The Watchtower, May 1, 1948

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"They shall know that I am Jehovah!'

-Ezekiel 35:15.

Vol. LXIX

Semimonthly

No. 9

MAY 1, 1948

CONTENTS

Hearing Ears .............................

Humility Needed to Hear ....

Itching Ears Tickled ...........

Listening to Shepherds ........

Hearing to Salvation..............

More Is Given to Hearers ....

Hearing Means Salvation ....

5' J /?

Hearkening to the Invitation to Preach 13S Where the Money Comes from

for Kingdom Work

The Religion of This World a Snare 141

What Book Is Like It!

Field Experiences......... “Neighbor Love” Testimony Period .... 130

“Watchtower” Studies

District Assemblies in North America 130

fHeWATCHTOWEFL

Published Semimonthly By

WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY 117 Adams Street - - Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.SA.

OFFICERS

N. H. Knorr, President Grant Suiter, Secretary

“And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” - Iiaiah 54:13.

THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES

THAT JEHOVAH is the only true God, from everlasting to everlasting, and is the Maker of heaven and earth and Giver of life to his creatures; that the Word or Logos was the beginning of his creation and his active agent in cnating all other things; and Hint the creature Lucifer rebelled against Jehovah and raised the issue of His universal sovereignty;

THAT GOD created the earth for man, made perfect man for the earth and placed him.upon it; that man yielded to unfaithful Lucifer, or Sartin, and willfully disobeyed God’s law and was sentenced to death; that by reason of Adam’s wrong act all men are born sinners and without the right to life; '

THAT THE LOGOS was made human as the man Jesus and suffered death in older to produce the ransom or redemptive price for obedient men; that God raised up Christ Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every other creature and clothed linn with all power and authority ns head of God’s new capital organization;

THAT GOD’S CAPITAL ORGANIZATION is a Theocracy called Zion, and that Christ Jesus is the Chief Officer thereof and is the rightful King of the new world; that the faithful anointed followers of Christ Jesus lire Zion’s children, members of Jehovah's organization, and lire His witnesses whose duty and privilege it is to testily to Jehovah’s supremacy and declare his purposes toward mankind as expressed in the Bible;

THAT THE OLD WORLD, or Satan’s uninterrupted rule, ended A.D. 1914, and Christ Jesus 1ms been placed l>y Jehovah upon the throne, has ousted Satan from heaven, and now proceeds to vindicate ills name and establish the ‘‘new earth”;

THAT THE RELIEF and blessings of the peoples can come only by Jehovah's kingdom under Clirist, which has begun; that His next great act is to destioy Satan’s organization and establish righteousness completely in the earth; and that under the Kingdom the people of good-will surviving Armageddon will entry out the divine mandate to “fill the earth" with righteous offspring, and that the human dead in the graves will be raised to opportunities of life on earth.

ITS MISSION

THIS journal is published for the purpose of enabling the people to know Jehovah God and ills purposes as expressed In the Bible. It publishes Bible Instruction specifically designed to aid Jehovah’s witnesses and all people of good-will. It arranges systematic Bible study for Its readers and the Society supplies other literature to aid In such studies. It publishes suitable material for radio broadcasting and for other means of public instruction In the Scriptures.

It adheres strictly to the Bible as authority for its utterances. It is entirely free and separate from all religion, parties, sects or other worldly organizations. It Is wholly and without reservation for the kingdom of Jehovah God under Christ his beloved King. It is not dogmatic, but invites careful and critical examination of Its contents in the light of the Scriptures. It does not indulge in controversy, and its columns are not open to personalities.

Notice to Subscribers: Remittances should be sent to office In jour country fn compliance with regulations to guainntee safe delivery of money, itcinittances are accepted at Brooklyn from countries wlieie 110 office is located, by international money order only. Subscription rates in different countries are staled below in local currency. Notice of cspnation (with renewal blank) Is sent nt least two issues beioie subscription exp lies. Change of address when sent to our office may be expei ted effective within one month. Send your old as well as new addie-s.

Please address the Watch Tower Society in every case.

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Translations of this Journal appear in many languages.

ALL SINCERE STUDENTS OF TIIE BIBLE who by reason of In-flrniity, poverty or adversity are unable to pay the sttbsciiption price niny have The Il’aichtower free upon written application to the pmilidieis, made once each year, stating the reason for so requesting It We a'e glad to thus aid Ilie needy, but the written application once each year is requited by the postal regulations.

Printed in the United States of America

Entered as second-class matter at the post office at Bioollpn, N. I’., under the Act of March S. 1379.

“NEIGHBOR LOVE” TESTIMONY PERIOD

The June testimony period under the above title touches each professed worshiper of God on the question of whether he loves his neighbor as himself in respect to eternal life. During June, therefore, each one who possibiy can will, like the Good Samaritan, get out into the field to bring his neighbors God’s provided means for them to gait, eternal life. The special offer to aid them in studying the Bible will be two Watch Tower products, namely, the book "Let God Be True" and the booklet The Joy of All the People, on a contribution of 35c for the combination. Neighborloving Christians throughout the earth will all unite during June in special efforts to help others to eternal life. Will you be one? You can be, you who read this magazine. If necessary, write us to put you in touch with your neighbors who will be glad to have you lovingly work with them in the field. Arrange, also, to make a report at the end of June on what you accomplish.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES

Week of June 6: “Hearing Ears,” If 1-21 inclusive, The Watchtower May 1, 1948. Week of June 13: “Hearing to Salvation,” 1-20 inclusive, The Watchtower May 1, 1948.

DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES IN NORTH AMERICA

The splendid success of the first District Assembly, in Atlanta, this past March, heightens the interest of all in those next in the 1948 series. For the information of those in the areas embraced, we here announce completion of arrangements for the following assemblies:

Houston, Texas: May 7-9, Buffalo Stadium, St. Bernard St. and Coyle Ave.

Oakland, California: May 28-30, Exposition Building, 10th and Fallon Sts.

Vancouver, Canada: June 4-6, The Forum

Juneau, Alaska: June 11-13, Masonic Temple

Winnipeg, Canada: June 18-20, Amphitheatre Rink

Ottawa, Canada: June 25-27, Coliseum, Lansdowne Park

Halifax, Nova Scotia: July 2-4, The Forum

All persons of good-will are urged to attend these assemblies The president and other official brethren of the Watchtower Society will serve on the programs of these assemblies. (See April 15 issue of The Watchtower for more information.)

ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH'S KINGDOM

Vol. LXIX May 1, 1948 No. 9

HEARING EARS

"Who among you will give ear to this? ivho will hearken and hear for the time to come?"—Isa. 42: 23.

JEHOVAH is testing the ears of all nations today to find the ears that hear. He makes the test by means of the unusual message he sends out. As the Creator he made humankind with ears to hear, and now that he sends forth his message to all nations there is no excuse for their not hearing. Each and every one upon whose eardrums the sound of the message falls is allowed the liberty to listen to it and give it a favorable hearing or else to shut it out of his head. It is now the time of stupendous world-change. This is the “time to come” of which Jehovah’s prophet wrote thousands of years ago. It is mankind’s time of sore need for a righteous worldruler, and Jehovah God, as Sovereign of the universe, has raised up his Chief Official to be the royal ruler over all our earth and its peoples. The important question that thrusts itself upon each one who comes within range of the divine message about this is: “Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come?” (Isa. 42:23, Am. Stan. Ver.) Who will take the good news seriously and act in harmony with it? Who will investigate further and piove the fact that God has actually put his appointed Ruler of a new world of righteousness in power? Who will believe his message of the good things that are certain to come under the rule of this perfect Ruler? The testing of ears by this grand message is on!

2 In a bodily sense it is a true proverb: “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.” (Prov. 20:12, Am. Sian. Ver.) But hearing and seeing may also be exercised in a spiritual sense, and the same Creator makes both of these spiritual functions possible also. Today he is sending forth his message concerning his kingdom to lands and peoples outside of Christendom, into India, Pakistan, Burma, China, into lands Oriental and African and insular. As a result millions of ears that were deaf before for failure to hear the Kingdom message are tingling with its life-giving news. Their hearing is leading to life.

3 To have the hearing ear which Jehovah God pro-

1 Hou and why'ts Jehovah testing the ears of all nations today?

2 By icason ot what are deaf ears now hearing?

3 What is needed to have a hearing ear? duces means to have an ear for the Word of God, written or proclaimed. It means to have a sense of hearing that is disposed to listen to what his Word says in order to get at its meaning and then to accept it for what it is worth. To give an ear requires us to have faith, to have a love of righteousness, and to be humble and sincere. The Israelites of old had God’s Word preached to them and written down for them, but that Word did not do the majority of them any good, even if their eardrums did vibrate with the sound of it. Why not? Because of lack of faith. Speaking to those who did hear the good news or gospel, the apostle Paul said: “Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest.” (Heb. 4: 2, 3) To accept the gospel and act upon it we must have faith in the Sender of it, Jehovah God, and in his Messiah, Jesus Christ his Son, whom he has appointed to be the Ruler of the new world of righteousness. We must believe in Jehovah’s loving purposes toward us and in his truthfulness. We must believe in his full ability to do everything he says in his Word. We must believe he will reward us if we accept his Word and act in accord with it. In this way we show faith. —Heb. 11:6.

4 Besides faith, to have an ear for God’s Word we must have a love of righteousness. His Word shows forth his righteousness. It tells us that Jehovah God is the Creator of all things, and the Preserver of all that is good and right, and the Destroyer of all that is wicked. He has full power over all that he has created. In his own love of goodness and righteousness he has set up perfect laws for his creatures. He gave simple laws and commands to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. He was only acting righteously when he sentenced them to death for their disobedience and when he declared that Satan the Devil and all his wicked seed should at last be destroyed by the Seed of God’s “woman”, his own Son Jesus Christ. Not only did he show love and mercy, but he showed also a love of justice, righteous-4, 5 To have an ear to hear, why must we also love righteousness?

ness, when he provided a ransom sacrifice for imperfect, dying mankind by means of his own beloved Son sent down from heaven. In expression of his rightful sovereignty over all the universe he appointed his faithful Son to be the King of the new world for the deliverance and blessing of all that obey him. In all this no one can honestly find any unrighteousness with God.

5 Hence it requires a love of righteousness to turn a favorable ear to these truths contained in God’s Word. Ordinarily the Oriental religionists find the teaching of a ransom sacrifice through Jesus Christ a “hard saying”, and they say: “Who can hear it?” But now many among them are developing the needed love of righteousness and are turning their ears away from demon religion and are saying to Jesus: “Lord, to whom [else] shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” —John 6: 60, 68, 69.

