Hello everyone,
Just back from a long business...deal.
I've a great back-log on this board.
but, just as a token , ...freshly arrived from a very
distant place here is the "Special talk" outline.
I've included most of the main publication's references.
"HAS BABYLON'S JUDGMENT HOUR ARRIVED ?"
IDENTIFYING THE SYMBOLIC WOMAN KNOWN AS BABYLON THE GREAT (8 min.)
Bible describes "Babylon the Great" as "the great harlot" and "the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth" (Re 17:1,5,15, 18)
A kingdom over other kingdoms and nations is an empire (it-1 240)
*** it-1 p. 240 Babylon the Great ***
Distinguishing Features of Mystic Babylon. The symbolic woman bearing the name Babylon the Great is “the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth,” a kingdom that allows her, in effect, to sit on “peoples and crowds and nations and tongues.” (Re 17:1, 15, 18) A kingdom over other kingdoms and nations is what is defined as an “empire.” Babylon the Great places herself above earthly kings, exercising power and influence over them. She rides the symbolic seven-headed beast, beasts being used elsewhere in the Bible as symbols of political world powers.”
Not a political empire, for she commits fornication with the kings of the earth and misleads the nations by her "spiritistic practice" (Re 18:3, 23)
Her devastation by the ten horns of the symbolic scarlet-colored wild beast is mourned by her political and commercial companions (Re 17:16, 17; 18:9-19; re 267-8)
*** re chap. 37 pp. 267-268 Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon’s End ***
Chapter 37
Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon’s End
BABYLON’S end is good news for Jehovah’s people, but how do the nations view it? John tells us: “And the kings of the earth who committed fornication with her and lived in shameless luxury will weep and beat themselves in grief over her, when they look at the smoke from the burning of her, while they stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment and say, ‘Too bad, too bad, you great city, Babylon you strong city, because in one hour your judgment has arrived!’”—Revelation 18:9, 10.
2 The nations’ reaction may seem surprising in view of the fact that Babylon was destroyed by the symbolic ten horns of the scarlet-colored wild beast. (Revelation 17:16) But when Babylon is gone, “the kings of the earth” will evidently realize how useful she was to them in keeping the people pacified and in subjection. The clergy have declared wars to be sacred, acted as recruiting agents, and preached the youth into the battle lines. Religion has provided a screen of holiness behind which corrupt rulers have operated in oppressing the common people. (Compare Jeremiah 5:30, 31; Matthew 23:27, 28.) Notice, however, that these grief-stricken kings now stand at a distance from the doomed city. They do not get close enough to come to her aid. They are sad to see her go but not sad enough to take risks in her behalf.
Merchants Weep and Mourn
3 The kings of the earth are not the only ones to regret the passing of Babylon the Great. “Also, the traveling merchants of the earth are weeping and mourning over her, because there is no one to buy their full stock anymore, a full stock of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet; and everything in scented wood and every sort of ivory object and every sort of object out of most precious wood and of copper and of iron and of marble; also cinnamon and Indian spice and incense and perfumed oil and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and horses and coaches and slaves and human souls. Yes, the fine fruit that your soul desired has departed from you [Babylon the Great], and all the dainty things and the gorgeous things have perished from you, and never again will people find them.”—Revelation 18:11-14.
4 Yes, Babylon the Great was a close friend and a good customer of wealthy merchants. For example, the monasteries, nunneries, and churches in Christendom have over the centuries acquired huge amounts of gold, silver, precious stones, valuable woods, and other forms of material wealth. Further, religion’s blessing has been bestowed on the lavish buying sprees and drunken orgies that accompany the celebration of the Christ-dishonoring Christmas and other so-called holy days. Christendom’s missionaries have penetrated distant lands, opening up new markets for “the traveling merchants” of this world. In 17th-century Japan, Catholicism, which had come with the traders, even became involved in feudal warfare. Reporting on a decisive battle under the walls of Osaka castle, The Encyclopædia Britannica states: “The Tokugawa troops found themselves fighting against a foe whose banners were emblazoned with the cross and with images of the Saviour and St James, the patron saint of Spain.” The victorious faction persecuted and practically wiped out Catholicism in that land. The church’s participation in worldly affairs today will likewise bring her no blessing.
5 The voice out of heaven says further: “The traveling merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment and will weep and mourn, saying, ‘Too bad, too bad—the great city, clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and richly adorned with gold ornament and precious stone and pearl, because in one hour such great riches have been devastated!’” (Revelation 18:15-17a) With the destruction of Babylon the Great, the “merchants” mourn at the loss of that commercial partner. Truly, it is “too bad, too bad” for them. Notice, though, that their reasons for mourning are entirely selfish and that they—like the kings—“stand at a distance.” They do not get close enough to be of any help to Babylon the Great.
