three and one half years of Jesus’ ministry, he was cut off. He died on the torture stake on Nisan 14, the middle of the lunar year that began in the fall with the month of Tishri. Three and a half years later the seventieth week of years came to an end with the anointing of Cornelius, the first Gentile to be brought into the body of Christ, to be among the body of anointed ones.—Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:3; Dan. 9:24.

When a reasoning person thinks of the foresight and tremendous power involved to bring about the fulfillment of such a prophecy, which dealt not only with individuals but with whole nations, he cannot help but see or at least give the strongest consideration to the identity of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Those who really desire life will do so, for the Messiah is the Seed of God’s woman and the Seed of Abraham by whom God’s enemies will be destroyed. Also, through him all the families of the earth will bless themselves by exercising faith in and following the commands of this Anointed King and Leader, the Son of the Almighty God Jehovah.—Gen. 22:17, 18.

“Word of Truth” Assemblies of Jehovah’s Witnesses

DURING this past summer more than half a million persons gathered at the “Word of Truth” assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses in Europe and North America. There they heard convincing evidence that God’s Word of Truth, the Holy Bible, contains the answers to the problems facing mankind. The smooth operation of these assemblies, accompanied by a prevailing spirit of love and peace, was powerful testimony that the application of Bible principles can indeed produce marvelous results.

In Edinburgh, Scotland, and Dublin, Eire, where the series of assemblies opened simultaneously June 9 to 13, public officials and visitors were simply amazed at what they observed: “If only people on the outside could see you in action,” noted one Edinburgh reporter, “a lot of prejudice they have against you would disappear.” And over in Dublin the director of the soccer grounds where the assembly was held said: “I have never seen anything so well organized. . . . You have everything under control.”

The love and peace among the delegates made a real impression on visitors. One of them attending the Edinburgh assembly confessed: “I have been a minister since the 1920’s and have been to many religious conventions in all parts of the British Isles, but never before have I found a spirit of joy and brotherhood such as can be noted here.” A family from Finnish Lapland who were told about this spirit of brotherly love made a 530-mile trip to the Helsinki,