HUMILITY NEEDED TO HEAR

8 Besides faith and a love of righteousness, to have an ear for God’s Word we must be humble, and hence teachable and willing to be corrected and shown what is right and true. The most ignorant men can be proud, and persons that are proud depend upon themselves for salvation, or else they cling to the religious ideas that they were previously taught. Because they trust in demons or in human teachers they do not feel lowly enough to confess that these are wrong, and themselves as well. So they reject God’s message of salvation. They do this in pride, to their own destruction. To show the need of humility to receive his Word, God said to the Jews at Jerusalem when it was threatened with destruction: “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud; for Jehovah hath spoken.” (Jer. 13:15, Am. Sian. Ver.) To picture the right attitude, namely, humbleness, willingness to listen, the Bible speaks of inclining the ear toward God, not away from him. A person with only one good ear will generally turn that sensitive ear to anyone speaking to him. We must do likewise if we want to catch what God teaches us. To persons who would follow his King Jesus Christ and become his bridal company to sit with him in his heavenly throne, Jehovah God says: “Hearken, 0 daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty.” (Ps. 45:10,11) Likewise, to those who want to become his blessed people Jehovah says by his prophetic mouthpiece: “Give ear, 0 my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.” (Ps. 78:1,2) It takes humility to incline our ear thus.

6. What else Is required to have a hearing ear, and why?

T A person who realizes he is helpless to save himself or to get salvation by some other man or woman today will not haughtily turn away from God’s message just because it tells of our redemption by means of Christ’s ransom sacrifice. Not one person in all the nations can sincerely deny God’s Word when it says: “There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Eccl. 7:20) “Those who trust in their wealth, and boast of the abundance of their riches. But no man can at all ransom himself, or give a price for himself to God; since the ransom of his person forever and ever is too costly, that he should continue to live forever, without seeing the Pit.” (Ps. 49: 6-9, An Amer. Trans.) Hence all mankind are paying the wages of sin, which is death; and none can by his own means escape from the condemnation of death, because all are sinners. Their sinfulness is incurable by human means.

8 Hence mankind’s sinfulness is symbolized in the Bible by the plague of leprosy. There are tens of thousands of lepers in the Orient, but all mankind are from birth onward infected with the death-dealing leprosy of sin. To show that all men must lend a humble and believing ear to the message of redemption through Christ’s sacrificial blood Jehovah God’s law provided for the cleansing of an Israelite whom he cured of leprosy. As described at Leviticus, chapter 14, the cured leper showed faith in a sacrifice by providing a trespass offering to be offered by the priest at the temple. We read: “The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.” (Lev. 14: 14, 25) Thus, too, any man wanting salvation from sin and death must lend a hearing ear, his right ear, as it were, to the ransom message.

9 The great Ransomer, Jesus Christ, is the High Priest of God. When he was on earth as a man he cured many lepers. (Matt. 11:4,5; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 17:11-19) As a sacrificing priest Jesus was foreshadowed by God’s high priest for the Jewish nation, Aaron. On the day that Aaron was inaugurated as high priest and his four sons as underpriests a sacrifice was killed and offered up, called the “ram of consecration”. It pictured Jesus’ own human sacrifice. Its blood was touched to the right ear of these five priests. Concerning this, Jehovah God commanded Aaron’s brother, Moses: “Thou shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the

7. Why should we not turn from the inebs.ige of redemption ?

8. When a leper was cleansed, uhy was Ina ear touched with blotr’ 9, 10 Why was the ear of the high priest and of the undeipiicst' touched with blood? thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.” (Ex. 29:19,20; Lev. 8:22-24) In harmony with this prophetic picture Jesus, in order to become God’s High Priest, had to give a faithful and obedient hearing to God’s instructions and arrangements for him to offer his human life as the ransom sacrifice for all mankind.

10 Likewise with those who desire to become members of Christ’s royal priesthood by following in his steps till death. From the very beginning they must present a hearing ear to God’s message about the power of Christ’s shed blood to purify them from sin and to make them acceptable to God as his priests under the Chief Priest Jesus Christ. They must obey the words that Jesus, the Son of man, spoke two years before he was delivered over for the sacrificial death, saying: “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.” (Luke 9:44) We must hold such sayings for our reference always.

ITCHING EARS TICKLED

11 In place of hearing ears today, the majority of people, even those inside of Christendom, have itching ears. This makes it certain that we are living in the perilous latter time of which God’s Word warns, saying: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.” The itch on their part is to hear teachers that tickle their selfish desires and that teach in harmony with the learning, political schemes and popular things of this world that do not call for true repentance and a change in one’s life according to the Bible. Such ears prefer to be tickled with fables like the “purgatory” doctrine, union of politics with religion, human immortality, etc., as against the pure truth of God’s Word. The truth is too much for their ears to endure, because it is unpopular. It is not in harmony with popular science and religion, and they do not wish to be made free from their pleasurable, sinful habits in this world. Hence, there is now a heap of teachers of fables, who fill Christendom and heathendom with their doctrines contrary to God’s Word of truth. To counteract this, God urged his servant to preach the truth continually, saying: “Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”—2 Tim. 4:2-4, Am. Stan. Ver.

