Awake!, October 22, 1974

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Awake! — October 22, 1974

Source: jw.org

Contents

Belief in the Devil—What Difference Does It Make?

Doubts About the Devil’s Existence—Are They Sound?

How Real Is the Devil?

They Developed a New Spirit

On the Scene in Cyprus

What Future for the Suez Canal?

Can You Take Advancement?

Champion Jumpers of the Animal World

“When Serving Beef . . .”

Should Religions Raise Money by Bingo?

Watching the World

Will Prayers For God’s Kingdom Soon Be Answered?

What is the Meaning of Life?

Belief in the Devil—What Difference Does It Make?

Belief in the Devil​—What Difference Does It Make?

THERE has been an explosion of interest in the Devil in recent years. And this has been happening not just among poorer, less educated people, or among very religious ones.

Outright worship of Satan, along with a wave of interest in occult practices such as astrology, fortune-telling, witchcraft, magic and séances, also has captured the interest of many well-educated people. Strangely, persons who do not even believe in God have become convinced that there is a Devil.

On the other hand, many other persons balk at the suggestion of the Devil’s existence. They feel that it makes no difference one way or the other. Atheists and agnostics conduct their lives as if there were no supernatural influence whatsoever, good or evil. Even many who believe in God deny the reality of the Devil. Others feel that questions about the supernatural do not touch their personal lives. But is the reasoning of these people sound?

Some Puzzling Questions

Persons who hastily reject the thought of any evil influence from the supernatural may not realize that this brings them face to face with a number of puzzling questions. Why, for example, has human history been so filled with evil? Why have hatred, violence and war plagued man for the millenniums of his history? What is responsible for the inhuman treatment perpetrated by certain nations against others, such as the genocide practiced by Hitler’s Nazis?

Of course, some try to skirt these questions by blaming the whole thing on man or, as they say, “the evil in man.” But do you really believe that that is where the full blame lies? What about the good in man? Do not the majority of people want to live in peace, and have they not made strenuous efforts to achieve this goal? Have not modern times afforded unprecedented educational advantages for mankind to learn the folly of oppression and violence?

But in spite of repeated efforts to solve the world’s problems, things keep moving in the wrong direction. Outstanding human efforts for peace such as the League of Nations and the United Nations have failed to eradicate war and the threat of nuclear destruction. Hunger plagues vast areas of the earth. Government programs, however sincere, have proved powerless to stem the rising tide of drug addiction, thefts, rapes, murders and the shocking inhumanity of crimes committed by youth, which make city life throughout the world a nightmare. The evil that mankind experiences is away out of proportion to the malice of the people involved. Why?

Predicaments for Believers in God

The predicament gets even worse if you believe in God yet reject the possibility of there being a Devil. How so? Because doubtless you have been taught that the Creator is a God of love, mercy and tender compassion. (Ex. 34:6; Luke 1:78) Yet wickedness and suffering continue to afflict the human family. Could a loving God be responsible for that?

Even further difficulties arise when people who profess to accept the Bible as the Word of God deny that there is a Devil. If the Bible’s references to the Devil are not true, how can one be sure that other parts of it are true? Rejection of any part of the Bible renders suspect all its other teachings, including the accounts about Jesus Christ.

Whether you are religious or not, some form of evil affects you, your family, your friends and the community in which you live. If there is an ultimate source of these woes, would not pinpointing it make an important difference to you? On the other hand, turning your back on this question leaves the problems mentioned above unsolved, leading to frustration and bitterness.

But why is it that so many have doubts about the reality of the Devil?

Doubts About the Devil’s Existence—Are They Sound?

Doubts About the Devil’s Existence​—Are They Sound?

FOR the first seventeen hundred years of the Common Era there was little doubt among professing Christians as to the existence of the Devil. People understood this term to refer to a wicked spirit person bearing the name “Satan,” the principal enemy of God and man. But absurd and conflicting teachings that developed about the Devil eventually caused much confusion and disbelief.

Popular notions about the Devil today, for example, are often related to superstitions that developed in the “dark ages.” Artwork of that period depicted this archenemy of God and man as a grotesque winged creature with a tail, horns protruding from his head and a pitchfork in his hand. All manner of ills were attributed directly to the Devil, who was also believed to be the keeper of a fiery-hot hell.

Effects of the “Age of Reason”

Then came the eighteenth century, called the period of “enlightenment” or the “age of reason.” Thinkers of that time lashed out at the superstitions that had held masses of people in ignorance. Increased emphasis on scientific, “rational” thinking brought with it a contempt for the supernatural.

Subsequently, psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud associated belief in the Devil with evils that individuals suffered at the hands of a harsh male parent in early life. It became popular to look upon Biblical references to Satan the Devil as referring merely to a personification of evil.

Many Bible scholars even claimed that Bible writers borrowed from pagan beliefs in painting their picture of the “Evil One.” One source of such beliefs is supposed to be the religion of ancient Iran (Persia) founded by Zoroaster in the sixth century B.C.E. Zoroastrianism teaches a “dualism” in which the supreme God, Ahura-mazda, has a foe, Ahriman, whom Ahura-mazda is to vanquish at the end of time.

Other scholars say that the Scriptures, when speaking of Satan the Devil, do not require actual belief in such a one, but merely reflect sentiments that were popular in ancient Israel.

Modern Views Add to Confusion

Further confusion has resulted from modern teachings about the Devil. While many persons still feel that Satan is a wicked spirit person, others say that the Devil can be of genuine benefit to mankind. Members of the religious group called “The Process,” for example, say that Satan “has been forgiven, and is now working with Christ in unity.”

There is disagreement even among those who hold that the Devil is a personification of something. While many feel that Satan personifies evil forces, others believe that they can use Satanic power to their advantage. A “priestess” of the “Church of Satan” stated: “For us Satan is only a symbol of a life force that we can use to help us get what we want.”

Thus many people believe that the Devil is a person; others, a force. Some look upon Satan as an inveterate enemy of God and man, while others view the same one as a benefactor.

Sound Reasons for Doubts?

Are these conflicting theories sound reasons for doubting the reality of the Devil? Let us take a closer look at them.

The Bible, though it mentions Satan the Devil scores of times, never describes the Devil’s appearance. The popular idea that a winged Devil, with pointed tail and pitchfork, is the keeper of a fiery hell is largely due to the imagination of artists, many of whom were influenced by the Inferno of the Italian Catholic poet Dante Alighieri.