6 The account goes on: “And every ship captain and every man that voyages anywhere, and sailors and all those who make a living by the sea, stood at a distance and cried out as they looked at the smoke from the burning of her and said, ‘What city is like the great city?’ And they threw dust upon their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, and said, ‘Too bad, too bad—the great city, in which all those having boats at sea became rich by reason of her costliness, because in one hour she has been devastated!’” (Revelation 18:17b-19) Ancient Babylon was a commercial city and had a great fleet of ships. Similarly, Babylon the Great does much business by the “many waters” of her people. This provides employment for many of her religious subjects. What an economic blow the destruction of Babylon the Great will be for these! There will never be another source of livelihood like her.
She is an enemy of true worship (Re 17:4, 6; 19:1, 2)
All these factors identify Babylon the Great as the world empire of false religion (re 235) Referring to Babylon the Great as a harlot is significant
For example, the nation of Israel was warned that allying itself with the nations of Canaan was tantamount to committing "immoral intercourse ["play the harlot," Revised Standard] with their gods" (Ex 34:12-16; it-1 240)
Both Israel and Judah were condemned by Jehovah for "prostituting" themselves to the political nations and their gods (Eze 16:15-17, 26-30, 38; Isa 1:21; Jer 3:6-10, 13; Ho 6:10; 7:11; 8:9, 10; it-11037)
James warned against spiritual adultery through friendship with the world (Jas 4:4)
Babylon the Great, who prostitutes herself to "the kings of the earth;" is truly "the mother of the [spiritual] harlots" (Re 17:2, 5; re 237-8, 244)
*** re chap. 33 pp. 237-238 Judging the Infamous Harlot ***
5 Today, religious leaders frequently campaign for high government office, and in some lands, they share in government, even holding cabinet posts. In 1988 two well-known Protestant clergymen ran for the office of president of the United States. Leaders in Babylon the Great love the limelight; their photos are often to be seen in the public press as they consort with prominent politicians. In contrast, Jesus shunned political involvement and said of his disciples: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.”—John 6:15; 17:16; Matthew 4:8-10; see also James 4:4.
Modern-Day ‘Harlotry’
6 Through her meddling in politics, the great harlot has brought untold sorrow to mankind. Consider, for example, the facts behind Hitler’s rise to power in Germany—ugly facts that some would like to expunge from the history books. In May 1924 the Nazi Party held 32 seats in the German Reichstag. By May 1928 these had dwindled to 12 seats. However, the Great Depression engulfed the world in 1930; riding in its wake, the Nazis made a remarkable recovery, gaining 230 out of 608 seats in the German elections of July 1932. Soon after, former chancellor Franz von Papen, a Papal Knight, came to the Nazis’ aid. According to historians, von Papen envisioned a new Holy Roman Empire. His own short tenure as chancellor had been a failure, so now he hoped to gain power through the Nazis. By January 1933, he had mustered support for Hitler from the industrial barons, and through wily intrigues he ensured that Hitler became Germany’s chancellor on January 30, 1933. He himself was made vice-chancellor and was used by Hitler to win the support of Catholic sections of Germany. Within two months of gaining power, Hitler dissolved parliament, dispatched thousands of opposition leaders to concentration camps, and began an open campaign of oppressing the Jews.
7 On July 20, 1933, the Vatican’s interest in the rising power of Nazism was displayed when Cardinal Pacelli (who later became Pope Pius XII) signed a concordat in Rome between the Vatican and Nazi Germany. Von Papen signed the document as Hitler’s representative, and Pacelli there conferred on von Papen the high papal decoration of the Grand Cross of the Order of Pius. In his book Satan in Top Hat, Tibor Koeves writes of this, stating: “The Concordat was a great victory for Hitler. It gave him the first moral support he had received from the outer world, and this from the most exalted source.” The concordat required the Vatican to withdraw its support from Germany’s Catholic Center Party, thus sanctioning Hitler’s one-party “total state.” Further, its article 14 stated: “The appointments for archbishops, bishops, and the like will be issued only after the governor, installed by the Reich, has duly ascertained that no doubts exist with respect to general political considerations.” By the end of 1933 (proclaimed a “Holy Year” by Pope Pius XI), Vatican support had become a major factor in Hitler’s push for world domination.
8 Though a handful of priests and nuns protested Hitler’s atrocities—and suffered for it—the Vatican as well as the Catholic Church and its army of clergy gave either active or tacit support to the Nazi tyranny, which they regarded as a bulwark against the advance of world communism. Sitting pretty in the Vatican, Pope Pius XII let the Holocaust on the Jews and the cruel persecutions of Jehovah’s Witnesses and others proceed uncriticized. It is ironical that Pope John Paul II, on visiting Germany in May 1987, should glorify the anti-Nazi stand of one sincere priest. What were the other thousands of the German clergy doing during Hitler’s reign of terror? A pastoral letter issued by the German Catholic bishops in September 1939 at the outbreak of World War II provides enlightenment on this point. It reads in part: “In this decisive hour we admonish our Catholic soldiers to do their duty in obedience to the Fuehrer and to be ready to sacrifice their whole individuality. We appeal to the Faithful to join in ardent prayers that Divine Providence may lead this war to blessed success.”