12 For more reasons today than ever before we need to obey the advice that our faithful Teacher, Jesus Christ, gave when he said: “If any man have

11. What kind of ears do most people have today, and why?

12. Why especially at this time mtiM we take heed what we hear? ears to hear, let him hear. . . . Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” (Mark 4: 23-25) We must take heed what we hear and give ear to, lest we be deceived and be misled to our destruction. On the basis of fulfilled Bible prophecy we can boldly say that we are living at the end of this selfish, oppressive, demon-ridden old world. What Jesus foretold concerning the end of this world we have seen, namely, nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, together with famines, pestilences and earthquakes, and international distress accompanying. Concerning this same time and its further perils Jesus prophesied: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.” (Matt. 24: 7, 8, 23-25) Even so, it is now a day of great deceptions respecting the most controversial issue, God’s kingdom by his Christ, the King Jesus; and we must therefore watch out not to listen to the self-seeking, self-exalting deceivers.

1S True, no man today claims to be Jesus Christ in person. But, on the other hand, many men and organizations claim to be able to do the Kingdom work that God has assigned to his true Christ. They assume to take the place of Jesus Christ. They propose to make his ruling in person unnecessary, because they claim they can and will build a better and finer world. Yes, they will establish an enduring peace and make men live to the age of Methuselah and bind all peoples and nations together under one government, resulting in justice for all and in the brotherhood of all men. In effect, they say: ‘Here is your Christ! or, There is your Messiah! The United Nations or a Federated World or a Federal World Government will do Christ’s work for him.’ Reporting on the spread of Communism in Latin America, the Latin American News Letter, No. 26, of February 1948, says: “It is the Messianic character of Communism that gives it dynamic power to command allegiance. . . . It has filled the vacuum caused by the failure of established religion.” (Page 2, fl 3) However, the Vatican’s religious hierarchy continue to preach the pope as Christ’s vicar or vicegerent to whom all the peoples and nations must obediently gather in this ominous time in order for the blessings of Messiah’s reign to be realized. Speaking as “vicegerent of Christ”, the pope has repeatedly since the close of World War II exhorted the Catholic women toplunge

13. How have false Christa arisen to deceive? into politics and vote for politicians whom the pope and his hierarchy endorse.

“ This is the year 1948, and pope Pius XII is being forcibly reminded that this year is the hundredth anniversary of the year 1848, when great political revolutions swept Europe following the publication of Karl Marx’s “Manifesto of the Communists”. Finally insurrection broke out in Rome, and on November 24, 1848, pope Pius IX fled in disguise from Rome to Gaeta, near Naples, from where he issued protests against the acts of the provisional government of Rome. Today it is quite likely that the totalitarian Communist rulers hope to mark this centenary year of 1948 by similar revolutions or political coups, such as in Czechoslovakia. Doubtless in the heart of pope Pius XII there lurks the fear that history might repeat itself this year and he might have to skip out from Vatican City. In 1850, April, pope Pius IX returned to Rome surrounded by the bayonets of a French army, but in 1948 the effort is being made to have the United States army guarantee the safety and security of the pope.

15 In the 1948 spring elections in Italy the Vatican’s clergy in all that land openly engaged in the electioneering. Of course, they denied the actual fact that this was a meddling of their religious system in politics contrary to the concordat which the Vatican gained with that political government through Mussolini. According to dispatches to the New York Times, dated Rome, February 12, 1948, by a well-known correspondent, the Vatican’s clergy advised all Italian Catholics to be sure to vote and to give their vote to those political parties and men who may' be trusted to guarantee, or, at least, not to harm Roman Catholic interests. The Vatican’s view is that this is no political activity, because it is limited to defending its own religious interests, which are recognized by the Italian State itself; and that by doing this it does not violate the concordat with Italy which bans political activity by the clergy. In a dispatch by the same correspondent to the New York Times, dated Rome, February 16, the Hierarchy, with Vatican approval, issued a joint pastoral letter urging the clergy and laity to act to prevent a victory of their enemies at the national elections in April. Says the letter: “This is the hour of [Catholic] action. . .. We must strengthen ourselves and go out of the church to defend the church. ... If, however, this action and this presence are endangered and fought by violent means, we must be prepared to defend them with material force capable of safeguarding freedom.” The correspondent called this a “clear-cut order to fight political opponents physically”, to prevent their victory. Use violence!

18 Women, nuns and other “religious” with itching

14 15. How have the Vatican’s Hierarchy shown political fears? 16. As against the itching ears, what will the hearing ears do? ears will heed such papal orders to mix in the political fight for one of the governments of this world. They will thus take sides in the internal controversies of this world, of which the Bible says that Satan the Devil is the god and prince. (2 Cor. 4:4; John 12:31; 14: 30) But what about those who have ears to hear what Jesus Christ himself says? They will obey him and will take heed as to what they hear and accept. They hear the scripture say to them: “The ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.” (Job 34:3; 12:11) God so made the structure of the ear that it can distinguish a great variety of sounds and can detect the genuineness in the ring of sounds and voices. It must test words as to whether they have the ring of genuine truth coming from the reliable Source. It must listen for the voice of the true shepherds and must respond only to them.

