Satan can prepare for a losing battle. Armageddon comes as no sneak attack, yet it comes upon worldly men as a thief in the night: “Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night.” (1 Thess 5:2, NW) How can that be? The warning is being given. It is being preached earth-wide by word of mouth and distributed in hundreds of millions of books and booklets and magazines published in more than a hundred languages. Why should such a widely publicized battle come upon this world like a thief? Because the men of this world have eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear, minds that do not discern. (Matt. 13:14, 15) Their eyes are shut, their ears are shut, their minds are closed, but their mouths are always open, open to scoff and ridicule the warning message Jehovah is now having his witnesses declare. This is itself a foretold evidence that we are in the last days of this old world: “In the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires and saying: ‘Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.’” Then it goes on to say that the facts escape their notice “according to their wish.” They only have eyes for their own schemes, ears for their own plans, minds for their own theories. According to their own wish they remain blind and deaf and undiscerning relative to the preaching of the good news and the warning of Armageddon.—2 Pet. 3:3-5, NW.

18. Who are not in darkness, and what do they behold after Armageddon?

¹⁸ But to those faithful ones who view the unfolding events of this generation through the prophetic light of Jehovah’s Word these words are spoken: “But you, brothers, you are not in darkness, so that that day should overtake you as it would thieves, for you are all sons of light and sons of day.” To such spiritually awake ones Jesus said: “However, happy are your eyes because they behold, and your ears because they hear.” (1 Thess. 5:4, 5; Matt. 13:16, NW) By now seeing and hearing and discerning Jehovah’s purposes concerning Armageddon and heeding his warning and fleeing to the mountains in obedience to his command, such persons will survive the war from heaven to enjoy the peace it brings to earth. They will retain these senses and perceptive powers through the destructive cataclysm of Armageddon to use them in response to the invitation given to the survivors: “Come, behold the works of Jehovah, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariots in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Jehovah of hosts is with us.”—Ps. 46:8-11, AS.

More Manufacturing Dextran

More and more, blood and plasma expanders and substitutes are coming into their own. Thus the November, 1953, issue of the trade journal Sugar, under the heading “Dextran for National Defense,” told of the reasons for discontinuing the use of plasma and the important strides being made in the utilization of dextran, “until recently a nuisance product of sugar manufacturing.” Dextran is now being produced by several leading refineries and chemical corporations and the number of pharmaceutical houses that handle it is increasing right along. At present some of these are delivering their entire supply to the government.