People who find that conception repugnant will be happy to know that the Bible does not teach such absurd things about the Devil; nor does it teach the existence of a fiery hell. On the contrary, the Scriptures plainly state that ‘the dead are conscious of nothing at all’; they are completely unconscious. (Eccl. 9:5, 10) Thus popular notions about the Devil often have no foundation in the Bible.

What about the so-called “enlightened” rejection of the supernatural? Has this really improved mankind’s lot? Has unaided human reason led to a safer, more moral world in which man’s basic needs for food, clothing, shelter and a meaningful way of life are adequately cared for? No. And it should be obvious to any reasonable person that simply denying the reality of something does not disprove its existence.

Evidence is lacking, too, with regard to the assumption that the Bible got its doctrine about the Devil from Zoroastrianism. According to Jacques Duchesne-Guillemin, a professor of Indo-Iranian studies, both Ahura-mazda (the supreme god of the Zoroastrians) and his enemy Ahriman “seem to have existed from all eternity.” The Bible does not say this about the Devil. Rather, it teaches that the Devil had a beginning and that he “did not stand fast in the truth.”​—John 8:44.

Thus many of the doubts that people have about the existence of the Devil have no basis beyond popular superstitions and arbitrary reasoning. These things do not constitute a valid basis for denying the reality of the Devil or for refusing to consider reliable evidence on the matter. But where can such evidence be found? How can one know for sure whether there really is a Devil?

How Real Is the Devil?

How Real Is the Devil?

“SEEING is believing,” goes a popular saying. It is well known that the best testimony to any fact is that of a reliable eyewitness. Do we have such an eyewitness to help us to answer the question: How real is the Devil?

That might seem impossible; but is it? Did you know that Jesus Christ lived in heaven before coming to earth? He was an eyewitness to things that went on in the spirit realm and had much to say about the Devil.​—John 8:23; 17:5.

It would be most unwise to brush aside the testimony of Jesus. He always told the truth. He gave his life for the sake of the truth. (John 18:37; 8:40) Jesus’ words of wisdom, especially in his famous Sermon on the Mount, have won the highest praise, even from non-Christians. Yet in that sermon Jesus taught his followers to pray: “Deliver us from the wicked one.”​—Matt. 6:13.

And what about God himself? Certainly he should know whether there is a Devil. The Bible as a whole contains the Creator’s point of view. It, too, bears all the earmarks of credibility. When relating events it gives the time, the place and the names of persons involved. The accuracy of the historical accounts in the Bible has amazed even its critics. Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled to the smallest detail. And Scriptural counsel on human relations has proved to be unsurpassed.

What, therefore, does the Bible, which includes the testimony of Jesus Christ, say about Satan? Is “the Devil” merely an abstraction, a principle or force? Or does this term refer to an intelligent spirit person that can influence humans? According to the Bible, how real is the Devil?

Abstraction or a Person?

The Scriptures consistently refer to the Devil as a person. The Bible’s book of Job opens with an account of angelic “sons of the true God” assembling before Jehovah. Concerning this gathering, which doubtless included Jesus in his prehuman form, we read: “Satan proceeded to enter right among them.” (Job 1:6) Satan’s coming among God’s “sons,” who are persons, indicates that he, too, is a person. So does the fact that Satan conversed with Jehovah God.​—Job 1:6-12; 2:1-5.

Many other Bible passages show that the Devil is a person. For example, 1 Chronicles 21:1 and Zechariah 3:1, 2 reveal Satan to be a resister of God’s people and, therefore, of God himself. (Zech. 2:8; Luke 10:16) In fact, the name Satan is Hebrew and means “resister, adversary.”

The Gospel account at Matthew 4:1-11 tells of Jesus’ being tempted by “the Devil,” a Greek term meaning “false accuser, misrepresenter, slanderer.” This threefold temptation of Jesus involved conversation between Jesus and the Devil in which Satan employed clever arguments, including a wrong application of Psalm 91:11, 12, to induce Jesus to sin against God. (Matt. 4:6) Jesus later called the Devil a “father” (in a figurative sense), a “manslayer” and a “liar.” (John 8:44) The apostle Paul, at 2 Corinthians 2:11, spoke of evil “designs” that Satan schemes up against Christians.

Only an intelligent, reasoning person could think, speak to God and Jesus Christ and ‘design’ tactics against people. It is worthy of note, too, that the majority of mankind throughout history have attributed the ultimate cause of evil to a person or persons in the spirit realm.

Did God Create the Devil?

Certain persons object that a righteous, loving God could never create a Devil. God is too good to do that, they say. But does such reasoning prove that the Devil does not exist?

Actually, that view is shortsighted, for the Bible nowhere says that God created an opposer of himself and of his creatures. Remember Jesus’ statement that the Devil “did not stand fast in the truth.” (John 8:44) He was once in harmony with God’s truth. But pride and desire to have people worship him instead of God moved Satan to forsake his righteous standing and to become a slanderous opposer of God.​—1 Tim. 3:6; Matt. 4:9; Gen. 3:1-7.

Some insist that an all-wise, all-powerful God could not create a son that would turn bad. But such an assertion reduces God’s intelligent creatures to robots that are incapable of free choice. The fact that man was created “in God’s image,” and perfect at that, and yet turned bad, precludes such a narrow viewpoint.​—Gen. 1:27, 31; Deut. 32:4.

But why has God allowed the Devil to exist for so long?

Why Permitted to Exist?

At the beginning of human history the Devil, through a serpent, introduced rebellion into the human family. (Gen. 3:1-7; Rev. 12:9) He deceived Eve into thinking that disobedience to God would be a way of superior enlightenment. He suggested that mankind would be better off governing themselves, deciding for themselves what was good and what was bad, instead of submitting to God’s direction. In direct contradiction to God, Satan stated that Adam and Eve would not die if they disobeyed.​—Gen. 2:15-17; 3:1-5.

The Devil thus implied that God was a liar and that God’s way of ruling over mankind was unrighteous and oppressive. The Bible account of Job shows that Satan also questioned the motive with which people serve God. He claimed that Job did so only because God prospered him materially.​—Job 1:9-11; 2:4, 5.