LISTENING TO SHEPHERDS

17 The faithful sheep say: “Jehovah is a great God, and a great King above all gods. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” (Ps. 95:3,7, Am. Stan. Ver.) They take heed to his Word, and not that of false religious shepherds. Their great Shepherd appointed Jesus his Son to be the Good Shepherd that should lay down his life for the sheep; and Jesus says: “He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. My sheep hear my voice, and 1 know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:3-5,27) The sheep of today recognize Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As if with a blood-marked ear, they confess he laid down his life for them and that Jehovah God anointed him to be the new world’s King to feed the people with everlasting life. As they turn their ears away from those fraudulent “strangers", those religious pastors, they hear the Good Shepherd state the true position for his sheep in this world when ho said to the Roman politician Pontius Pilate: “My kingdom is not a kingdom of this world. If my kingdom were a kingdom of this world, my men would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom has no such origin." (John 18:36, An Amer. Trans.) As Good Shepherd he said to his sheep, including Peter: “Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.”—John 15:19.

18 This explains why his sheep have in the past refused to take sides for political governments originating in this world. They do not follow Hierarchy pastors, but follow the Good Shepherd, who tells

17 What do the faithful sheep sav and do? t r

18 , 19. What course of conduct do the sheep follow toward this world them not to meddle in polities. They remember the angel’s prophecy written down by Daniel concerning the “time of the end”. As foretold in that prophecy, they see the two great political combinations, designated as “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”, maneuvering for world domination the one over the other. They see also that Jehovah’s King has stood up in power, whom the prophecy calls “Michael ... the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people”. (Dan. 11:27 to 12:1) The sheep with hearing ears stay absolutely neutral toward the fight between “the king of the north” and “the king of the south”. The Good Shepherd has taught them that it is not their responsibility to save this world from Godless communism. Both such “kings” are of this world, Satan’s organization, and it is not the sheep’s Christian obligation to save one part of this world from the other part of it. To follow the Shepherd they must keep clean from this polluted political, commercial, religious world and must be entirely for God’s kingdom and its Prince who stands for the children of God’s people.

19 The sheep know that the true Christ will destroy both of those composite “kings” at the battle of Armageddon. So they try to increase the interests of Christ’s kingdom, and not those of any worldly religious-political party. By doing this they safeguard themselves against the false Christs and false religious-political prophets that have arisen and that hoax the people with wonders.

29 2\lso, the sheep watch in these perilous times against all who seek to cause divisions within the Lord’s flock. They recall the apostle Paul’s words to certain overseers of God’s flock, warning them of what was to come, and which has come. Paul said: “After my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch.” (Acts 20: 28-31) Such would-be leaders and division-ists act hypocritically and use words of speech that sound pleasing to the ear. The same apostle tells the

20. Among the flock, against whom do the sheep watch, and why? sheep to turn away their ears from such sly disturbers of the peace and unity of God’s flock of sheep. He entreats us with these words: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.” (Rom. 16:17,18, Am. Stan. Ver.) In like manner the Serpent beguiled Eve in the garden of Eden, and there has been no peace on earth since. Those who open their ear to his beguiling as Eve did will accept another Christ, another spirit, another gospel, than the true. (2 Cor. 11:3,4) But the faithful sheep know they did not learn the truth by listening to men that oppose God’s work and that try to disrupt His visible organization and that at last get out of it and try to lead others after them. They learned the truth through the sheep that faithfully remained in the Good Shepherd’s flock and that seek to promote its peace and unity.

21 Rulers of this world, who listen to the Serpent’s lies regarding God and his purpose, should not be surprised at the prevalence of wickedness in their dominions. It is written: “If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.” (Prov. 29:12) If the rulers, kings and judges of this world were wise toward God and hearkened to the straight instruction from his Word, they would spare themselves divine wrath and destruction. But they choose to hearken to the religious clergy instead, and they will accordingly perish at Armageddon. (Ps. 2:8-12; Jer. 27:14-17) When these rulers and judges order Christ's sheep to do that which is contrary to the voice of the Great Shepherd, Jehovah God, they say in the words of the apostles: “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19,20) Regardless of what rulers and judges think, the sheep know to whose voice to hearken.

21. When do they refuse to hearken to world rulers?

HEARING TO

THE wise person looks ahead. He desires to escape from destruction at the battle of Armageddon and to enjoy eternal life in the righteous new world. So he opens his ears wide to knowledge, that is, to information that comes from the true Source, Jehovah God, through Jesus Christ. “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” (Prov. 18: 15) He is prudent and wise because the knowledge he gets

1. 2 How do we gain knowledge, and why do we accept reproof?

SALVATION

means protection and blessing now and life in the world to come. He knows that Satan the Devil has deceived this old world, and hence he does not rebel against knowledge from the Lord God just because it shows him where he is wrong and reproves him. He realizes that all this is necessary to guide him in the pathway to life. He does not despise his own life interests, but sincerely wants to live forever, and that to the glory of God. Hence he accepts with meekness what he hears, and stays wise. “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction [or, correction] despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” (Prov. 15: 31, 32) He gets a better understanding of what it requires to gain everlasting life.

2 The person with understanding will not resent reproof, and will not take offense at his reprover and avoid him with ill-feeling. The reprover that administers the reproof from the Lord God and according to his Word is to be valued and viewed as an adornment to the person reproved. He is precious, and the obedient person will appreciate the reprover as an adornment to his.ear, as a beautiful earring. “As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.” (Prov. 25:12) So let us take God’s reproof through his Word and his organization.

