“Jehovah Will Give Increase”
JEWISH writings tell us that postexile Jews sang or recited Psalms 113 to 118 on the occasion of some of their festivals. These psalms, known as the Hallel, include the promise: “Jehovah will give increase to you ... You are the ones blessed by Jehovah.”—Psalm 115:14,15.
During 1984 these words were sung anew—not literally but in a symbolic way—at festivals of quite another kind. They were the 1984 “Kingdom Increase” District Conventions held by Jehovah’s Witnesses in many parts of the world. Did they have reason for choosing “Kingdom Increase” as their convention theme and for applying the psalmist’s words to themselves?
Outsiders Take Note of Increase
About the Witnesses in Belgium the newspaper Le Jour wrote: “The 1984 theme ‘Kingdom Increase’ very aptly describes this group ... From only 600 strong in 1945, they number more than 22,000 today, which figure does not include proselytes and sympathizers.” And in France the newspaper Le Provençal reported: “One hundred and five years after the birth of their movement, the Witnesses are growing in numbers at an increased pace.”
What has been catching the world’s attention, however, is not just the Witnesses’ increase in numbers but also their matchless life-style. Outsiders are impressed by people obviously blessed with qualities all too seldom seen in a loveless, dirty, and disunited world. The stadium director in Florence, Italy, for example, commented: “Mine is a selfish viewpoint, I know, but I wish that Jehovah’s Witnesses would hold their assemblies here in the stadium every two months. That way it would always be clean. You are amazing.”
“They are an amazing people,” agreed a worker in a car showroom near the Southampton, England, convention grounds. The worker added: “When the world is fighting and quarreling, they are so peaceful and all of them are smiling. It is a shame that the whole world is not like them.”
Finnish journalist Heli Savin described them as “a crowd of seven thousand young girls and boys, fathers and mothers, grannies and grandpas, [who] ... formed one large family among which good manners and respectfulness toward others prevailed.” The writer continued: “The best sight, in my opinion, was the boys at the age of our ‘troublesome teenagers.’ ... I actually felt an urge to hug them and cry out: ‘Mankind does have some hope left!’”
Meeting the Requirements for Increase
In ancient times, divinely given increase was dependent upon God’s people rejecting idol worship, putting complete “trust in Jehovah,” and “fearing” him. (Psalm 115:4-13) Jehovah’s Witnesses today try hard to meet these requirements. That they truly do fear Jehovah was pointed out by a convention speaker who explained: “Jehovah’s Witnesses in all parts of the earth are earnest students of the Bible. Indeed they ‘tremble’ at God’s Word as they constantly take in accurate knowledge of the loving purposes of their Grand Instructor.”—See Isaiah 66:2.
This desire to please Jehovah was mirrored in the choice of material dealt with on the convention program. Divine standards of conduct were stressed. A moving Bible drama demonstrated how ancient Israel lost God’s blessing when Achan repudiated godly fear and embarked upon a course of disloyalty. Jehovah’s Witnesses want to prevent anything similar from happening in the Christian congregation today.
The conventions offered Jehovah’s Witnesses ample opportunity to manifest their trust in their God. For example, a Witness in Switzerland was told in May that he was being laid off work at the end of June for reasons related to religion. Despite this financial setback, he refused to compromise his stand and continued making convention plans for his family of nine. Then, during his last week at work, he was told he could keep his job, would be given a better one, in fact, and that the days he needed for convention attendance would be charged to vacation time. “The only problem left,” he reports, “was getting the children out of bed early enough to get to the convention grounds on time.”
This and similar experiences show how highly Jehovah’s Witnesses treasure the spiritual instruction their conventions provide. In fact, a mailman in Finland whose application for vacation was rejected paid one of his workmates $35 a day to do his work for him. Afterward he remarked: “The assembly was worth that price. Just think what I would have missed had I stayed at home!”
At 127 conventions in 15 European countries, there were 11,918 newly baptized Witnesses, many of whom had only recently turned their backs on idol worship.