9 Such Catholic diplomacy illustrates the kind of harlotry that religion has engaged in over the past 4,000 years in wooing the political State in order to gain power and advantage. Such religio-political relationships have fostered warfare, persecutions, and human misery on a vast scale. How happy mankind can be that Jehovah’s judgment upon the great harlot is at hand. May it soon be executed!
*** re chap. 33 pp. 244 Judging the Infamous Harlot ***
24 Babylon the Great is dressed in “purple and scarlet,” the colors of royalty, and is “adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls.” How appropriate! Just reflect on all the magnificent buildings, rare statues and paintings, priceless icons, and other religious paraphernalia, as well as astronomical amounts of property and cash, that this world’s religions have accumulated. Whether at the Vatican, in the TV empire of evangelism centered in the United States, or in the exotic wats and temples of the Orient, Babylon the Great has amassed—and at times lost—fabulous wealth.
25 Look now at what the harlot has in her hand. John must have gasped at the sight of it—a golden cup “full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her fornication”! This is the cup containing “the wine of the anger of her fornication” with which she has made all the nations drunk. (Revelation 14:8; 17:2) It looks rich on the outside, but its contents are disgusting, unclean. (Compare Matthew 23:25, 26.) It contains all the filthy practices and lies that the great harlot has used to seduce the nations and bring them under her influence. Even more revolting, John sees that the harlot herself is inebriated, drunk with the blood of God’s servants! In fact, we later read that “in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18:24) What massive bloodguilt!
THE BLOODGUILT OF BABYLON THE GREAT (20 min.)
Although the name Babylon the Great shows her to be the spiritual counterpart of ancient Babylon, false reli- gion's bloodguilt predates founding of Babylon by Nimrod (Ge 11:1-4)
False religion must answer for the blood of "all those who have been slaughtered on the earth"
(Read Revelation 18:24)
In condemning the religious leaders of Judaism, Jesus showed that false religion began on earth at the -time of the original rebellion
(Read Matthew 23:33-36) (w9112;1 20)
*** w91 12/1 p. 20 Practicing Pure Religion for Survival ***
The Triumph of Pure Religion
17 God’s Word has foretold the destruction of the world empire of false religion, symbolically named “Babylon the Great.” The Bible also represents the “kings,” or political rulers, of the earth by the symbol of the horns of a wild beast. It tells us that God will put into the hearts of these rulers the purpose to overturn and completely destroy this harlotlike institution of Satan the Devil.—See Revelation 17:1, 2, 5, 6, 12, 13, 15-18.
18 Why does Babylon the Great deserve destruction? The Bible answers: “In her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18:24) Showing that this bloodguilt incurred by false religion goes back even beyond the founding of Babylon, Jesus condemned the religious leaders of Judaism, which had attached itself to Babylon the Great, when he said: “Serpents, offspring of vipers, how are you to flee from the judgment of Gehenna? . . . There [will] come upon you all the righteous blood spilled on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel.” (Matthew 23:33-35) Yes, false religion, which began on earth at the time of the rebellion in Eden, must answer for its appalling bloodguilt.
19 After the destruction of Babylon the Great, true worshipers on earth will join their voices with the heavenly choir that sings out: “Praise Jah, you people! . . . For he has executed judgment upon the great harlot . . . , and he has avenged the blood of his slaves at her hand. . . . And the smoke from her goes on ascending forever and ever.”—Revelation 19:1-3.
20 Then the other component parts of Satan’s visible organization will be destroyed. (Revelation 19:17-21) After this, Satan, the founder of all false religion, and his demons will be abyssed. No longer will they be free to persecute true worshipers of Jehovah. (Revelation 20:1-3) Pure religion will have triumphed over the false. Faithful men and women who heed the divine warning to flee now from Babylon the Great will have the opportunity to survive and enter into God’s new world. There, they will be able to practice true religion and worshipfully serve Jehovah forever.”
