Using the Resources of the Nations: How Jehovah's People Leverage Technology for His Glory

Isaiah prophesied that Jehovah's people would benefit from "the resources of the nations." Today, we see this fulfilled through JW.org, JW Library, JW Broadcasting, and individual Witnesses using modern technology to spread the good news.

Over 2,700 years ago, the prophet Isaiah recorded a series of remarkable prophecies about how Jehovah's people would benefit from "the resources of the nations." At the time, these words must have seemed almost unimaginable. Today, we're watching them unfold before our eyes — not just through the organization, but through individual Witnesses who use modern tools to serve Jehovah and help their brothers and sisters.The PropheciesLet's start with what Isaiah actually wrote:"You will actually suck the milk of nations, and you will nurse at the breast of kings; and you will certainly know that I, Jehovah, am your Savior, and your Repurchaser is the Powerful One of Jacob." — Isaiah 60:16"As for you, you will be called the priests of Jehovah; they will call you the ministers of our God. You will eat the resources of the nations, and you will boast about their glory." — Isaiah 61:6"Your gates will be kept open constantly; day and night they will not be shut, to bring to you the wealth of the nations." — Isaiah 60:11"The wealth of the sea will be directed to you; the resources of the nations will come to you." — Isaiah 60:5What do these prophecies mean? In their broader fulfillment, they describe how Jehovah's people — both collectively as an organization and individually as servants of God — would use the resources, technology, infrastructure, and innovations developed by the nations. Not for selfish purposes, but to advance pure worship and spread the good news of God's Kingdom.The nations invest billions in developing technology. They build the satellites, lay the fiber optic cables, create the smartphones, design the software, and develop the platforms. And Jehovah's people? We use it all to give glory to Him.This happens at two levels:The organization — through official tools, websites, and mediaIndividual Witnesses — through personal initiatives that support the brotherhoodBoth fulfill Isaiah's prophecy. Let's look at each.Part 1: The Organization's Use of the Nations' ResourcesJW.org — The Most Translated Website on EarthConsider jw.org for a moment.This single website contains Bible-based content in over 1,000 languages — more than any other website in human history. The nations built the internet. They developed the web browsers, the content management systems, the translation software. And Jehovah's organization uses all of it to make the truth accessible to nearly every language group on the planet.A person in rural Indonesia can read the Bible in their native tongue. A deaf person in Brazil can watch sign language videos. Someone in a remote village with only a basic smartphone can access the same spiritual food as someone in New York City.The nations built the infrastructure. We use it for Jehovah's glory.JW Library — A Kingdom Hall in Your PocketThink about what the JW Library app actually is. In one free app, you have:The complete Bible in hundreds of languagesStudy Bibles with footnotes and cross-referencesThe Watchtower and Awake! magazines going back decadesMeeting workbooks and study guidesSongs — audio and sheet musicVideos and documentariesBooks that would fill an entire libraryA century ago, a pioneer would carry a heavy bag of books and Bibles. Now, everything fits on a device that weighs a few ounces. You can study the Bible on a bus, at lunch break, while waiting at a doctor's office.Apple and Google built the app stores and the smartphones. Software engineers around the world developed the programming languages and frameworks. And Jehovah's organization uses all of it to put a complete spiritual library in the hands of millions."The resources of the nations will come to you." — Isaiah 60:5JW Broadcasting — A Global Television NetworkJW Broadcasting (tv.jw.org) is essentially a worldwide television network — without the billions of dollars it would normally cost to build one.Every month, there's a new broadcast from the Governing Body. There are documentaries, music videos, dramatic Bible presentations, programs for children, and content for every age group. All of it streamed globally, available on demand, in hundreds of languages.The nations built the streaming technology. They launched the satellites. They developed the video compression algorithms that make it possible to stream HD video over a mobile connection. And we use it to deliver spiritual encouragement to brothers and sisters in 240 lands.Think about the alternative. Without this technology, how could the Governing Body speak directly to 8 million Witnesses simultaneously? It would be impossible. But now, a brother