English-speaking delegates in the Rose Bowl and Spanish delegates in an adjoining ball park. They had come from all over the United States and many other countries, and for eight joy-filled days they feasted on the same spiritual provisions that their brothers around the world had enjoyed. How happy they were when 2,496 new ministers were baptized on Saturday morning! Their joy was increased the following day when many of their friends gathered with them for the public talk, swelling the attendance to 118,447!

Another great thrill for the conventioners was when Brother Knorr spent three and a half hours describing the tremendous success of each one of the completed assemblies. Jehovah’s blessing has resulted in a great crowd of people from all nations being gathered to His organization, he emphasized. Why, just during the seventy-one days of the Around-the-World Assembly, 16,267 new ministers were baptized and 570,932 persons assembled to hear the public talk!

Brother Knorr therefore urged his vast audience of dedicated Christians to assume their responsibility to care for the thousands of sheeplike persons Jehovah God was gathering to His organization. He encouraged them to imbibe the spirit of the missionaries, 805 of whom were able to be in attendance at the assemblies. After outlining future assembly plans, Brother Knorr concluded the Around-the-World Assembly with heartfelt admonition to stick to Jehovah’s organization.

Besides the cities tied in with the around-the-world tour, there were other assemblies, such as the one at Haifa, Israel, where 115 persons heard the public talk, and Nicosia, Cyprus, where 702 rejoiced in hearing “When God Is King over All the Earth.” The complete details of all the assemblies will be published soon in a 200-page convention report, with many pictures.

Yes, around the world, thousands of persons rejoiced over the benefits of the epic “Everlasting Good News” Assembly. For the around-the-world conventioners, it was marvelous to see how the New World society is expanding throughout the globe. A great number of people have gained access to God’s truth and are rejoicing in their being released from the bondage of Babylon the Great and can thereby make their lives happy, as they enjoy sharing in the “everlasting good news,” to Jehovah’s glory.

Questions From Readers

● Does Matthew 24:19 apply to those inside the Christian congregation or to those outside the congregation?—E. N., United States.

Pregnant women and those with new babies would encounter hardship because of the difficult times foretold by Christ when he said at Matthew 24:19: “Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days!” True to his words, extreme adversity befell pregnant women and those suckling babies when Roman forces descended upon Jerusalem and dealt the Jews a crushing blow A.D. 70. Thousands of persons suffered and died. Famine prevailed, and it alone was terrible. Concerning the treatment then meted out by the seditious to their own fellow Jews, Josephus wrote:

“The old men, who held their food fast, were beaten; and if the women hid what they had within their hands, their hair was torn for so doing; nor was there any commiseration shown either to the aged or to the infants, but they lifted up children from the ground as they hung upon the morsels they had gotten, and shook them down upon the floor.”—Wars of the Jews, Book V, Chapter X, ¶3.

Imagine mothers standing by, forced to look upon such brutality inflicted upon their own children, even infants. Think also of the horror experienced by these mothers at seeing them slaughtered before their very eyes, for that also occurred! By reason of her emotional makeup it is very natural for a woman to show deep concern for those she loves, those of her own family. How much greater is her concern when dire circumstances threaten the well-being and life of her offspring! So let us not minimize the suffering of women at that time. For those who were pregnant things were naturally more difficult. During a time of calamity maternal protective instincts assert themselves all the more. So just imagine the intense suffering, the utter feeling of helplessness, that must have been experienced by nursing mothers in Jerusalem of the first century as they themselves were subjected to cruelties and as they witnessed the suffering of their offspring! Indeed, it was a time of woe to pregnant women and those suckling babies!

Humans can well understand a mother’s love. For example, Paul saw fit to illustrate his gentleness toward Christians at Thessalonica with the words: “To the contrary, we became gentle in the midst of you, as when a nursing mother cherishes her own children.” (1 Thess. 2:7) We can also readily comprehend the intense concern of a pregnant woman or a nursing mother because of what might happen to her child at a crucial time. So, at Matthew 24:19, Jesus was putting in human and very understandable terms the manner in which the things destined to occur would affect persons. There would be great difficulties. Extremely trying times were ahead.

Christ’s words of woe to pregnant women and those suckling babies apply to our day. The major fulfillment of this prophecy takes place in these last days. And Jesus’ statement applies specially to persons outside the Christian congregation. The days ahead as this old world draws to its Armageddon end will be days of woe and hardship. They will not be easy times for anyone.

Let it be noted, however, that at Matthew 24:19 Jesus Christ was not discussing the propriety of Christian married couples having children in these last days. Christians today are not under command to have children, but neither are they under a command not to have them. This is a matter to be decided by marriage mates themselves. It is their own business.—Gal. 6:5.

Hardship, then, is to be expected by all persons as this world comes to its end. That surely includes pregnant women and those suckling babies. If pregnant women or women with small children allow this situation to keep them from fleeing this world and dedicating themselves to God through Christ, they will miss out on divine protection. Yet mothers who take advantage of the time left to flee to Jehovah’s “mountain” of safety will be protected. They will experience hardship, to be sure, but Jehovah’s protection can extend to them and to their children, born and unborn.—Ps. 91:7, 8, 14-16.

Announcements

FIELD MINISTRY

During the month of October, Jehovah’s witnesses, with courage and faith in their God, will take advantage of every opportunity to acquaint others with Jehovah’s kingdom and the blessings in store for all who love and serve him. As an aid in this work, they will offer a year’s subscription for the Awake! magazine, together with three booklets on Bible themes, on a contribution of $1.

IT’S NEW! IT’S THRILLING!

The Bible-study aid “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial” will prove to be a new experience for you. It contains an intensive heartwarming study of the Bible as a book. It reveals the origin of the Bible, its writers and the evidences of its inspiration. It acquaints you with the background and contents of every one of its books. It is not an interpretative study. It makes the Bible live for you. Send for your copy today for only $1.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

November 10: When God Is King over All the Earth, ¶1-30. Page 613.

November 17: When God Is King over All the Earth, ¶31-56. Page 620.