Satan introduced false religion in the garden of Eden (g89 1/8 5) *** g89 1/8 p. 5 Part 1: 4026-2370 B.C.E.—Religious Disunity—How It Began *** How One Religion Became Two The Encyclopedia of Religion says that almost all known religions have certain beliefs that, while differing in detail, are surprisingly similar. For example, they believe that mankind fell from an original position of divine favor, that death is unnatural, and that sacrifice is necessary to regain divine favor. This is strong circumstantial evidence indicating that all of today’s religions had a common origin. The Bible explains how this came about. It tells us that the first man and woman rejected God’s direction and turned to another source for guidance and counsel. Although evidently not aware of Satan and his rebellion against God, they took an independent course and followed the counsel of a creature, represented by the serpent, rather than the Creator. The Bible later revealed that Satan was the true voice behind the misleading serpent.—Genesis 2:16–3:24; Revelation 12:9. Thus man moved out from under theocratic rule and established his own standards as to good and evil. By their independent actions, Adam and Eve set mankind on a course that would result in many different religions, all of them constituting false worship in contrast with the true worship practiced by Jehovah’s faithful witnesses down through history. Directly or indirectly, the beneficiary of that false worship has been the great Adversary, Satan. Thus, the apostle Paul was able to write: “The things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers with the demons.” He went on to show that there are only two forms of worship, saying: “You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of ‘the table of Jehovah’ and the table of demons.”—1 Corinthians 10:20, 21. Therefore, Adam’s rebellion initiated a second form of worship, one that placed the creature ahead of the Creator. And the real sponsor of that new religion was the new self-appointed “god,” Satan the Devil.—2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19. By falling for Satan's deception and coveting the forbidden fruit, Eve became the first human idolater (Ge 3:6, 17-19; it-lll68) Satan became "a manslayer," beginning the bloodguilty history of false religion (Joh 8:44; Ge 3:1-5) The first shedding of righteous blood was by the hand of Cain, an adherent of false religion (Ge 4:8-10) World empire of false religion deserves Jehovah's executional judgment (Re 18:8,20; re 256-8) *** re chap. 35 pp. 256-258 Executing Babylon the Great *** Devastating the Harlot 15 God’s people are not the only objects of the enmity of the ten horns. The angel now draws John’s attention back to the harlot: “And he says to me: ‘The waters that you saw, where the harlot is sitting, mean peoples and crowds and nations and tongues. And the ten horns that you saw, and the wild beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire.’”—Revelation 17:15, 16. 16 Just as ancient Babylon relied on her watery defenses, Babylon the Great today relies on her huge membership of “peoples and crowds and nations and tongues.” The angel appropriately draws our attention to these before telling of a shocking development: Political governments of this earth will turn violently upon Babylon the Great. What will all those “peoples and crowds and nations and tongues” do then? God’s people are already warning Babylon the Great that the water of the river Euphrates will dry up. (Revelation 16:12) Those waters will finally drain away completely. They will not be able to give the disgusting old harlot any effectual support in her hour of greatest need.—Isaiah 44:27; Jeremiah 50:38; 51:36, 37. 17 Certainly, the immense material wealth of Babylon the Great will not save her. It may even hasten her destruction, for the vision shows that when the wild beast and the ten horns vent their hatred on her they will strip off her royal robes and all her jewelry. They will plunder her wealth. They “make her . . . naked,” shamefully exposing her real character. What devastation! Her end is also far from dignified. They destroy her, “eat up her fleshy parts,” reducing her to a lifeless skeleton. Finally, they “completely burn her with fire.” She is burned up like a carrier of the plague, without even a decent burial! It is not the nations alone, as represented by the ten horns, that destroy the great harlot, but “the wild beast,” meaning the UN itself, joins them in this rampage. It will give its sanction to the destruction of false religion. A majority of the 150-and-more nations within the UN have already displayed, by their voting pattern, a hostility toward religion, especially that of Christendom. 18 Why would the nations treat their former paramour so outrageously? We have seen in recent history the potential for such a turning against Babylonish religion. Official government opposition has tremendously reduced the influence of religion in lands such as the Soviet Union and China. In Protestant sectors of Europe, widespread apathy and doubt have emptied the churches, so that religion is practically dead. The vast Catholic empire is torn by rebellion and disagreement, which the itinerant pope has been unable to calm. We should not, though, lose sight of the fact that this final, all-out attack on Babylon the Great comes as an expression of God’s unalterable judgment on the great harlot. Carrying Out God’s Thought 19 How does Jehovah execute this judgment? This may be illustrated by Jehovah’s action against his apostate people in ancient times, concerning whom he said: “In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horrible things, committing adultery and walking in falsehood; and they have strengthened the hands of evildoers in order that they should not return, each one from his own badness. To me all of them have become like Sodom, and the inhabitants of her like Gomorrah.” (Jeremiah 23:14) In 607 B.C.E., Jehovah used Nebuchadnezzar to ‘strip off the garments, take away the beautiful articles, and leave naked and nude’ that spiritually adulterous city. (Ezekiel 23:4, 26, 29) Jerusalem of that time was a pattern of Christendom today, and as John saw in earlier visions, Jehovah will administer to Christendom and the rest of false religion a similar punishment. The desolated, uninhabited condition of Jerusalem after 607 B.C.E. shows what religious Christendom will look like after being stripped of her wealth and shamefully exposed. And the rest of Babylon the Great will fare no better. 