Some important questions, therefore, arose. Would rebellion against God really bring benefits, as Satan had claimed? Could man rule himself successfully by any form of government? Or would blessings for mankind result only from submitting to God’s rulership? Also, is all worship of God selfishly motivated? Or would there be people who would willingly keep integrity to God, even under dire circumstances? In the interests of eternal peace and harmony among all intelligent creatures, God chose to allow sufficient time to settle this issue once and for all.

Deceptive Ruler of a World System

During his period of permitted existence the Devil has been allowed widespread influence over mankind. Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of the world.” (John 14:30) And at Revelation 12:9 he is said to be “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” Did you know that? Few people do. Why?

Because Satan “keeps transforming himself into an angel of light.” (2 Cor. 11:14) He is a master at deception. (Gen. 3:13; 1 Tim. 2:14) People should, therefore, not expect that the Devil would control the majority of mankind through outright Satan worship, involvement in occult practices or direct demon possession. Most persons are not inclined to such extremes. It is much more to Satan’s liking to hold sway in a subtle way over intelligent, capable persons who are highly respected. He does this in his role as “the god of this system of things,” which includes the world’s great political, commercial and religious systems. (2 Cor. 4:4) Note how this is so.

The Bible’s book of Revelation symbolizes the political element of this world system as “a wild beast . . . with ten horns and seven heads.” (Rev. 13:1) Where did it get its ruling authority? “The dragon [Satan the Devil] gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.” (Rev. 13:2; 12:9) Has not the human political system manifested Satan’s animalistic disposition? Though God prohibits the wanton taking of human life, the history of earth’s governments has been one of wholesale bloodshed to further nationalistic aims.

It is true that, on occasion, political leaders speak of God and make a pretense of prayer, asking God’s guidance on governmental affairs. But then they ignore his written Word, his righteous commandments, his clearly expressed will, and push ahead with their own selfish schemes. They have taught mankind that their destiny lies in their own hands rather than in God’s. It is no wonder that the Bible says that “expressions inspired by demons” are leading the political rulers of the earth into a final war against God.​—Rev. 16:13, 14.

The Scriptures closely associate the commercial element with the political “kings of the earth.” (Rev. 18:9-19) Does not commerce, too, manifest the spirit of God’s chief adversary? Everywhere greed and dishonesty are apparent, so much so that a common motto today is Caveat emptor, that is, “Let the buyer beware.”

But are not the great traditional religions of the world different? Do they not constitute a mighty bulwark against any superhuman evil influence? On the contrary, the religious leaders of both Christendom and pagandom have intimately associated themselves with the political and commercial leaders. As “friendship with the world is enmity with God,” these systems of worship betray themselves to be false religions.​—Jas. 4:4.

The Bible describes the world empire of false religion, called “Babylon the Great,” as a harlotrous woman “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, whereas those who inhabit the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”​—Rev. 17:2, 5.

Has not the human family swayed like a drunken man from the effects of this religiopolitical combine? Have not the world’s religions blessed the nations and prayed for the troops in their blood-spilling war efforts? And what about morals? It is clear that when the middle-class attitude on morals changes, so does that of many religious leaders. Ignoring the Word of God, hypocritical clergymen turn to the wisdom of the world and seek the plaudits and approval of men. No wonder that, instead of being described in God’s Word as a place of protection from the Devil, Babylon the Great is called “a dwelling place of demons.”​—Rev. 18:2.

Thus, the Bible shows that Satan, as the ‘god of this entire system of things,’ maneuvers its parts to suit his purposes, creating an overall way of thinking or mental bent that permeates mankind in general. (2 Cor. 4:4) It is as the apostle Paul said: The Devil is “the ruler . . . of the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2, The Bible in Living English; The Emphasised Bible; Young’s) Even persons who would like to live according to right principles find themselves “locked” into the present system of things, pressured to go along with its corrupt thinking and activities. And many have suffered direct harassment from the supernatural, such as hearing “voices,” seeing frightening appearances, or being afflicted by objects flying about for no known reason.

After considering all this evidence you may say that you believe that there really is a Devil. But more than just such a “belief” is necessary.

“Take Your Stand Against Him”​—How?

The apostle Peter, at 1 Peter 5:9, urges: “Take your stand against him [the Devil], solid in the faith.” How can a human ‘take a stand against’ a mighty spirit creature?

Certainly not by becoming superstitious, thinking that every unusual occurrence has a supernatural cause. Such thinking would be wrong, unscriptural, and could make a person fanatical and neurotic.

Nor would it be wise to seek the help of persons who practice “exorcism.” Jesus warned that such a practice would be an identifying mark of certain “false prophets,” saying:

“Be on your guard against false prophets . . . many will plead with me, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not exorcised demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!’”​—Matt. 7:15, 22, 23, The New American Bible; compare Acts 19:11-16.

It is not by any miraculous expelling of demons, but by putting on “the complete suit of armor from God,” that a person can “stand firm against the machinations of the Devil.” (Eph. 6:11) That “armor” includes Christian qualities such as faith, righteousness, peace and ability to make practical use of the Word of God. (Eph. 6:14-18) How can you acquire that protective armor?

First there must be a change of mind and heart. The Bible shows this, saying: “Do not conform to the present world system, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” “Be renewed in your mental attitude.” (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23, The New Berkeley Version) In this way you can break free from the dominant trend of thinking that the Devil has imposed on this world system. (John 8:32) Bible study will help you to develop real peace of mind, faith and hope in God’s purpose that will protect you from the Devil’s onslaughts. What, though, is God’s purpose toward this wicked one?

Removal of the Devil​—Soon

At the close of the first century C.E. the apostle John wrote: “For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest, namely, to break up the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3:8) The time for earth-wide realization of this is very near.

Nearly six thousand years have elapsed since the Devil first imposed his rule over humankind. That has afforded sufficient time to prove to be false Satan’s claim that ‘enlightened self-government’ apart from God can benefit mankind. And throughout human history multitudes of faithful men and women have clung to their worship of God despite extreme hardship, even the loss of life. This invalidates the Devil’s further claim that all humans would break integrity to God if brought under pressure.

