“This love must also include our Christian neighbors,” Brother Knorr went on to say. “No question about it, our personalities may clash, we may misunderstand, but if we have love we will not hold something against our brother and ignore him, but we will go out of our way to straighten out matters.” In conclusion he noted: “Time will tell how far-reaching your love is, and we hope that that time reaches off indefinitely.”

Before this main talk by Brother Knorr, there were brief remarks by six speakers who had a large share in training the missionary students. W. Wilkinson counseled: ‘When you get to your missionary assignment, stay there; use your marvelous Gilead training and all your bodies to praise God.’ F. Rusk stressed the importance of discernment in being effective missionaries. U. Glass underscored the need of good methods and strong motivation if people are to learn the “pure language” of Jehovah’s worship. E. Dunlap pointed out that it takes not only determination but brotherly love to be able to stay in the missionary service. M. Larson noted that strong, right principles will serve them as good protection when far away in the missionary field. And G. Couch urged their keeping open the circuit of truth from ears to heart and then to the lips.

The foregoing remarks were appreciated by all in attendance, even as were those of the Society’s vice-president, F. W. Franz, as he, for upward of half an hour, drew on three current news items about the wretched conditions in the world’s institutions of higher learning, about the American rabbi who did not believe in God, and about the late Schweitzer’s denial of the Biblical Jesus—to show the marked contrast between all such and those graduating from the Bible School of Gilead and to urge them to strong faith and right conduct.

Then after Brother Knorr’s talks the missionaries received their assignments and diplomas, and a student read a resolution on behalf of the class, expressing its appreciation to Jehovah and all whom He used to train them. This program closed with song and prayer at 6 p.m. Then followed a fine farewell dinner, after which the program resumed with a condensed study of the weekly Watchtower lesson, followed by entertainment by the students, including many beautiful musical selections and heartwarming expressions of appreciation. At 10 p.m. the program closed with song and prayer. It had truly been spiritually upbuilding to all in attendance, direct and by closed television.

Questions From Readers

● In view of what is stated in the new book “Things in Which It Is Impossible for God to Lie,” is it to be understood that there definitely are living creatures on other planets?—R.B., U.S.A.

No, that is not what the book says. Paragraph 24, on pages 384 and 385 of that publication, reads: “To all eternity our earth will bear a distinction such as no other planet throughout endless space will enjoy. To all eternity, throughout all creation, it will be a glorious showpiece to Jehovah’s praise. Not that it will be the only planet that will ever be inhabited, but that it will be the only planet to which the Creator of all good things sent his only-begotten Son to become a man and die sacrificially to recover the planet’s inhabitants from sin and its penalty death. It will be the only planet on which Jehovah, by means of his Son Jesus Christ, will have fought the ‘war of the great day of God the Almighty’ to show his power over all his enemies in heaven and on earth and to vindicate himself as the Universal Sovereign.—Jeremiah 50:25; Psalm 140:7; Acts 4:24.”

The point being emphasized is this: Never again will it be necessary for God’s Son to die sacrificially to recover living creatures from sin and death. Never again will it be necessary for Jehovah God to vindicate himself as Universal Sovereign. These things will have been accomplished once and for all time at the earth. Even if the Creator should at some future time populate other planets—which is something that we do not know—there still would be no need for repetition of Jesus’ sacrifice and the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty. The issues involved will already have been settled forever.—Heb. 9:28; 10:12.

There has been much speculation by worldly scientists and others as to whether there is life on other planets at the present time. Little is known for sure. The Bible is definite in showing that there are vast numbers of spirit creatures in existence, but it does not reveal whether there are physical creatures on other planets.—Rev. 5:11; Matt. 26:53.

Christians, though, have no need to be disturbed over the speculations about present or future life on other planets. Man was placed on the earth, and we are told in the Bible that righteous men will continue to live here throughout eternity. (Ps. 37:29; 115:16; Eccl. 1:4) We can rest assured of that fact, no matter what God may reveal in the future about life on other planets.—See The Photo-Drama of Creation, page 96, paragraph 3, as published in 1914.

● According to Leviticus 25:11, 12, the Israelites were not to “sow seed nor reap the land’s growth from spilled kernels” during the Jubilee year, yet they could “eat what the land produces.” How is this seeming inconsistency resolved?—A.K., U.S.A.

The statutes for the Jubilee were very similar to those for the regular seventh-year sabbath. Jehovah promised to bless the harvest on the sixth year so the Israelites would have sufficient food stored to last until the harvest of crops sowed in the eighth year. (Lev. 25:20-22) When the land was left uncultivated it would produce some grain from kernels spilled at the previous harvest. During the sabbath and Jubilee years the farmers were to eat from what they had stored, and not to reap and collect into their storehouses what grew from spilled kernels. It was to be left in the field.

However, a loving provision had been made in the Law allowing the afflicted of the land to glean what remained in the fields after a normal harvest. (Lev. 19:9, 10; Ruth 2:2, 3) But what were the poor and the alien residents to do during the seventh-year sabbath and the Jubilee? Then they could glean in the fields what grew from grain spilled during the last harvest. (Lev. 25:12; Ex. 23:11) So, while there would be no harvesting during the Jubilee, Jehovah’s law made provisions for both the farmer with stored food and the poor who would live directly off the land.

Announcements

FIELD MINISTRY

Long in advance, Jehovah God, in his Word the Bible, described the present world situation, pointing out its cause and the cure. It is concerning this God of true prophecy and his purposes that Jehovah’s witnesses speak. During November they will continue to do so, offering to all persons the faith-inspiring new book “Things in Which It Is Impossible for God to Lie,” with a booklet, for 50c.

1966 YEARBOOK AND CALENDAR

The 1966 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be available after November 23, 1965. Each year this annual report of the Watchtower Society’s president is eagerly awaited by Jehovah’s witnesses. It contains information about the progress of the preaching work of Jehovah’s witnesses world wide, with a statistical report of this activity tabulated by countries. The field experiences of these preachers of the good news are stimulating and enlightening. Send for your copy of the Yearbook. It is 50c. Send also for the 1966 calendar. It is 25c.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

December 12: “Let God Be Found True,” ¶1-24, and The Truthteller Steps In with an Oath, ¶1-3. Page 677.

December 19: The Truthteller Steps In with an Oath, ¶4-34. Page 683.