The Watchtower, December 15, 1955

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The WATCHTOWER

Announcing

JEHOVAH'S

KINGDOM

DECEMBER 15, 1955

Semimonthly

THE TEST THAT LEADS TO

A BLESSING

BLESSED RESULTS FROM

MAKING THE TEST

THE "TRIUMPHANT KINGDOM"

ASSEMBLIES OF 1955

'SORRY, I HAVE NO TIME!'

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".

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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

‘Sorry, I Have No Time!’ 739

Modern History of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Part 24: Expanding in the

Western Hemisphere 741

The Test That Leads to a Blessing 745

Blessed Results from Making the Test 753

The “Triumphant Kingdom” Assemblies

of 1955 (Part 2) 759

Questions from Readers 763

Announcements 763

Check Your Memory 764

Scripture Index for Texts Explained, 1955 764

Subject Index for “The Watchtower,” 1955 767

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

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Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N. Y., Act of March 3, 1879. Printed in U. S. A.

'Sorry, I Have No Time!'

"SORRY," the lady said, "but I'm too busy." A man down the block had said the same thing. Though many people really are busy when Jehovah's witnesses call at their homes, what this lady actually meant was: "I don't think it's worth my time." Rarely is a person too busy for what he really wants to do, or for something that he really considers important.

Would the householder be "too busy" if the person at the door had come to pay a long-standing debt? Then why turn down something far more important than money? Why is the spiritual mission of less importance than a financial one? Is it that the person thinks that the money is more important than peace and life? or is it that he has been misinformed about the nature, purpose and importance of the message that Jehovah's witnesses bring? It could be either reason, or a combination of both.

In Bible times Jesus was received into the home of Mary and Martha. Mary was interested in the beneficial things Jesus had to say, but Martha was concerned about other matters, "attending to many duties." She even protested that Mary was not busy with her. But Jesus said: "Mary chose the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her." Would you, like Martha, have been "too busy," or like Mary would you have had time for the more important things?—Luke 10:38-42, NW.

Saul, like many people today, had been misinformed about the activity of firstcentury Christians. He participated in the persecution of them, and even had part in the murder of Stephen. It took a blinding miracle to open his spiritual eyes to the truth. Would you require such a jolt to see the importance of the message that true Christians, like those of nineteen hundred years ago, are bringing to people's homes today?—Acts 9:1-19.

This activity is in harmony with Jesus' specific instructions: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come." He further specifically commanded that this Christian message be taken right to the homes of the people: "When you are entering into the house, greet the household; and if the house is deserving, let the peace you wish it come upon it; but if it is not deserving, let the peace from you return upon you." "He that listens to you listens to me too. And he that disregards you disregards me too. Moreover, he that disregards me disregards also him that sent me forth." Matt. 24:14; 10:12, 13; Luke 10:16, NW. Jesus himself journeyed "from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God." Yes, the first-century Christians did teach from house to house.

Paul explained: "I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house." And even after being flogged for this activity, "every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus." Luke 8:1: Acts 20:20:5:42 NW

Sometimes people who are thus contacted at their doors say: "I've been to church this morning, thank you!" Then, is that not all the more reason why they should be interested in discussing spiritual matters with anyone who is interested in them? If they went to church to learn about God, and if they learned what they went to learn, then surely they would be interested in talking about the things they learned there. And if they did not learn anything that they consider important enough to want to talk about, then certainly they do need the very message that is being brought to their doors!

The message that is brought by visiting ministers of Jehovah is of the utmost importance. It is equally important as was the message that the disciples preached in the same manner during the first century. Back then the message was that Jesus was the Messiah, while the message today is that Christ's second presence has occurred! This is the message to which all the faithful men of God looked, and particularly since Jesus told his disciples to watch for the establishment of his righteous kingdom that would bring lasting peace to the earth.

It is this message that Jehovah's witnesses bring to your door. Their publications, like the one now in your hand, contain Scriptural proof of these facts. They concern a firm assurance of peace, health, happiness and everlasting life. They point out the reason for earth's present difficulties and show their specific outcome. Such a message is strengthening and vital! Could anything be more important, more worth your time?

Jehovah's witnesses, too, are busy people. They are busy working, supporting their families and doing all the things that you must do. But their conviction regarding the truth of these Scriptural promises is so great that they readily take their own time, without pay, to come to your home and show you these things from your own Bible. They are that interested in you. Are you interested enough in yourself to listen to them and to examine their message to prove whether it is true or not? You have nothing to lose by doing so, and actually everything to gain!

Most people take time for the things that they really want most to do, whether it is keeping up with their favorite football team's scores, reading magazines or an occasional novel, studying trade papers that help them improve their business, watching television, attending movies or just talking with their friends. All of these can be enjoyable and perhaps even profitable things, but the point is that busy people have time for them when they really want to do them.

Do you want life? Do you want more contentment and a freer mind? Do you want to know why earth is in its present difficulties and what the outcome will be? Are these things as important to you as the baseball scores, the current best seller or the evening's television programs? If they are, then you will have time to study the Bible. And especially will you have time when someone freely offers you a hand with it.

Taking this view, you will never say "I'm too busy" to people who are offering you the one thing above all things that is most certainly worth your time!