in a developing country can hear the same encouraging message as a sister in Europe — at the same time, in their own language.Original Movies and Dramas — Hollywood-Quality for JehovahIn recent years, the organization has produced original films that rival professional productions:Historical dramas about faithful servants like Jonah, Josiah, and the early ChristiansModern-day dramas addressing challenges Witnesses faceDocumentaries about our global brotherhoodAnimated features for childrenThe nations developed the cameras, the editing software, the CGI technology, the sound engineering. Film schools trained generations of professionals. And now, brothers and sisters with those skills use them — not for worldly entertainment, but to strengthen faith and teach Bible principles.When you watch a drama about Jonah running from his assignment and then repenting, you're watching the resources of the nations being used to glorify Jehovah.Translation Technology — 1,000+ Languages and GrowingThe scope of the organization's translation work is staggering:The New World Translation is available in over 200 languages (complete or partial)Jw.org content is available in over 1,000 languagesVideos are produced in hundreds of languages, including dozens of sign languagesThis would be impossible without modern technology. Translation memory software, collaborative cloud platforms, digital publishing tools, video dubbing technology — all of it developed by the nations, all of it used to spread the good news.A translation that once took decades can now be completed in a fraction of the time. A video can be dubbed into 50 languages simultaneously. The Bible can reach language groups that previously had no Scripture in their tongue.Part 2: Individual Witnesses Using the Nations' ResourcesHere's where the prophecy gets even more personal.It's not just Bethel using these resources. Individual Witnesses around the world are doing the same thing — using the technology, platforms, and tools developed by the nations to support the brotherhood and spread the good news.This is significant. Isaiah's prophecy isn't limited to what happens at headquarters. When any of Jehovah's people use worldly resources for sacred purposes, they're participating in this fulfillment.Social Media and Extended ReachPlatforms like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram were built for entertainment, social connection, and advertising revenue. The nations invested billions developing these platforms and the algorithms that power them.But what happens when individual Witnesses use them wisely?A TikTok live stream defending the truth can reach thousands in a single sessionA YouTube video explaining a Bible teaching can be viewed by people who would never knock on a Kingdom Hall doorA Facebook post can spark a conversation that leads to a Bible studyAn Instagram story can encourage a discouraged brotherI've personally experienced this. Going live on TikTok to discuss whether Jesus is Michael the Archangel, using a framework built from Scripture, reaching people across the world in real-time — that's using the resources of the nations.TikTok's algorithm was designed to keep people scrolling through entertainment. But when used for Jehovah's purposes, it becomes a tool for reaching people with Bible truth who might never have been reached otherwise.JW Study (jwstudy.org) — A Personal ExampleThis brings me to something very close to my heart.JW Study (available at jwstudy.org) is a free Bible reading tracker I built to help brothers and sisters stay consistent in their personal Bible reading. It's styled after JW Library, supports multiple languages, and lets users track their progress through all 66 books of the Bible.Let me show you the resources of the nations that make this possible:TechnologyWho Built ItHow We Use ItReact & Next.jsFacebook and open-source developersThe framework that powers the entire appSupabaseA tech startupThe database that stores user progressVercelA major tech companyThe hosting platform that serves the site globallyTailwind CSSOpen-source communityThe styling system that gives it a clean lookGoogle Search ConsoleGoogleHelps people find the site through searchAnalytics toolsVarious tech companiesShows us how the site is being usedNone of these were built for spiritual purposes. Facebook created React to power their social network. Vercel was designed for commercial web applications. Supabase was built for startups building the next big app.But when used by one of Jehovah's people for a spiritual purpose, they become tools for helping brothers and sisters read God's Word consistently.The nations built the technology. I just used it for Jehovah's purposes."You will eat the resources of the nations." — Isaiah 61:6Other Examples from Individual WitnessesJW Study isn't unique. Around the world, individual Witnesses are doing similar