Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Watchtower: 1969 Convention, Los Angeles
Watchtower: 1969 Convention, Los Angeles
COME TO THE
No Co8lections.
For details about the assembly and the organization that i s sponsoring it, read:
PAGE
Assemblies That Are Delightfully Different
8
9
12
15
19
32
Printed in U.S.A.
"Peace o n earth!" Who would n o t like t o see t h a t ? Y o u witnesses. ,Thez have the right
yourself can see a foregleam of that very thing during a week way and make* Sense."
A news reporter who walked
immediately ahead. Horn s o ? Because you a r e invited t o t h e about
the grounds of this as"Peace o n Earth" Christian
sembly wrote in his paper:
assenibly that is coming t o ~ a r t vattended a n assemblv of "Therr a r e no parades, no banyour ciiy. T h e delegates Xo it ie1l&ah3s witnesses in that Goun- ners. There were onl$ persons,
and old, quietly trying to
n o t only practice peace them- try to write down anything that young
might be said against his party. better themselves in t h e pyes of
selves b u t foresee f r o m Bible He heard nothing of that na- God. To one walking around the
prophecy peace o n e a r t h world ture. I n fact, he was so aston- Fairgrounds during the evening
ished a t what he heard and a t program it was a cross-section
wide in t h e n e a r f u t u r e .
finding that there mas no bad of America. There were teenWhere will these assemblies language and no
that he agers with neat haircuts, matrons
be h e l d ? They will be held in began studying the Bible with with three or four children in
tow, men in working clothes and
the Witnesses.
t w e n t v - f i v e ~ r i n c i ~ acities
l
in well tailored suits.
.
a r o u n d t h e woGd. ~
c a l ee all ~ A businessman who was shown others
One of the most striking feainternational assemblies. A n d around the convention grounds tures was the good behavior of
a t Allentown, Pennsylvania, in
you a r e invited t o attend. But 1967, was so impressed that he the children."
Thus these persons were impromptly phoned , a friend in a
what will you see a n d hear
that will make them delightful- nearby TV station and said : "In- pressed with what they saw a t
stead of the newspapers and TV a n assembly of Jehovah's witl y different ?
s ~ e n d i n gtheir time showing news nesses. If you attend one this
of war< robberies, rape, and so year you also will End it to be
Expressions from Outsiders
forth, they should come here to refreshingly different from the
Allentown and see Jehovah's
usual run of conventions.
outsiders, public officials, news
reporters and others who have
found these assemblies to be delightfully different.
When city officials toured the
convention facilities used by Jehovah's witnesses in Pasadena,
California; in 1963, their espressions were : "Amaaing !" "DZarvelous!" "Never saw anything
like i t in my life!" A person a t
City Hall said: "It is amazing
to have more than 100,000 visitors in a city for niore than a
week and not one incident from
the group to be reported to the
police."
I n Oxford, England, a stadium
official said: "I'm amazed to see
a happy spirit and willing cooperation between all your workers and especially when they a r e
not being paid for what they
a r e doine." I n Zambia. Africa.
Live dramas of Bible events are part of the program
a secretary of a local ' political
..
The fine Bible tallis a t the assembly biiild up respect for the
Bible as being God's Word. Thrg
help delegates tu expand their
kl~owledgeand understanding of
it. Oftentimes new aids to Bible study are released.
The program always t ~ a ssomething in it for' e v e r g o n e y o ~ l n g
people, adults, single persons
and married persons. I t strengthens their faith, helps them to
cope with personal problems and
temptations. I n 1968, there \\*as
a tv70-hourdrama entitled "'What
Young Folks Are Doing in the
'Ilinistry." With a cast of about
thirty characters it frankly and
dramatically portrayed the problems facing modern-day Chris.
counsel for them.
The assembly progra~nusually
begins each day in the afternoon
The People
IN A L L P A R T S O F T H E WORLD tN 1969
"PEACE
O N E A R T H " I N T E R N A T I O N A L ASSEMBLY Q F
dance a t a n asseiubiy of ,Jehovah's \vitnesses, volnnteer workers prepare three meals a day.
T h e ~ eare served in a temporary
cafeteria that they set np under
tents or in some other suitable
location on the g:otuicls. The
rafeteria is so well organized
that tho1:sands of people car1 be
scrrcd a hot meal in a rery
short time. During a x~eek-long
conrention in London in 1903,
there Tere 2,000 volunteess who
serred regular meals ro 50.000
delegates. The bole serving arrangement malrit:ii~ied a n average of allnost 500 meals a minute
a t the busiest moments.
During their big S e w York ascafeterias
sembly in 1958, t ~ o
mere prepared to feed the 150.000 persons present for the daily
sc!ssiotls. They mere capable of
handling a s many as 67,000 persons a n hour. The ability of the
Witnesses to feed huge cro\vds
a t :i gheliomell~l spccd has
arolisecl the interest of officials
of tlie Civil Deferlse and Rt?d
Cross. .4t an assenrbly in Costa
Xesa, Californ.ia, the c:rfeleria
operation was observed by oficiais of these oi.gnnizations. They
fired question after question a s
they v i e ~ e d tile mass-feeding
operation, the kitchen, food preparation, tray washing and bakcry. They were d e e ~ l yimpressed
By what they saw,
Allhongh many tons of food
are processed during the course
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
of an assembly so a s to provide
meals in the cafeteria, the Witnesses have 110 problems with
food poisoning o~ other sickness
from the food serred. A high
degree of cleanliness is maintained in connection T~ith the
preparing :tnd serring of food.
When a 5,000-pound shipment of
turkey was found to be slightly
soured a t one assembiy. t h e whole
shipment was set aside and not
used. The menu was prolnptly
changed to safeguard the health
of the delegi~les.
Llurinz the 1963 assembly in
New York representatives of the
Health Drpartmn~ltendorsed the
cleanliness of the Witnesses. They
said that they rollld grant grivileges to the convention organization f a r hepond what theg
mould to others, because, a s theg
stated? "you hnvc such interest
in your people thnt rou would
do nol!lil:g thnt mould jeopardize
their health."
R%en visiting the cafeteria
you will see Inany serving lines
with food being served on trays
in nil assembly-line manner.
Prom the ,~ervinglines each delegate carrics his tray to waisthigh tables where he eats the
food rvllile standing.
Volua~tserWorkers
Ko matter how large a n assembly might be, all the work
neccssarx for nialrinq i t a success is done by volunteer workers Witnesses with skills voiunteer their help to rnstall the
sourld sy-tern, to erect a n attractive platform for the speakers,
to itlstall steam Irettl~s,to lay
piping, to cook for the cafeteria,
and so forth. Others operate t h r
cafeteria and refreshment stands,
direct traffic, help people find
seats, sweep the floors, clean the
rest rooms. asbig11 rooms for thc
delegates, and do any number of
other tasks that are llecessary
for the successful operation of
a n assembly.
Much work is necessary hefore
a n assembly eren begns. Tne
stadium or auditorium has to be
thoroughly cleaned, and all the
equipment set up for operating
the various departments of the
assembly. Gleauing lhe auditorium or stadium is a standard
practice v i t h the Witnesses. Regardlna the huge assembly held
In Yankee Stadium in Xen- Torl;
in 1958 a t mhich 250,000 people
were in attendance on the lasr
IN A L L PARTS O F T H E W O R L D IN 1969
Financial Support
No collections are taken a t assemblies of Jehovah's witnesses.
Perhaps you wonder, then, how
the assemblies a r e financed. I t
is expensive business to rent a
big auditorium or a huge stadium such a s Yankee Stadium
for a week. But it is not just a
matter of only one stadium. I n
1968, a total of 120 district asSemblies mere
in the
ern Hemisphere
encornpassing twenty-five countries.
Despite the expense, you will
never hear a single plea for
money a t any assembly you may
attend. All expenses a r e covered
by unsolicited voluntary contributions.
Other Features
Oftentimes the assembly program is multilingual. I n the
United States there is frequently
a simultaneous Spanish progrgm
for the Spanish-speaking Witnesses. This is put on in an adjacent building or tent. At the
1958 assembly in New York there
were separate language meetings
for parts of the program p r e
sented in Arabic, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian,
Portuguese, Spanish, Albanian,
Danish, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak and Ukrainian. Delegates from 123 lands attended
that assembly.
At the Stockholm assembly in
1963, a special platform Was built
in the shape of a four-leaf clover. From each of the four leaves
...
'
in History!
T h e largest rooming hunt in t h e history of t h e world i s under
way. Y o u r city is n o doubt involved. Good, clean Christian
people will be looking f o r rooms.
C a n you offer a r o o m ? If I
so, please contact t h e Watch- have sleeping quarters for you.
tower C o n v e n t i o n Rooming I've had mei~ibersof your group
in my home during three conDepartment.
ventions and would be pleased
Rooms a r e needed for the del- to have them this year. I've alegates to the "Peace on Earth" ways found your group, those
International Assembly of Jeho- I've met, very sincere, and a
vah's Witnesses. For how long credit to any place they go to.
will they need a room? About a I've been more than pleased to
week, and in some cases less have them."
than a week. The delegates will
A business couple a t Americus,
be a t the assembly most of the Georgia,
was approached by one
day, and they will have their of
Jehovah's witnesses. The man
meals a t the assembly grounds, spoke
and said, "My wife and
but they do need a place to sleep. I wereuptalking
about you people
Hotels and motels in your area the other day."
