16. How do the good-will people also make a test of Jehovah, and with what blessed results?

¹⁶ In the face of such a coming differentiation between the two classes let all the people of good will out of all nations now go up with the remnant to Jehovah’s house bearing the spiritual tithes with them. In this way take courage to act on his invitation and put him to the test. Making this test leads to your abundant blessing now, to spiritual prosperity. It will lead to your being spared with the remnant through the war of Armageddon to enjoy everlasting life in Jehovah’s new world with material as well as spiritual prosperity on earth.

Part 2—The “Triumphant Kingdom” Assemblies of 1955

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada June 29–July 3, 1955

FROM Chicago the Society’s president and his secretary and the vice-president flew westward to serve at the five-day assembly in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the second in the “world sweeping series of Christian assemblies,” as one Canadian newspaper termed it. The fact is, this assembly turned out to be the biggest gathering ever to be staged in the history of the province.

The public relations servant of the Watch Tower Society was early on the job, and from the middle of May the newspapers were publishing advance information regarding the coming assembly. German and Swedish newspapers joined in publicizing the assembly, and even the Chinese newspapers from May 13 on. So the general public were alerted well in advance. They were encouraged to receive the thousands of conventioners into their homes by news that requests for accommodations had been received from thirty-four American states, seven Canadian provinces, and England, Hawaii and Australia. Nine thousand room requests were filled and the householders were pleased with their guests. The public was informed that an enormous house-cleaning job was taking place as 400 of Jehovah’s witnesses scrubbed the Empire Stadium, with its seats for 25,557, from top to bottom.

The great oval stadium was given a “religious atmosphere” by the erection of the speakers’ platform with its background of an unusual design and with the convention title above it. Jehovah, too, added his own background, foothills of the Canadian Rockies that stood out boldly in the distance. At the opposite curve of the oval stadium was suspended a huge banner with the year’s text upon it, Psalm 112:7.

The general attitude of the public was friendly, and most of the large department stores, hotels and motels were glad to put up “Welcome Jehovah’s Witnesses” signs. Notices of welcome by business firms were also published in the newspapers, but doubtless no attention was paid to the announcement by one religious organization of a “Special Service for Jehovah’s Witnesses” Sunday night. During the assembly the newspaper publicity grew to grand proportions, 2,112 column inches, all of which amounted to good advertising for the New World society. Add to this the interviews that were had with the Society’s officials and recorded and radiocast, or broadcast direct.

The Vancouver assembly in the polished-up stadium opened up under clouded skies and with cold weather, the friends sitting with their overcoats on or wrapped in blankets. They had come from thirty states of America, eight provinces of Canada and the Yukon, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Hawaii, Japan and Australia. Many who had come up from warmer weather in the South had to act on the welcome of the business