missionaries in English, but only in Chinese until they learned to speak it fluently. After this talk one little Chinese girl came up to Brother Knorr and told him that she wanted him to learn Chinese too, so she was only going to talk to him in Chinese. It is hoped all the Chinese brothers and sisters will now become teachers and the missionaries their pupils in the Chinese language.

For most of the sessions there were between 80 and 100 in attendance, which made it possible to meet many of the brothers and hear of their experiences. Tuesday evening was the climax of the assembly. The public talk was scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Boy Scouts Hall in Kowloon. The publishers and missionaries were busy bringing their friends and gathering up those of good will to hear this important message and all were delighted to have 294 in attendance. Still this is just scratching the surface in this populous territory and much work is yet to be done. The brothers were encouraged to get in the pioneer work if at all possible, to help fill the need for mature workers in this territory. And as those of the New World society in Hong Kong continue to plant and water the seeds of truth, all will look to Jehovah to give the increase manyfold.

Questions From Readers

● Revelation 13:18 (NW) states: “Here is where wisdom comes in: Let the one that has intelligence calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man’s number; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six.” What is meant by this number?—E. J., United States.

The suggestion that this number refers to the pope of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is not Scriptural. It could not apply to the office of pope. It is the number of a beast. The Bible uses beasts to symbolize beastly human governments, as is the case in Daniel, chapter 7. In Revelation chapter 13 “wild beast” is used to symbolize Satan’s visible organization, so it is this organization whose number is said to be 666.

From the first human political government at Babylon down to our day, governments by men have had three principal elements: religious, political and commercial. Now the number 666, three orders of six together, names or represents these three elements of Satan’s beastly visible organization. Why six? Because the Bible uses six to represent imperfection. Seven designates spiritual completeness or perfection, and six is short of that and therefore is incomplete or imperfect. The number 666 in the original language is denoted by three different alphabetic letters or symbols in the Greek text, namely, χ (600), ξ (60) and ς (6).

Six symbolizes imperfection, which is abominable in God’s sight, and therefore reprehensible. Six hundred would attach to the most reprehensible element, which is false religion. It is the false religions of the world that hypocritically pose as worshiping God but actually misrepresent him and either lead people away from God or turn them against him by their falsehoods and blasphemies. Rather than looking to God and Christ and the heavenly kingdom, these religions love money and extol political substitutes for that kingdom. Moreover, it is the religious clergy that bitterly oppose the preaching of the good news of Christ’s kingdom by Jehovah’s witnesses, and stir the other two elements of Satan’s visible system to oppose also.

The commercial element is more reprehensible than the political element, because it wields more power behind the scenes, whereas the political class are the willing, loud-talking tools in the public eye. Therefore the 60 well represents the commercial element and 6 the political element. All together the three elements make up Satan’s visible organization and the number 666 represents these combined elements that are imperfect and reprehensible in God’s sight.

The number suggests selfish gain because in olden times King Solomon’s annual revenue was 666 talents. Also, the dimensions of Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol-image, which the three faithful Hebrews refused to salute and adore, were sixty cubits high and six cubits broad. And wicked Goliath, who fought against God’s nation Israel, had a brother giant with six digits on each hand and on each foot, and pictured Satan’s visible dictatorial organization that claims to be the “higher powers” instead of acknowledging Jehovah and Christ as such. So six represents a completeness only in man’s sight and falls short of the completeness or perfection that God designates by the number seven.—1 Ki. 10:14; Dan. 3:1; 1 Chron. 20:6; Rom. 13:1.

Because six falls short of God’s perfect number seven, it is called a man’s number and attaches to the visible organization of men under Satan, the god of this world, and which organization is symbolized by the wild beast. So it is with this meaning in mind that this number of the wild beast is said to be “a man’s number.” It is not God’s perfect number of spiritual completeness.

Announcements

MAKING THE FRAGRANCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD PERCEPTIBLE—2 Cor. 2:14, NW.

Today as never before ‘the odor of the knowledge of God is made perceptible in every place.’ The 1956 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses reports the declaring of the truth in 158 lands and islands of the seas. And what is the effect upon people? Twofold! To one group it is “an odor issuing from life to life” and to the other “an odor issuing from death to death.” (2Co 2 Verse 16) Christians have the responsibility of making known the sweet odor of Christ, and then it is the responsibility of the hearer to receive it favorably or unfavorably. This month in regular congregation territory Jehovah’s witnesses will publish the truth by word of mouth and by printed page by offering, on a contribution of $1.50, three revealing Bible study books and three booklets. The unassigned territory offer will be made by all privileged to serve isolated sections.

KEEP YOURSELF INFORMED

Do you admire someone who always seems to be well informed, who generally has substantial facts to impart to almost any kind of discussion? Even in these days of intense activity and extreme specialization you can be that well equipped. Many educated people are lost outside their own field because their everyday reading is confined to a few highly specialized publications. Solve this problem for yourself by obtaining and regularly reading Awake! magazine. All topics of general or specific interest are within its range. Yet it is written in language that you can readily adapt to your own speech. But most important for our day, it clearly and unmistakably draws the true pattern of our times and identifies its significance. Like its companion magazine, the one you now hold in your hand, it is published with a purpose. It helps you to recognize that, in spite of discouraging world events, hope for the future can be real. Send one dollar and it will be mailed to you twice a month for one year.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

September 2: Jehovah’s Message Against Gog of Magog. Page 460.

September 9: Delivering Satan’s Death Notice. Page 467.

Check Your Memory

After reading this issue of “The Watchtower,” do you remember—

✔ What can really help you to understand the Bible? P. 451, ¶4.

✔ What shows that just doing constructive good works is not enough for the Christian? P. 453, ¶1.

✔ What is even more important than loving your neighbor? P. 453, ¶7.

✔ Where you can find history written in advance? P. 460, ¶2.

✔ Who “Gog” is and why it is appropriate that he is from “Magog”? P. 461, ¶6.

✔ Why Jehovah chose the obscure people that he did? P. 467, ¶1.

✔ What effect the serving of Satan’s death notice has had upon people of good will? P. 473, ¶16.

✔ What increase Jehovah’s witnesses have had in the Philippines since 1945? P. 477, ¶3.