gog's influence extended and how far his call to arms was sounded. The men of Put as well as those of Persia once served in the army of Tyre as its soldiers, so that they were experienced in fighting on the side of Satan the Devil. The hordes of Gomer and Togarmah were Japhetic, their names also being taken from the sons of Japheth. Gomer's descendants spread as far over as western Europe, whereas the house of Togarmah occupied what is Armenia and was spoken of as being "in the far north." (Ezek. 38:6, Mo) Thus when we look at the land they attack, the attacking forces of Gog are drawn from the far north and far south and hem their victim in, and they make up a conglomerate army of "many peoples."
This fact is a warning that Jehovah's New World society will be put in the squeeze by the invisible and visible hordes of the sovereign prince Gog. It accords with the prophecy that the New World society will be hated by all worldly nations.
TIME OF THE ATTACK
14 As a faithful Keeper of his people who bear his name, Jehovah is ever on guard for them and never slumbers nor sleeps. After these eighteen centuries since the days of Christ's apostles he is not sound asleep but is now as keenly awake as ever, as this is His day, "the day of Jehovah," and the time has drawn close for the awestriking demonstration of his power against his combined enemies. Timelily he rouses his faithful witnesses and alerts them to what is now due to take place. He opens their understanding as to who the real Gog is and reminds them that the assault by this powerful foe is soon to occur, this foe who comes from the far north. We know from God's illuminated Word that the time has come close. Jehovah God himself has timed Gog's assault, for he notified Gog that it would be after many days and in the end of the years. Since Jehovah said his witnesses were to announce this to Gog, they have to know of it in advance, and they do. This is the inspired announcement they can now make to the real Gog:
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