MODERN HISTORY of

Jehovah's Witnesses

Part 24

EXPANDING IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

NORTH AMERICA, with its more than 201 million inhabitants, outstandingly shows an impressive record of the harvesting work. English, French and Spanish are the chief languages spoken. Religiously, a large segment is Protestant. Atheism too has a great hold. But Catholic thinking dominates in many sections. The North American mind, rooted in paganism, has in recent years, due to technological developments, gained a highly materialistic outlook, men thinking they are almost gods able to accomplish any purpose by means of "science," falsely so called. They are also pleasure- and travel-minded, influenced by fantastic Hollywood films. Having led in the inventing of complicated machines of domestic industry and devices of war, the North American man has become a fearful slave of such inventions rather than their master. No peace of mind exists. Great fear of atomic war prevails, overshadowing the thinking of all, religiously, politically and socially.

The headquarters of the Watch Tower Society being located in North America, Jehovah's witnesses who live here have had a head start in combing out the vast territory to find the "other sheep." As soon as the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead began to turn out its well-trained missionaries in 1943, these were sent to the various outlying lands of North America, such as Mexico, Newfoundland, Alaska, the Central American countries (the republics

of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador, and the British crown colony of Belize or British Honduras), as well as the isthmian republic of Panama and, yes, the French-Canadian province of Quebec. a By 1947 there were 163 Watch Tower missionaries operating in these fields and by 1955 the number had risen to 663 Gilead graduates working in twelve North American lands.

In the spring of 1945, before World War II came to its end, the Society's president, N. H. Knorr, accompanied by director F. W. Franz, made the first official visit into Mexico and Central America, where arrangements were completed to expand missionary operations. b Official revisits from the Society's executives have occurred about every four years. Throughout this vast continent hundreds of new congregations have been developed in isolated areas and also by subdividing congregations fast growing beyond 200 members in the large American cities. Particularly in Canada and the United States many congregations have been forced to build adequately equipped, beautifully designed Kingdom Halls to accommodate the growing needs of the witnesses for meeting places. In Mexico, where so many of those interested in the message of Jehovah's kingdom are illiterate, schools have been established in each congregation for teaching young and old to read and write Spanish.

This Mexican education program has been crowned with great success. c

Since 1945 the major battlefield has been in Canada, centering around the Catholic province of Quebec. From 1943 to 1955, 1,682 prosecutions of the witnesses have taken place there, in addition to many mob actions. Of the prosecutions, 780 were concluded in favor of Jehovah's people; and recently 899 others have been terminated by the historic Canadian Supreme Court decision in favor of Jehovah's witnesses in the case of Saumur v. Quebec, decided October 6, 1953.d In January, 1954, the Quebec provincial government retaliated by enacting a law to frame the witnesses. This annoyance, too, has had to be challenged in the courts of the land. In 1951 the witnesses won one of the most outstanding decisions in Canadian legal history, the case of Boucher v. The King, where the Canadian Supreme Court held that the preaching activity of the witnesses was not seditious.e Canada having no guarantees of civil liberty and the witnesses having been victims so long of scandalous persecution, the Society in Canada circulated a petition requesting a Bill of Rights. Eventually 500,967 Canadians signed this petition, which was presented to Parliament June 9, 1947. In February, 1949, a second and still larger petition was submitted, of 625,510 signatures, but this, too, went unheeded. Despite the heat of battle in Catholic Quebec, the number of witnesses is growing very rapidly as this prison house is being opened for honest people to change their thinking in freedom of worship and to escape to God's New World society.

The following table indicates the stupendous effort that has been put forth in North America in recent years and the very satisfying results indicated in the growing number of ministers. f

Year

Lands Witnessed to

Total Ministers

Number of Preaching Hours

75,589

19,668,961

91,740

20,787,495

168,752

25,810,384

193,542

26,734,105

236,124

29,999,901

Over twenty-nine million hours of preaching spent in 1955 by 236,124 ordained ministers was bound to have powerful effect upon the thinking of millions. By 1955 in North America there was one minister of Jehovah's witnesses for every 922 inhabitants of the continent. The gathering work in this part of the world has gained great momentum and no amount of clergy opposition can now slow it down. Thousands of congregations are continually expanding as they absorb the tens of thousands of new ones fleeing to God's organization for safety.

ISLANDS OF THE ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN

In great numbers the inhabitants of the isles are hearing the call of the Right Shepherd, Jesus Christ, as they hasten to flee to Jehovah's mountainlike organization. The islands of the Atlantic, Caribbean and Mediterranean are great in total number and quite thickly populated by over sixteen million whites, browns and blacks of English, Dutch, Latin and African origins. Life for them is not so complicated as it is for their North American cousins. Their thinking religiously is colored by that of Catholicism, Anglican discipline and demonistic superstitions such as voodooism. Moral standards are not very high, due to priestcraft's practice of divine bribery by paying money for forgiveness of sins; the men may have one official wife and several other women with whom they live in common-law relationship.

A large percentage of children are born out of wedlock. The women do much of the work and practically support their husbands and children. No great care has been given to educating the young. People live day by day without great worries, enjoying meager pleasures and not exercising their thinking powers to any great degree. Yet among masses of this frame of mind thousands are becoming serious Christian ministers in association with Jehovah's witnesses.

Late in 1943 Gilead graduate missionaries began to be sent to Cuba, where immediate success was had in teaching eager listeners Bible truth. Thereafter Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Trinidad, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica and other islands began to be "invaded" by Watch Tower missionaries, where the populace gave them ready reception. The Society spent about $125,000 in expanding the ministry in the Caribbean area as well as in Central America and South America in the year 1946 alone. For three consecutive years from 1944 onward the president of the Society made visits to Cuba and other islands to stimulate the excellent beginnings made in these areas. By 1955 there were 144 missionaries operating in 38 different political "lands" on islands. For several years the schooner Sibia was a floating missionary home with a crew of Gilead graduates calling from island to island to give lectures, witness to all the natives and hold Bible studies with them. That vessel has now been replaced by the larger ship Light. Much isolated interest has thus been gathered for permanent missionary activity by later ministers, whom the Society will send into the territory.