Included in those who made such a public declaration, acknowledging that they now considered Jehovah “their help and their shield,” were N. K. and her 19-year-old sister E. G. from Sweden. (Psalm 115:11) They are Gypsies. Changing their traditional way of life meant breaking very strong social ties and freeing themselves from many deep-rooted traditions, including certain forms of idol worship. Upon being baptized, E. B., a member of the prominent cathedral choir in Graz, Austria, commented: “It was only after I started studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses that I realized that choir activities were directly connected with idolatry.”
Of course, anything that crowds the Creator and his worship out of our lives and thoughts is a form of idolatry. This is what gambling was for one ardent poker player. But how insecure his life was! With thousands of dollars one day, he would be penniless the next. Coming to appreciate real riches—spiritual ones—he abandoned his idolatrous life of gambling and was baptized at Mo-i-Rana, Norway.
Others fall victim to the idolatry of trusting in human theories, philosophies, and governments rather than in God, whose very existence they either deny or ignore. Vito, a 37-year-old train engineer baptized at Avellino, Italy, illustrates this point. An atheist, a communist, and a firm believer in evolution, he considered religion “the opium of the people.” But his atheistic faith was shaken when Witnesses convinced him of the inconsistencies in the evolution theory. A Bible study resulted. No longer does he ask as the nations do: “Where, now, is their God?” but as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he declares: “Our God is in the heavens.”—Psalm 115:2,3.
Increase From Among Small and Great
Jehovah is the “living God, who is a Savior of all sorts of men.” (1Timothy 4:10) Or as Psalm 115:13 expresses it: “He will bless those fearing [him], the small ones as well as the great ones.” Thus among the newly baptized Witnesses were many ordinary citizens, small ones as it were, but also others who, from a worldly standpoint, might be considered great ones. “All sorts of men” were represented. Consider some examples.
One year ago a top-ranking athlete and highly respected sports coach was baptized in Helsinki, Finland.a He began witnessing to a 14-year-old girl whom he was training. In her three-hour athletic training period, he even included one hour of Bible study! Now, in 1984, despite family opposition, she was baptized at one of the Finnish conventions.
The superintendent of Sunday schools at a Baptist Church in the United States, upon learning the truth, began opening her class with prayer to Jehovah. She says: “The students responded quite well to that, but then to my surprise some of the teachers, as well as fellow members of the church, became disturbed. Many of them walked out of my classes, saying that what I was teaching was so different from what the ‘Reverend’ had taught. Indeed, it was different because I was using material from My Book of Bible Stories. I had purchased 30 copies of the Bible Stories book, doing this out of my tithes for the class. I gave a copy to the ‘Reverend,’ seeking his approval. Later he approached me, saying: ‘The book is very well written, I really like it, it is very beautiful....’ His attitude suddenly changed when he read who published the book—the Watchtower Society.” This hypocrisy helped her break free from bondage to Babylon the Great, and she was baptized at the Cicero, Illinois, convention.
In Sweden a 20-year-old girl picked up one of the Society’s books from her mother’s bookshelf and started to read it. Fascinated by what she learned, she began to answer the questions at the bottom of each page and wrote down the answers in a notebook. She read the book five times and filled two notebooks with her answers. After resigning from the Swedish state church, she called the local Kingdom Hall and made contact with the Witnesses.
Others baptized included a schoolteacher from Portugal who, in her own words, was formerly “fully dedicated to overthrowing the government.” Another kind of fighter, the former director of a karate school and himself a karate prizewinner, was baptized in Austria. In Spain a young woman, with a history of drug trafficking, robbery, and immorality behind her, was at age 22 an abandoned wife expecting a child. She was almost ready to give up fighting, for she was contemplating suicide before meeting Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Some accepted the truth within a few months. Others needed more time. A mother baptized in Germany had lived next door to Jehovah’s Witnesses for 11 years. But not until the Witness children began talking to her 8- and 11-year-old children did she begin to take an interest in their message. And in becoming one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a 91-year-old German was following the example of his father, who had been baptized somewhat earlier—88 years earlier to be exact—in 1896!