things:Brothers creating congregation scheduling tools using modern softwareSisters running encouragement accounts on social mediaPioneers using Google Maps and route-planning apps to organize their territory more efficientlyElders using video conferencing to shepherd brothers who live far awayParents using tablet apps to help their children learn Bible storiesWitnesses with technical skills building accessibility tools for disabled brothers and sistersNone of these are official organization projects. They're individual Witnesses seeing a need and using the resources available to them to fill it.And every one of them fulfills Isaiah's prophecy.The Principle at WorkHere's what's remarkable: Jehovah's people didn't have to build the internet, invent the smartphone, create the streaming protocols, or develop the social media algorithms.The nations did all of that.What we do — both as an organization and as individuals — is use these resources wisely, ethically, and for sacred purposes.This is exactly what Isaiah prophesied. The wealth, the technology, the infrastructure, the innovation of the nations would "come to" Jehovah's people. Not because we demanded it. Not because we built it. But because Jehovah directs these resources toward accomplishing His will.When the Governing Body records a monthly broadcast that streams to millions, they're fulfilling Isaiah 60:16.When a pioneer uses Google Maps to navigate their territory, they're fulfilling Isaiah 61:6.When a brother uses translation software to help produce literature in a minority language, they're fulfilling Isaiah 60:5.When you read the Bible on JW Library during your commute, you're fulfilling Isaiah 60:11.When I build a Bible reading tracker using React and Supabase, I'm fulfilling Isaiah 60:5.When you go live on TikTok to defend the truth, you're fulfilling Isaiah 61:6."You will eat the resources of the nations, and you will boast about their glory."But what do we boast about? Not the technology itself. We boast about Jehovah — that He is directing this work, that He is using imperfect humans and worldly tools to accomplish something the nations never intended: the global preaching of the good news.Looking ForwardJesus said the good news would be "preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations." (Matthew 24:14)How would that be possible without the technology the nations developed?How would we reach 8 billion people without the internet?How would we translate into 1,000+ languages without modern software?How would we train and encourage millions of Witnesses without video streaming?How would isolated brothers stay connected without smartphones and apps?How would individual Witnesses extend their reach without social media?How would small projects like JW Study exist without free hosting and database tools?Jehovah knew. He inspired Isaiah to record these prophecies centuries before the technology existed. And now, we're living in the fulfillment — both collectively and individually.The resources are flowing in. The question for each of us is: How will we use them?Will we use social media to waste time, or to give a witness?Will we use our smartphones for entertainment, or to study God's Word?Will we use our technical skills for worldly gain, or to support our brothers?Will we use the technology at our fingertips to drift toward the world, or to draw closer to Jehovah?The nations built the tools. Jehovah's people — the organization and individuals — decide how to use them.ConclusionIsaiah's prophecies about "the resources of the nations" aren't just ancient poetry. They're a living reality that we participate in every day.Every time you open JW Library, you're using the resources of the nations.Every time you stream a monthly broadcast, you're using the resources of the nations.Every time you track your Bible reading on JW Study, you're using the resources of the nations.Every time you defend the truth on social media, you're using the resources of the nations.The prophecy isn't just about Bethel. It's about all of Jehovah's people — using whatever tools are available to us to serve Him, encourage one another, and spread the good news.The nations built the technology for their own purposes. But Jehovah's people? We use it for His glory."The resources of the nations will come to you." — Isaiah 60:5And they have. The question is: What will you do with them?What tools or technology do you use to support your spirituality or help your brothers and sisters? Share in the comments!Start tracking your Bible reading today at jwstudy.orgQuick Reference: Key ScripturesScriptureKey PhraseIsaiah 60:5"The resources of the nations will come to you"Isaiah 60:11"To bring to you the wealth of the nations"Isaiah 60:16"You will suck the milk of nations"Isaiah 61:6"You will eat the resources of the nations"Matthew 24:14"This good news will be preached in all the earth"