There is no need, therefore, to prolong Satan’s existence. Bible prophecy indicates that within the present generation a “great tribulation” will sweep into destruction religious “Babylon the Great,” the political “wild beast” and all other parts of this present earthly system of things. (Matt. 24:3-14, 21, 34; Rev. 17:16; 18:8; 19:19-21) Right after that, Satan will be ‘bound and abyssed,’ restrained from all contact with the earth, for a full thousand years. Finally he will be eternally destroyed.​—Rev. 20:1-3, 7-10.

Do you wish to survive that “great tribulation” and the removal of Satan? If so, you must act now to “put on the complete suit of armor from God.” (Eph. 6:11) Jehovah’s witnesses will be happy to conduct a free Bible study with you in your home or any other convenient place. Contact the Witnesses locally. You are also welcome to attend any of the weekly meetings held in their Kingdom Halls. Taking advantage of this free offer will help you to make a start at obeying the counsel at James 4:7: “Subject yourselves, therefore, to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you.”

[Picture on page 9]

The Bible calls the Devil “the ruler of the world.” He maneuvers the great political, commercial and religious systems to suit his purpose. Did you know that?

They Developed a New Spirit

They Developed a New Spirit

THE world alienated from God and under the influence of the Devil has a spirit, dominant attitude or inclination that is opposed to righteous principles. But once people come to appreciate how unsatisfying their life really is and see that following Bible principles is far better, they start to make changes, and a new force or dominant attitude begins to actuate their minds.​—Eph. 4:17-24.

This was the experience of a former gambler and marijuana user. He relates:

‘I formerly spent much time gambling at Narragansett Race Track in Rhode Island. When I had gambled away my week’s pay I would borrow from fellow workers and go back to the track. Finally, despite having a well-paying job, I came so heavily into debt that I had to declare bankruptcy. During this time my wife and I spent most of our evenings smoking marijuana. I also spent much time getting drunk in bars and used to steal from the warehouse where I was employed.

‘In November 1973 two of Jehovah’s witnesses called on my wife at our home. Since my wife believed in evolution, they returned the following week and left her a book entitled “Did Man Get Here by Evolution or by Creation?” By the time they called again the following week, my wife had read the entire book and no longer believed in the evolution theory. The Witness couple arranged to begin a Bible study with her.

‘When they came for the first study I was home sick with a severe headache. Unknown to the Witnesses, I was listening to the discussion while in the bedroom. Previously I had told my wife that Jehovah’s witnesses were “kooks.” But after listening to them for a while I just had to come out and ask if I could join the discussion. After we talked for two hours, it was decided to change the study to an evening so that I could also share in it. This was at the end of December.

‘By the beginning of February we had stopped using marijuana, because of seeing the Bible’s view of drugs and wanting to conform our lives to its good standards. At this time I asked the couple with whom we were studying, “When can I get baptized?” With Jehovah’s help, I was able to make good progress both in my knowledge of the truth and in personal application of it. I was baptized on July 5 at an assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses held at the same place where I formerly spent much time gambling away my money​—Narragansett Race Track.’

A man who retired from military service after thirty-five years tells how his attitude about nationalism changed completely:

‘In 1962 my son became one of Jehovah’s witnesses. When I finally heard about it, I was sure he was brainwashed and told him so, although I knew nothing about Jehovah’s witnesses. My thoughts were just based on what I understood from other religious organizations. However, because my son and his wife did not join in with the usual family customs of observing Christmas, and so forth, it seemed to me that they were breaking off from the family.

‘When my son and his wife moved to Texas, I continued to live my life as I always had. But in time I began to feel that life was passing me by. I remember telling my wife that there must be something more to life than what we had, which was primarily playing golf and tending the garden. When my son and his wife came for a visit about two years ago, I talked for the first time to him about religion. I told him what I thought about Jehovah’s witnesses and found out that in many ways I was in error. He asked me if I believed in God. I said, “Of course.” He then asked me if I believed in the Bible as being the Word of God. I said I did. After some extended conversation he gave me some books about the Bible.

‘When he returned to Texas I studied these books by myself for a year. I had no trouble in accepting what I read except for one thing​—the Bible’s view of nationalism.

‘Still I continued to read the Bible and the publications of the Witnesses. By the time my son came back a year later, I had come to accept the fact that, if I was going to live by the Bible, I could no longer have anything to do with nationalistic patriotism. I accepted God’s view of the matter. When I reached that conclusion I made up my mind that I was going to be a Witness.’

Thus, regardless of how ingrained an inclination may be, it can be changed and real meaning to life can be found in conforming to God’s ways.

On the Scene in Cyprus

On the Scene in Cyprus

MY HOME is in a small village on the north coast of Cyprus. Just a mile and a half away is the picturesque resort town of Kyrenia. On a clear day we can see the Turkish mainland across the Mediterranean Sea some forty miles away.

Although I am English, I have spent many years in Cyprus, having first come here in 1948. When Cypriots were fighting for their independence in the 1950’s, dangerous situations were faced. But nothing to compare to recent events.

Ringside Seat to Invasion

When I arose at 4:30 Saturday morning, July 20, I looked out toward the Turkish coast. Due to political developments since Monday, we anticipated war. But nothing seemed unusual. This soon changed.

At 5 a.m. an airplane flew in low. The earth shook as bombs dropped. We turned on the radio and a Turkish station told us that the invasion was on.

My companion and I had a ringside view. Turkish warships were bombarding the coastal area. Planes swept in, forcing us to the floor as the house shuddered from the bombs.

Fortunately, the main target of the invasion was not our bit of coastline but to the west of Kyrenia. However, the Greek Cypriot camp a little way up the road from our house did come in for attention. When planes strafed it we again dove to the floor. As we got up this time we saw columns of smoke rise from the camp.

The air was now filled with aircraft. We looked up and saw the first of many waves of helicopters bringing troops and equipment, to be dropped just behind the more than 3,000-foot-high Kyrenia mountain range, which forms a backdrop to Kyrenia and the neighboring villages. The capital, Nicosia, is only a few miles on the other side of the mountains. At least fifty helicopters were in the air at a time, and after they dropped their cargo they headed back to sea.

That night, as danger threatened, many of our neighbors congregated at our house, bringing their bedding with them. We comforted mothers who feared for their soldier sons. Electricity had been cut off, and we dared not light even a candle.