Some experienced in a marvelous way that “Kingdom Increase” is proceeding under angelic guidance. (See Revelation 14:6,7.) A 25-year-old man from the Netherlands believed in reincarnation and practiced spiritism. He worshiped the sun and even hoped one day to become part of it. To achieve this goal, he was determined to die, as he expressed it, ‘in one way or another in March1983.’ The Witnesses met him in February!
In view of this great increase from among “all sorts of men,” both small and great, what can we expect for the future?
Still More to Come!
We can be sure that there is more to come. First of all, Jehovah has promised further increase. (See Isaiah 60:22.) Second, as the figures in the accompanying box show, there is still a tremendous potential for increase. Note the percentage of people in attendance at the conventions above the peak number of active Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1984. Notice, too, the number of Witnesses newly baptized during the last service year, all of whom will now be helping to preach the good news of God’s established Kingdom to others. Without doubt, the conventions have laid a proper basis for further increase. After the convention in Hannover, Germany, K.V. expressed it this way: “In a loving and pointed way, the convention program called attention to the basic conditions for contributing to Kingdom increase—things dealing with our personal lives, relationships within the congregation, attitudes toward the organization, and life in the family.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses take no personal credit for this increase. “To us belongs nothing, OJehovah, to us belongs nothing,” they readily admit. It is rather “according to [God’s] loving-kindness, according to [his] trueness,” and his blessing that this increase has taken place and will continue to do so in the future.—Psalm 115:1; see also Zechariah 4:6.
Joyful in the service of their God, Jehovah’s Witnesses invite “all sorts of men” everywhere to become personally a part of Kingdom increase by joining them in saying the words of the Hallel: “But we ourselves will bless Jah from now on and to time indefinite.”—Psalm 115:18.
[Footnotes]
a See the 1984 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, page9.
[Box on page20]
WHAT CONVENTIONERS SAID:
“I think 100,000 words would be insufficient to describe my feelings of appreciation to Jehovah for this spiritual feast.”—R. S., Luxembourg
“In the release of the brochure The Divine Name That Will Endure Forever I saw a proof of Jehovah’s blessing. I had hoped to have something like this for a long time. Thanks a million!”—A. L., Federal Republic of Germany
“The release of the reference Bible is a personal blessing to me from Jehovah ... Fantastic! I have read the Bible three times. The new Bible is an incentive to read it again.”—A. P. and J. J., United States
[Graph on page22]
(For fully formatted text, see publication.)
1984 “KINGDOM INCREASE” DISTRICT CONVENTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Peak number of Percentage of Newly baptized
Witnesses in 1984 convention Witnesses during
attendance over 1984 service year
1984 peak
Austria 15,618 37% 790
Belgium 20,499 39% 1,009
Britain 97,495 40% 5,166
Denmark 14,337 62% 391
Finland 15,263 54% 629
France 82,458 34% 4,708
F.R. of
Germany 109,102 29% 4,288
Italy 116,555 45% 9,060
Luxembourg 1,129 18% 54
Netherlands 27,812 51% 841
Norway 7,670 48% 328
Portugal 27,220 71% 1,859
Spain 56,717 49% 3,671
Sweden 19,526 29% 845
Switzerland 12,378 41% 713
United States 690,830 53% 35,618
Total of 69,970
[Pictures on page19]
Top: Conventioners on their way to preach in Hannover, Germany
Bottom left: New reference Bible released in Edinburgh, Scotland
Bottom right: No racial barriers—Japanese Witnesses attending in Dortmund, Germany
FAQs
What is the best argument against Jehovah Witness? ›
Jehovah's Witnesses have also been criticized because they reject blood transfusions, even in life-threatening medical situations, and of failing to report cases of sexual abuse to the authorities. Many of the claims are denied by Jehovah's Witnesses and some have also been disputed by courts and religious scholars.