3 For our ear to be really a hearing ear we must honestly try to put into effect that which we have heard. The obedient ear is the hearing ear. Hearing does not mean merely to catch the sound of what is said and thereafter to pay no attention to it. It means to keep or observe the sayings heard. Because the rulers and people refused to hear God’s Word obediently, destruction came upon the highly favored city of Jerusalem and her temple both in the seventh century B.C. and also in the year 70 (A.D.). Therefore her punishment was in part pictured as that of a woman having her ears cut off, because she did not use them toward God. (Jer. 25:3,4,17,18; 44:4-6; Neh. 9:30; Ezek. 23:25) Modern Christendom’s destruction likewise because of acting deaf to Jehovah’s message proclaimed by his witnesses comes on apace. Her fate in contrast with that of the sheep who obediently hear the Good Shepherd's voice is illustrated by Jesus at the climax of his sermon on the mount. He spoke of those who call him “Lord, Lord”, but do not do what he says. He said:

4 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”—Matt. 7:21-27.

5 Men who hear but do not do the things taught them do not want to hear any more, because they do not care to hear that they must obey God and must keep the words of his Son. Christendom is just that

3, 4. (a) What does it really mean to have a bearing ear? (b) How did Jesus show the alternate rewards for having and for not having it?

5. Why do Christendom's prayers fall on deaf ears with God’ way. For this reason the battle of Armageddon will prove her to be built upon the sands of Babylon and of Rome, and not even her Roman Catholic religious system with its pope ■will be found to be built upon the unshakable rock of salvation. Christendom, with her hundreds of discordant religions, loudly professes to worship God and she fights the Godless communists, but, for all that, she does not hearken to God’s Kingdom message and line up obediently with His kingdom under Christ. She offers multitudes of religious sacrifices, including the multitudes of humans she regularly offers up upon the altars of carnal warfare between her so-called “Christian” nations, but God’s words to King Saul of Israel apply to her: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected, the word of the Lord [Jehovah], he hath also rejected thee from being king." (1 Sam. 15:22,23; Jer. 7:22-24) Christendom’s kingdom, or her predominant position on this earth, is shortlived now, ceasing at Armageddon. Because she gives no heed to Jehovah’s law, all her prayers for peace and prosperity fall upon deaf ears with God, and he will not change from his purpose to destroy her at Armageddon. His Word says not in vain: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”—Prov. 28: 9.

’ Different from Christendom and her religious systems, a person with the hearing ear will not turn away his ear after he hears from God what he must do, and then forsake God’s service and go the way of this world because it is more pleasing to the depraved flesh. He keeps his ear inclined toward God that he may receive more instruction, and may know better how to please the Lord God. He not only addresses Jehovah God as his Lord or Master, but he also obediently acts as Jehovah’s slave, and refuses to run away from His service to seek his own liberty. He is like that servant described in the law of Moses. Such servant loved his master to the extent that he refused to go free when the seventh year of legal release came around. What was to be done about this? The law said: “And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.” (Deut. 15:12-17; Ex. 21:1-6) Jehovah’s own Son, Jesus Christ, was a servant who loved his heavenly Father to such an extent that he refused to forsake His service, although Satan the Devil and the demons under him

6, 7. (a) How does the picture of boring the ear with an awl fit those with hearing oars? (b) How did this apply to Jesus?

tried all ways to force Jesus to do so. Even the offering up of himself in sacrifice in God’s service and for mankind’s ransom did not make Jesus quit his heavenly Master’s service. He continued to turn to his God and Father a blood-marked ear and let it be bored or digged to indicate he was Jehovah’s willing servant for evermore.

7 Hence the prophecy which the apostle Paul applied to Jesus foretold Jesus’ words as he approached his baptism in water as follows: “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened [or, digged; pierced]: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, 0 my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Ps. 40: 6-8; Heb. 10:5-9) For such obedience and unbreakable devotion to his God and Father, Jesus has been made Jehovah’s Chief Servant or Prime Minister, because he is absolutely dependable out of his love for God.

MORE IS GIVEN TO HEARERS

8 Those with ears to hear the divine message and instruction do not turn away when they learn the content of the message and the kind of instructions, but are anxious to hear more. They have a desire for more such information so as to improve their service by increased knowledge. They have the promise of indeed receiving more, to their heart’s desire. To show them the benefit of hearing with a desire to learn more and to obey, Jesus said: “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have,” (Luke 8:18) “Unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” (Mark 4:24,25) Certainly, if they have the hearing ear, if they have appreciation and a desire to increase in knowledge and to serve Jehovah God better and further, they will always come to the source of information, and Jehovah will never fail to give them additional knowledge. They will study his Word, the Bible, privately; they will listen to the preaching of his Word; they will go to meetings and study and discuss his Word and service with brethren; they will go to his Theocratic organization under Jesus Christ as his channel and will take advantage of every means and provision for growing in knowledge, wisdom and understanding and in ability to serve God. True to his promise through Christ, Jehovah will give them more. With hearing ear they will go after more, and they will get more.