20 Again Jehovah uses human rulers in executing judgment. “For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, even to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished.” (Revelation 17:17) What is God’s “thought”? To arrange for the executioners of Babylon the Great to band together, in order to destroy her completely. Of course, the rulers’ motive in attacking her will be to carry out their own “one thought.” They will feel that it is in their nationalistic interests to turn upon the great harlot. They may come to view the continued existence of organized religion within their boundaries as a threat to their sovereignty. But Jehovah will actually be maneuvering matters; they will carry out his thought by destroying his age-old, adulterous enemy at one stroke!—Compare Jeremiah 7:8-11, 34. 21 Yes, the nations will use the scarlet-colored wild beast, the United Nations, in destroying Babylon the Great. They do not act on their own initiative, for Jehovah puts it into their hearts “even to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast.” When the time comes, the nations will evidently see the need to strengthen the United Nations. They will give it teeth, as it were, lending it whatever authority and power they possess so that it can turn upon false religion and fight successfully against her “until the words of God will have been accomplished.” Thus, the ancient harlot will come to her complete end. And good riddance to her! 22 As if to emphasize the certainty of Jehovah’s execution of judgment on the world empire of false religion, the angel concludes his testimony by saying: “And the woman whom you saw means the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:18) Like Babylon of Belshazzar’s time, Babylon the Great has “been weighed in the balance and found wanting.” (Daniel 5:27, The New English Bible) Her execution will be swift and final. And how do Jehovah’s Witnesses respond to the unraveling of the mystery of the great harlot and of the scarlet-colored wild beast? They show zeal in proclaiming Jehovah’s day of judgment, while answering “with graciousness” sincere searchers for truth. (Colossians 4:5, 6; Revelation 17:3, 7) As our next chapter will show, all who are desirous of surviving when the great harlot is executed must act, and act quickly!” Her appalling bloodguilt must be avenged (Re 18:24; re 245, 270-1) *** re chap. 33 pp. 245 Judging the Infamous Harlot *** 26 Over the centuries, the world empire of false religion has shed oceans of blood. For example, in medieval Japan, temples in Kyoto were transformed into fortresses, and warrior-monks, invoking “the holy name of Buddha,” battled one another until the streets ran red with blood. In this 20th century, the clergy of Christendom have marched with the armies of their respective countries, and these have slaughtered one another, with the loss of at least a hundred million lives. In October 1987 former U.S. president Nixon said: “The 20th century has been the bloodiest in history. More people have been killed in the wars of this century than in all the wars fought before the century began.” The religions of the world are judged adversely by God for their share in all of this; Jehovah detests “hands that are shedding innocent blood.” (Proverbs 6:16, 17) Earlier, John heard a cry from the altar: “Until when, Sovereign Lord holy and true, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10) Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth will be deeply involved when the time comes to answer that question. *** re chap. 37 pp. 270-271 Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon’s End *** 12 In comparable terms, Jeremiah prophesied concerning apostate Jerusalem: “I will destroy out of them the sound of exultation and the sound of rejoicing, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the hand mill and the light of the lamp. And all this land must become a devastated place, an object of astonishment.” (Jeremiah 25:10, 11) As the principal part of Babylon the Great, Christendom will become a lifeless ruin, as so vividly depicted by Jerusalem’s desolate condition after 607 B.C.E. The Christendom that once rejoiced lightheartedly and bustled with everyday noise will find herself conquered and abandoned. 13 Indeed, as the angel here tells John, all of Babylon the Great will change from a powerful, international empire to an arid, desertlike wasteland. Her “traveling merchants,” including top-ranking millionaires, have used her religion for personal advantage or as a cover-up, and the clergy have found it profitable to share the limelight with them. But those merchants will no longer have Babylon the Great as their accomplice. No more will she be hoodwinking the nations of earth with her mystic religious practices. An Appalling Bloodguilt 14 In conclusion, the strong angel tells why Jehovah judges Babylon the Great so severely. “Yes,” says the angel, “in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18:24) When on earth, Jesus told the religious leaders in Jerusalem that they were accountable for “all the righteous blood spilled on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel” onward. Accordingly, that crooked generation was destroyed in 70 C.E. (Matthew 23:35-38) Today, another generation of religionists bears bloodguilt for its persecution of God’s servants. 