After telling
will not be able to accommo- about another religious
group
date all the convention delegates, that left his motel in a mess,
he
so rooms are needed in private said : "My wife and I said, Why
homes I n the city of Milwaukee, couldn't they have been like JeWisconsin, where some 34,217 hovah's witnesses? When they
delegates came to a convention were
here they left their rooms
of Jehovah's witnesses in 1963, so neat
clean that we didn't
13,010 were accommodated by have to and
much after their ashotels and motels, but a total sembly. do
Even
the maids menof 21,207 delegates had to be tioned the difference
housed in private homes. Pro- vah's witnesses. We're inso Jehoglad
portionately the same generally
holds true for other cities where to have you folks backl"
At another place, the lady in
conventions a r e planned. Some
rooms a r e offered free, others a t charge of a motel said: "I would
like to ask one favor of you.
nominal cost.
What kind of people are the I would like you to send the
delegates to these Christian as- same people in here a s I had
semblies? Perhaps the best way a t your last assembly. They were
to answer that is by expressions the nicest and neatest people
Of course, that
of people with whom they have 1 ever met!'
could not be promised, but she
stayed.
was assured that others of Jehovah's witnesses would be just
Expressions by Others
One householder wrote the as nice and neat. She replied:
Watchtower Convention Room- "I'm sure that they will be just
ing Department, saying : "We had the same, but I just thought so
the pleasure a few years ago much of the others that I wantof having a family of your or- ed to have them back."
ganization living with us. The
The Daily Pilot of Costa Meparty left good memories for us. sa, California, editorially stated :
All your members a r e good and "The hospitality (of Costa Dlegentle people. I now can offer sans) is m a f anted. I n their
you again my two bedrooms with previous convention here, the Jefour beds."
hovah's witnesses have proved
Another , householder s a i d : to be welcome guests . . We're
"Your representative 'made such happy to have them back." I n
a wonderful impression that .we Costa Mesa, 47 percent of the
rearranged our plans to t r y to rooms listed in private homes by
I0
Volunteer Workers
The job of Ending rooms for
thousands of convention delegates is all done by volunteer
workers. This means that thousands of Jehovah's vitnesses
spend many thousands of hours
hunting for rooms. City hlock
after city block is carefully
searched. Some blocks a r e worked
three to six times!
The people, a s a rule, a r e quite
sympathetic. They seem to understand the need for the many
calls. Often they respond by urging their own relatives and
friends to open their homes. I n
fact, these later calls yield more
accommodations than the first
calls prinlarily for this reason.
Also the assemblies usually receive additional publicity by
means of radio, newspapers and
television. And, too, people know
by the second, third o r fourth
tirrle around whether they will
be going on a vacation or not,
if they will be having visitors
during the week of the assembly, and so forth.
One of t h e greatest boons to
the rooming search is the landladies themselves who remember
Jehovah's witnesses from previous assemblies. A Witness in
charge of the rooming work in
R'ew York said: "A very large
number of our accomn~odations
were called in to u s by landladies. Our phones were kept so
busy that some of them waited
till after midnight to get a call
through, or sent us a wire. Many
others just came to the Rooming
Department in person to offer
us accommodations." What is i t
like to engage in this rooming
hunt?
Those who engage in this
rooming hunt have many inter-
+-
IN
11
..
They See
13
Fsnxidj- Si~1s
sfvxil; i e a r.~gmPat!
pmctice l a 3Vif r1s.s~Zsmfies
14
"PEACE O
--
WITNESSES
F
t,: $
God.")
with
tent of the Kingdom-preaching
activity carried on by Jehovah's
witnesses in 200 lands in the year
1968 alone !
Without question such a gigantic undertaking indeed takes
precision organization. And the
organization used by Jehovah's
witnesses to produce literature
in 165 languages and to direct
the
16
17
-
18
21
22
107,164 persons from 35 lands attended 1963 assembly of Jehovah's witnesses in Munich
I N A L L P A R T S O F T H E W O R L D IN 1969
Korean Witness
offers Bible literature
23
up t h e secondlargest religious
group, if a.11 .the
sects a r e listed
together. However, a t least 80
percent of Korea's
30 million people
do not profess any
organized religion. Instead, they
follow certain customs that center around ancestor worship.
which is not considered a religion
i n a n organized sense. Koreans
have a respect for things religious and, even though professed
Christians are a small minority.
the Bible has enjoyed a very wide
distribution in Iiorea. Thus, Jehovah's witnesses find many listening ears when they visit the
people's homes.
24
I
I
IN A L L PARTS
OF T H E WORLD IN 1969
25
\ .,
<
<.
"
',
',-, , .
(.
'
>
*;
,\-
. 1
_/
..>.
,:
,3::
26
..
PEACE O N E A R T H
that of New Pork city and surrounding communities. Australia's Eve largest cities have
nearly 60 percent of the country's people! The major population pockets are along the coast,
while the interior of the continent is mostly uninhabited.
From October 26 to 31 Australia's
second-largest city, illelbourne,
will host the "Peace on Earth"
International Assembly.
Back in 1904 the Watch Tower
Society's first president, Charles
Taze Russell, sent a representative who opened a branch office
in Melbourne. I n 1929 the branch
was moved to a location in Sydney, where it continues until
today.
EHOVAH'S WITNESSES
IN ALL PARTS O F T H E V
29
IDN 1969
seen by the fact that some five more a r e now under concongregations, such a s Darwin struction. When Jehovah's witand Alice Springs, travel 3,000 nesses and interested persons
miles twice a year to attend local came together to observe the
memorial of Christ's death on
circuit assemblies. For some of
these Witnesses i t will be over April 1, 1969, the Kingdom Halls
a 3,000-mile trip one way to in Auckland were crowded with
'a total of 2,432 persons.
Blelbourne.
Among those who have acPreaching in the isolated recepted the Kingdom message here
gions of Australia takes a real
pioneer spirit. I t involves driv- are hundreds from the native
ing fifty to eighty miles between Maori population. Of the new
stations (ranches) in blistering
Bible-study aid The Truth Thut
heat over inland seas of red dust. Leads to Eternal Life a n elderly
Each station is a community in Maori lady recently said: "I
can't go to bed without it, for I
itself, some of which have their
read i t before going to sleep and
own school. The station owner
is first contacted and the mes- when I open my eyes in the
sage presented. Approval is usu- morning and during the day. . .
ally given to speak to residents I t has taught me how to pray to
and aboriginal natives. At times God and be heard by him. Yes,
upward of 100 or more gather
my God is Jehovah now."
together to listen. I n this wag the
A number of Maoris even serve
Kingdom message is reaching a s presiding ministers in New
into the remote regions of the Zealand and others have left
vast Australian continent.
the country to receive missionary
training a t the Watchtower
Society's Bible School of Gilead.
I t is a jog to anticipate the return of such ones to this interDue east from Melbourne, national assembly. Hearing reacross more than a thousand
ports of their experiences in
miles of the Pacific Ocean, is other lands will be a highlight
Auckland, New Zealand. Here a t of the assembly program.
the Auckland Trotting Club's
racecourse, with its closed-in
stands and comfortable, upholstered seating, the "Peace on
Earth" International Assembly
Scattered like tiny steppingwill resume November 4 to 9.
stones across the vast sweep of
At the close of World War I1 the Pacific Ocean lie the enthere was only one congregation chanting isles of the South Pacifof less than a hundred of Jeho- ic. Tiny dots, almost'lost in the
vah's witnesses in Auckland. But twenty million square miles of
today there a r e thirteen congre- restless ocean, they seem like
gations and some 1,200 Witness- beautiful offspring of the surges! Six modern Kingdom Halls ing sea. And, indeed, this is just
have been built in the city, and what many of them are, for
30
.OF J E H O V A H Y S W I T N E S S E S
'"
~ ~ ~ g , o,EPkne
",~
Monday, July 14
9 a.m.-12:05 p.m.: R e p o r t s
from Africa.
TVelcome to the "Peace on
Earth" Assembly.
"Come Before Jehovah with
Thanksgiving."
Our Brothers i n Malawi and
Zambia Report They Are
Pursuing Peace.
Acquaint Yourself with God
and Keep Peace.
1:4 0 4 : 35 p.m. : Reports from
lands in the north.
I s the Bible Really the Word
of God?
Loyal Advocates of the Word
of God.
6 :3&9 : 05 p.m. : Reports from
Europe and Asia.
Never Too Busy to Pray.
Ministering in a Fine Manner.
Thorns and Traps Are in the
Way of the Independent One.
Tuesday, July 15
9 a.m.-12 : 10 p.m. : H o w D o
You View Authority?
Using the Gift of Music to
Praise Jehovah.
Show Respect for Jehovah's
Appointments,
1 :40-4 : 35 p.m. : Reports from
the Caribbean.
What Are You Living For?Worldly Associations? The
Pleasures of Drink? Opportunitjes to Toy with Sexual
Immorality? Illicit Satisfaction of Fornication and Adultery.? or Life in God's New
Order?
Overseers, Carry On a s ;Men.
6 :3&9 : 05 p.m. : Reports from
t h e islands a n d Central
America.