Who created Jehovah Witness? ›The Jehovah's Witnesses are an outgrowth of the International Bible Students Association, which was founded in 1872 in Pittsburgh by Charles Taze Russell.
Why is the Jehovah Witness Bible different? ›Witnesses view the Old and New Testaments as "God's inspired message to humans." But they don't take every word literally. Instead they believe that parts of the Bible are written in "figurative or symbolic language."
What Bible do Jehovah Witness use? ›The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) is a translation of the Bible published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society; it is used and distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses.
Is Jehovah's Witness a true religion? ›Religious beliefs and practices
For instance, they teach that Jesus is the son of God but is not part of a Trinity. By traditional measures of religious commitment, Jehovah's Witnesses are one of the most highly religious major U.S. religious groups.
The majority of elders are family men and maintain secular employment to support their families. Jehovah's Witnesses do not have a salaried clergy nor any employees.
What is the leader of Jehovah Witness called? ›Jehovah's Witnesses use the term traveling overseer to refer to headquarters representatives and circuit overseers, all of whom are elders.
Who is the head of Jehovah Witness? ›David H. Splane (1999) Jeffrey Winder (2023)
What is the afterlife for Jehovah Witness? ›Death is considered a state of non-existence, based on their understanding of Ecclesiastes 9:5: "For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all." Witnesses believe that the only hope for life after death is in the resurrection, which they say involves re- ...
Do Jehovah's Witnesses take the Bible literally? ›The Bible. Jehovah's Witnesses believe the Bible was inspired by God and is historically accurate. They see the Bible as the main way in which God communicates his will to human beings, and they interpret it literally (except for passages that are obviously meant to be symbolic or poetic).
What is the symbol for Jehovah Witness? ›
The purple triangle was a concentration camp badge used by the Nazis to identify Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany. The purple triangle was introduced in July 1936 with other concentration camps such as those of Dachau and Buchenwald following in 1937 and 1938.
Who in the NBA is a Jehovah Witness? ›According to Google, there are actually three current and ex-NBA players who are Jehovah's Witnesses — Dewayne Dedmon (currently of the Miami Heat) and former Indiana Pacers' teammates, Danny Granger and Darren Collison.
Is Jehovah Witness heaven full? ›Based on their understanding of scriptures such as Revelation 14:1-4, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians go to heaven to rule with Christ in the kingdom of God. They, with Jesus, will perform priestly duties that will bring faithful mankind to perfect health and 'everlasting life'.
What do Jehovah Witnesses believe about the 144,000? ›Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians from Pentecost of 33 AD until the present day will be resurrected to heaven as immortal spirit beings to spend eternity with God and Christ. They believe that these people are "anointed" by God to become part of the spiritual "Israel of God".
How many Jehovah's Witnesses leave each year? ›Siblings write off siblings. Friends shun friends. An estimated 70,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are disfellowshipped every year — roughly 1% of the church's total population, according to data published by the Watchtower.
Can Jehovah Witnesses be friends with non? ›They limit contact with non-Jehovah's Witnesses
Followers are discouraged from having close relationships with those who are not part of the faith. People who are “worldly” are seen as bad influences or “bad associations.”
Jehovah's Witnesses fastest-growing of U.S. faiths
Although Jehovah's Witnesses ranked 24th on the list of 25 largest churches, they reported the largest growth rate -- 2.25 percent -- of all churches. The badly divided Episcopal Church, meanwhile, reported the largest drop, at 4.15 percent.
Statistics. The following statistics from Pew Research Center shows that Christianity is the world's most persecuted religion across all nations and that it is the largest religious group and continues to grow.
Are Mormons like Jehovah Witnesses? ›Both Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons identify as Christians, although their non-Trinitarian doctrine — both deny that Jesus Christ shares a single fundamental divine essence with God the Father and the Holy Spirit — has often brought them into conflict with mainline Christian tradition.