15 In his book The Catholic Church and Nazi Germany, Guenter Lewy writes: “When Jehovah’s Witnesses were suppressed in Bavaria on April 13 [1933] the Church even accepted the assignment given it by the Ministry of Education and Religion of reporting on any member of the sect still practicing the forbidden religion.” The Catholic Church thus shares responsibility for consigning thousands of Witnesses to concentration camps; its hands are stained by the lifeblood of hundreds of Witnesses who were executed. When young Witnesses, such as Wilhelm Kusserow, showed that they could die courageously by a firing squad, Hitler decided that the firing squad was too good for conscientious objectors; so Wilhelm’s brother Wolfgang, at 20 years of age, died by the guillotine. At the same time, the Catholic Church was encouraging young German Catholics to die in the army of the fatherland. The bloodguilt of the church is plain to see! 16 However, the prophecy says that the blood of “all those who have been slaughtered on the earth” must be charged to Babylon the Great. That has certainly been true in modern times. For example, since Catholic intrigue helped to bring Hitler to power in Germany, the Vatican shares in a terrible bloodguilt with regard to the six million Jews that died in Nazi pogroms. Further, in this 20th century alone, well over a hundred million people have been killed in hundreds of wars. Is false religion to blame in this connection? Yes, in two ways. 17 One way is that many wars are related to religious differences. For example, the violence in India between Muslims and Hindus in 1946-48 was religiously motivated. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. The conflict between Iraq and Iran in the 1980’s is related to sectarian differences, with hundreds of thousands being killed. Violence between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland has taken thousands of lives. The continuing violence in Lebanon is religiously based. Surveying this field, columnist C. L. Sulzberger said in 1976: “It is a dismal truth that probably half or more of the wars now being fought around the world are either openly religious conflicts or involved with religious disputes.” Indeed, it has been so throughout the turbulent history of Babylon the Great. 18 What is the second way? From Jehovah’s viewpoint, the world’s religions are bloodguilty because they have not convincingly taught their followers the truth of Jehovah’s requirements for his servants. They have not convincingly taught people that God’s true worshipers must imitate Jesus Christ and show love toward others regardless of their national origin. (Micah 4:3, 5; John 13:34, 35; Acts 10:34, 35; 1 John 3:10-12) Because the religions making up Babylon the Great have not taught these things, their adherents have been drawn into the vortex of international warfare. How evident this was in the two world wars of the first half of this century, both of which started in Christendom and resulted in fellow religionists’ slaughtering one another! If all who claimed to be Christians had adhered to Bible principles, those wars could never have taken place. 19 Jehovah lays the blame for all this bloodshed at the feet of Babylon the Great. Had the religious leaders, and particularly those in Christendom, taught their people Bible truth, such massive bloodshed would not have occurred. Truly, then, directly or indirectly, Babylon the Great—the great harlot and world empire of false religion—must answer to Jehovah not only for “the blood of prophets and of holy ones” whom she has persecuted and killed but for the blood “of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” Babylon the Great does indeed carry an appalling bloodguilt. Good riddance when her final destruction takes place! From Jehovah's standpoint, false religion is also bloodguilty for not teaching the truth (Mr 7:7, 8; re 271) Her flocks have not learned the truth of genuine brotherly love (Mic 4:3, 5; Joh 13:34, 35; Ac 10:34, 35; 1Jo 3:10-12; w96 4/15 13-14) Worshiping according to the truth is a requisite for pleasing God and gaining eternal salvation (Joh 4:24; 2Co 4:3, 4; 1 Ti 2:3, 4; Re 21:27; re 310) False religious practices and teachings-such as the Trinity, immortal soul, and hellfire doctrines dishonor God Jesus denounced this worship as "vain" (Mt 15:7-9) Directly or indirectly, Babylon the Great must answer to Jehovah for the blood "of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth" She will be devastated and "completely burned with fire" (Re 16:19; 17:16; 18:8, 17, 21-23; re 256, 270 ) *** re chap. 35 pp. 256 Executing Babylon the Great *** 16 Just as ancient Babylon relied on her watery defenses, Babylon the Great today relies on her huge membership of “peoples and crowds and nations and tongues.” The angel appropriately draws our attention to these before telling of a shocking development: Political governments of this earth will turn violently upon Babylon the Great. What will all those “peoples and crowds and nations and tongues” do then? God’s people are already warning Babylon the Great that the water of the river Euphrates will dry up. (Revelation 16:12) Those waters will finally drain away completely. They will not be able to give the disgusting old harlot any effectual support in her hour of greatest need.—Isaiah 44:27; Jeremiah 50:38; 51:36, 37. 17 Certainly, the immense material wealth of Babylon the Great will not save her. It may even hasten her destruction, for the vision shows that when the wild beast and the ten horns vent their hatred on her they will strip off her royal robes and all her jewelry. They will plunder her wealth. They “make her . . . naked,” shamefully exposing her real character. What devastation! Her end is also far from dignified. They destroy her, “eat up her fleshy parts,” reducing her to a lifeless skeleton. Finally, they “completely burn her with fire.” She is burned up like a carrier of the plague, without even a decent burial! It is not the nations alone, as represented by the ten horns, that destroy the great harlot, but “the wild beast,” meaning the UN itself, joins them in this rampage. It will give its sanction to the destruction of false religion. A majority of the 150-and-more nations within the UN have already displayed, by their voting pattern, a hostility toward religion, especially that of Christendom.” Judgment on false religion comes "in one hour" (Re 18:10, 17, 19; w97 4/1 14; w89 4/15 15-16) *** w97 4/1 pp. 14 Deliverance Into a Righteous New World *** Deliverance Into a Righteous New World “They will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”—PSALM 37:11. JEHOVAH is a God of deliverance. In ancient times, he delivered his people on many occasions. Those deliverances were temporary, for Jehovah did not in any of those instances permanently execute his judgments against Satan’s entire world. But in our day, Jehovah will soon perform the grandest deliverance of all for his servants. This time he will destroy every trace of Satan’s system earth wide, and he will bring his servants into a permanent, righteous new world.