Together we witnessed one of the most intense battles of the invasion. Turks and Greeks fought for the road to the capital, which lay right before us in the mountain. Bullets glowed red as they streaked relentlessly from mountaintop to mountaintop on either side of the pass. The mountainside, dry from the summer heat, was soon set aflame. Eventually the mountains glowed like furnaces fanned by a midnight breeze.

Sunday

Dawn saw helicopters bringing fresh waves of Turkish reinforcements. This was the day for our regular Bible study using as an aid the Watchtower magazine. Though the earth was shaking as ships at sea bombarded the area, we began our study. Amazingly, during our study the bombardment ceased, only to begin again after our final prayer.

As night approached, we wondered what it would bring. We soon knew. At 7 p.m. word reached our village that Kyrenia was now in Turkish hands and that troops were advancing in our direction. There was some panic as women and children cried in despair. Lorries began taking inhabitants to a safer area. My companion and I grabbed a blanket, a container of water and remains of a chicken left over from lunch, and made our way to a village on the side of the mountain.

It was quiet. All but a few armed inhabitants had fled. My companion had an uncle here, but surely he must have left too, we thought. What a surprise when their door opened, and his uncle, aunt, two daughters and son all welcomed us, and implored that we stay with them for the night! They were the only family in the village who had decided to return home after spending the previous night with thousands of others out in the open.

We decided to sleep on the flat roof, since the summer heat had made it so hot inside. With the heavens lit up from forest fires, we passed a restless night. There was sporadic gunfire, and a pall of dense smoke covered the area.

Monday

The following day seemed quiet compared to Saturday and Sunday. So we decided to try to return home to collect some clothes. As we approached our village, three cars approached from Kyrenia and headed for the beach, where British helicopters were picking up stranded tourists.

The driver of the first car informed us that Turkish tanks were already in our village. So we decided to return to the home of my friend’s uncle. But we changed our minds when a policeman we met told us that the Turkish soldiers in our village had not interfered with anyone. Arriving home, we found everything intact. In fact, we did not see a single Turkish soldier. However, it was not long before we did.

Why had they invaded? What political turmoil had prompted this tremendous tragedy?

The Coup

Political unrest had been brewing in Cyprus, and things came to a head just a few days before. Cypriot President Makarios, who is also an archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church, for some time had feared that enemies were planning his overthrow. The violent coup erupted in Nicosia on Monday, July 15.

It was 7:30 a.m., a friend in Nicosia told me, when he heard shots. Then cannon and mortar shells began exploding in the area of the presidential palace. On the radio it was announced that the National Guard had intervened to free the Cypriot people.

At about 10 a.m. it was reported that President Makarios had been killed. Actually, he had escaped from the palace to his native home of Paphos on another part of the island. From there he broadcast, encouraging the people to fight back. Then he reportedly was carried by helicopter to a British base, and from there was taken to England.

The coup lasted two days and the National Guard took control of all the Greek area of Cyprus. Quickly hospitals filled with wounded. The death toll was high, exceeding 2,000 for the two days, according to one estimate.

Religion and the Coup

Last year Makarios had removed from office and unfrocked three bishops, the bishops of Paphos, Larnaca and Kyrenia, and appointed four other bishops in their stead. Now the three former bishops returned, one of them swearing in the new president, Nikos Sampson. Apparently these three bishops were behind the arrest and imprisonment of the Makarios-appointed bishops. In fact, Sampson said that one of the purposes of his government was to purge the church.

Religion was obviously deeply involved in the coup. Witnesses reported seeing anti-Makarios priests, weapons in hands, taking part in the killing, and even in directing the fighting. The Kykkos Monastery is riddled with the bullets of members of the National Guard who fought against pro-Makarios soldiers and priests there.

Precipitating the Invasion

The political coup set the stage for the invasion. How so?

Well, Cyprus is a small island with separate communities. It has a majority population of some 520,000 Greek Cypriots, and a minority of about 120,000 Turkish Cypriots, with frequent trouble between them. Now Rauf Denktas, leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, refused to recognize the presidency of Sampson. He openly called for Britain and Turkey to oppose him.

Turkey responded with an overwhelming invasion force in behalf of the Turkish minority on Cyprus. Quickly the Turks were in control, at least in our area around Kyrenia.

Encounters with Turkish Military

As I mentioned, we returned to our home outside Kyrenia on Monday and saw no Turkish soldiers. The following day, however, six of them came to the house. I was not so worried for myself, since I am English, but I was concerned for my companion who is a Greek Cypriot. With a gun pointing directly at me, I explained with gestures and a few Turkish words that this was an English home. They finally uttered the word “cigarette.” But I could not oblige them, and they left.

A week passed and we had little news of what was going on. We had no bread, but our neighbors had fled and there were plenty of eggs from their chickens, which we cared for. There were also tomatoes, cucumbers and melons in abundance. Although the water supply stopped, we still had a tank full.

We were finally informed that we could visit Kyrenia. Our particular concern was for fellow witnesses of Jehovah. Would any still be there? The town was dead. But to our delight we found a family of seven Witnesses at home. How glad we all were to see one another again! Tears rolled down our faces as we embraced. We spent the day together, and then returned home.

The following morning we went to see them again. After discussing the day’s Bible text, we sat out on the veranda because of the heat. Soon three Turkish soldiers approached us. I asked if they spoke English. One knew a little. I told him I was English. As I went for my passport, his gun followed me. Another took out his pistol. They asked who we all were and if we had seen any soldiers.

Then two Turkish Cypriots who knew the family passed in the street. The man’s wife called to them, asking them to explain to the Turkish soldiers who we were. After some very tense moments the soldiers left, telling us to stay inside.

At midday neighbors came running, appealing for me to try to do something to help them since I was English. Could I reach the hotel where the United Nations and Red Cross were protecting some 650 persons?

My companion and I agreed to try. We reached the hotel, which was ringed by U.N. forces, and I was escorted to the head of the U.N. force, who said that he would do what he could to help. However, he said it would not be safe for my Greek companion to leave the protection of the hotel.

Eventually we set off in a Red Cross car and van to pick up the people. We made it there, and hurriedly packed in twenty-six persons. We knew we had no time to spare. We made a dash for the hotel, and made it safely. How thankful we all were! I stayed at the hotel too, since it did not seem safe to return home alone.