Inspired by the clergy, government bans,

missionary deportations and general opposition have developed in Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, Jamaica and other islands, but this does not deter the witnesses, as is apparent in the following chart of expansion. k

Year

Lands Witnessed to

Total Ministers

Number of Preaching Hours

1,297

237,057

6,429

1,448,810

15,659

2,200,647

17,421

2,248,941

19,615

2,673,483

A mighty preaching service of more than two million hours a year is sounding forth Jehovah's praises in these islands. By this means thousands more will be educated for life in Jehovah's glorious new world of righteousness. Already in 1955 there was one minister of Jehovah's witnesses for every 971 of the islanders. A good percentage this!

SOUTH AMERICA

Up until the close of World War II all the lands of the continent of South America, with its 120 million inhabitants, seemed to be the sole preserve of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1945, with the Western democracies defeating the Catholic-Fascist Nazi attempt at world control, the door into South America seemed to be wide open for the penetration of true Christianity by means of the courageous missionaries of Jehovah's witnesses. Spanish and Portuguese are the chief languages. Due to the centuries-long heavy hand of the Vatican Hierarchy the thinking of the people in this part of the world is limited, sensual and superstitious. People are sports mad and go in heavily for gambling. Morals, due to the prohibition of divorce because of the Catholic view of matters, naturally are not too high, and common-law marriage is normal practice. Illegitimate children are many and no practical solution has been found for their pitiful state.

There is much need for education, which has never been encouraged much by "the Church." Many are of a proud nature, quick of temper. All seem to be uniformly fanatical patriots with a feeling of superiority. They are easily excited by an idea or the novelty of a thing, but their superficial thinking prevents them from being further interested. What success will Bible education have upon such a people and their way of thinking? We shall see.

In February and March, 1945, the Society's president, N. H. Knorr, and his companion, F. W. Franz, made their initial visit into South America. All the major countries were visited and plans were drawn up for missionary expansion into all these countries. The work in Argentina and Brazil had been started in the early twenties but needed to be modernized considerably. Gilead-trained missionaries were sent to South America shortly thereafter and by 1947 there were 117 of them in twelve different South American countries. By 1955 the number of missionaries assigned there by the Society exceeded 340. This meant the opening and financing of many missionary homes throughout South America and also the establishing of suitable branch offices and quarters. Thousands of dollars were spent in this South American expansion, but the fruitage was quick in forthcoming. m Thousands began to leave the Catholic organization to become students of the ministry as Jehovah's witnesses. Many had to be taught to read and

write in the course of their Bible studies. Furthermore, a moral cleanup was necessary, as only those who are married in accordance with Biblical principles could be counted as associates. This required many marital adjustments. So much so that it has come to public notice that the witnesses are the only ones who provide a moral uplift for their associates. But in spite of all these difficulties, the increase has been phenomenal, from 807 ministers in 1942 to 18,800 in 1955. Opposition has been manifested in Colombia, Brazil and other places. In Argentina the Society continued placed under a ban since 1949 by the late dictatorial Perón government. But this does not stop the increases in Colombia, Brazil and even Argentina.

The growth in South America is encouraging and appears to be just at its beginning, for a truly great multitude seems ready to come forth from that part of Jehovah's field. Observe the following report of this expansion. n

Year

Lands Witnessed to

Total Ministers

Number of Preaching Hours

219,905

2,431

956,928

11,795

1,990,208

13,174

2,137,541

18,800

2,874,637

On this southern continent the witness work is comparatively new. Already there is one minister of Jehovah's witnesses for every 6,435 of the population. But the future promises that this ratio will be greatly reduced as the expansion of true Christianity continues.

(To be continued) The

Test that leads to a

"Bring the whole tithe into the treasure-house, that there may be food in my house,and prove me now herewith saith Jehovah of hosts, if I open not to you the windows of the heavens,and pour you out a blessing,till there be no place for it."—Malachi 3:10, Da.

who says: "Thus saith God, Jehovah, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that spread forth the earth and its productions, he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that

walk therein: I am Jehovah that is my

PROSPERITY does not exist without a reason. If it is a real prosperity there must be a solid basis for it. This is true of material prosperity; it is true of spiritual prosperity. Men whose hearts are fixed on gaining the material things of this world have long tried to lay the foundation for a lasting prosperity in material things and have used the best brains of this world

walk therein. I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." (Isa. 42:5, 8, Da; AS) He, though spirit, is the Creator of all material things. He has the continuous monopoly of all material things. He controls the production of all things material. The source of all true and lasting material prosperity must therefore be spiritual. Spiritual prosperity means prospering in our relations with Jehovah God.

3 The great spiritual Source puts spiritual prosperity ahead of material prosperity

to that end, but their prosperity has been very uncertain and shaky and they are ever fearful, nervously tense and expecting cycles of depression. There is a simple explanation for this. Their prosperity, as long as it is enjoyed, is of a selfish, one-sided kind, maintained by the wisdom of this world. It ignores the very source and the very basis for true, enduring prosperity.