—2 Peter 2:9; 3:10-13. 2 Jehovah promises: “Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.” (Psalm 37:10, 11) For how long? “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29; Matthew 5:5) However, before that happens, this world will undergo the greatest time of trouble it has ever known. The “Great Tribulation” 3 In 1914 this world entered its “last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13) We are now 83 years into that period and are nearing its end when, as Jesus foretold, the following will take place: “There will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.” (Matthew 24:21) Yes, worse than even World War II, when some 50 million lives were taken. What a world-shaking time is fast approaching! 4 The “great tribulation” will come with astounding suddenness, “in one hour.” (Revelation 18:10) Its outbreak will be marked by God’s execution of judgment on all false religion, which God’s Word calls “Babylon the Great.” (Revelation 17:1-6, 15) Ancient Babylon’s dominant feature was false religion. Modern Babylon is like her ancient counterpart and represents the world empire of false religion. She has played the harlot by compromising with the political elements. She has supported their wars and has blessed armies on opposing sides, resulting in people of the same religion slaughtering one another. (Matthew 26:51, 52; 1 John 4:20, 21) She has winked at the corrupt practices of her adherents and has persecuted true Christians.—Revelation 18:5, 24. 5 The “great tribulation” begins when the political elements suddenly turn on “Babylon the Great.” They “will hate the harlot and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire.” (Revelation 17:16) Thereafter, her former supporters “will weep and beat themselves in grief over her.” (Revelation 18:9-19) But Jehovah’s servants have long expected this, and they will exclaim: “Praise Jah, . . . for he has executed judgment upon the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged the blood of his slaves at her hand.”—Revelation 19:1, 2.” *** w89 4/15 pp. 15-16 The Infamous Harlot—Her Destruction *** 15 Her political paramours will lament her demise, declaring: “Too bad, too bad, you great city, Babylon you strong city, because in one hour your judgment has arrived!” Likewise, big-business magnates, who made dishonest profits with her, will “weep and mourn, saying, ‘Too bad, too bad . . . because in one hour such great riches have been devastated!’”—Revelation 18:9-17. 16 However, what response will God’s own people make? All of these are included in the angel’s words: “Be glad over her, O heaven, also you holy ones and you apostles and you prophets, because God has judicially exacted punishment for you from her!” With a swift pitch Babylon the Great will have been hurled down, never again to reproach Jehovah’s holy name. The destruction of the great harlot will call for celebration and victory songs in praise of Jehovah. As the first of a series of hallelujah choruses, the joyous refrain will sound forth: “Praise Jah, you people! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and righteous. For he has executed judgment upon the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged the blood of his slaves at her hand.”—Revelation 18:20–19:3. 17 God’s judgment acts will run swiftly on to completion as the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” Christ Jesus, treads “the winepress of the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty” at Armageddon. There he will dispose of wicked rulers and all other remaining ones of Satan’s organization on earth. Carrion birds will devour their carcasses. (Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21) How happy we should be that God’s appointed time is near for ridding our beautiful earth of everything that is unholy, filthy, and corrupting!” -IS BABYLON THE GREAT'S DESTRUCTION NEART (7 min.}---~ Composite "sign of [Christ's] presence and of the conclusion of the system of things" has been developing since 1914 (Mt 24:3; w97 4/1 5-8; w93 3/1 4-6) *** w97 4/1 pp. 5-8 Are These Really the Last Days? *** Jesus’ Followers Ask a Meaningful Question Jesus’ followers must have been amazed. Jesus had just told them, in no uncertain terms, that Jerusalem’s impressive temple buildings would be completely destroyed! Such a prediction was astonishing. Shortly afterward, as they sat upon the Mount of Olives, four of the disciples asked Jesus: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:1-4) Whether they realized it or not, Jesus’ answer would have a multiple application. The destruction of Jerusalem’s temple and the end of the Jewish system of things were not the same as the time of Christ’s presence and of the conclusion of the whole world system of things. Nonetheless, in his lengthy answer, Jesus artfully addressed all these aspects of the question. He told them what things would be like before Jerusalem’s destruction; he also told them what to expect the world to be like during his presence, when he would be ruling as King in heaven and would be on the verge of bringing the entire world system of things to its end. The End of Jerusalem Consider first what Jesus said about Jerusalem and its temple. Over three decades in advance, he foretold a time of terrible hardships for one of the greatest cities in the world. Notice in particular his words recorded at Luke 21:20, 21: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her.” If Jerusalem was to be surrounded, encircled by encamped armies, how could “those in the midst of her” simply “withdraw,” as Jesus had commanded? Clearly, Jesus was implying that a window of opportunity would open up. Did it? In 66 C.E., the Roman armies under the command of Cestius Gallus had beaten the Jewish rebel forces back to Jerusalem and had them pinned within the city. The Romans even made a thrust into the city itself and reached as far as the temple wall. But then Gallus directed his armies to do something truly baffling. He ordered them to retreat! Elated Jewish soldiers set out in pursuit and inflicted damage on their fleeing Roman enemies. Thus, Jesus’ foretold window of opportunity opened. True Christians heeded his warning and got out of Jerusalem. Wisely so, for just four years later, the Roman armies were