While at the hotel we kept strong spiritually by discussing together the day’s Bible text taken from the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Also, we had many opportunities to talk to the people at the hotel about our hope in God’s kingdom. (Matt. 6:9, 10; Dan. 2:44; Rev. 21:3, 4) Some were impressed, and would mention how Jehovah’s witnesses from Kyrenia were offering aid to persons undergoing the most difficult times in their lives.

Horrors of War

After several days at the hotel, thirty of us were offered safe conduct to Nicosia. Under heavy guard we left. Kyrenia’s happy tourist-filled streets were now dead. Destroyed property was all around us. And there was the stench of rotting food.

The battles for the road to Nicosia were clearly evident. Houses of rich residents were destroyed or, if standing, had been looted. The mountainside was a blackened ruin.

My companions on the bus ride had their own stories to tell. There was the English lady with her little boy. Her husband had been shot, and she had been forced to leave him and run for days in the mountains. She had believed he was dead, but recently learned that a U.N. patrol had picked him up and that he had been sent to England, where he was recovering. Many others were not so fortunate.

We eventually arrived at the boundary that separates the Turkish and Greek communities in Nicosia. We left the bus, and made the last 200 yards on foot to the hotel. I called friends at the branch office of Jehovah’s witnesses, and in minutes they picked me up.

A cease-fire had been in effect for over two weeks when, on August 14, full-scale fighting again erupted. The Turks started bombing Nicosia at about 4:45 that Wednesday morning. Their army pushed on toward Famagusta in one direction, and Lefko in another. By Friday they had achieved their goal, and declared a unilateral truce. The upper third or so of the island was in their hands.

More than a third of the island’s people had been turned into refugees. Entire villages were empty. There had been fourteen congregations of Jehovah’s witnesses in Cyprus, but the 266 Witnesses in the congregations in Kyrenia, Famagusta, Morphou and Trachona in Nicosia have lost everything, including their Kingdom Halls. It was necessary also to abandon the branch office. However, we are grateful, according to the information we have at present, that not one Witness has lost his life.

War, indeed, is horrible, as hundreds of thousands of Cypriots have learned in a personal way. What a blessing it will be when, in fulfillment of God’s promise, never again will man learn war. (Isa. 2:4)​—Contributed.

[Map on page 12]

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TURKEY

CYPRUS

What Future for the Suez Canal?

What Future for the Suez Canal?

IN A bygone era, one publication hailed the Suez Canal as “the marvel of the century.” It is over a hundred miles long, cutting through the Isthmus of Suez and connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

When opened in 1869, the Suez Canal provided a new route for East-West travel. It cut almost 4,000 miles off most voyages from Europe to India. Why? Because ships using the waterway no longer had to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, on Africa’s southern tip. The canal, therefore, contributed measurably to national economies and to the expansion of world trade.

But Suez Canal traffic was halted during the Six-Day Arab-Israeli war of June 1967. A number of vessels were sunk there, blocking the waterway. Also, explosive mines, bombs and other war debris lay below the surface. Much of this accumulation resulted from the 1968-1970 “War of Attrition” and the Arab-Israeli conflict of October 1973.

In time, there was much talk about the prospects of a reopened Suez Canal. Obviously, if it was to be put in service again, it would have to be cleared of much rubble. Early 1974 saw Egyptian forces, a British Royal Navy diving team and some 500 United States Army and Navy personnel at work in a cooperative operation to clear the canal. It was felt that a year would pass before the waterway was reopened. Thereafter, Egypt intended to go ahead with elaborate plans for the entire canal zone.

Since the Suez Canal may play a future role in world affairs, we might ask: What do the pages of history reveal about this man-made waterway? What plans do the Egyptians have for it? And how is the reopened Suez Canal likely to affect world trade and the economic picture?

Waterway with an Ancient History

The first man-made canal on the Isthmus of Suez existed in the fourteenth century before the Common Era! It began at Bubastis (near present-day Zagazig) and followed the Wadi Tumilat from the Nile River to Heroopolis, at the head of today’s Bitter Lakes.

Eventually, silt deposits filled in a portion of the old Gulf of Heroopolis. So, during the seventh century B.C.E., Pharaoh Necho, who is mentioned in the Bible, started digging the canal south of the Bitter Lakes. (2 Chron. 35:20–36:4; Jer. 46:2) Necho never finished that canal. His laborers died in large numbers. According to the historian Herodotus: “He at length desisted from his undertaking, in consequence of an oracle which warned him ‘that he was labouring for the barbarian,’” that the waterway would aid his foes. Eventually, the Persians conquered the land of the Nile, and Darius the Great brought the canal to completion.

The Romans and early Arabian caliphs undertook additional work on the ancient waterway. However, Caliph Abū Ja‘far al-Mansūr closed it late in the eighth century C.E. to block the flow of supplies to his foes. Yet, the thought of a canal running through the Isthmus of Suez appealed to more recent rulers. Among them was Napoleon Bonaparte, who put Lepère to work on the idea, only to have it set aside when this engineer erroneously concluded that the Red Sea was twenty-nine feet higher than the Mediterranean.

De Lesseps’ “Ditch in the Desert”

It remained for Ferdinand de Lesseps, retired French diplomat, to make today’s Suez Canal a reality. He formed the Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez, which was to control the prospective waterway for ninety-nine years from its completion. Thereafter the canal would revert to the Egyptian government. Work began in 1859, with 25,000 Egyptian laborers or fellahin. Later, workers came from France, Italy and the Balkans.

The opening of the Suez Canal, on November 17, 1869, was a gala affair. Flares lit up the pyramids. On the waterway was a flotilla of sixty-eight vessels of various nations, led by the yacht of French Empress Eugénie. At Ismailia, the midway point, Khedive (or, Viceroy) Ismail held a ball for some 6,000 persons. There were some mishaps, too, as when fireworks unexpectedly exploded at Port Said. Also, a thousand men had to be dispatched to free an Egyptian frigate stuck in the canal. Of course, the important thing was that the “ditch in the desert” had come to successful completion. It was a canal that required no locks to raise and lower ships, as does the Panama Canal.

Later Developments

In 1875 Great Britain purchased from the viceroy of Egypt 176,602 shares of stock in the Suez Canal Company. Thereafter the waterway was managed by a commission made up principally of the British and the French. According to the Suez Canal Convention of 1888, the canal was to be open to all countries in peace and war, a stipulation that warring nations often have ignored.