What religion is closest to Christianity? ›Islam shares a number of beliefs with Christianity. They share similar views on judgment, heaven, hell, spirits, angels, and a future resurrection.
What is the average income of Jehovah Witness? ›
How much do Jehovah's Witnesses employees earn on average in the United States? Jehovah's Witnesses pays an average salary of $427,772 and salaries range from a low of $376,759 to a high of $486,741.
Do Jehovah Witnesses pay taxes? ›Jesus ordered us to pay Ceasar what he is owed and God what he is owed. Jehovahs Witnesses must be exemplary in filing and paying their taxes.
Do Jehovah Witnesses see doctors? ›BELIEFS RELATED TO HEALTH CARE
Jehovah's Witnesses accept medial and surgical treatment. They do not adhere to so-called “faith healing” and are not opposed to the practice of medicine.
Jehovah's Witnesses fund their activities, such as publishing, real estate investments, constructing and operating facilities, evangelism, and disaster relief via donations.
What do Jehovah Witnesses call their church? ›Jehovah's Witnesses use Kingdom Halls for the majority of their worship and Bible instruction. Witnesses prefer the term "Kingdom Hall" over "church", noting that the term often translated "church" in the Bible refers to the congregation of people rather than a structure.
What are sins to Jehovah's Witnesses? ›The denomination requires adherence to a strict moral code, which forbids premarital sex, homosexuality, gender transitioning, adultery, smoking, drunkenness and drug abuse, and blood transfusions.
When was Raymond Franz disfellowshipped? ›The Governing Body investigation resulted in the disfellowshipping of several other headquarters staff. On September 1, 1980, the Governing Body distributed a letter to all Circuit and District overseers stating that apostates need not be promoting doctrines to be disfellowshipped.
Who wrote the book of Jehovah? ›...
Organizational developments.
| 1917 | Rutherford elected president of Watch Tower |
|---|---|
| 1942 | Rutherford dies |
Jehovah's Witness Beliefs About Cremation
As Witnesses believe in spiritual rather than physical resurrection, the faith does not have any prohibitions against cremation.
The Jehovah's Witnesses Funeral Service
The service is brief (generally between 15 and 30 minutes) and the body of the deceased is usually present. Following the service, the body is transported to either the crematorium or to the cemetery for a graveside service and burial.
Can you go to a Jehovah Witness funeral? ›
Jehovah's Witness funeral etiquette
Mourners of other faiths and beliefs are normally welcome to attend the funeral of a Jehovah's Witness. It is acceptable to offer food and flowers to the bereaved, but remember that there will not be a reception.
By far the largest denomination with objections to medical care is the Jehovah's Witnesses with millions of members.
Do Jehovah Witness drink alcohol? ›Jehovah's Witnesses reject foods containing blood but have no other special dietary requirements. Some Jehovah's Witnesses may be vegetarian and others may abstain from alcohol, but this is a personal choice. Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke or use other tobacco products.
Why do Jehovah's Witnesses call God Jehovah? ›Jehovah's Witnesses emphasize the use of God's name, and they prefer the form Jehovah—a vocalization of God's name based on the Tetragrammaton. They believe that Jehovah is the only true God, the creator of all things, and the "Universal Sovereign".
What is Jehovah's full name? ›Yahweh, name for the God of the Israelites, representing the biblical pronunciation of “YHWH,” the Hebrew name revealed to Moses in the book of Exodus.
Is Jesus a Jehovah's name? ›In testifying of the Savior Jesus Christ, modern prophets have declared: “He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament” (“The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” Ensign or Liahona, Apr. 2000, 2).
Is Michael Jackson a Jehovah? ›But Jackson connected it to something else: His religion. Raised as a Jehovah's Witness, Jackson as a child would go door to door peddling religious literature.
What NFL player is a Jehovah Witness? ›Multiple sources speculated Worilds chose to retire to dedicate his life to his religion as a Jehovah's Witness. He finished his career with 25.5 career sacks.