I 8 ~ 4 5 - 9 :Friday,
July 18
3 0a.m.: S e e k i n g t h e
Goodwill of God (Baptismal
talk).
1: 4 0 4 :35 p.m. : Reports from
t h e Indian Ocean.
Sunday, July 20
9 a.m.-12 : 05 p.m. : "Among the
Congregated Throngs I Shall
Bless Jehovah."
There I s Work Yet to Be Done.
Do Not Miss the Purpose of
Jehovah's Deliverance.
3 p.m. : Public Address : THE
APPROACHINGPEACEOF
A TI-IOUSAND YEARS.
4 :4 5 6 p.m. : Continue t o Live
Peaceably.
WATCHTOWER
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
11 201
TWENTY-FIVE ASSEMBLY
OF JEHOVAH" WITNESSES
CITES
ALL PARTS O F THE WORLD
dates
in U.S.A.
IN A L L P A R T S O F T H E W O R L D IN 1969
4.
cents.
IN A L L P A R T S O F T H E W O R L D IN 1969
..
.
uphold its moral standards.
What a marvelous future such
loyal servants of Jehovah have!"
Highlights of N e w Book
J u s t prior to this feature talk
of the assembly, convention delegates were treated to a n hourand-a-half program of delightful
information upholding the Bible
a s the Word of God. Little did
they realize a t the time that
the material for the entire afternoon program was being taken directly from the yet-to-bereleased book, Is the Bible Really
the Word of Cod?
The early p a r t of the afternoon program revolved around
a family discussion in the home,
including father, mother, son and
daughter: At the outset the father remarked about the growing
skepticism toward the Bible. The
family then proceeded to discuss
how t o help persons who have
doubts about the Bible.
As part of this discussion, the
daughter mentioned t h a t in school
the Bible account regarding the
origin of the universe was belittled as unscientific. The father
responded t h a t a brother from
another congregation recently
told him about a talk he heard
a t the Kingdom Hall t h a t contained some fine information on
this very matter.
Immediately the attention of
the' audience was diverted to
the other side of the stage. There
the aforementioned brother was
heard giving his talk. H e used
m a t e r i d from the new book to
Spanish edition of "Word of
show that there is no reliable
scientific evidence t h a t discredits
the Bible account of creation. were a t times exaggerated and
I n fact, the speaker showed t h a t twisted to 'suit the whims of
Kahn and Palmer in the 1967 ruling monarchs. F o r example,
book Qicasars admit: "We a r e King Sennacherib's prism r e
almost completely ignorant about cords Assyria's invasion of J u the early history of the uni- dah and that King Hezekiah
paid tribute, but, a s one might
verse."
The son then demonstrated a expect, i t includes no record of
call h e made in which the house- Sennacherib's defeat and the
holder asserted t h a t the Genesis slaughter of 185,000 of his waraccount of creation mas based riors. So merely because the Bion pagan myths. The youth, how- ble records certain information
ever, was able to show the stark that secular histories do not incontrast between the absurd clude does not mean the Bible
Babylonian myths and the sim- is inaccurate.
In another scene the group
ple, factual statements of God's
discussed the real practicalness
Word regarding creation.
Next the daughter told how of the Bible for our day. Bible
she was able to use information believers a r e better off, for a s
in support of the global Flood, a result of applying Bible prinshowing t h a t there is, even now, ciples they are more reliable
enough water in the oceans to workers, enjoy better health and
cover the earth to a depth of have a superior homelife.
"
Assembly for
Thanksgiving Today
At all of those assemblies, the
chairman continued, there was
thankfulness on the p a r t of
those present a s they recounted,
not only the past evidences of
Jehovah's favor on his ~ e o ~ l e .
but also the blessings they were New york convention & m a n ,
currently enjoying. So today, a t
M. G. Henschel
this "Peace on Earth" International Assembly there is much this assembly to express gratiover which t o rejoice, much for tude, and a t the same time they
which to offer thanksgiving to receive additional cause f o r
the Great Provider of good thankfulness. And, a s the chairthings. We a r e in the time when man pointed out, all can exGod's king h a s assumed his press thankfulness for this peaceKingdom power, the time when f u l assembly. We can do so by
the very criticalness of earthly attending each session here and
conditions gives powerful evi- attentively listening to all t h a t
dence that the end of a wicked i s said from the platform.
"With a pi-ogram like this,"
system is near. We a r e i n a
time of grand revelations about said the chairman, after referGod's purposes and of nnparal- ring to some of its coming highleled unity in action among J+ lights, ilmho can afford to miss
hovah's people on earth.
anything?" Again the whole auStill another prime reason for dience was invited to open the
thanksgiving today mas graphi- Bible to Psalm 95 and i n unison
cally brought home to the audi- read verse 6 and the first half
-
Conventionem Welcomed
J u s t prior to the chairman's
opening address, a brief word of
welcome was offered. The speaker expressed the thought that
peace, when associated with
God, usually suggests to our
minds some isolated spot amid
the grandeur of creation, while
peace, linked with man, usually
had to do with the rest of sleep
in death, with cemeteries. with
battlefields after the dead have
been buried out of sight. B u t in
these clays a ncw and very real
pe:lce can 1)c. offered, one linked
with living hu~tl:~ns--the peuce
of a Christian assembly.
I n fact, it i s the pursuit of
peace that h a s brought all these
thousands together a t this "Peace
on Earth" assembly. All a r e
keen to learn how to use that
marvelous peacemaking instrument, the Bible. to greater advantage. And many others, attracted
by the peace and harmony of
true Christians, come to satisfy curiosity and stay to drink
deeply of the refreshing, peaceimparting Bible knowledge that
is available here.
I t w a s not easy, continued the
speaker, for everyone present to
get here for this assembly. It
took planning, sacrifices, radical departure from normal schedule. B u t it will prove to be well
worth i t all, f o r here we a r e
a t Jehovah's invitation, his spirit is present to bless and direct,
and he has prepared a sumptuous feast of good spiritual
things for us. With Bible and
note pad a t hand, a r e we all
ready to make the most of the
occasion? the speaker asked.
H i s concluding words constituted a n earnest invitation to
do just that, f o r he urged his
listeners: "Let's enjoy to the
full the keenly anticipated occasion, the "Peace on Earth"
International Assembly, a s another timely p r o v i s i p of Jehovah God, our Host.
. ..
1
1
1
I
I
i
i
'10
PRAISING
JEHOVAH
Scheduled early on the assembly program was the rather
novel talk, "Using the Gift of
Music to Praise Jehovah." This
subject tied in well with the
theme of the assembly, for certainlv good music is conducive
to peace, and when there is
"peace on earth" mankind will
be using the gift of music to
praise Jehovah.
This talk gave to all a hitherto little appreciated view of the
prominence of music in the Bible.
I t gave encouragement to all,
regardless of how poor their
voices might be, to share in singing praise to Jehovah God and
to enjoy listening to such songs
of praise.
Music Uniquely a Gift
The speaker showed how music
uniquely is a gift. F o r one thing,
i t was given only to man. Animals do not have this gift. The
few notes t h a t birds sing by
instinct in no way compare to
the capacity for music given to
mankind. Nor does music depend
upon "civilization." Some of the
most primitive peoples show
great musical talent, and we are
told that Negro plantation melodies conform to all the rules of
musical composition. This, incidentally, disproves any theory
of the evolution of music.
'What great variety there is
in music !' the speaker exclaimed.
There a r e the various kinds of
male and female voices, a s well
a s the many kinds of musical
instruments. Also a great variety
of moods can be expressed and
forms of composition used. No
wonder t h a t Martin Luther once
stated: "Next to the Word of
God, the noble a r t of music is
the greatest treasure in the
world."
How? By them themselves singing songs illustrating certain aspects of musical worship.
Music and the Bible
How highly musical historians
rate the Bible mas indeed news
to most in the audience. Kurt
Sachs, a leading modern musical historian, once wrote that
"among the world's books few
can lay claim to greater importance for the history of music
than the Bible." Among other
authorities quoted was the one
that stated : "Throughout the
history of the Jewish people we
find music mentioned with a frequency t h a t perhaps exceeds its
mention in the history of any
other people."
Bearing out the truth of these
statements, said the speaker,
were the many references to
music in the Bible. As early a s
Genesis 4 :21 we find music mentioned, and seemingly put on a
par with agriculture and manufacturing, the basic occupations
of mankind. More than 3,000
years ago the servants of King
Saul appreciated the psychosomatic value of music, they having a fine harpist, David, play
for Saul when he had spells of
melancholia. Also, a t 2 Kings
3 :I5 there i s recorded a unique
use oA music, for the gift of
inspiration settled on the prophe t Elisha upon his hearing the
playing of a stringed instrument
-at his request.
Praising Jehovah with Music
The conventioners were told
that the first use of music to
praise Jehovah. a s mentioned in
the Bible, is by Moses and the
rest of the sons of Israel upon
their deliverance from Pharaoh's
pursuing army a t the Red Sea.
I n the time of King David the
use of music to praise Jehovah, which previously had been
a spontaneous, impromptu affair.
12
Music Principles
So that all could better understand what rnusic v a s about.
ihe speaker next briefly touched
on the basic essentials of all
mu~ic-melody,
harmony and
rhythm. The ral-ious aspects aC
music. octaves, scales, harmaag
and basic rhythrns were iliu$tratea b> recorded piano music.