British troops stationed in the canal zone departed in June 1956, and during the following month, Britain and the United States withdrew offers of financial aid for the Aswan High Dam. This was among factors leading to the seizure of the Suez Canal on July 26, 1956, by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who intended to use canal tolls to finance construction of the dam. On October 29, 1956, the Israelis invaded Egypt. Two days later she was attacked by France and Britain, with a view to reestablishing international control of the canal. Fighting was halted on November 6, 1956, by United Nations action, and during March 1957 the waterway was reopened under Egyptian control. Ten years later it was closed due to the Arab-Israeli war of June 1967.

Big Plans for the “Big Ditch”

As originally constructed, the Suez Canal had a surface width of almost 230 feet. It was 72 feet wide at the bottom and had a depth of 26 feet. However, the waterway has been widened and deepened several times to accommodate larger vessels. Hence, it now has a depth of 46 feet and a surface width of over 390 feet. When the canal is in use, ships move in both directions, though most of the waterway has only one-lane traffic. Vessels are arranged in convoys and pass in the wider lake areas or the seven-mile Balah Bypass.

If Egypt carries through present plans, however, the “Big Ditch” will become much bigger. It will be expanded to a width of 520 navigable feet and a 62-foot depth by 1978, and to a navigable width of 630 feet and a 77-foot depth by the 1980’s. Suez and Port Said are to become free ports. International airports are planned for these areas. Proposed, too, is a gigantic irrigation project, intended to bring greenery to a million sandy desert acres. Agricultural and industrial strips are planned on both sides of the canal, with three principal cities and five ports.

What Prospects for a Reopened Canal?

Egypt’s six-year plan for the Suez will provide thousands of jobs and thus should improve the employment picture at home. Foreign capital is likely to be attracted too. In fact, businessmen of the world already are looking in the direction of the Suez Canal. For instance, some Japanese manufacturers are considering the establishment of factories in the free-trade zones.

About two years ago, a United Nations study revealed that the closing of the Suez Canal has cost the world 1.7 billion dollars annually in greater shipping expenses and lost trade. So, the reopened waterway undoubtedly would have a profound effect on world trade and economics. It would be likely to help such lands as Somalia and the Sudan, which once used the canal to get 60 percent of their exports to foreign markets and were obliged to end European fruit sales when it was closed. The canal’s reopening also would benefit such Mediterranean ports as Barcelona and Marseilles.

Great quantities of oil are likely to be transported through the reopened Suez Canal. Of course, even the prospective enlarging of the waterway will not enable it to accommodate certain supertankers. Yet, the size of about a third of the world’s oil tankers would allow them to go through the “Big Ditch.” Such vessels can make a trip from Persian Gulf ports to points in western Europe in some sixteen days by using the Suez Canal, compared to thirty days if they circled the Cape of Good Hope.

Fast ships traveling from Europe to the Far East around the Cape, however, have developed significant links with port cities en route. The canal is not vital to their activities. So, the reopened waterway’s actual effect on world trade and economy remains to be seen. Whether the Suez Canal will become the focal point of some future conflict also is uncertain. Admittedly, circumstances unforeseen by today’s optimistic world planners can have a big effect on the future of the “Big Ditch.”

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Mediterranean Sea

Port Said

Lake Manzala

SUEZ CANAL

Qantara

Ismailia

SINAI PENINSULA

Lake Timsah

Great Bitter Lake

Little Bitter Lake

EGYPT

Suez

Port Taufiq

Gulf of Suez

Can You Take Advancement?

Can You Take Advancement?

WHO does not like to make progress? Who does not enjoy receiving recognition? Who does not appreciate being advanced in his place of work, or in the particular group or community of which he is a part? Not only is the idea of advancement appealing because of the prominence, honor or glory that go with it, but it is often associated with material gain, and this makes advancement all the more desirable.

But as a word of caution, do not be too eager for advancement. For with advancement almost invariably go added burdens. Often there are new things to be learned, together with more responsibility and more work. Not infrequently, advancement takes a toll on one’s health, or in one’s family life, or it seriously interferes with one’s worship of one’s Maker. Also bear in mind that the higher one is advanced the keener the competition and the greater the risk of one’s being replaced by a more ambitious or more capable worker. Well has it been said that “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

Should you receive recognition in the form of advancement of one kind or another, take care not to let it go to your head, so to speak, or you may well spoil things for yourself as well as for others. It may well be that others will be a little envious of you and if you are too pleased with your success and show it, you may cause relations between yourself and others to deteriorate. Remember, you will still need the cooperation of others if you are to succeed in your new position. A lofty, heady attitude on your part will make it difficult for others to swallow their pride, whereas a humble and modest mien will win the cooperation of others.

It will help if you do a little reasoning on the subject. If you have an advantage over others, you may well ask yourself to what extent this may not be as a result of genetic factors, that you happened to be born with a good brain and sound body. Then, too, you may have been fortunate to have been blessed with wise and loving parents and so had opportunities for education and acquiring good judgment that others may not have had. Nor is that all. May not your advancement have been on account of fortunate circumstances, what some call “luck”?

Actually, advancement should have a humbling effect upon a person. A man who apparently knew how to take advancement in his stride is the English poet Sir John Betjeman. Of his accomplishments, it is said: “His poetry is best described as simple and direct . . . His themes include childhood memories, middle-class families, love, death, sadness and, of course, nature.” Back in October 1972, he was designated poet laureate of Great Britain, the greatest honor that he as an English poet could receive. Asked as to his reaction to this honor, he stated: “My reaction to the appointment came in three stages. First surprise, then a feeling of being humbled, and then pleasure.” He went on to say: “It is a real honor, especially when I think of my predecessors like Tennyson and Wordsworth. But I don’t mean to say that my poetry approaches the merit of those two.”

This poet is said to be a self-effacing man, although England’s most popular poet; his books of poems having become best sellers. But, as he himself tells it, his success with his poems is largely a matter of fortunate circumstances, although he grants that he has “an ear for music, and people obviously like poems that rhyme and scan.”