2 What we now say may sound strange, but with all their economic slumps and the insecurity of their present flourishing condition the materialists have no grounds for denying it and are unable to disprove it

as being more important, for the former is the basis for the latter. The famous "sermon on the mount" nicely sets forth that fact in these words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the great prosperous God: "Never be anxious and say: 'What are we to eat?' or, 'What are we to drink?' or, What are we to put on?' For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. For your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you." (Matt. 6:31-33 NW) Pur-

The basis for true material prosperity is spiritual prosperity. This provable truth rests upon the fact that the one unfailing source of prosperity is the richest Person, the happiest One in the universe, the One

suit of material prosperity may lead to enjoying many things of this earth selfish-

ly for a long or a short time, but pursuit of the spiritual prosperity will lead to unending life in an endless world of prosperity in union with the immortal Source of it all, Jehovah God.

4 We do not have just Jesus' words to make us sure of this. We have a national example of this in the past and a national example of it today. The example of long ago was the nation of Israel in the land of Palestine. The example of today is the "holy nation" of Jehovah's anointed witnesses. (Isa. 66:8; 1 Pet. 2:9) Jehovah's witnesses an example of prosperity? Yes, spiritually! But what of all the international hatred of them and the widespread persecution of them? That goes along with the spiritual prosperity, for Jesus said: "No one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news who will not get a hundredfold now in this period of time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, WITH PERSECUTIONS, and in the coming system of things everlasting life."—Mark 10:29, 30, NW.

hosts, 'and see if I will not open for you the windows of the heavens, and pour out for you a blessing until there is no more need.'"—Mal. 3:10, AT.

5 The illustration that Jehovah's witnesses are today furnishing was foretold in a prophecy to ancient Israel. It stated the rule for gaining real prosperity. As this rule is contrary to the rules of this world, the applying of it calls for courage, faith and persistence and brings about a test. But it is a test that proves the rule and leads to a satisfying blessing. The prophecy setting out the rule was given twenty-four centuries ago through the Hebrew prophet Malachi in these words: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this way,' says the LORD [Jehovah] of

WHY THE TEST

What was the reason for calling for this test to be made of the Lord Jehovah of hosts? Malachi's prophecy shows it clearly. It was because the nation of Israel in the fifth century before the Christian era was not healthy spiritually. Could a nation of robbers be healthy spiritually, especially robbers of God? Could breakers of a covenant or solemn contract with him? No, for they were working against the very Source of all prosperity. So because they were not well off spiritually they were not prospering materially. The great divine Source of prosperity wanted to see them getting along well materially according to his promises in his covenant with them. But first they had to keep their part of this covenant. Notice why the only living and true God calls them a nation of robbers and calls upon them to turn about:

"I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob [whose surname was Israel], are not consumed. From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with the curse [rather, With a curse have ye been cursing, Ro]; for ye rob me, even this whole nation."—Mal. 3:6-9, AS.

8 When a nation enters a covenant with Jehovah God and comes under the command to offer certain sacrifices and then selfishly refuses and fails to offer up the kind of sacrifices required, that nation is cheating; it is robbing God of his due and thus breaking the covenant.

The terms of the covenant required that only sound, unblemished animals be offered and accepted for Jehovah's altar. (Lev. 22:21, NW) Malachi's prophecy pointed out that they were offering blind, lame, violently torn, sick and lean animals and their priests were accepting such for Jehovah's altar. His altar is as a table and the sacrifices offered on it are as food to him. (Ezek. 41:22; Num. 28:2, NW) In view of this both the people and the priests were showing contempt for his temple table; they were offering polluted food upon it. They were not thinking much of his name; they were despising it. They were giving it no glory. Theirs were certainly not "offerings in righteousness" and hence were not "pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years," when the first temple was built and inaugurated on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem by King Solomon. (Mal. 1:6-8, 12-14; 3:3, 4, AS; 2 Chron. 3:1-3; 5:1-14; 7:1-3) When they were thus cheating God and the careless priests gave the impression that he did not mind, how could they rightly expect to receive the blessings promised in the covenant to only faithful, appreciative worshipers of Jehovah God?

Instead of the blessings, they came under the curse against which God had warned them in the covenant. Their crops in the field did not come to full fruitage; locusts and other pests devoured them. Their vines had the grape clusters shrivel up or they dropped the grapes before the time of vintage. Nations round about had no visible reason to call them a happy

people and their land delightsome. They did not enjoy material prosperity because they did not seek spiritual prosperity first.

10 The Israelites had come to forget or overlook the main purpose for which they had been freed from Babylon and restored to their native land in Palestine in 537 B.C. The reoccupying of the land of Judah and Jerusalem that had lain uninhabited for seventy years and the transforming of it from a jungle and desolation into an earthly paradise was not the primary reason for God to have the conqueror of Babylon free them and send them back home. The primary reason was to restore them to their spiritual privileges and obligations, to rebuild the temple to Jehovah at the place where he had put his name and to worship him there. King Cyrus of Persia, the conqueror of Babylon, in the first year of his reign published a decree and in it told the Jews why he was freeing them: "This is what Cyrus the king of Persia has said, 'All the kingdoms of the earth Jehovah the God of the heavens has given me and he himself has commissioned me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God prove to be with him. So let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of Jehovah the God of Israel—he is The [true] God—which was in Jerusalem.'" (Ezra 1:1-8, NW) Jews who did not go back made great material contributions to both the house that was to be rebuilt at Jerusalem and also to the Jewish remnant that was going up to rebuild it. And King Cyrus entrusted to this remnant the sacred vessels that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken from the first temple at Jerusalem, which he had destroyed. So the spiritual rehabilitation of the Israelites led to their material rehabilitation in their own native land.

No question about that!

