1931! After the end of World War I they were released from spiritual bondage to Satan’s world and their relationship to Jehovah God was healed. He blessed them with youthful vigor to preach the Kingdom message everywhere, and favored them with a grand increase, so great in number that it made up for all of their companions who had turned unfaithful and dropped away during the previous trial, and it also brought the membership of the remnant to completion, that thereby the spiritual body of Christ might have 144,000 members as foreordained.

44. Since 1931 how has the picture of Job’s having a second set of ten children been fulfilled?

⁴⁴ But what since 1931? Ah, then the Right Shepherd of Jehovah God, namely, Jesus Christ, began to gather to the Job-like remnant his “other sheep,” to whom he will become an “everlasting Father” during the thousand years of his blessed reign. He has been using the remnant of his body members in gathering these “other sheep.” Thus these sheep become as spiritual children to the remnant, their children begotten by the Kingdom good news that the remnant have preached. So these “other sheep” correspond to the second set of ten children that Job got after Jehovah turned back his captivity.—1 Cor. 4:15.

45. How are they beautiful like Job’s children, and how do they have an equality in hereditary possession?

⁴⁵ As foreshadowed by the perfect number ten, these “other sheep” have become already a “great crowd,” but they still continue to be gathered during this short period before Armageddon. They are beautiful spiritually, for they are the desirable things of all nations, the precious things of all nations, that have come to Jehovah’s spiritual temple to glorify him. As Job’s three girls had a hereditary possession from him along with their seven brothers, so now the women as well as the men among the “other sheep” share in the privilege of now being Jehovah’s witnesses and of preaching the Kingdom good news. Thus they help to gather still more of the “other sheep.” Even many who were formerly wrongly impressed by Satan’s persecution of the remnant, as in the case of Job’s relatives and acquaintances, have received correction and have become theocratic companions of the remnant.

46. Till when must the remnant and the “other sheep” endure, and how happy will they be made for doing so?

⁴⁶ The remnant must still endure till Armageddon. All the gathered “other sheep” must likewise maintain their integrity toward God and must endure along with the remnant until Satan’s world of persecutors and opposers is desolated at Armageddon. How happy we all are for having endured with integrity till now! How unspeakably happy we shall be for enduring till Jehovah vindicates his universal sovereignty at Armageddon and delivers us into his righteous new world! For there he will glorify the remnant of proved integrity in the heavenly kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ and will also bless the great crowd of “other sheep” with uplift to godlike human perfection in a paradise that will beautify all the earth.

Another Missionary Group Graduated

IT WAS about ten o’clock, July 28, 1957, a beautiful summer morning, as Milton G. Henschel began to speak on the subject “Be like Jesus.” Situated among large pine trees and surrounded by vases of beautiful gladiolas, the yellow-canopied speaker’s platform provided indeed a colorful sight. Immediately before the speaker were seated the 103 graduating students of the twenty-ninth class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Also attentively listening were some 5,300 guests.

“It is not by accident that we are here today, not by any means,” began Henschel. “This school was born out of necessity. The need for preaching the good news has never been greater.” Jesus had appreciated that need and so devoted his life to it. More than that, he also sent out the twelve apostles to preach, as recorded at Matthew, chapter ten. Taking up this chapter, the speaker applied verse after verse to the missionaries seated before him.

Jesus manifested singleness of purpose and they would need it also not to get sidetracked. Because of their special training more would be expected of them; they would have to take the initiative and get things done. Jesus never doubted, he never feared, neither should you. Let none discourage you.

Following this discourse the students came forward to get their diplomas and other graduation items. They had come from six different lands and were being sent to lands in Asia, Africa, South, Central and North America, to twenty lands in all. A spokesman on behalf of the class then read a letter of appreciation for the training received.

This was the first time that the president of the Watchtower Society, Nathan H. Knorr, was not on hand to preside at a Gilead graduation, a district convention at Los Angeles requiring his presence there. Before Henschel spoke, ably representing the president as his secretary and as one of the board of directors, there were brief remarks by others associated with the school. The program had begun at nine o’clock with song and prayer, after which John Markus, of the Kingdom Farm, pointed out to the students their likeness to nursery trees being transplanted for permanent fruit-bearing.

Next the four instructors spoke: H. K. Jackson reminded them of the value of hard work. K. A. Adams stressed endurance and the importance of prayer. M. G. Friend stressed the qualities of the heart and urged the students to go out and spread happiness, helpfulness, harmony, friendship and affection. A. D. Schroeder contrasted New World education with that of the old world.

The evening before, some three thousand had assembled for a study of the weekly Watchtower lesson, which was followed by a musical program by the students. The final feature of the graduation weekend took place Sunday afternoon, when, for about two hours, twenty students told of the blessings of a Gilead training and urged others to make the missionary field their goal. At four o’clock a song and prayer ended the program.