The audience also learned
about the range of the human
ear. hearing from about 16 tu
16.000 vibrations per second, and
that the average human v o i ~ e
had a range of one and a half
octaves. This is also the range
of tlie songs in the Witness songb~bolt
14
,,
resent !
A Missionary Grandmother
One of the 488 missionaries atten&ing the New York city assembly is Gertrude Steele. When
she learned the truth i n the
early 1920's she had three infant
sons to rear. But a s they grew
older and entered school. she
arranged to pioneer nine months
of the year. Finally, when they
'
16
Early this year there was a district assembly a t the same city
and 10,709 listened to the public
address. My heart was filled with
joy and satisfaction to see Jehovah's blessing so manifest on
the work done in this territory."
serving in India
Overcoming Difficulties
There are frequently difficult
problems and tests connected
with missionary work. There is
generally a new language to
learn, a different climate, health
problems, and so forth. What
would be your reaction if you
received a missionary assignment to India?
T. H. Sanderson, who has spent
many years in that country, reminisces about his first thoughts.
"I wondered if I could even survive three years in the assignment," he observed. "I thought
what a blessing it would be to
get a serious illness and thereby
have a legitimate reason to leave
the country. But time has
changed my views.
"Not that I can say I have
grown to like the continuous torrid heat, the hunger of the people,
the depressing poverty that can
be seen everywhere . day after
day. But what joy there is in
seeing the spreading of God's
Word in this land! It is like a
bright light shining in a very,
very dark place, releasing lovely
people from the grasp of this
stronghold of Babylon the Great !
"While it is true that most
of our increase has come from
nominal Christians, niany sincere
Hindus a r e acceptfng the tr'uth.
One of our most enthusiastic
P e r h a p s you have had guests over f o r a n afternoon and eve- I i45,000 square feet of area, which
ning. There was quite a h i t involved in preparing f o r them, wasn't amounts to 3$ acres. Here the
t h e r e ? J u s t imagine, then, w h a t is involved in p r e p a r i n g f o r
t h e a r r i v a l of a s many as
100,000 o r m o r e g u e s t s ! And hley Stadium and get them opw h a t if y o u had only one night
t o move into the facilities
where You were g o i n g t o entertain them ?
This gives you some idea of
the situation frequently faced b y
Jehovah's witnesses in setting up
their large assemblies. The magnitude of the operation is difficult to conceive.
A Busy Night
I t is planned t h a t s o m e thirtyfive trucks will be poised for delivery of equipment as soon a s
the baseball crowd clears out on
Sunday night.
First, huge tents must be
brought in and set up on the
parking lots. This involves unloading 65,000 pounds of tenting,
sinking holes through the asphalt,
driving by hand some 950 large
stakes two feet into the hard
earth, a n d finally raising these
huge tents. No easy task indeed !
The erected tents a r e to cover
17
18
...
Worldly Associations
I n the first talk, "What Are
You Living For?-Worldly
Associations?' the speaker observed
that there a r e godly associates
and worldly ones. So he asked:
"Which association will benefit
you most a s a Christian? Which
one can be encouraging, upbuilding and faith-strengthening?"
It is true that worldly associations cannot be entirely avoided, since we a r e generally surrounded by workmates, business
associates and classmates who
a r e not Christians. The trouble
is, however, situations arise
where brothers feel t h a t worldly
associations a r e desirable.
F o r example, the speaker noted, a brother may have a secul a r business, and he may feel
that i t is necessary to entertain
worldly persons a n d attend social functions with them. Or,
dedicated Christians a t times seek
marriage mates in the world.
Also, Christian youths sometimes
share in sports a t school and
Pleasures of Drink
The second speaker, handling
the subject, "What Are You Living( For?_The
Pleasures of
Drink?" acknowledged that the
matter of drinking intoxicating
beverages is a personal one. I t
is not condemned in the Bible,
though overindulgence is, So the
question is: "Are we living for
this pleasure and longing day
by day for the pleasure we get
...
...
20
I
/
,I
I
1
I N ALL P A R T S O F T H E W O R L D IN 1969
21
j1
Branch servants and missionaries leaving Belgium on chartered flight t o New York
Ptlrsiziiiy Peace
24
the Yea,~book.'
speaker answered :
25
IN A L L PARTS O F T H E W O R L D IN 1969
. ..
26
Large-Scale Success
The results of persistent efforts in many cities often soared
above expectations. A publisher
in New York spoke with one
young woman who said she did
not have any rooms to list. When
the urgency of the need was
stressed, the woman mentioned
that the sister might contact t h e
superintendent a t her university,
since there were some dormitories
vacant during t h e summer
months. The sister followed up
the lead and eventually the 'ooming department was able to arrange f o r 200 accommodations
a t the university!
A Witness who w a s graduated
from West Georgia College was
able to aid the Atlanta rooming
department to secure the use of
five dormitories, involving 796
accomn~odations. F o r the same
assembly, officials a t the University of Georgia arranged for
four buildings that would provide
for over five hundred conventioners. But things did not stop
there ! They also offered one floor
of a new air-conditioned dormitory and worked to complete
renovations on others that would
bring the total to over 1,200 accommodations. Next, on his own.
one of t h e officials contacted a
private housing authority and
secured space for 450 more.
Similar cooperation in Canada
by officials a t the University of
British Columbia resulted in provisions for more than a thousand
delegates.
I n many places the question
arose a s to how far outside the
convention city delegates would
need to room. But a t Vancouver
the question might well have
been, 'How high?' Many brothers
delighted in the answer, for they
had rooms in a ski club chalet
situated a t the 4,000-foot level
of beautiful Mount Seymour.
From this vantage point, just a
25-minute drive from the stadium, the conventioners could derive pleasure from a panoramic
view and get have easy access to
the assembly.
28
29
formed in order to aid t h e delegates to get t o their accommodations. Chartered buses brought
to the Society's factory in Brooklyn thousands of brothers arriving by plane from foreign
lands. If they arrived late a t
night they were made comfortable in the factory until the
morning. Many mere helped to
get to their rooms by subway.
I n other cases, local brothers who
owned cars delivered the delegates right to their doorsteps,
tspecially when it would have
been difficult to get there by
subway or bus.
Some of the brothers who arrived from foreign countries
would have had problems understanding directions and information in English. So local brothers
from the Spanish and French
congregations served a s interpreters. Others interpreted for
those coming from the Scandinavian lands a s well a s Germany, Portugal and t h e Netherlands.
These many brothers and sisters who worked in the rooming
department, a s well a s the other
preconvention workers, needed to
be fed. I n New P o r k this was
lovingly cared for by the local
congregations. One by one many
of the 189 congregations in the
city took a turn a t preparing
meals. I n some instances two
would collaborate on one meal
so the financial burden and the
work would be less. The sisters
especially appreciated t h e opportunity to use their talents in behalf of the workers, and went
a t it with gusto, even to the
point of having to be asked t o
fix less food. Of course, with such
delicious home-cooked m e a l s
available, the hardworking members of the rooming department
did their part with gusto too !
Similar love was shown by a
congregation i n England, for they
provided 420 meals a week for
twenty pioneers specially called
i n to do rooming work.
But whether the brothers
worked a t rooming headquarters
or out in the field ringing doorbells in search for rooms, the efforts mere out of love. The
mammoth search was carried
out so that the visiting delegates
would have clean, comfortable
places to sleep.
~'~n~~","br~~~';fi~,","',"f :i:
31
32
>P.*
sided over by the president of
the Society, N. H. Knorr, except
when he is away from Bethel.
This takes place before breakfast is served. During breakfast
there i s a reading from three
t o five minutes from the Yea.iaboob or some similar publication. During the noon meal reports a r e given or experiences
a r e related, so t h a t a t these two
meals the Bethel family i s fed
well, both spiritually and physically. While all discussions take
place i n the main dining room,
by means of closed-circuit television those in t h e other three
dining rooms can see a s well
a s hear those speaking.
'
When the three astronauts in their manmade spacecraft orbited around the moon
ten times a t Christmastime of the year
1968, they observed that things were very
peaceful at the moon just seventy miles
away. When they returned safely to our
earth, they reentered a world in
which wars raged and
where great fears were being expressed of the breaking out of a third world
war, a nuclear war. Yet
they were most happy to
get back to our troubled
earth. And why not? Who
is it that wants to go to the
moon in order to enjoy
planetary peace? The thing
that ordinary people want
is world peace right here
on earth, where we belong.
This desire of their hearts
is not misplaced, for right
here on earth is where they
will enjoy a peace of a thousand years, and this beginning right soon. What if
you should live to see it begin? You would consider
yourself to be most highly
favored indeed.