11 Immediately on returning to Jerusalem they set themselves to fulfilling their prime purpose. The altar to Jehovah—his temple table—was rebuilt and the foundation of his second temple was laid on the site of the first. When outside enemies interfered, the temple builders laid off from the work. What followed upon this faithless neglect of Jehovah's house? During the sixteen years that the temple lay uncompleted, barely begun, they did not prosper materially, not to speak of prospering spiritually. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah called this to their attention. So they defied their enemies and resumed temple building. Then God began blessing them again materially in keeping with his covenant. In 516 B.C. the temple was completed and inaugurated. Now they had Jehovah's temple again with its acting priesthood and its Levites, the assistants to the priests, and its Nethinim, the non-Israelite temple slaves. Would they continue to keep spiritual matters first, with the correct understanding that the spiritual comes before the material and that the material depends upon the spiritual? During the days of the Jewish governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, yes.

12 But after the days of these faithful, spiritually-minded men the Israelites began to lose their appreciation of the pure blessings of the worship of Jehovah God. They set their hearts more on material things. They became materialistic. Their materialism killed their spirituality. They thought that by pursuing materialism at the expense of spirituality they would increase their material things. Just the reverse! Their materialism also killed their

material prosperity, for it ignored the Source of prosperity. Jehovah God does not bless materialism. He curses it.

"Now these things became our examples, for us not to be persons desiring injurious things, even as they desired them. Now these things went on befalling them as examples and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the accomplished ends of the systems of things have arrived." So said the apostle Paul, who also quoted from Malachi's prophecy. (1 Cor. 10:6, 11 and Rom. 15:4, NW) So we must examine how these ancient examples apply to us today, for we have been living in the "time of the end" of this system of things since A.D. 1914. The train of events since then, beginning with World War I and all foretold by Jesus Christ, proves that.

14 Another thing: Because of the selfish, ungodly materialism of the Israelites the prophet Malachi warned them that the Lord Jehovah God would suddenly come to his temple accompanied by his Angel or Messenger of the covenant of blessing, and then He would be a judge and swift witness and executor against the faithless materialists among the people who claimed to be his. (Mal. 3:1, Da) Jesus, after his forerunner John the Baptist had died, showed that Malachi 3:1 had a fulfillment in his day as an example of warning to us in this day when the greater and final fulfillment comes. (Matt. 11:10-15; 17:10-13) The book You May Survive Armageddon into God's New World, released last June, and the article "Jehovah Is in His Holy Temple," published in the November 15 English issue of The Watchtower, prove that Jehovah came accompanied by his Angel of the covenant, Jesus Christ, to the spiritual temple in the spring of 1918.

This accounts for the searching judgment process that is going on at Jehovah's temple, exposing the empty philosophies, false man-made traditions and demonic teachings of all the religions that are a part of this old system of things.

Remember, however, that the people whom Malachi warned were those to whom God had said: "Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah." (Isa. 43:10, 12, AS) So the judgment began first with Jehovah's witnesses after he came to his spiritual temple in 1918. At that time they came into great trials because of the persecutions that were heaped upon them, particularly by those nations embroiled in World War I. Then especially they came into a captive, exiled condition like that of the ancient Israelites in pagan Babylon. There was an ensnaring, bondage-bringing "fear of man." This resulted in a neglect of Jehovah's spiritual temple, which is made up of his anointed witnesses. Under the restraints of the fear of men these were hurting their own spiritual interests, hence the interests of God's temple class; and the temple service or God's assigned work for them was not being done. To them the Bible says: "Do you not know that you people are God's temple and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you people are." (1 Cor. 3:16, 17, NW) But the remnant of the temple class on earth were not giving the temple service the due support because of selfish fear of man and man's governments, who were trying to destroy this remnant of the temple class. Hence Jehovah's judgment at his spiritual temple had to begin with this anointed remnant of his witnesses.

16 In 1919 Jehovah God by his Greater Cyrus, the reigning King Jesus Christ, delivered his witnesses from this modern Babylonish condition of bondage to worldly men. Quite a number of them came out of literal prisons where they had been confined for their religious faith. Now what would they do? The postwar world was now open before them with all its opportunities for trying to rebuild this old, wartorn world under its new League of Nations and give it an artificial prosperity. Would they now join this world in its materialistic desires and pursuits? Was that what they had been praying for when they were under Babylonish captivity and longing to be free? Was that why Jehovah's Greater Cyrus had set them free? From a materialistic standpoint the worldly opportunities were very inviting. But God's invitation and command to them was: "Bring the whole tithe into the treasurehouse, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I open not to you the windows of the heavens, and pour you out a blessing, till there be no place for it." (Mal. 3:10, Da) The temple remnant acted on God's invitation to test him. How?

THE SPIRITUAL "WHOLE TITHE"

17 Jehovah God was asking for no more than he had covenanted or contracted for. In the laws of his covenant with Israel Jehovah commanded the nation to give him a tithe or tenth of all their increase: "Without fail you should give a tenth of all the produce of your seed, what comes forth on the field year by year." (Deut. 14:22, NW) Jehovah God placed his name upon the temple rebuilt at Jerusalem. Therefore the tithes or tenths had to be brought there and deposited in the treasure house or storerooms there.

"To the place that Jehovah your God will choose out of all your tribes to place his name there, to have it reside, you will seek and there you must come. And there you must bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices and your tenth parts and the contribution of your hand and your vow offerings and your voluntary offerings and the firstborn ones of your herd and of your flock. And there you must eat before Jehovah your God and rejoice in every undertaking of yours, you and your households, because Jehovah your God has blessed you." (Deut. 12:5-7, 11, 12, 17-19; 14:23, NW) God deserved the best: "The best of the first ripe fruits of your ground you are to bring to the house of Jehovah your God." (Ex. 23:19, NW; Deut. 26:2-4, 10, 12) Hezekiah (king 745-716 B.C.) was a worthy example of a ruler of Jerusalem who had Israel obey this feature of Jehovah's law. 2 Chron. 31:2-16.

