God. That is why Paul said to Timothy, “For all that, the solid foundation of God stays standing, having this seal, ‘Jehovah knows those who belong to him,’ and, ‘Let everyone mentioning the name of Jehovah renounce unrighteousness.’” (2 Tim. 2:19, NW) It is necessary, then, for every creature who loves life to “do your utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright”. (2 Tim. 2:15, NW) This is the time to shun the empty speeches of those who have so much to say but who do not have God’s backing, much like Korah and the 250 older men of influence of the Israelites, all of whom were fighting against God’s servants. Individually, everyone must see to it that he understands the Lord’s Word, studies it well and keeps presenting himself before God in service so as to be an approved person. Doing the work that is assigned to you to do is what counts. If you do that which is proper in the Lord’s sight, he will bless you richly and you will find that you have an abundance. Service in God’s organization anywhere satisfies! When one turns to the Father of all mercy and the God of all comfort and relies on Jehovah, doing his will, he finds that great stores of blessing are on hand for him. One must truly be interested in the work of God and want to know him well. “Jehovah knows those who belong to him,” and we, his creatures, should certainly want to know him. To do so means life everlasting.

Theocracy’s Increase

1. Why did the young man have a measuring line? What was the angel told to tell him?

THE prophet Zechariah, an individual used by Jehovah, had a vision of a man with a measuring line. The account, according to the second chapter of Zechariah, tells us that this young man with a measuring line in his hand went out to measure Jerusalem and to see how broad and how long it was. Just as the angel who was talking to the young man was going away, another angel came forth to meet him and said, “‘Run, speak to that young man yonder, saying, “Jerusalem shall be inhabited like unwalled villages, because of the mass of men and beasts within her.” And I will be unto her,’ is the oracle of the LORD, ‘a wall of fire round about her, and I will be the splendor within her.’” (Zech. 2:4, 5, AT) This young man was certainly interested in Jerusalem or he would not have taken time to find out how broad or how long it was.

2. Whom does the young man picture? Why is the city unwalled?

² Today we find in the earth a group of Christian men and women who, like this young man, are sincerely interested in the Jerusalem which is above and which is the mother of us all. (Gal. 4:26, NW) They are really interested in God’s organization and in its expansion. Walls are not its boundaries. No, it is an expanding city like an unwalled village. It would be hard to take accurate measurements, because of its constant growth due to incoming crowds. The class of faithful Christians prefigured by this young man was quite a small organization during the years from 1914 to 1918, for then there was only a remnant of God’s faithful people who were truly examining the prophecies and trying to ascertain their meaning in order to find out what their work would be in this great organization of Jerusalem. They wanted its measure and they wanted to know more about God’s work.

3. How did the interest of worldly religionists differ from that of the “young man” class?

³ The world had gone to war. Nation had risen against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There was sickness and sorrow and pain, scattered from one end of the earth to the other, as foretold in Matthew, chapter 24. The nations and peoples of the earth were extremely selfish and interested only in getting the things they wanted. They had no time for God nor were they endeavoring to measure up to God’s principles of truth and righteousness. Even the religionists of the great Protestant and Catholic organizations, the Jewish and pagan religious orders, were involved in the affairs of the world, afterward devoting their attention to the League of Nations and the problems of this old, dying system of things. Forgotten was the statement in the Word of God: “Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” (Jas. 4:4, NW) No, the nations of the earth had no time to seek the kingdom of God as the only hope for mankind. This seeking was left to a remnant of God’s people, just a few faithful followers pictured by this young man in the vision of Zechariah. They were willing to use the measuring line in God’s organization.

