'A Better World Is Near'

Dedham was one of the thousands of communities around the globe that received a powerful message of hope in November as Jehovah’s Witnesses embarked upon a special campaign focusing attention on the Bible’s hope for a better world.

The goal of the campaign was 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 were 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.

For Patricia Gass, 61, of Dedham, learning the meaning of that prayer as a young child has given her hope. Gass was born with a rare heart condition, and in her early childhood, she began to feel its effects. “I was just like any other child at that age just wanting to live a normal life, but I remember getting tired just playing with the other kids,” said Gass. At the age of seven, she underwent the first of three open-heart surgeries. The second was in 1990, several months after her marriage, and the third in 2006.

When feelings of anxiety overcame her, Gass found solace in pouring out her feelings in prayer. “Before my surgeries I was so anxious,” she said, “but I would pray to God, and I would feel an overwhelming sense of calm.”

Gass continues to rely on prayer and reading the Scriptures to maintain a positive outlook while she copes with her chronic condition. “The Bible is my lifeline,” said Gass. “I look forward to a better world when there will be an end to sickness.”

The Watchtower 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.”

For more information, please call (718) 560-5600.

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/