World conditions today
will no doubt prompt you
to ask, "Who 'will usher in
and maintain this peace of
a thousand years?" After
all the display that men of
world affairs have made of
themselves as peacemakers
and peace-keepers, you have
properly lost confidence in
the ability of men to do
such a colossal thing. To
you the obstacles in the way
of establishing a lasting
world peace seem insurmountable for men. You are
aware of the explosive increase in
the earth's human population, and
you read the full-page advertisement in
the newspaper, with t$e headline: "The
Population Bomb Threatens the Peace of
the World," ads of this sort being repeatedly published by the "Campaign to Check
the Population Explosion." (New York
Times, February 9, 1969) Also, under the
'
thing they're
o n t h e increase." It expressed t h e
fear that continued disintegration of the
Soviet bloc of
nations may
tempt the Russians into new
and desperate
measures. This
reminds
us
that the Soviet
Union's nextdoor neighbor, CommuN. H. Enosr, president of
nist China, is
Watch Tower Society,
t o deliver this public
a big problem
for her, yes,
address throughout
~ o r t America
h
and for much
of the rest of
and Europe
the world. Added to the awesomeness of her tremendous
population is the disquieting fact that Communist China is now a nuclear power with
t h e capacity of launching long-range missiles. By continued success in the missile
field and by beginning to stockpile her
weapons in the year 1972, and then keeping this up, the Communist Chinese
"should be in a position to deploy 15 or
20 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles by
about 1975."-New York Times, February
3, 1969.
Truly the problems that need to be
solved for world peace by human means
are formidable, and yet there are men who
offer themselves t o tackle such problems.
One such appears to be the thirty-seventh
president of the United States of America.
In his address following his inauguration
on January 20, 1969, he said:
"I have taken an oath today in the
presence of God and my countrymen, to
uphold and to defend the Constitution of
the United States. To that oath, I now add
this sacred commitment: I shall consecrate my office, my energies and all the
wisdom I can summon to the cause of
peace.
The greatest honor history can
bestow is the title of peacemaker. This
honor now beckons ~rnerica-the chance
...
...
IN A L L P A R T S O F T H E W O R L D IN 1969
"the will of God" of more than two millenniums ago, and now the president was
adding "the promise of man."
DEPENDENT UPON POLITICAL RULERS?
e r fail. But what about the word of "promise" made by men in political power? At
the close of World War I in 1918 such
men were bent on preventing the occurrence of another world conflict. What was
the way that the political men who had
to do with the peace treaty decided upon
to prevent it? By embodying in the peace
treaty the so-called Covenant of the League
of Nations. When the peace treaty went
into force, so did the League of Nations.
Through that League of Nations the
men supporting i t promised
much. Seemingly the
League of Nations was according to the
will of God, because the religious clergy
of C h r i s t e n dom backed up
t h e League.
The Federal
Council of the
C h u r c h e s of
Christ in America said as if it
F.W. Franz, vice-president,
were a spokesspeaker in Atlanta
man for God:
"Such
a
League is not a mere political expedient;
it is rather the political expression of
the Kingdom of God on earth. . . The
Church can give a spirit of good-will, without which no League of Nations can endure. . . . The League of Nations is rooted in the Gospel. Like the Gospel, its
objective is 'peace on earth, good-will toward men."'-Federal
Council Bulletin.
Vol. 11, No. 1, as of January 1919, pagei
12-14.
Evidently those churches of Christendom were wrong about this, for that
League of Nations did not endure. The
very thing that it was designed by man's
wisdom to prevent was the thing that put
i t out of action, namely, World War 11.
The League turned over its effects to the
United Nations, the world peace organization that came into existence on October
24, 1945. Once again this international organization for world peace and security
IN A L L P A R T S O F T H E W O R L D I N 1969
P ~ b l i Address
c
Widely Advedised
--
forth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD not prove to be a liar as regards this
prophecy either. He is the "God, that canof hosts will perform this."-AV.
Hear again those prophetic words: "Of not lie."-Titus
1:2 Hebrews 6:18, AV.
the increase of his government and peace
SOMEONE GREATER. THAN KING SOLOMON
there shall be no end." In those words is
God's mouthpiece, the prophet Isaiah,
given God's unbreakable promise of an unending government of endless peace. I t is continued to prophesy on into the reign
the government of a child born into the of King Rezekiah of Jerusalem, but Hezefamily line of King David, the son whose kiah did not prove to be the promised
name was to be called "The Prince of ''child" or "son" who was to be honored
Peace." His life -will have to be as long as with the title of Peacemaker, The Prince
his peaceful government-endless, immor- of Peace. Neither did the seven kings who
tal. The fact that his name was also to be followed Hezekiah urson the "throne of
called "The everlasting FaDavid" i t Jerusalem, down
ther" bears this out. This
to the last king, Zedekiah,
would result in his being the
prove to be the promised
Permanent Heir of King DaPrince of Peace. In fact, in
vid, inasmuch as the divine
the eleventh year of the reign
prophecy says that this peaceof King Zedekiah the holy
ful endless government would
city of Jerusalem and its
be "upon the throne of Datemple as built by the earvid, and upon his kingdom,
lier King Solomon were deto order it, and to establish
stroyed by the armies of
it with judgment and with
pagan Babylon, and the conjustice from henceforth even
quered people were deported
for ever." It is to the reign
as exiles to far-off Babylon.
of this Permanent Heir of
Only seventy years later did
King David as The Prince
the city of. Jerusalem and a
of Peace that we must look
temple for God's worship beIn New Pork
gin to be built by released
for the approaching peace
t o hear this talk
of a thousand years. He is
exiles.
Hildsgara SeEgeq
the One whom the Lord God
Well, then, was the "zeal
imprisoned 9 years b y the
Nazis
years
the
of the LORDof hosts" frushonors with the title of
CommuGsts beca,use she
trated and cooled down? Not
Peacemaker, and not some
tola bthers that
G Q ~ at all! Despite this apparent
politician or some nation of
this twentieth century.
could bring lasting peace
failure of Isaiah's prophecy,
God's zeal was as hot as
I t is true that more than
two and a half millenniums have passed ever for the performing of the prophsince that prophecy was uttered and writ- ecy. The "throne of David" was never
ten down by God's prophet Isaiah, and again set up at Jerusalem, but that did
here we are in a time when nations are not matter. The line of the royal family
trying to stave off the world war that of King David was not blotted out but
would be the greatest and worst of all continued on. Then five hundred and thirtyhuman history. But we must not lose five years after Jerusalem began to be
faith in the coming true of Isaiah's rebuilt Isaiah's prophecy began to be fulprophecy of the Peacemaker and of eter- filled by the birth of the promised "child,"
nal peace on earth. The zeal of the Lord the "son" who was to be the Permanent
of hosts is behind this prophecy, which Heir of King David. This occurred in the
He himself inspired by his holy spirit. The second year before the start of our Gomprophecy closes by saying: "The zeal of mon Era; in other words, in the year
the LORDof hosts will perform this." His 2 B.G.E. It occurred at the birthplace of
zeal has not cooled off by now regarding, King David, namely, Bethlehem-Judah, in
the prophecy, for his own name and repu- fulfillment of Micah's prophecy ( 5 :2).
tation are at stake in connection with it,
In order to prove that his ancient prophHe has never lied in anything else; he will ecy had come true, the zealous Lord of
---
40
himself as being "something more than the execution stake outside the walls of
Solomon." (Matthew 12:42) By his faith- Jerusalem, Jesus Christ lives! On the third
fulness he maintained his right to the day of his death the Almighty God Je"throne of David" or the kingly rulership hovah raised him from the dead to life as
over all Israel that such throne symbol- his spiritual Son in heaven, clothing him
ized. But God never gave
with immortality and inthe anointed Jesus that
corruption. As Jesus Christ
"throne of David" on earth.
manifested himself to his
disciples after his resurrec(Luke 1:32, 33) First, God
tion from the dead, during
tested Jesus' faithfulness to
the limit, letting him die
forty days before his asas a perfect human sacricension to heaven, there
came to be upward of five
fice on an execution stake,
hundred eyewitnesses to the
that thus Jesus might "save
his people from their sins."
resurrected Jesus Christ.
(Acts 1:1-5; 2:22-36; 1Co-Matthew 1:21.
The anointed Jesus kept
rinthians 15:3-9) He now
his peace with Jehovah
being alive forevermore, he
God clear to the end of his
can indeed become "The
everlasting Father" to the
earthly life. Shortly before
he was betrayed and turned
dying world of mankind. Alover to the executioners
so, of his peaceful governhe said to the elever, faithment over mankind there
ful ones of his twelve aposdoes not need to be any
tles: "I leave you peace, I
end and there "shall be no
give you my peace. I do
end."(Isaiah
9 :6, 7,AV)
not give it to you the way
He
is
the
heavenly
Ruler
that the world gives it."
able to usher in upon war(John 14:27) Hours afterm W. Mills, from Nigeria, for 38
ward, when standing bea teacher of God,s
torn mankind the peace of
fore the trial judge, the
word, present to hear
a thousand years". The UnitRoman governor Pontius
this discourse
ed Nations cannot do so!
