Jacksonville will be one of the thousands of communities around the globe that will receive a powerful message of hope this November as Jehovah’s Witnesses embark upon a special campaign focusing attention on the Bible’s hope for a better world.
The goal of the campaign is to distribute a special edition of The Watchtower magazine containing the cover series, “A Better World is Near.” More than 36 million printed copies of the magazine are expected to be distributed in some 230 languages to communities in 240 lands around the globe. In addition, the digital publication is available on various platforms in nearly 400 languages.
“People are longing to hear a positive message and this is the best news possible,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. Spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “A better world is not just a dream, it’s inevitable. In fact, it is the central theme of the entire Bible.”
The magazine addresses the age-old “doomsday” question “Is this world going to end?” with a comforting answer that may surprise many readers. While many religions have predicted the “end of the world,” the magazine reveals the Bible’s clear message: the earth is here forever and will never end! However, the magazine also explains the powerful truth that wickedness will soon be gone, quoting the Bible book of Psalms where it promises that the “lawless one” will be no more. (Psalm 37:10, Rotherham translation)
This positive message has been the hope of millions around the world who have prayed for ‘God’s Kingdom to come,’ a familiar refrain of many Christians taught by Jesus in what some refer to as the Lord’s Prayer. Melissa Wisniewski, 35, a resident of Englewood, Florida, knew the Lord’s Prayer. But for many years, it had no impact on her as she was living what she refers to as the “fast life.” At age 12, she started dealing in drugs. By age 18, she had her own “little turf” and was running a business. “Honestly, my goal was to run a drug cartel.”
Things began to change when, at age 19, she was sentenced to a year in jail. “That’s where I started reading the Bible. I wanted to change, to become an honest person,” she said.. She said that her time in jail felt like being in a deep, dark hole and just wanting to come out.
When she was 23, she began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Slowly, she made changes. What also changed was her view of the future. As she came to know more about God’s promises, she said, “that hope lifted me up.”
Wisniewski confesses that before she knew about the Bible’s hope for a better future, she would get high to forget about her problems. Now, she is grateful for what she has learned. “I love my life today! And my two children are happy as well.”
For Rosario Gomez, 63, of Bradenton, Florida, who has studied the Bible for decades, knowing the Bible’s promise of a better future brought her comfort when coping with tragedy. Last summer, her husband of 20 years died of COVID-19. “He was on a ventilator for a whole month,” she said. During that time, Rosario was only able to see him through a glass window outside his hospital room.
After her husband died, friends from her local congregation and others showered her with love and support. She says what also helped her endure her loss were the words in the Bible at Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in the hope.” She says that Bible verse has become her motto.
For more information, please call (718) 560-5600.The Watchtower magazine has been carrying a similar message about God’s Kingdom for more than 100 years and remains the most widely translated and circulated magazine in the world. The 2021 number two edition is available free online at jw.org, where anyone can also request a free printed copy by scrolling down on the homepage to “Request A Visit.”
Click below for a direct link to the online version of the magazine:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-no2-2021-may-jun/
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