18 The tithe or tenth was required of the twelve tribes of Israel in order to support the tribe of Levi, whose males directly served God at his temple as priests and Levites. "And to the sons of Levi, look! I have given every tenth part in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service that they are carrying on, the service of the tent of meeting. . . in the midst of the sons of Israel they should not get possession of an inheritance. For the tenth part of the sons of Israel, which they will contribute to Jehovah as a contribution, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance." (Num. 18:21-24, NW) Thus nine tenths of its increase remained to each of the twelve tribes, and the tribe of Levi got all together twelve tenth parts. As the nation of Israel prospered, the Levites were

bound to prosper if the whole tithe were paid them.

Even the nonpriestly Levites were required to pay tithes, to the priests, of the family of Aaron the Levite. "And you should speak to the Levites and you must say to them, 'You will receive from the sons of Israel the tenth part that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, and you must contribute from it as a contribution to Jehovah a tenth part of the tenth part. . . . In this way you yourselves also will contribute a contribution to Jehovah from all your tenth parts that you will receive from the sons of Israel, and from them you must give the contribution to Jehovah to Aaron the priest. From all the gifts to you, you will contribute every sort of contribution to Jehovah, of the very best of it, as some holy thing from them.'" The tithes were like wages to them: "You must eat it in every place, you and your household, because it is your wages in return for your service in the tent of meeting." (Num. 18:25-32, NW) "And the priest the son of Aaron must prove to be with the Levites when the Levites receive a tenth, and the Levites themselves should offer up a tenth of the tenth to the house of our God to the dining halls of the supply house. For it is to the dining halls that the sons of Israel and the sons of the Levites should bring the contribution." (Neh. 10:38, 39, NW) Thus the payment of the whole tithe enabled priests and Levites to devote their time and strength to doing their duties at Jehovah's temple; it kept the temple service going full scale.

20 The refusal or failure to pay the whole tithe was a robbing of Jehovah God, for it was a holding back of what he had covenanted for and deserved.

(Lev. 27:30) It was a failure to support his priests and Levites in their service at his temple; it resulted in a lessening of his working staff and of their activities at his temple. It was a neglect of his sacred house and of their spiritual interests. It affected Jehovah's temple servants just as Nehemiah, governor of Judah, described it: "I got to find out that the very portions of the Levites had not been given [them], so that the Levites and the singers doing the work went running off, each one to his own field. And I began to find fault with the deputy rulers and say: 'Why has the house of The [true] God been neglected?' Consequently I collected them [the Levites] together and stationed them at their standing place [in the temple]. And all Judah, for their part, brought in the tenth of the grain and of the new wine and of the oil to the stores. Then I put Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the copyist and Pedaiah of the Levites in charge of the stores, . . . and upon them it devolved to do the distributing to their brothers." (Neh. 13:10-13, NW) Robbing God as respects his tithes ended up with reduced spiritual benefits and services to Israel.

21 As Malachi 3:10 applies to the spiritual Israelites, the remnant of the temple class, since Jehovah came to his temple for judgment work in 1918, do these anointed witnesses of Jehovah have to bring literal tithes to him? No; no more than there is a literal house at Jerusalem with literal Levites and priests of the family of Aaron to which to bring such literal tithes. Malachi 3:10 had its first application to the anointed Christian witnesses of Jehovah back in the first century, from Pentecost of A.D. 33 onward. So they are an example to us. After they were anointed with God's holy spirit on the day of Pentecost these

Jewish Christians could no longer bring the literal tithes to Herod's temple at Jerusalem. To do so would have meant supporting a material temple that God had abandoned. It would have meant supporting a priesthood that had hatefully put Jesus Christ to death and that was fighting Christianity, opposing Christ's apostles, imprisoning them and trying to kill them. Matt. 23:37, 38; 27:20; Acts 4:1-10; 5:17-27, 40; 12:1-5.

22 Neither did that remnant of Jewish Christians tithe to support the twelve apostles and the rest of the governing body of the congregation in Jerusalem. If they tithed or tenthed literally in obedience to Malachi 3:10, how is it that the record says that the believers "were together in having all things in common, and they went to selling their possessions and properties and to distributing the proceeds to all just as anyone would have the need"? "And not even one would say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common." (Acts 2:44, 45; 4:32-37; 6:1-6, NW) Materially, this was more than a whole tithe and it did not go to just the apostles, overseers and ministerial servants.

23 What, then, is the tithe that must be brought into the storehouse of Jehovah's spiritual temple by his people today? What today did the tithe or tenth of ancient Israel typify or foreshadow?

24 It is true that in Scripture ten is used as a symbol of earthly allness, entirety, completeness, but a tenth is not. The Israelite tenth did not typify the all that Christians dedicate to God through Christ. So the Israelite's giving of the tenth does not picture our dedicating ourselves wholly to Jehovah and symbolizing it by water baptism.

