Religious Environment

Consider the timing of the global preaching campaigns. As to the setting in the first century, the prophecy of the 70 weeks of years, found at Daniel 9:24-27, pinpointed the year when the Messiah was to appear -29 C.E. Though first-century Jews did not understand the exact timing of matters, they were in expectation , awaiting the Messiah. (Luke 3:15) The French Manuel Biblique states: "People knew that the seventy weeks of years fixed by Daniel were drawing to a close; nobody was surprised to hear John the Baptist announce that the kingdom of God had drawn near."

What about the setting in modern times? Well, a monumental development was the enthronement of Jesus in heaven, which marked the beginning of his presence in Kingdom power. Bible prophecy shows that this took place in 1914. (Daniel 4:13-17) Anticipation of this event also caused some religious people in modern times to be filled with expectation. Expectation was evident also among the sincere Bible Students who began to publish this magazine in 1879 as Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence. Thus, both in the first century and in modern times, religious expectation prepared the environment for the preaching of the good news."

Another factor that helped the work of Christians in both eras was that many people were familiar with the Sacred Scriptures. In the first century, Jewish communities were scattered throughout the surrounding Gentile nations. Those communities had synagogues where people regularly met to hear the Scriptures read and discussed. Thus, early Christians were able to build on the religious knowledge that people already had. (Acts 8:28-36; 17:1, 2) Early in our era, Jehovah's people enjoyed a similar environment in many lands. The Bible was widely available throughout the realm of Christendom, especially in Protestant lands. It was read in many churches; millions owned a copy. The Bible was already in people's hands, but they needed help to understand what they possessed.

Next time: The Benefits Of Law

Watchtower, 1999