Harvesting the Worshipers
THE apostle John was given a vision of world-shaking events that would take place “in the Lord’s day.” He saw the heavenly Lord Jesus Christ riding forth to righteous warfare, pictured by a white stallion—“conquering and to complete his conquest.” The first thing he does is to hurl God’s archenemy, Satan, out of the heavens down to the vicinity of this earth. Satan responds by plaguing mankind with unprecedented slaughter, famine, and disease, pictured by the figurative riders and their horses—red, black, and pale in color. (Revelation 1:10; 6:1-8; 12:9-12) These woes exploded first in the year 1914 and have escalated since that time. Shortly, they will be climaxed by what Jesus described as “great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.”—Matthew 24:3-8, 21.
How will Jehovah’s worshipers fare at that time? Revelation chapter 7, verses 1 to 10, speaks of angelic forces “holding tight” the winds of destruction until these worshipers are gathered. During the period since 1914, the last ones on earth of spiritual Israel, numbering 144,000, are gathered. And then “look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues.” This great crowd already numbers into the millions. They stand approved before God’s throne because of exercising faith in the ransoming blood of Jesus, who was slaughtered like an innocent lamb. “And they keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: ‘Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” These zealous worshipers keep saying “Come!” to still others, who in turn are gathered for salvation through “the great tribulation.”—Revelation 7:14-17; 22:17.
“Into All the Earth”
Of these devoted worshipers, it can be said: “Into all the earth their sound went out, and to the extremities of the inhabited earth their utterances.” (Romans 10:18) Their hard work has been blessed with remarkable fruitage. For example:
Mexico now reports 335,965 active worshipers of Jehovah, an increase of almost a hundred thousand in just three years! Why so great an expansion? The following account may help to explain. A young man named Aurelio was the sacristan in a Catholic church. Every time Jehovah’s Witnesses came into that village, he rang the church bells to discourage anyone from listening to them. In time he bought a Catholic Jerusalem Bible and started to read it, but he did not understand it. Then one day he saw a friend with a copy of the New World Translation under his arm. Aurelio chided his friend and, telling him that his Bible was false, took him to his own home to show him the “real” Bible. His friend said: “Read Exodus 20,” and then he left.
Starting with chapter 1, the sacristan read through Exodus until he came to Ex chapter 20, verses 4 and 5. He was shocked by what his Catholic Bible said about images. After Mass the next Sunday, he confronted the priest with the texts about images. At first the priest said that he himself just venerated the images; he did not worship them. Seeing that this did not satisfy Aurelio, the priest accused him of studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Aurelio denied this but added, “Now I will!”
The next time the Witnesses came to the village, Aurelio contacted them and began studying the Bible with them. He stopped working in the church and in three months qualified to share in the public ministry with Jehovah’s Witnesses. The first home he visited was that of the priest, who could not believe his eyes when he saw the former sacristan in the role of a Kingdom preacher. The priest threatened him with excommunication, but Aurelio told him that this would not be necessary as he had already left the church. His bold course encouraged many of the villagers who were already studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Aurelio and 21 others from that village were baptized at the next district convention. So rapid is the growth in this area that there was only one elder available to review with this group the questions for baptismal candidates.
“Their Sound Went Out”
There is no escape from the Kingdom preaching. An Italian Catholic used to get annoyed every time Jehovah’s Witnesses called on him. So when his company transferred him to Singapore, he felt that at last he would not be bothered by them. But to his surprise, the Witnesses were there too. So he obtained two fierce dogs to attack the next Witnesses who came. When two Witnesses called at his home, out jumped those dogs. Terrified, the women ran for their lives, going in different directions at a road junction. As one of the dogs caught up with her, one of the Witnesses desperately grabbed two brochures from her bag and shoved them into the dog’s open mouth. At this, it stopped chasing her, turned around, and trotted home.
The following week, the same two Witnesses were making a return visit at a house across the street. The dogs’ owner was in his garden, and, surprisingly, he greeted the women and invited them into his house. He told them that he had never spoken to Jehovah’s Witnesses or read any of their publications. But he had been amazed to find the brochures in the mouth of one of his dogs. That evening he had read the brochures and was really impressed with them. Although he had been a Catholic all his life, he expressed a desire to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Since the man was being transferred back to Italy, arrangements were made for Jehovah’s Witnesses to study with him there. As he and his wife started to attend meetings, the parish priest angrily confronted them with threats. When someone set fire to their garden, the couple severed all ties with the church. This man now says: “I have already been witnessing to many of my family members because I want to let them know that Jehovah is the only true God.”
“To the Extremities of the Inhabited Earth”
Another experience from an extremity of the earth shows how the Kingdom message is appreciated and helps to change lives. While attending prenatal classes, a Witness in Australia met a woman who had many bad habits, even refusing to give up smoking during her pregnancy. The Witness was very disturbed by her attitude. It happened that they had their babies at the same time and in the same ward, so they had a chance to talk. It appeared that the woman had had many problems during her childhood, and now her marriage was on the verge of breaking up. So, after getting out of the hospital, the Witness called on the woman and started a Bible study with her, using the book Making Your Family Life Happy.
The woman’s husband had been praying to God that he would find the true religion, adding the proviso: “As long as it is not Jehovah’s Witnesses!” Nevertheless, when he found out that his wife was studying with the Witnesses, he began to ask questions and was invited to join in the study. This he did, and soon he began to attend congregation meetings. Now, both husband and wife have been baptized, and evidently their marital situation has improved immensely.
Home Bible studies based on such literature have resulted in the gathering of many new worshipers. In lands where Jehovah’s Witnesses have had to contend with revolutions, civil war, or governmental restrictions, home Bible study activity has increased. Civil war raged in Angola for many years, and the Witnesses suffered much persecution and hardship. Early last year, reports showed that, on the average, each publisher was conducting almost three home Bible studies, but the publishers had little Bible literature. Traveling overseers served a small group each day, arranging field service during the day and meetings each evening. What a joy when hostilities ended and 42 tons of much-needed Bible literature arrived from South Africa! Surely, the love of those brothers will “abound yet more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment,” as they are now able to “make sure of the more important things.” (Philippians 1:9, 10) What an incentive for those who have plenty of Bible study aids on hand to take full advantage of the provision that Jehovah so graciously makes!—1 Timothy 4:15, 16.
The happiness of these faithful worshipers reminds us of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. . . . Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. . . . Rejoice and leap for joy, since your reward is great in the heavens.” (Matthew 5:3-12) What a harvest is already being gathered in Angola!
In other areas of the world, restrictions on the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses are also being eased or removed. Jesus commented in his day: “Yes, the harvest is great, but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37) How true this is today! The need for more workers is always there. We are glad that our worship involves gathering in the harvest. There is no greater joy to be found on earth today than our fruitful dedicated service to Jehovah God.
What is it, though, that motivates Jehovah’s worshipers to show such joy and zeal? We shall see.