The Israelite tithe was not all their increase; it was a fraction, a mere tenth. Therefore it represents only a part of all that we have dedicated. Our bringing in the antitypical tithe to Jehovah's temple storehouse is simply a token or symbol of the fact that we have dedicated our all to Jehovah as our God; it is a memorial of our dedication. It is like the memorial that the priest offered up directly on the altar to God: "In case some soul would present as an offering a grain offering to Jehovah, his offering should prove to be fine flour and he must pour oil over it and put frankincense upon it. And he must bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests, and the priest must grasp from it his fistful of its fine flour and its oil along with all its frankincense, and he must make it smoke as a remembrancer of it upon the altar, as an offering made by fire of a smell of appeasement to Jehovah. And what is left of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons, as something most holy from Jehovah's offerings made by fire." (Lev. 2:1-3, 7-10, 14-16; 6:14-18, NW; Num. 5:25, 26) The fistful that the priest burned directly on the altar was just a remembrancer of the entire offering to God. The priest could use the rest.

25 So, too, we Christians who have become God's people must give proof that we have dedicated our all to Jehovah through Christ, and this proof we must give year after year. This regular contribution that we give in token of the fact that we have given all that we are and have to the Most High God—this is our antitypical tithe. Remember that the purpose of the Israelite tithe was to support Jehovah's temple and its service by his chosen priests and Levites. So our antitypical tithe is the support that we give directly to Jehovah's temple service. We may bring this antitypical

tithe into the storehouse of Jehovah's spiritual temple in two ways.

26 We may, in part, bring in the antitypical or spiritual tithe by making money or material gifts to the promoting of Jehovah's worship at his spiritual temple, the Foundation Cornerstone of which temple is Jesus Christ. (Eph. 2:20-22, NW; 1 Pet. 2:4-6) These material contributions are not held down to a tenth, neither must they be at least a tenth; they may amount to more or to less than a tenth. But they must be cheerfully given, for "God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor. 9:7, NW) We can make such contributions to the upkeep and furtherance of Jehovah's worship by donating money to the service agency of His witnesses, the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania, or contributing to the expenses of our local congregation or of a larger assembly or directly to individuals engaged in some department of the temple service or to the poor who belong to Jehovah and by our gifts to whom we lend to Jehovah. (Prov. 19:17) Contributing materially is only part of tithe bringing.

27 We may also bring in the antitypical or spiritual tithe by personally participating directly in the temple worship and promoting it. Ancient temple worship meant to go with your tithe to the temple and be in contact with the priests, Levites and other Israelites there at God's house; it was more than private worship at home. So we can bring in the spiritual tithe by attending meetings at gathering places of Jehovah's worshipers and not only being personally present but also taking whatever part is allowed in such meetings and so building up the others there by some spiritual word or assistance; by afterward encouraging newcomers or newly interested ones, as also by aiding others to get to meetings.

All this may require doing some private preparing of oneself for the temple worship opportunities. Neglecting meetings is neglecting temple worship now when Jehovah's day draws near.—Heb. 10:24, 25.

28 We also bring in the spiritual tithes by preparing ourselves and then going out into the field either alone or in a group to preach the commanded Kingdom message, thus showing others that we worship Jehovah and thus encouraging others to do so. The preparing of ourselves for this will be helped by our attending the congregational "service meeting" and "theocratic ministry school." Ancient tithes went to supporting the priests and Levites. We must thus support the antitypical "sons of Levi," the present-day remnant of Jehovah's "royal priesthood," in their preaching of his established kingdom and in putting his worship topmost, high above all the political and religious "mountains" of this system of things. (1 Pet. 2:5,9) This field activity will also include advertising public meetings by word of mouth and leaflet, by attending them oneself and by helping others, whether dedicated brothers or recently interested persons, to attend. Spiritual tithing or tenthing includes our helping along the global movement of "all nations" and "all peoples" up the exalted

How do we also bring in the antitypical tithe as respects field activity?

mountain of Jehovah's house to his temple courts, there to worship him together. Isa. 2:2-4, AS.

29 This spiritual contribution, accompanied by prayer, is more important than the material contribution. All persons dedicated to Jehovah God, whether materially rich or poor, can bring in this kind of spiritual tithe into his storehouse. Whereas some may see themselves able to give only the 'widow's mite' (Luke 21:1-4), they can still give the more vital spiritual tenth to temple worship by directly doing witness work according to opportunity, by offering the home for holding temple-worship meetings, or by some other valuable assistance to Jehovah's work. The materially well supplied who can give money or goods must not think that that is enough. The money gift does not excuse them from the spiritual contribution in the way of preaching and making public declaration either at meeting place or out in the field in house-to-house work. "This good news of the kingdom" must be preached by all the temple worshipers in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and we must bring in the whole spiritual tithe by backing up the preaching and personally taking part in it.—Matt. 24:14, NW.

Why does the spiritual tithe-bringing apply to the poor as well as to the materially rich?

Blessed Results from making the Test

WHEN the Israelites listened to Malachi and brought in the whole tithe to

What happened when the Israelites listened to Malachi and brought in the whole tenth, and how was that illustrated in Nehemiah's governorship of Judah?

the temple storehouse, what followed? The full quota of priests and Levites turned out regularly to serve at the temple and to care for the spiritual needs of the people, keeping the people in favored relationship with their God.

An illustration of this we have in the days of Nehemiah, governor of the province of Judah, after he rebuilt and inaugurated Jerusalem's walls in 455 B.C. "There were appointed on that day men over the halls for the stores, for the contributions, for the first fruits and for the tenths, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions [called for by] the law for the priests and the Levites; for the rejoicing of Judah was because of the priests and of the Levites who were in attendance. And they began taking care of the obligation of their God and the obligation of the purification, also the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David [and] Solomon his son. . . . And all Israel during the days of Zerubbabel and during the days of Nehemiah were giving the portions of the singers and of the gatekeepers according to the daily need and were sanctifying [them] to the Levites, and the Levites were sanctifying [them] to the sons of Aaron." (Neh. 12:44-47, NW) The Israelites rejoiced to see the full service force on duty at the temple; all service positions were filled. They were glad because their own contributions helped to make it so, by providing for all these temple servants. Twelve years later Nehemiah found it necessary to revive this temple support and reinstate the Levitical temple servants in their places and have all Judah back them up materially. (Neh. 13:10-14) Then Judah rejoiced again.