4. How, following 1918, did expansion begin with the organization as with an unwalled city?

⁴ This city of Jerusalem was not to be like a walled city, having limited boundaries so no one could get in or out if the gates were closed; but it would be like an unwalled village without limits. It was to be a growing city because of the mass of men and of beasts that would come to inhabit it. It would continue to spread and reach out into new fields. This is just what is now happening to God’s organization. From 1918 onward this little remnant of God’s people persistently continued to proclaim the kingdom of God as at hand. The nations were not interested in that kingdom. They were opposed to it. But, on the other hand, thousands of persons of good will from all these nations hearkened to the message of God’s anointed and they came to God’s organization, Jerusalem, this expanding city, and sought advice and instruction within it. According to the Society’s own reports, back in the year 1918 there were only 3,868 persons who were proclaiming the message of the Kingdom to the peoples of the world, inviting them to seek refuge, comfort and consolation within Jerusalem. The Lord’s spirit was upon this little band of faithful servants as they steadily preached and reached out to the ends of the earth with this good news. It was not long until many people who were listening and studying with Jehovah’s witnesses in order to learn of Jehovah took their stand on his side. The city continued to grow.

5, 6. How did Isaiah 54:2, 3 go on fulfilling despite World War II? How did it become “one flock, one shepherd”?

⁵ As the nations of the world went into their second world war and brought about greater regimentation and totalitarian rule among the people, still this remnant with the people of good will kept right on preaching the Word. Today we see gathered into this unwalled city even greater numbers of those who Jehovah knows belong to him. Is it not now as it was stated by Isaiah the prophet centuries ago in Isa chapter 54, verses 2, 3, “Enlarge the site of your tent, and stretch without limit the curtains of your home; lengthen your cords, and make fast your pegs! For to right and to left shall you spread abroad, and your descendants shall take over the heritage of the nations, and shall people the desolate cities”? (AT) Jehovah’s witnesses see this expansion work going on. They live in the growing city.

⁶ With this great “mass of men” there is a multitude of cattle, and this may fitly represent the wealth of God’s organization. Christ Jesus said, ‘Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; these also I must gather so that there will be one flock, one shepherd.’ Christ Jesus is the Good Shepherd of this great organization which he gathers together in its completion just before the battle of the great day of God Almighty, which is Armageddon.

7. Who will yet be found and ‘marked in the forehead’, and why?

⁷ Today, in 1951, we find the remnant of God’s people working alongside the great crowd who have been marked in their foreheads by the anointed class. The prophet Ezekiel (9:1-11) gave us a picture of the man with the writer’s inkhorn who went through the city and marked in the forehead those who were sighing and crying because of the abominations that existed in their city or organization. Certainly there are thousands, and it may yet run into the millions, of people who are sighing and crying because of the terrible conditions that exist in Christendom and throughout the whole world and who are seeking consolation, truth and comfort. These will be found; there is no doubt of that, because, as Paul said, “Jehovah knows those who belong to him.”

8. Why do those coming into the organization not fear because it is without material walls?

⁸ Jehovah God’s Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus, is doing the gathering work today, and he has assigned to his people in the earth the work of preaching the good news of the incoming new world. This good news attracts the meek to God’s Word, and that draws them closer to Jehovah. Having come to this unwalled village, trusting in God and having confidence in his Word, they are not afraid of what might happen to them. They are sure of protection. Was not God able to protect the congregation of Israel from being engulfed in the landslide that covered up the unfaithful opposition? Was not God able to preserve Noah and his family through the flood? So, then, is Jehovah God not able to preserve those who have come into this unwalled village? He certainly is! For according to the vision of Zechariah, “I will be . . . a wall of fire round about her, and I will be the splendor within her.” So, then, those who have come to the Lord’s organization, Jerusalem, recognize Jehovah as their God and Jerusalem as his organization and feel safe because God is their protector. They need not depend on the walls or bulwarks that nations of this world set up to protect themselves, because “Jehovah knows those who belong to him”.

9. Who is the glory in the midst of the organization, and why?

⁹ The glory of this entire organization, the Jerusalem which is above, his woman, is Jehovah himself, for he said, “I will be the glory in the midst of her.” In these last days of the old world, it is Jehovah God who has built up this organization and brought about Theocracy’s increase. Its growth and splendor are not due to any man or earthly organization. It is he who through his Son is gathering together the “other sheep” by the hundreds of thousands, making a great city. Jehovah gives it his blessing and protection. These people in the great city are not idle, but they continue to spread out and preach the message of God’s kingdom unto the ends of the earth so that all shall know that Jehovah is the Supreme One of the universe and that the vindication of his name and word is near at hand.