Another lesson that might be learned from this poet’s appointment is not to be impatient for advancement. When he was appointed he was past the age when most men retire, being sixty-seven years old. He had much experience and so could take this honor with due modesty. A person lacking experience can easily become puffed up with pride if given advancement, to the detriment of himself and others. For this reason you can see why the apostle Paul counseled that a novice, a newly converted man, not be appointed as an overseer in the Christian congregation. Such an appointment might well lay him open to the snare of pride.​—1 Tim. 3:6, 7.

When you receive advancement there is a danger that it might make you big-headed, so to speak, a fact that God took note of when giving instructions to his people Israel regarding their asking for a king. Concerning the one chosen to rule as king in Israel, it was commanded: “When he takes his seat on the throne of his kingdom, he must write in a book for himself a copy of this law . . . And it must continue with him, and he must read in it all the days of his life, in order that . . . his heart may not exalt itself above his brothers.” Now, you probably will never become a king, but the same principle applies in your case. If advanced, never think it is because you are so much better than those working or serving or worshiping alongside you.​—Deut. 17:18-20.

There reigned a king in ancient Israel that well illustrated the right way for one to take advancement. This was Solomon, the son of King David. By his modesty and humility he showed that he could take promotion. Upon his becoming king, God appeared to him in a dream and said: “Request what I should give you.” What an offer that was! If it had been made to you, what would you have requested? Wealth, fame, long life? Solomon requested none of these things. What was uppermost in his mind was the big job of ruling his subjects properly. He knew only too well how lacking he was in experience and wisdom. So he replied: “You must give to your servant an obedient heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this difficult people of yours?”​—1 Ki. 3:5, 9.

This request of his so greatly pleased Jehovah God that he said to Solomon (by means of an angel, of course): “For the reason that you have requested this thing,” and not made some selfish request, “I shall certainly give you a wise and understanding heart.” And Solomon did indeed prove to be the wisest king that ever sat upon a human throne.​—1 Ki. 3:11-28; 4:29-34.

In addition to pride, one more pitfall that you will have to watch if you receive advancement is the temptation to use your new office or position for selfish gain. Wisely Moses of old was counseled that in appointing judges he should choose “capable men, fearing God, trustworthy men, hating unjust profit.” (Ex. 18:21) How few today in high religious, political, judicial as well as commercial positions actually hate unjust profit!

Have you received advancement? Show that you can take it by remaining modest and humble, by not abusing your power and by not yielding to the temptation to acquire unjust gain. Reading God’s Word daily will help you to gain those noble ends.

Champion Jumpers of the Animal World

Champion Jumpers of the Animal World

JUMPING must be fun for many of the animal athletes. And yet, with the champion jumpers of the animal world, leaping is often a life or death matter, the means to win one’s living or to save one’s life. Still, it is of interest to humans to know which creatures excel in the long jump and which in the high jump.

An animal athlete does not have to be big to make champion-sized jumps. Consider, for example, the jumping mouse. It is only about three and a half inches long, but it uses its six-inch tail as a balancer while making tremendous leaps. On the hottest day a jumping mouse can make 8- to 10-foot hops without working up a sweat. The leap of one jumping mouse was measured at 12 feet. Little wonder that Audubon considered the jumping mouse as one of the most agile of all wild animals.

Leap, leap, bound; leap, leap, bound! Here comes the jack rabbit. Or, rather, there goes the jack rabbit! Just alarm a jack rabbit and away he goes by leaps and bounds. The bound is extra high, sometimes 5 feet or more. This is not all due to sheer exuberance; the rabbit likes to survey the land from the high point of its jump. It is a fine way to spot enemies! When chased by a fox or coyote, the white-tailed jack rabbit makes a long jump of 10 or 15 feet. If necessary, a jack rabbit may lengthen its jump to 20 feet or more! Clearly, the jack rabbit is no slouch in the art of jumping.

But to the kangaroo, the jack rabbit’s jumping may not be so impressive. An “old man” kangaroo thinks nothing of jumping 25 feet in one bound. One of the longest recorded leaps occurred in 1951, when, in the course of a chase, a female red kangaroo made a series of jumps that included one of 42 feet! Another report tells of a great gray kangaroo traveling over flat country in Western Australia. Its record hop was tape-measured at 44 feet 9 inches.

Kangaroos are no slouches either when it comes to the high jump. Standing taller than a man and often weighing 200 pounds, a full-grown kangaroo’s huge hind legs have steel-spring power, enabling it to sail over a 5- or 6-foot fence with ease. The record high jump was made by a Queensland kangaroo. Chased by dogs, it jumped over a pile of timber ten and a half feet high!

Deer and Antelope Athletes

In the world of antelope, we find some of the most talented leapers among earth’s creatures. The eland, Africa’s largest antelope, runs as fast as a horse and jumps high into the air. Wrote observer Louis S. B. Leakey: “A government experimental station at Kabete [Kenya] kept a herd when I was a boy, and there I first saw an example of these creatures’ astonishing ability to jump. Their paddock had a 7-foot wire fence around it, but one morning two bulls somehow got into a panic, cleared the fence with ease, and escaped. Since then I have witnessed similar feats on several occasions, and have never ceased to marvel at them.”

South Africa’s springbok or springbuck, as its name indicates, likes to jump. It leaps with head down and back arched, soaring to a height of eleven and a half feet!

Another amazing animal athlete is the klipspringer (Afrikaans: klip, “cliff”; springer, “jumper”). Here is a tiny, agile African antelope, some 3 feet long and weighing 20 pounds, that lives up to its name. The book Natural History of South Africa quotes an eyewitness who saw a klipspringer jump 30 feet from the edge of a rocky precipice to a jutting ledge below!

As for the high jump, these agile creatures bound up the most precipitous rocks like animated rubber balls. Did you know that the klipspringer has a fair claim to the high-jump championship among wildlife? Two klipspringers were seen to attain the top of a rocky pedestal, the sides of which sloped outward from bottom to top. The only possible way that the animals could have gained access to the top was from the ground​—25 feet below!

The African antelope called “impala” is known for the gracefulness with which it sails over bushes and rocks. In jumping, this animal seems to float through the air in graceful undulations, very different from the springlike action of most antelopes. The impala bounds not only over bushes and rocks, but often over its companions as well. Under these conditions, a predator trying to concentrate on a single impala may well lose its opportunity in the confusion of jumping. Champion high jumpers, impalas can easily soar over an eight-foot barrier!

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