16. (a) What statistics are presented to show that Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize that now is the time to preach the Word? (b) What personal question is thus asked of each of us?

¹⁶ In 206 countries and islands of the world over the past year there were 358,581,547 hours of service spent by the 2,361,896 publishers of the Kingdom good news in spreading this exciting message. They conducted 1,475,177 home Bible studies as well as distributed 31,444,062 books and booklets and 234,163,921 copies of The Watchtower and Awake! magazines earth wide. That, added to the heap of witness that has been given over these many years of the 20th century, gives abundant proof of the desire of Jehovah’s people to carry out their commission to ‘declare good news to the meek ones, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to those taken captive, to proclaim the year of goodwill on the part of Jehovah and the day of vengeance on the part of our God, to comfort all the mourning ones.’ (Isaiah 61:1, 2) Are you having a share NOW in preaching the Word of God and his promised kingdom?

17. What further evidence of Jehovah’s blessing do we next consider?

¹⁷ During the 1981 service year 119,836 persons joined the ranks of those who have dedicated their lives to Jehovah and have symbolized such by water baptism.

[Chart on page 26-29]

1981 SERVICE YEAR REPORT OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WORLDWIDE

(See bound volume)