Pilate, the peaceful Jesus
THE MILLENNIA% PEACE UPROACHING
said to him: "My kingdom is no part of
this world. . . . my kingdom is not from
When, though, does the Prince of Peace
this source." I t was not at Jesus9 request start his government sf an endless peace?
that Pontius Pilate put over the head of Righteously disposed people today are cryJesus on the execution stake the notice ing out for such a government. Does not
reading: '"esus the Nazarene the King of the very world situation mark this as the
the Jews." (John 18:36; 19:16-22) Jesus epoch in which it would be most fitting
refused to accept kingship at the hand of for Jehovah God to bring in such a govDevil or man. He died on the execution ernment according to his unbreakable
stake, waiting on his God Jehovah to give promise of Isaiah 9:6, 7? Apparently so.
him the "throne of David his father9' to But first the obstructors of peace must be
which he was the Permanent Heir. (Mat- cleared out of the way. The greatest obthew 4:B-11; Luke 1:32, 33; John 6: 14, structor is one over whom neither the
15) He died true and loyal to what he had United Nations nor any singIe nation or
preached, namely, "The kingdom of God people have any control, for he is superhas drawn near."-Mark
1:14, 15; Mat- human. He is the one who offered Jesus
thew 4: 12-17.
Christ all the kingdoms of this world if
Today, after almost three millenniums, he would turn away from worshiping Jeunfaithful Solomon still sleeps in death hovah as God, worshiping the great Temptwith his forefathers. (1 Kings 11:41-43, er instead. This greatest peace obstructor
AV) Today, after more than nineteen hun- is named Satan the Devil. He is the prince
dred years from his sacrificial death on of legions of devils or demons. (Matthew
IN
A L L P A R T S O F T H E WORLD I N 1969
91
4:s-11; 12:24-28, AV) Jesus Christ called He remarked upon the approach of things
him also "the ruler of this world," where- of interest to Americans and to all Chrisas the Christian apostle Paui calied him tendom. In the eighth paragraph of his
"the god of this system of things." The speech the newly sworn-in president said:
apostle John says: "'The whole world is "'Eight years from now America will celelying in the power of the wicked one.'-rate
its 200th anniversary as a nation.
-John 12:31; 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4; And within the lifetime of rnost people
1John 5:19.
now living, mankind will celebrate that
I t will take more than all men together great new year which ccknes only once in
to put that greatest obstructor of peace out a thousand years-the
beginning of the
of power over mankind. This the heavenly third millennium." The president was reJesus Christ will do, for, according to the ferring to A,Da 2001.
several names by which he was- to be
The next remarks of the president
called, he is u ' ~ mighty
l ~ ~ ~ d . This
"
he
will do after first doing away with the showed that he expected there to be an
visible peace obstructors here on earth. America in the first year 9f that third
(Revelation 19:11 to 20 :3) This requires millennium. But for God-fearing students
him to be first a Warrior King, reigning of the Holy Bible containing both the anin the midst of his earthly enemies, finally cient Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian
subduing them completely, just as foretold Greek Scriptures, there is a more imporby King David in Psalrn 110:l-6. He has tant millennium that compels their attenhad to do this because, since the end of tion. That is the seventh millennium! No,
the "times of the Gentiles" in the year not the seventh millennium measured from
AD. 1,but the seventh mil1914, the nations and emlennium of man's existence
pires of this world have rehere on earth, the seventh
fused to yield over peacemillennium measured from
ably their earthly kingship
to him, even Christendom
God's creation of perfect
refusing to do so. (Luke
man and woman in the gar21:24; Psalm 2:l-6) Till
den of Eden. This is usually
measured according to the
this year, after more than
half a century, the nations
Anno Mundi rule or "In
the Year of the World" calhave refused to do so. What
will this mean shortly for
endar, the world of mankind being here meant.
all mankind? This: the outDoes this fact have any
break of the "war of the
bearing on the approach
great day of God the 81of the peace of a thousand
mighty9' a t the world sityears or of a millennium?
uation called Har-Magedon
or Armageddon. (RevelaVery apparently Yes! Action 16:14, 16) That war
cording to the calendar of
will remove all human obthe Orthodox Jews, the new
structors to peace.
American president delivAfter this taking away
ered his inaugural speech
at the beginning of the fifth
of all human and demon obstructors of world peace
lunar month of the year
M, 8aa, isomJapan, to heas
,5729 A,M., this date being
there will come the reign
of the Prince of Peace over ithis message about wosla peace based on the ancient Heall the earth. God's fixed
brew Scriptures alone. But
time for this is' approaching, and aiong according to chronologers or time checkwith it the peace of a thousand years. ers who take into account also the inA thousand years equals a millennium. spired Christian Greek Scriptures, the
This reminds us of something said in the Jewish calendar is more than two hunaforementioned inaugural speech of the dred years behind time. In certain ediAmerican president on January 20, 1969. tions of the Holy Bible, Catholic and
12
Protestant, there have appeared dates according to the chronology of the noted
Irish Anglican prelate, Archbishop James
Ussher (1581-1656 C.E.) . Ussher's date
for man's creation is 4004 B.C.E. By this
reckoning six thousand years or six'millenniums of man's existence would end
in the autumn of the coming year of
1996 C.E. after which the seventh millennium of man's existence wo.dld start.
More recently earnest researchers of the
Holy Bible have made a recheck of its
chronology. According to their calculations
the six millenniums of mankind's life on
earth would end in the mid-seventies. Thus
the seventh millennium from man's creation by Jehovah God would begin mithirr
less than ten years.
Apart from the global change that
present-day world conditions Indicate is
fast getting near, the arrival of the seventh millennium of n~an's existence on
earth suggests a gladsome change for warstricken humankind. According to the first
two chapters of the 93oly Bible man and
woman were created toward the close of
the sixth creative day. We are now liviag
in the seventh creative day, and on this
seventh day Jehovah God haas been resting from earthly creation. To run paralie1
with this resting of Gcsd oil his seventh
creative day, he gave the Ten Commandments to his prophet Moses, in the fourth
one of which God commanded. that his
chosen, people should rest on the seventh
day of the week. (Exodus 20:8-11) That
day was therefore the weekly sabbath day,
the day of desistance from human toil.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the yrospective
Prince of Peace, pointed forward to a
greater Sabbath Day. Pointing forward to
this, he said on a certain weekly sabbath
day when he came under criticism: "Lord
of the sabbath is what the Son of man is,"
(Matthew 12:l-8) He was ref?rring t o his
peaceful reign of a thousand years. Jehovah God measures human affairs accordrille, He ining to a tho~~sand-year-length
spired the prophet Moses to write, in
Psalm 9 0 ~ 4 : "A thousand years are in
your eyes but as yesterday 'when it is
past." He also inspired the Christian apostle Peter to write: "One day is with the
Lord as a thousand years? and a thousand
years as one day," (2 Peter 3:8, AV) In
prophetic vision the apostle John saw Satan the Devil and his demons bound and
abyssed for a thousand years, during which
t h o u s a ~ dyeaas Jesus Christ reigned with
his victorious disciples o\7er all mankind.
(Revelation 5:9, 10; %0:1-9) So, according to God's viewpoint of time, that thousand years of his Son Jesus Christ would
correspond with merely ""one day."
In order for the Lord Jesus Christ to be
"Lord even of the sabbath day," his
thousand-year reign :vould have to be the
seventh in a series of thousand-year pericds or millenniums. (Matthew 1 2 ~ 8AV)
,
Thus it would be a sabbatic reign, Since
early ira the existence of mankind Satan
the Devil has been on the loose, making
the human family to toil in hard bondage,
causing the earth to be filled with violence
before the global Good of Noah's day and
inducing the same old earth to be filled
with even greater violence today. Soon
now six millenniums of his wicked exploitir,g of maskind as his slaves will end, within the lifetime of the generation that has
witnessed world events since the close of
the Gentile Times in 1914 till now, according to the prophetic words of Jesus in
Matthew 24: 34. Woe;ld not, then, the end
ofssix rnille~niumsof rnankind.'~laborious
enslavement under Satan the Devil be the
fitting time for Jehevah God to usher in
a Sabbath millennium for all his human
ereatures"bes, indeed! And his Xing Jesus Christ will be Lord of that Sabbath.
In ancient times, when God's chosen
peopie %rereunder the Ten Commandments
given through his prophet Pdoses, the
weekly sabbath was a peaceful day. To
agree with God's 0m7n desistance from
earthly work on his seventh creative day,
his people were under divine command to
desist from the hard work of the preceding six days, likewise their domestic animals. (Exodus 2@:1-91) In like manner
Christ's sabbatic reign for a thousand
years will be a peaceful .time for this earth
and its inhabitants. It will be a time of
rest from all the warfare and violence of
the previous six millenniums. Swords, symbolic of rnmrderov.s warfare, will have been
beaten into plowshares, and spears into
pruning hooks for the grapevines. Life
13
apply. Why? In order that the human survivors of the "war of the
great day of God the Almighty"
may use their plowshares and pruning hooks in transforming this warscarred earth into the glorious
Paradise that Jehovah God told
man originally to make it. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:8-14) God's word
will not return to him void, unfulfilled. No, but under the thousandyear reign of his Son Jesus Christ
Group arriving on chartered plane from Netherlands to
this entilre earth will be cultivated
attend the New Pork assembly; at least 45 chartered
into an everlasting Paradise filled
planes brought delegates from abroad
with liberated, perfected human
creatures. Within that seventh
will not be dull in that restful millennia1 sabbatic millennium the King and Lord of
sabbath. It will not be a time of idleness. the sabbath day will undo all the work of
The Sabbath Lord, Jesus Christ the King, that greatest of all peace disturbers, Sa23:43.
will not be idle, neither will he let his tan the Devil.-Luke
earthly subjects be idle.
