Oklahoma City is one of the thousands of communities around the globe receiving what a recent press release called “a powerful message of hope” as the worldwide Jehovah’s Witnesses continue, in the month of November, a special campaign focusing attention on “the Bible’s hope for a better world.”

According to the release sent to CapitolBeatOK.com, an independent news service based in Oklahoma City, the goal of the campaign is 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 are 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. While various religions have predicted the “end of the world,” the magazine reveals what the witnesses believe is the Bible’s clear message: The earth is here forever and will never end.

However, the magazine also explains what it asserts is “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)

According to the press release, “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.

Maurice Spears, of Oklahoma City, is a world-renowned trombonist with a musical career that has spanned seven decades. While traveling with the Ray Charles band in the late 1960’s, Maurice had the opportunity to see much of the United States and Europe, but what he saw was not what he expected. “Everywhere we went, I saw a lot of homelessness, suffering, and a lot of despair,” recalls Maurice. “That really stuck with me.”When a fellow musician spoke with him about why humans suffer and showed him from the Bible how God’s Kingdom would solve all of life’s problems, Maurice was amazed.

“I thought, ‘This is the answer to what I saw,'” said Maurice. “I wasn’t looking for an answer, but there it was!” Maurice added, “When I went to the Kingdom Hall, I was warmly received. Everyone was mingling together and cheerful and receptive. It was a different world for me!” While he still finds joy in performing with his trombone, Maurice said that what has given his life true purpose is “knowing that I have a bright hope for the future.”

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 for free online at jw.org, where anyone can request a free printed copy by scrolling down on the homepage to “Request a Visit.”

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/

Note: CapitolBeatOK.com, founded in 2009, is an independent, non-partisan and locally-managed news service.