9 It is the heart that keeps the ear open to receive

8. Why and how do those with the hearing ear receive more?

9. Through the ear what receives information? and with what result? more. It is through the ear that the heart or mind receives much information, enlightenment and instruction. This was very much the case in Bible times when copies, of the Bible were long and hard to make and were not so plentiful, and when learning the Word of God depended greatly upon hearing it read aloud and preached upon. But even today hundreds of millions cannot read, and other millions who can read do not choose to do so, but prefer to listen. There is thus an intimate connection between the heart and the ear, for which reason the wise man says: “Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” (Prov. 23:12; 18:15) Much information gains entry to the heart through the ear, and there must be a proper reception of this information in the heart, before there is good fruitage from it. Jesus illustrated this in the parable of a sower that sowed his seed and some of which fell upon good soil. In explaining the parable Jesus said: “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. . . . that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Take heed therefore how ye hear.” (Luke 8:11,15,18) Unless the good and honest condition of the heart keeps our powers of audition open and keenly sensitive to the divine Word, our ears will be as if heavy, dull of hearing. There will be no ready, interested reception of the divine message, and there will be no fruit from our heart.

HEARING MEANS SALVATION

10 Hearing, that is, not just hearing literally, but what hearing symbolizes for even a literally deaf person, means our salvation to life. Stating this rule of operation, God says to those to whom he sends his message: “Hear, and your soul shall live.” (Isa. 55:3) This, of course, means far more than just hearing the sound of the message. It means entertaining the message, accepting it, believing it, and obediently acting upon it. Those who thus hear will not have their souls blotted out by Jehovah God, who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. (Matt. 10:28, Am. Stan. Ver., margin) Their souls will be sustained forever in the new world.

11 It follows, then, that all of humankind who will gain eternal salvation must hear the good news of God’s kingdom by Christ Jesus the Ransomer, and they must be given the opportunity to act in harmony with it. Their obedient hearing with faith or belief must, in all cases, precede salvation. As it is written: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and 10. What kind of hearing leads to life in the new world?

11. In all cases, therefore, what precedes salvation?

how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For [Isaiah] saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:13-17) To all those finally saved the message of salvation must come, whether audibly by means of the auditory nerve or visually by means of printed page or sign language. All those who do the presenting of the message by word of mouth or by delivery of the printed page are “preachers”, or proclaimers. After that it is up to the one to whom the message is presented to “hear” it, that is, accept it into a good and honest heart with humility, faith and obedience.

12 So it becomes plain how important the work of preaching is. Preaching leads to hearing, and hearing to salvation. For this reason no other activity on earth is more important to humankind than preaching, regardless of how the worldly-wise may view the matter. The brainy ones of the world may call the preaching a waste of time that accomplishes nothing practical for bettering mankind and saving the world from a third world war, and hence foolishness. But such brainy ones will perish in their own ignorance of the truth. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. . . . hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching-to save them that believe. Because the foolishness [as men call it] of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Cor. 1:18, 20, 21, 25) In response to mankind’s need to hear the saving news, Jehovah God has ordered preachers into the field; and persons that have first heard, believed and obeyed are the ones that he commands and sends to do the preaching, themselves convinced of the news.

13 The good and honest heart that receives the message must bring forth fruit, and that fruitage can be attained only by preaching. The message of salvation that encounters a hearer must go from the ears to the heart and then to the lips. This circuit of movement is shown in the proverb that says: “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise [ones], and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.” (Prov. 22:17,18) Thus the words of the message of salvation must be established upon the lips of the hearer, that he may speak them repeatedly, upon every

12. Whom, therefore, does God send into the field, and why?

13. How is fruitage from the heart attained? proper occasion. Preach, preach, preach, says God’s Word to us hearers. Jesus said: “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house tops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.”—Matt. 10:27,28; Luke 12:3-5.

“ It is wise for the hearer to preach. Repeating deepens the impression within him of what he has heard, and in that manner the hearer does not let slip away the things he has heard and thereby come in for punishment as a disobedient person. (Tleb. 2:1-5) Because it is wise to preach the saving Word of God, wisdom is pictured as a person preaching God’s message “without”, “in the streets,” “in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city.” And such personified wisdom says: “Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” (Prov. 1: 20-33) We must give the message in the language that the people understand, in their tongue and on their level of intelligence, in order for the sounds of the message to be understandable to them.

15 To use the apostle’s argument: “Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain voice, who shall prepare himself for war? So also ye, unless ye utter by the tongue speech easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye will be speaking into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and no kind is without signification. If then I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh will be a barbarian unto me.” (1 Cor. 14:7-11, Am. Stan. Ver.) So, if we do not want to sound like a barbarian to those to whom we preach, we must give the witness to them in their understood language and in terms they can grasp. Otherwise, the effect is no better than if we talked to blank space.

hearkening to the invitation to preach

1# The situation in the world today invites us to preach, and blessed are we if we accept and act upon the invitation. When the apostle Paul had the vision by night over in Asia Minor, and “there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us,” Paul promptly responded to the invitation as from the Lord. But what if he had not acted on the invitation and gone over into Europe and helped the Europeans? The record of subsequent events in the book of Acts discloses the blessed privileges he would have willfully denied himself. (Acts 16:9,10; Prov. 21:13)

14 Why is It wise for the hearer to preach?

15 In what tongue and in what terms should we preach'’

16 , 17. (a) To what does the world situation today in>ire os'5 (b) I’or what other powerful reason also must we let the people hear’ Likewise with us now, if we do not accept today’s invitation and step out into the field of opportunity and preach to the people.