Is the Jackson family Jehovah Witness? ›Most of the Jackson family are Jehovah's Witness. “I've reached a point right now where I have love and respect for my family, their beliefs, their culture, their religion and if I'm to expect them to set that aside just so I can feel accepted, expectations lead to resentments for me,” Jackson said.
How many people will enter heaven? ›The Bible does not say in any part that it is only the 144,000 that will go to heaven. The revelation to John supports Matthew 8:11, which says that many will come from every corner of the earth to sit with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The number 144,000 that were sealed or chosen are not pre-chosen.
Is Jehovah the name of God? ›
Jehovah (/dʒɪˈhoʊvə/) is a Latinization of the Hebrew יְהֹוָה Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. The Tetragrammaton יהוה is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and the personal name of God in Christianity.
Who was the first person to go to heaven alive? ›Sacred Scripture teaches that Enoch and Elijah were assumed into heaven while still alive and not experiencing physical death.
Where do Jehovah Witnesses go after death? ›Beliefs & Teachings about Death
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that when a person dies, their existence completely stops. This is because the Bible makes it clear that human beings do not have an immortal soul that survives when the body dies.
Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. They affirm that God—Jehovah—is the most high. Jesus Christ is God's agent, through whom sinful humans can be reconciled to God. The Holy Spirit is the name of God's active force in the world.
What are the don'ts of Jehovah Witnesses? ›The denomination requires adherence to a strict moral code, which forbids premarital sex, homosexuality, gender transitioning, adultery, smoking, drunkenness and drug abuse, and blood transfusions.
What is a sin to Jehovah Witness? ›Jehovah's Witnesses consider many actions to be "serious sins", for which baptized Witnesses are subject to a judicial committee hearing. Such actions include: abortion. adultery. anal or oral sex.
Why don t Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus is God? ›Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is God's "only-begotten Son", and that his life began in heaven. He is described as God's first creation and the "exact representation of God", but is believed to be a separate entity and not part of a Trinity.
Can Jehovah Witness have non witness friends? ›They limit contact with non-Jehovah's Witnesses
Followers are discouraged from having close relationships with those who are not part of the faith. People who are “worldly” are seen as bad influences or “bad associations.”
Jehovah's Witnesses do play professional sport, but body contact and ruthless competitiveness are questionable, according to a senior elder.
Why do Jehovah Witnesses believe only 144 000 go to heaven? ›Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians from Pentecost of 33 AD until the present day will be resurrected to heaven as immortal spirit beings to spend eternity with God and Christ. They believe that these people are "anointed" by God to become part of the spiritual "Israel of God".
Why do Jehovah Witnesses knock on doors? ›
“To us, going door to door is an expression of our God's impartiality,” he said. “We go to everyone and let them choose whether they want to hear us or not.” Even in pre-pandemic times, door-knocking ministry came with anxiety because Witnesses never knew how they would be received at any given home.
Why do Jehovah Witness shun family? ›This is because Jehovah's Witnesses believe those outside the religion can be of detriment to their faith.
How many Jehovah's Witnesses are Disfellowshipped yearly? ›Friends shun friends. An estimated 70,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are disfellowshipped every year — roughly 1% of the church's total population, according to data published by the Watchtower. Their names are published at local Kingdom Halls. Of those, two-thirds never return.
Who do Mormons say Jesus is? ›We believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh (John 3:16). We accept the prophetic declarations in the Old Testament that refer directly and powerfully to the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of all humankind. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the fulfillment of those prophecies.
Do Jehovah Witnesses celebrate anything? ›Jehovah's witnesses do not celebrate national or religious holidays or birthdays. The only day they do memorialize is Jesus Christ's death around the time of Easter and Passover.
Do Jehovah Witness believe Jesus is alive? ›What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe? Witnesses believe in one God, not the Trinity. Like most Christians, they believe that Jesus Christ died for humankind's sins, however they do not believe that he was physically resurrected after his crucifixion. They believe that he was only spiritually resurrected.