"You Have Added to the Nation"

 God blessed the repentant spirit of his anointed servants in 1919 and gave them increase. First attention was given to gathering the final members of the Israel of God, and then "a great crowd" of "other sheep"  began to be gathered . (Revelation 7:9; John 10:16)  These blessings were foretold in Isaiah's prophecy: "You have added to the nation; O Jehovah, you have added to the nation; You have glorified yourself.  You have extended afar all the borders of the land. O Jehovah, during distress they have turned their attention to you; they have poured out a whisper of prayer when they had your disciplining." -Isaiah 26:15, 16.

Today, the borders of the Israel of God have spread around the earth, and the great crowd that has been added now numbers some six million enthusiastic sharers in the work of preaching the good news.  (Matthew 24:14) What  a blessing from Jehovah!  And what glory this brings to his name!  That name is heard today in 235 lands - a wonderful fulfillment of his promise.

Judah needed Jehovah's help to escape from captivity in Babylon. They could not have done it on their own.  (Isaiah 26:17, 18)  Similarly, the liberation of the Israel of God in 1919 was proof of Jehovah's support.  It could not have happened without him.  And so startling was the change in their condition that Isaiah likens it to  a resurrection:  "Your dead ones will live.  A corpse of  mine-they will rise up.  Awake and cry out joyfully, you residents in the dust!  For your dew is as the dew of mallows, and the earth itself will let even those impotent in  death drop in birth."  (Isaiah 26:19; Revelation 11:7-11) Yes, those impotent in death would, as it were be reborn for renewed activity!

Next time: Protection in Dangerous Times

The Watchtower, 2001