" The invitation to preach comes from countries, lands, states, counties, provinces and territories where there is a need for Kingdom publishers. But more than that, a command comes to us from God: “Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. ... let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah.” (Isa. 43:8-10, Am. Sian. Ver.) Aye, let the people hear, of all nations, kindreds, tribes, and tongues. Many, indeed, will refuse to hear. It is not to be expected otherwise, because neither did they hear Jesus the Son of God himself; and he said: “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:20) It is not the general unresponsiveness of people that determines what we are to do, but the divine command. And in this end of the world, when Christendom is to be destroyed as Jerusalem was in the seventh century B.C., God’s command comes to us as it did to Ezekiel: “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.”—Ezek. 2: 4, 5, 7, Am. Sian. Ver.

'* The foolish persons will refuse to hear, and as to what further to do about them the proverb says: “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” (Prov. 23:9) So, when a person shows himself to be a fool or goat and willfully forbears to hear, we waste no time with him but pass on to find the sheep with hearing ears. Eventually those forbearing to hear must and will be made to know and realize that a prophet, Jehovah’s company of preachers with the true message of salvation, has been among them, so that they are without excuse and Jehovah God is vindicated as blameless and free from neglect.

19 By lovingly answering the invitation and obeying the divine command to go on out and preach, we 18~ How do we deal vvitn the foolish nou-hcarers, and why?

JO. What accounts tor it that deaf ears now hear, un&topped?

WHERE THE MONEY COMES

IF THE Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society were a commercial organization, people would not ask concerning it: “Where does all the money come from for this?” But because the Society does not follow the method of Christendom’s religious organizations of taking up money collections or tithes, the question is frequently asked.

The Society has a Godly purpose, which purpose was cause many hitherto deaf ears to hear. It is Jehovah God that is really the opener of their deaf ears, because He is the One that sends us and He is the One that equips us with the message to preach. According to the facts, then, now is that day of the grand fulfillment of the prophecy: “In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in Jehovah, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.” (Isa. 29: 18, 19 and 35:5,6, Am. Stan. Ver.) Hence tongues that till now were dumb and utterly silent respecting God’s praises are now obediently singing forth his praises, because the ears aforetime deaf have at last been opened to the message by His preachers.

29 Blessed, indeed, are the hearing ears today! Blessed, indeed, are our ears because of hearing what God has made possible to hear today, things not perceived by human ears since the beginning of the world, things that kings and righteous men of ancient time did not hear. (Isa. 64: 4; 1 Cor. 2:9, 10; Matt. 13: 16,17) It is because He has now set up in the heavens the promised government of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Ransomer. When on earth the Son preached the Kingdom and let the people hear, and thus he unstopped many ears spiritually by putting the gospel into them, and not just by literally putting his fingers into them. (Mark 7:32-35) On one occasion as he preached, “a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” (Luke 11:27,28, Am. Sian. Ver.) Yes, Mary's virgin privilege of being the human mother of the Son of God born as a man was blessed, indeed. But Jesus named a blessedness surpassing that of the motherhood of the human Son of God. It is the blessedness of all whose ears hear the word of Jehovah God and who wisely keep it and preach it out to other ears.

20 How are those with hearing ears surpassingly blessed today?

FROM FOR KINGDOM WORK

clearly stated in the charter granted it in 1884, to wit: “The purpose for which the corporation is formed is, the dissemination of Bible truths in various languages by means of the publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers and other religious documents, and by the use of all other lawful means which its Board of Directors, duly constituted, shall deem expedient for the furtherance of the purpose stated.”

From the very formation of the Society, even before its legal incorporation in 1884 for the above-stated work, persons devoted to God recognized that, since this work is of Him, he will make regular provision for it to continue. To this year of 1948 Jehovah God has performed this miraculous provision. How? Through willing, unforced, unsolicited givers. Persons have been moved by love of God and his Word and by His spirit to contribute what they had of time, effort, ability and money to the spreading of the message of man’s salvation by God’s kingdom. The many privileges of supporting the world-wide witness to God’s kingdom have been grasped voluntarily and cheerfully, and only God’s spirit leads a person to do that. All along the Lord God has permitted men and women to contribute of their own free will money, or material wealth, to the support of His work on earth. If this were not so, the widow would not have dropped her two coins, her last mite, into the collection box, causing Jesus to say she donated more than all other contributors. (Luke 21:1-4) “God loveth a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7) Thus the money has come from thousands of men and women, in all stations of life and in all parts of the earth, who want to share in helping the Society as an organization to advance Bibleeducation among all peoples, with no financial profit to themselves and with no financial profit to the Society or anyone connected with it.

In doing this, such contributors act wisely, discreetly, looking beyond this present uncertain world to the approaching new world of eternal life, peace and plenty. With money and other material things, or, “mammon,” as Jesus called them, at Luke 16: 9, they are making friends with Jehovah God and Christ Jesus, and through these two they hope to gain eternal dwellings in the new world, there to serve Them forever.

It is the pleasure of The Watchtower to have many thousands of new readers. To all our readers, new and old, we delight to bring information concerning the present expansion of true worship of God on earth. The Watchtower itself is published in twenty-two languages, but the Society operates through more than sixty Branches and literature depots in over ninety different lands. In addition to this, it has sent abroad more than 500 missionaries graduated from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, whom it supports financially, besides maintaining other hundreds of home missionaries or special publishers and traveling representatives. Also, yearly millions of pieces of literature are distributed absolutely free of cost to those accepting. And the work is not by any means over now, but we look forward and are preparing for an even greater work of bringing the saving news of God’s kingdom by Christ to hundreds of millions in all lands.

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