As under the operation of the Ten ComWhy was it that Jesus Christ, when on mandments among God's ancient chosen
earth as a Jew under the Ten Command- people all violators of the sabbath day
ments, did so many of his miraculous were killed, so those not rendering obeworks on the weekly sabbath day, healing dience to the Lord of the coming sabbath
the sick and the crippled? Not only to millennium and disturbing the peace will
show that it was right to do good on the be destroyed. (Numbers 15:32-36; Exodus
sabbath. It was also to foreshadow how, 31:13-17) After Satan the Devil and his
during his sabbatic reign, he will deliver demons are let loose from the abyss and
humankind from bondage to Satan the once again try to disturb the peace of our
Devil and his demons and relieve them earth, they will be destroyed, and with
of the deadly effects of the sin and imper- them all those who try again to make this
fection inherited from our first human earth a battlefield, a war arena. (Reveparents, Adam and Eve. War and violence lation 20:7-10, 15) Those who keep peace
during the past six millenniums have with God will remain in the Paradise earth
brought millions of humans to untimely as its eternal caretakers.
death and the grave; but the Lord of the
Then it will not be necessary to take
Sabbath, Jesus Christ, will bring up the a rocket to the moon to find a peaceful
thousands of millions of dead humankind planet, for then the prayer in behalf of
from the graves, exactly as he prophesied the Greater Solomon, Jesus Christ the
that he would do. (John 5 :28,291 It was no King, will be fulfilled, as recorded in Psalm
mere idle phrase when his truthful apostle 72:7: "In his days the righteous one will
Paul wrote that God's sabbath law had a sprout, and the abundance of peace until
"shadow of the good things to come." the moon is no more.'' That peace will
-Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2 :16, 17.
never end, any more than the moon. The
earthly peace thus established and mainPLOWSHARES, PRUNING HOOKS FOR PARADISE tained during the Messiah's sabbath of a
Already, even during this war-endan- thousand years will continue on forever.
gered time, Jehovah's Christian witnesses
Jehovahys Christian witnesses of today
have conformed to the prophecy of Isaiah are joyfully preparing for that approach2:4 and beaten swords into plowshares ing peace of a thousand years.
who
and spears into pruning hooks. After the yearn to enjoy that foretold "peace on
universal war of Har-Magedon and the earth for men whom [God] favours" are
binding and abyssing of Satan and his heartily invited to join them in getting
demons, this prophecy will continue to ready for that blessed millennium of peace.
'
<r
On this happy occasion it beconies very appropriat,e to introduce to you the new publication of the Watch Tower Bible
& Tract Societ'y of Pennsylvania,, this 384-page homld book with
the title 'Then Is Finished the
Nystery of God.' "
contain messages to the "angels"
At each of the "Peace on Earth" assemblies around the earth in 1969, Jehovah's
witnesses are taking the occasion to set
forth the following Declaration of their
position and attitude in this most turbulent period of human history:
P E A C ~ with the Creator of heaven
and earth, by means of his long-promised
kingdom of his Messiah-this is what we
hold to be the key to an enduring peace for
all the world of mankind. When we keep
our peace with God, we can never be a t war
with our neighb~rswho are fellow creatures of God; peace with ~ o and
d peace
with ouy fellowman go together. In order to
be children of God and loyal subjects of his
Messianic kingdom we are obliged to be
peacemakers. (Matt. 5:9) We therefore
disclaim all connection with the professed
Christian realm known as Christendom, for
her history proves her to be a fomenter of
carnal warfare between even fellow religionists, staining her skirts with their
blood. She has persecuted with torture and
violent death those1who have differed from
her in religious conscience. She has not
promoted the interests of ~ o d ' sMessianic
kingdom, notoriously failing in this regard
since the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
We can have no part with her, for it is now
clearly manifest that the judgments of God
as expressed in the Holy Bible are against
Christendom and will shortly be executed
upon her.
The types of political government that
obtained previously down till the world
conflict of 1914-1918 have faile!d to maintain the stability of the world of mankind.
Since then world revolution in favor of
radical forms of government has been attempted and is still being pursued. Much of
earth's population has been brought under
Communist domination, to a large extent
unwillingly and not by free popular vote.
The issue of whether to have a revolution
and establish a radical government has
been hurled in among the restless people.
We, however, still maintain as heretofore
our strict Christian neutrality toward the
15
16
Regular family Bible discussion and meeting attendance unite Witness families
Practical Suggestions
for ~arnilJLiving
CONGREGATION
To Work as a T e a m
Splendid counsel was given to
the ministerial servants by the
third speaker in the symposium.
He urged them to work a s a
team, each one giving "what is
T h e thousands of servants p r esent at t h e assenlbly benefited needed" just as is the case with
f r o m this three-part symposium t h e theme of which was help- the members of Christ's body.
i n g others in t h e congregation by exercisiiig 10,ving oversight. Teamwork among the servants
helps a congregation to be proThese were urged n o t just t o
ficient in the ministry. (Eph,
tell others what t o do b u t to made to build u p , not tear down. 4:16) H e went on to emphasize
give help as it i s needed. H o w When this is done the visit of that, although the ministerial serthis c a n be done was denion- these brothers to a congregation vants may be of widely varying
ages, different backgrounds and
can help to strengthen it.
strated repeatedly.
A further requirement for good either married or single, all
The conventioners learned that results
to give practical coun- should have the same goal of
in the United States there are sel alongis with
a personal demon- caring for the spiritual welfare
31 district servants, 336 circuit stration of zeal
in the field of the "sheep."
servants, 5,365 overseers and ministry.
I t was pointed out by the
tens of thousands of ministerial
The speaker reminded the speaker that, since the assistant
servants. The three talks imcongregation servant and Bible
pressed upon these servants their audience that district end circuit study servant, along with the
responsibility to provide "lowing servants a r e humans jcst a s they overseer, form the congregation
oversightv for the flock of God. are and should not be feared. committee, they have to make
I n carrying out that responsi- Fear prevents some publishers decisions that affect the lives of
from cooperating with them in
bility much is required of them.
the ministry. So the speaker others. They, therefore, need to
said: "We can make their work be undelata?ldi?ig men. They must
Show Empathy
use discernment. I n their efforts
-4ddressing the district and cir- more gratifying and joyful If to keep the congregation clean
cuit servants, the flrst speaker we cooperate with them" a s the they need to temper justice with
in the symposium urged them to Scriptures admonish a t Hebrews mercy. I n support of this the
understand the circumstances in 13:l'i. They would then be able speaker quoted James 2 3 3 .
the congregations they serve so to make their visit mc;re beneEach ministerial servant was
they can manifest real empathy. ficial to individual publishers.
admonished to be a slave to his
For them to get the best results,
brothers, diligently caring for his
Overseers Colmseled
h e said, there a r e several things
Following this fine talk the duties, not in a mechanical may
they need to recognize. One of
with genuine love for the
these is that they must be ap- nest speaker in the symposium but
They were encouraged
proachable and available to the discussed the congregation ser- "sheep."
to visit the publishers in their
brothers and sisters. How else vant. H e pointed out that Jesus homes,
work with them in the
can they exercise loving orTer- was the perfect model for the field, help
them attend meetings
Christian overseer. Like him the
sight?
and visit them when they are
District and circuit servants overseer must be first a servant sick. The servants need to unalso need to have genuine appre- of Jehovah and second a servant derstand the personal problems
ciation for what the servants of his brothers.
The overseer, i t was stressed, of the brothers without intruding
are doing in the congregations
in addition to discharging their needs to show loving consider- into personal lives.
I n conclusion the speaker called
responsibilities to their families ation a t all times. I n dealing with
and secular employers. Such ap- matters he should ask himself: upon each servant and publisher
preciation is encouraging to the "What would be the loving wag to see his part in loving oversight and obedient submission.
servants and h e l ~ sto cultivate a to handle this?"
wholesome attitcde.
Gbod counsel was directed to To these servants he expressed
When counseling or working the overseer on how he can exer- the feelings of those under their
with the servants, publishers and cise loving oversight of the ser- care by saying: '(We deeply
pioneers, the district and circuit vants in the congregation. He appreciate the servants for their
servants need to be loving, the cannot accomplish this by just love and understanding. Are we
speaker said, not demanding and telling them what to do but not happy that we have such
harsh. Every effort ought to be rather by giving them help as men?"
come across a Bible term t h a t is unfamiliar, or about which you are not
fully infor~ned,you will find i t very profitable to look it up in this publication.
For example, say that you were reading the Acts of the Apostles. Did you
realize that in this Bible boo!< alone
there a r e a t least 109 different geographical regions and places mentioned? Think
how much greater your appreciation of
the ministrr of Peter, Paul and other
faithful witnesses of that time can be if
you learn something about each of these
places and understand their relationship
to one another.
The new d i d volume was released a t
the conclusion of the hour talli "With
All That You Acquire, Acquire Understanding." At the outset the speaker noted the tremendous explosion in man's
scientific lcnon~ledge in recent tiines, and
asked: "Has it led people to healthier,
happier, more secure, peaceful and productive lives? Has i t helped man to get
along better with his neighbor?" Really,
i t has not..
Thus, an increasing number of persons
are looking elsewhere for answers. They
seek a guide to help solve the everyday
problen~sof life. Such a guide, the speaker observed, can be found in the Bible.