2 Likewise with Jehovah's witnesses today. We too are made to rejoice when we heed God's invitation and bring in the spiritual tithes, for then we see an increase in the temple worship due to an increase in the number of active, well-supported servants at the temple. Because the remnant

of spiritual Israelites brought in the spiritual tithes from 1919 on, the full number of members of the "royal priesthood" were brought in by 1931 to fill up the places of the 144,000 members of the body of Jesus Christ the High Priest. By bringing in the spiritual tithes Jehovah's house is made to prosper with plenty of food in its storehouse or treasure house, and the temple servants have, so to speak, the necessary food and clothing for carrying on their duties there. In ancient Israel, even when the tithes were brought in, if the produce of the field was poor, the tithes would be correspondingly poor and the temple servants would have correspondingly poor material support. So what?

Here Jehovah's covenant came into play. According to it he was not going to let such a poor inbringing of tithes be necessary due to poor returns from the field when his people were faithful. If they did their part, then he would do his. Their obediently bringing in the whole tithe he declared to be a testing or proving of him as their God. It was a testing of him as to his carrying out his part of the covenant. This was a legitimate testing of him. It was not a tempting of him to do evil; it was no testing of him by one's doing evil, or foolishness. (Mal. 3:15; Matt. 4:5-7) It was a doing of one's proper part of the covenant moved by love and faith, not by presumptuously going beyond what the covenant allowed. It betokened a loving trust in God to do faithfully his part of the covenant, as promised at Leviticus 26:3-10 and Deuteronomy 28:1-14.

4 "Test me now in this way,' says the LORD [Jehovah] of hosts, 'and see if I will not open for you the windows of the heavens, and pour out for you a blessing until there is no more need.'" (Mal.

3:10, AT) The heavens are the source of prosperity, for they are Jehovah's real storehouse. (Deut. 28:12, AS; Lev. 26:4; Jer. 10:13) The source of our blessing is from heaven down, not from the material earth up. Heaven's windows are the "floodgates of the heavens." (Gen. 7:11; 8:2, NW) Through these sluices Jehovah empties out his overflowing blessing upon the covenant keepers. He promised to pour out this blessing before the great and dreadful day of Jehovah.

By lovingly, faithfully, zealously bringing in the spiritual tithes since 1919 the remnant of spiritual Israelites proceeded to test Jehovah according to his new covenant through Christ. Has Jehovah met the test? The abundant blessing that has been poured out upon his witnesses during the thirty-six years since then answers emphatically Yes! Note what all this blessing includes:

October 1, 1919, the magazine The Golden Age (now Awake!) began to be published as a complement to The Watch Tower. In 1920, commencing with Talking with the Dead? and later Millions Now Living Will Never Die, a new series of booklets began to be published regularly. The old Bible textbooks, the seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures (1886-1917), were replaced, for, beginning with The Harp of God of 1921, a new series of Bible study textbooks was published culminating in the book You May Survive Armageddon into God's New World in 1955. All these publications since 1919 have kept presenting Bible doctrines and expositions of Bible prophecy from the progressive standpoint and not according to tradition or the understanding of any dead man. In addition to publishing those Bible study helps, the Watch Tower Society has entered into publishing Bible versions, The Emphatic Diaglott, the King James Version, the American Standard Version, and the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. New free tracts were provided, the "Challenge" of 1922 starting off the series that has run into the hundreds of millions of copies till now.

Additionally, beginning in 1920 with the small printing plant at 35 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, factories were established for printing the literature of Jehovah's witnesses upon their own presses, and now a thirteen-story addition is in building opposite the nine-story factory at 117 Adams Street. There has been an increase in the number of branches of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania from less than twenty in 1919 to over seventy now, the latest ones being in Luxembourg and Berlin. Besides the recurring circuit, district and national assemblies, great international assemblies began with the Cedar Point Convention in 1919, climaxing in 1955 with the series of thirteen "Triumphant Kingdom" Assemblies at which more than four hundred thousand heard the public talk "World Conquest Soon-by God's Kingdom" in nine languages, and over thirteen thousand were baptized. The film "The New World Society in Action," exhibited free to hundreds of thousands over all the earth from 1954 on, continues to show the Society's factory in operation and a number of international assemblies in progress, especially that at Yankee Stadium, New York city, in 1953, when a visible audience of 165,829 heard the public lecture there.

Radio stations were established, the Society's own radio station WBBR still functioning since its inauguration in 1924, and this now being supplemented by free broadcasting over commercial radio stations.

For many years field sound equipment was provided and used, such as sound cars and portable phonographs for playing recorded sermons. New Bethel homes for housing branch workers were built, starting with the new Brooklyn Bethel home in 1927. The missionary school, the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, was opened in 1943, and as a result of sending out missionaries

10 Looking over all these spiritual provisions for those who bring in the spiritual tithes that there may be food in Jehovah's house, we can deeply appreciate how he has opened the floodgates of the heavens and given us a downpour of blessings so that today no more need exists. Jehovah's witnesses are now the best spiritually provided-for people on the face of the

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