"THE LITTLE ONE" HAS BECOME "A THOUSAND"

Jehovah's Zealous Servants

What zeal Jehovah's modern-day Witnesses showed throughout the 20th century! And despite increasing pressures, their zeal did not diminish as the year 2000 approached. They still took very seriously Jesus' command:  "Make disciples of people of all the nations."  (Matthew 28:19, 20) The number of active publishers of the good news in the last service year of the 20th century reached a new peak of 5,912,492. They spent the remarkable total of 1,144,566,849 hours talking to others about God and his purposes.  They made 420,047,796 return visits on interested ones and conducted 4,483, 884 free home Bible studies!  What a wonderful record of zealous service!

Last January, the Governing Body announce an adjustment in the hour requirement for pioneers.  Many took advantage of this to enter the ranks of regular or auxiliary pioneers.  For example, during the first four calendar months of 1999, the Netherlands branch office received four times as many regular pioneer  applications as during the same period the year before.  Ghana reports:  "Since the new pioneer hour goal went into effect, the ranks of our regular pioneers have steadily gone up."  In the 1999 service year, the number of pioneers worldwide reached 783,343 - a wonder demonstration of 'zeal for fine works.' -Titus 2:14.

Has Jehovah blessed  this zealous activity?  Yes. Through Isaiah he says:  " Raise your eyes all around and see!  They have all of them been collected together; they have come to you.  From far away your own sons keep coming, and your daughters who will be taken care of on the flank."  (Isaiah 60:4) Anointed "sons" and "daughters" who have been gathered in are still zealously serving God.  And now, Jesus' other sheep are being gathered to the side of Jehovah's anointed "sons" and "daughters" in 234 lands and islands of the sea.

Next time: "Every Good Work"

Watchtower, 2000