But people need to understand what they
rea.d.
T o assist in filling this need, preparation of A i d t o B i b l e U?zdersfandi?tg
was undertaken. Five Sears ago, the
speaker explained, the Watch Tower Society began its preparation. Some 250
brothers in more than 90 countries mere
invited to contribute to the research involved. Within the course of a year the
material they gathered was sent to the
20
/
/
I
A live two-hour
drama entitled "Let
No Man Ever Look
Down o n Your
Youth" vividly focused attention on the
problems confronting
yonths and parents and
their struggle to lead moral
and upright lives in today's
world.
The drama was the climax of
a n entire day devoted to young
people a t the "Peace on Earth"
International Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses. I t was a day
filled with frank talks, engrossing discussions and demonstration% topped off by the drama,
in modern setting.
The Dl%Una
and Its ckLaracters
The story centers principally
around five young persons. The
principal character, Tim, demonstrates by his own course of
action and the coLlnsel
that he
gives to Other
young people
that there are those in God's
Organization who are good examp1es and who can be Illature
even though young in years. And
What a blessing it is to have
such youths among us today!
By way of contrast, parents
of two of the other youths in
the drama a r e shown to have
failed in their responsibility. The
result is that their youngsters
become involved in the world
and are disfellowshiped. These
parents demonstrated extremes
in parental care.
I n one instance, Molly, the
mother of the girl Diana, was
too permissive. On the other
hand, BUZZ'parents were overly
restrictive and tried to protect
him from the reality of life
itself. Both of these youngsters
had the fine association of youths
in the New World society, but
they did not appreciate it. Their
dress and language showed them
to be still worldly. They scoffed
a t making over their personalities. Buzz was told that his
language was disrespectful. But
he laughs a t the counsel and
thinks himself smart, superior.
Diana, on the other hand, was
told that her short skirts and
familiarity with worldly boys
would lead to no good. But she
'
ence heard as the narrator summarized the drama in a fourteenminute conclusion. "Don't ever
make the mistake of thinking he
[God] has lost sight of you or
has forgotten you. Not unless you
have forgotten him or have tried
to get away from his sight."
Youths were encouraged to establish a close, personal relationship with Jehobah, to go to
him regularly in prayer, to seek
God's mind on everything and
always ask 'themselves before
becoming involved, "Would Jesus
comton ~ , , d ~Care
s
Never stop growing do this'"
I n closing, the speaker despiritually. Never stop
%cognizing the need to clared: "So, all you fine young
use your minds wisely, men and women in Jehovah's
the ~ o u e h a the
t assem- organization, listen to the aposbu were told, because tle Paul, who was like a father
the ,mind and heart are to Timothy, and to you too. Liscarefully to what he said:
the sources of your ten
'Let no man ever'look down on
(Matt' 15:18;
your youth. On tile contrary, beprov. 5:1r 2 , And re- come a n example to the faithful
member, God cares. He ones in speaking, in conduct, in
is interested in every love, in faith, in chasteness.' And
one of the youth who Jehovah will certainly bless you
turns to him, the audi- richly as you do."
,
A Serious Step
The speaker reminded the candidates that baptism is a serious
step because of its meaning. I t
signifies the ordination of those
baptized. I t marks them a s ministers of Jehovah God. This does
not mean, the speaker observetl,
that their ordination comes from
the one doing the baptizing or
from the Watch Tower Societr.
I t comes from Jehovah God. That
he has ordained them is indicated
11s the fact that his organization
has accepted them a s being qualified and has baptized them.
H e emphasized the fact that
Jehovah expects those who promise to serve him faithfully a s
his ministers to fulfill that promise. This is a 'easonable expectation in view of all the
benefits that come from him.
(Ps. 116 :12) Regularly engaging
in the ministry is a very important way to show theg are
keeping their promise. The speake r also remarked that once they
a r e baptized a l l of Jehovah's
witnesses can in a full sense call
them "brothers" and "sisters"
because they become God's '"en
of good will."
After answering Yes to the two
questio~lsput to all candidntcs
for baptism, they and the audience bowed their heads in prayer.
Then they proceeded to the place
for their baptism. The closing
words of the speaker expressed
the feelings of the thousands
who ~ a t c h e dand listened : "We
a r e verg- happy for you and
wish Jehovah's blessing on you
throughout eternity."
I .,,,,,,,
BIBLE QUESTlONS
..
26
...
..
..
...
..
:st*
2:;;
going to do it?'
'The apostle Paul tells us how
to come off winners,' the speaker
continued. Attention was directed to the forceful and timely
counsel of Paul concerning the
need to 'put on the complete suit
of armor from God and to stand
firm.' (Eph. 6 :11-18)I n order to
impress the vital importance of
being clad with each part of the
Christian armor a series of gripping experiences were enacted.
Keeping Zntegrity Under T-ls
The first scene showed a young
woman In a concentration camp,
cold and alone. She has already
spent two years in that rat- and
bug-infested glace, but she continues going over scriptures in
her mind. Thus, she holds fim
in spite of the urgings of one
who has compromised and who
tells of the comforts she now
enjoys. Nevertheless, instead of
being set free a s she had expected, the compromising one is
executed.
This scene certainly underscored the wisdom of pursuing an
uncompromising course. At its
conclusion tlie speaker noted that,
true to his promise, God does
not permit u s to be tried beyond
the limits w e can bear--1 Gor.
10 :13,
W t n e s s 8 Years $5' T ~ ~ ~ I I Q ,
Sfanding Fim
still zealous in full-time
Though Persecuted
service, now as district
Very appropriately, this stirservant in D o ~ r m i e a n
E&epublI~
ring program was immediately
preceded by two half-hour discourses that also were designed
to make the sign of the cross, to fortify Christians to mainand attend church service with tain integrity.
The first was entitled "How
us, and believe none of it." Finally, the youth's firm stand for to Stand Firm in This Time of
Christian principles won the re- the End." The speaker urged all
spect of his professor, and he to prepare now for the coming
arranged matters so that the boy of persecution. This can be done,
could complete his schooling with- he said, by regular personal study
of God's Word, by participating
out compromising.
To illustrate the further coun- in meetings and carefully followsel to have 'feet shod with the ing what is sxicl. Also, by congood news of peace,' a scene tinually praying to Jehovah for
showed two sisters gossiping help in caring for theocratic
-
28
Three-Part Symposium
Earlier the same day a symposium of three twenty-minute
talks made clear just what course
of life is pleasing to God and
is in harmony with his Word.
The first, "Whom Do You Serve?",
stressed that we actually have
a need t o serve God and that
service means obedience, which
i s better than a sacrifice.
The second talk, "You Are No
P a r t of the World," emphasized
the need of Christians to keep
separate from the world.
And the third talk, "Appreciating the Organization T h a t Is
Educating Us for Life," showed
why we should appreciate God's
organization, a s i t is the only
one t h a t can direct us to eternal
life. Such appreciation does much
to help us maintain integrity.
and a grown son who is irregular a t meetings and in publishing but who
be a
pioneer'
T O tim mu late zeal in the Firm
family, Brother Steadfast points
to something in the ''Babylon"
book. I t has to do with the fall
of Babylon the Great and what
it means for Christians. Brother
Steadfast then draws attention to
the parallel between ancient Babylon's fall and that of modern
Babylon, and suggests: "Let's
try to Picture i t like this. Suppose Daniel mere sitting in his
home, talking to some of the
in
The scene that immediately
f o l l o ~ s shows a group with
Daniel in Babylon. The discussion drives home the point that
the reason why Jehovah spared
the Jews in Babylon from destruction and had Cyrus proclaim
their release was that they could
to
true worship there. This point is
made
the benefit
Of a
Jew who
"Ot
intend to return to
salem because of selfish reasons.
By failing to leave BaBylon h e
would miss the purpose of
deliverance and would risk
losing his faith in God.
The final scene returns to
modern times and applies the
lesson. Brother Steadfast points
out that all Christians who do
not zealously serve Jehovah a r e
missing the purpose for which
God set them free by the fall of
Babylon the Great. That purpose is to heed Matthew 24:14
by preaching God's kingdom.
He also stressed t h a t fleeing
screly
~~~j~
Ezt
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ nFs",:
t h t ;"owf
, l; " ~
from ancient Babylon. Why? Be-
yes, throughout
South America the
ness goes
fying success. I n
30
Central and
Kingdom Witwith
Spanish, in
31
WATCHTOWER
8 2 7 ADAM5 ST.
Please send the following convention releases immediately. [Check any or all]
1 Send me, postpaid, ............ cop(-y, -ies) of the book Is t k e Sihle Really the Word, o!. God?
[English ( ) Spanish ( ), check which] (25c each)
[ I Send me, postpaid, ............ cop(-y, -ies) of The Khzgdom iaterlin,enr T?-allslationof the Greek
Scriptures. ($2 each)
E 1 Send me, postpaid, ............ cop(-y, -ies) of the book Aid to Bible Unders-tanddng, ($2.50 each)
C 1 Send me, postpaid. ............ cop(-y, -ies) of the book "Then. I s Fi%ished the 3fvsterg of God,"
(50c each)
I am enclosing $ ....................for thk boak(s) ordered.
[
........................................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................
............................................................
State ............................................ Zip Code ...............................................
Name
32