Theocratic Aid To Kingdom Publishers

Lesson 64

THE USE OF WATCHTOWER BIBLE HELPS

"The path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." (Prov. 4:18, Am. Stan. Ver.) Psalm 119:105 identifies the path-lighting rays: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." How is it that God's Word, the writing of which was completed at the end of the first century A.D., shines "more and more"? Certainly not by additions being made to it. (Rev. 22:18) The increased shining, then, must be due to clearer understanding of Holy Writ. It is even so. With the dawning of the "day of Jehovah" and the appearing of the Morning Star, Christ Jesus, at the temple, the Bible prophecies began to unfold, and now the truth-light is as a glorious flood. —2 Pet. 1:19.

What is the channel used to beam forth the ever-increasing light? When on earth Christ Jesus foretold the raising up of a "faithful and wise servant" in the "last days". Through this servant class "meat in due season" was to be dispensed. The physical facts have come to pass in fulfillment of this prophecy, and they reveal the Light-channel

to be the Watchtower Society. This Society is the only organization heralding earth-wide the enlightening announcement that the Kingdom is at hand, is here. To spread the gospel tidings millions of books and booklets and magazines have been published and distributed, with the stream of literature still flowing strong.

The Watchtower Bible helps are the best of all Bible study aids. The reason is that they are divorced from all religion and stick scrupulously to the Bible and let it interpret itself. As one placed on a Watchtower, the "faithful and wise servant" watches for the flashes of light from Jehovah's King at the temple and is quick to reflect the light as spiritual "meat in due season" to others. This servant class notes how Jehovah interprets His own prophecies by bringing to pass events in fulfillment of them. Those comprising this class are not bound by religious creeds or preconceived ideas that shut out from their minds the new and seasonable light or that cause their minds to balk at the spirit's leading. Hence the Bible helps prepared by the Watchtower Society are not creed-bound or religious, but are Scriptural. They are dedicated to Jehovah God and his kingdom under Christ, and hence are to God's glory and the advancement of his Kingdom interests. They are Theocratic. All this places them in the category of the most urgent and timely helps for the education and enlightenment of the people in the essentials for life everlasting.

The Watchtower publications that may be classed exclusively as Bible helps are in the form of books and booklets and the Watchtower magazine. At times these works concern themselves with particular subjects, bringing together within a few pages scattered scriptures that bear upon the topic; then some of the publications run in commentary fashion through a certain portion of the Bible, taking the verses consecutively. Thus it is that the entire prophecy of Revelation is discussed verse by verse in two bound volumes, entitled Light; three volumes of Vindication similarly treat all forty-eight chapters of

Ezekiel's prophecy; Preparation is a bound book embracing a chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse explanation of the prophecy of Zechariah; Preservation unravels the complete Bible books of Ruth and Esther. The New World borders on this style of treatment relative to the book of Job, though not to the same exhaustive extent as is followed in the foregoing volumes on those other Bible books.

In contrasting arrangement, some of the bound volumes draw together scattered scriptures and weave them into a whole that thoroughly covers a given subject. "The Kingdom Is at Hand" is a bound book following this style, bringing together within its covers an absorbing and complete treatment of that vital theme. Others, like Children, discuss a variety of subjects, developing one in each chapter. The booklets invariably develop a topic or theme rather than a verse-by-verse consideration of large portions of the Bible. To a limited extent, however, the latter arrangement may be employed, as in the consideration of some parable. Many of the booklets treat doctrinal questions; others are more general in their scope, discussing trends of events in the world as they relate to Bible prophecy. But regardless of the style of treatment, all of the Watchtower Bible helps are designed for consecutive reading and the giving of a rounded-out picture of the matter under consideration. Notwithstanding, they are also invaluable as reference works.

The latter being true, the problem arises as to how to tap these sources of help for specific information on a point in question. Suppose the broad subject of religion is to be discussed. The searcher can go to the subject index that appears in the back of most of the bound books and look up "religion". Several listings may appear under this heading, and a brief phrase gives the key to the aspect treated. His reading these references will doubtless bring to mind synonyms or related words, which can also be looked up in the index. The December 15 Watchtower contains a list of titles of all articles that appear during the year.

The term "religion" may have occurred in some of those titles (or synonyms for it, such as "demonism" or "witchcraft"). The booklets carry a brief table of contents, and the later bound books also include this feature. Check here too.

To make the illustration more concrete, note the term "religion" in the subject index of "The Kingdom Is at Hand". The itemized listing under that heading shows references on religion's adulterousness, opposition to God's kingdom, ensnarement of Israelites, organization, failure to be true worship, destruction by political and commercial allies, and her postwar elevation. Also references point to the remnant's cleansing from it, the Elijah work against it, and Moses' warning against it. The December 15, 1944, Watchtower subject index for that year shows two articles with the word "religion" in the title, and another uses the related term "witchcraft". A booklet issued in 1944 is entitled "Religion Reaps the Whirlwind", and there is even a bound book called "Religion".

But it may be that the searcher is not so interested in running down every bit of information on a subject; rather he has in mind a scripture on which he desires further light. For instance, the one at James 1:27 concerning "pure religion". In view of what the searcher knows of religion's history and modern record, and Bible testimony upon the subject, he doesn't see how religion of any kind can be pure. If all subject-index leads were run down he would doubtless arrive at the right explanation; but there is a better way. The later bound books and Watchtower magazines (December 15 issues), contain, in addition to a subject index, a scripture index, which lists all the texts cited or quoted in that particular publication and gives the page number. Hence, if the one puzzled over James 1:27 opens to the scripture index of "The Truth Shall Make You Free" he will be referred to pages 87 and 88, and there find that text properly rendered by a different Bible version. He will also read a scholarly discussion of the Greek

original that the King James Version erroneously translates "religion". Even a discussion of the origin of the word "religion" itself is presented. These scripture indexes, then, are an invaluable aid in searching out information.

All this, then, adds to the usefulness of the Watchtower Bible helps. For the Kingdom publisher they are indispensable, both as consecutive reading immediately after their release and as reference works. They give one the 'mind of the Lord' on matters, and thus arm the student against higher criticism or other religious follies often found in non-Theocratic Bible helps.