back, with General Titus leading them. This time no escape was possible. The Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem again; they built a fortification of pointed stakes around it. Jesus had prophesied regarding Jerusalem: “The days will come upon you when your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side.” (Luke 19:43) Before long, Jerusalem fell; its glorious temple was reduced to smoldering ruins. Jesus’ words were fulfilled in every detail! Jesus had far more in mind, though, than that destruction of Jerusalem. His disciples had also asked him about the sign of his presence. They did not then know it, but this referred to a time when he would be installed to reign as King in heaven. What did he foretell? War in the Last Days If you read Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Mark chapter 13, and Luke chapter 21, you will see unmistakable evidence that Jesus was talking about our own age. He foretold a time of wars—not just the “wars and reports of wars” that have always marred human history but wars involving ‘nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom’—yes, great international wars.—Matthew 24:6-8. Think for a moment about how warfare has changed in our century. When war meant merely the clash of armies representing two opposing nations, slashing with sabers or even firing guns at one another on a battlefield, it was terrible enough. But in 1914 the Great War broke out. Nation followed nation into the conflagration in a domino effect—the first global war. Automatic weapons were designed to kill more and more people and from greater distances. Machine guns spat bullets with grim efficiency; mustard gas burned, tormented, maimed, and killed soldiers by the thousands; tanks rumbled mercilessly through enemy lines, their great guns blazing. The airplane and the submarine also came into play—mere harbingers of what they were to become. World War II did the unimaginable—it actually dwarfed its predecessor, killing scores of millions of people. Huge aircraft carriers, virtual floating cities, plied the seas and unleashed warplanes to rain death from the skies upon enemy targets. Submarines torpedoed and sank enemy vessels. And atom bombs were dropped, claiming thousands of lives in each crushing blow! Just as Jesus prophesied, there have indeed been “fearful sights” to mark this warring age.—Luke 21:11. Has war eased off since World War II? Hardly. Sometimes literally dozens of wars rage during a single year—even in this decade of the 1990’s—taking a death toll in the millions. And there has been a change in war’s primary victims. No longer are the dead mainly soldiers. Today, most casualties of war—in fact, over 90 percent of them—are civilians. Other Features of the Sign War is only one aspect of the sign Jesus mentioned. He also warned that there would be “food shortages.” (Matthew 24:7) And so it has been, though paradoxically the earth is producing more food than is needed to feed all mankind, though agricultural science is more advanced than ever in human history, though speedy and efficient transportation is available to transport food anywhere in the world. Despite all of that, about one fifth of this world’s population goes hungry every day. Jesus also foretold that “in one place after another” there would be “pestilences.” (Luke 21:11) Again, our age has seen a strange paradox—better medical care than ever, technological breakthroughs, vaccines to prevent many common diseases; yet pestilential diseases have made unprecedented strides as well. The Spanish Influenza followed swiftly on the heels of World War I and claimed more lives than the war did. So contagious was this disease that in cities such as New York, people could be fined or jailed just for sneezing! Today, cancer and heart disease claim millions of lives each year—veritable pestilences. And AIDS continues to strike down lives, basically unchecked by medical science. Whereas Jesus discussed the last days largely in terms of sweeping historical and political conditions, the apostle Paul put the focus more on social problems and prevalent attitudes. He wrote, in part: “Know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, . . . disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, . . . without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.”—2 Timothy 3:1-5. Do those words strike a familiar chord with you? Consider just one aspect of social decay in today’s world—the disintegration of the family. The flood tide of broken homes, battered spouses, abused children, and maltreated elderly parents—how these show that people have “no natural affection,” are “fierce,” and even “betrayers,” “without love of goodness”! Yes, we see these traits on an epidemic level today. Is Our Generation the One Foretold? You may wonder, though, ‘Have not these conditions always plagued mankind? How do we know that our modern generation is the one foretold in these ancient prophecies?’ Let us consider three lines of evidence that prove that Jesus was talking about our time. First, while there was a partial, early fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, Jesus’ words definitely pointed to the future beyond that day. About 30 years after the cataclysm that destroyed Jerusalem, Jesus gave the aged apostle John a vision showing that the prophesied conditions—war, famine, pestilence, and resultant death—were to arrive worldwide in the future. Yes, these distresses would embrace, not any one locality, but “the earth” as a whole.—Revelation 6:2-8. Second, in this century some features of Jesus’ sign are being fulfilled in what we might call the ultimate degree. For example, is there any room for wars to become much worse than they have been since 1914? If there was a World War III, with all of today’s nuclear powers deploying their weapons, the aftermath would likely find this earth a charred waste—and mankind as extinct as the dodo. Similarly, Revelation 11:18 foretold that in these days when the nations are “wrathful,” mankind would be “ruining the earth.” For the first time in history, pollution and degradation of the environment now threaten the very habitability of this planet! So this feature too is seeing fulfillment in or near its ultimate degree. Could wars and pollution simply continue to worsen until man has destroyed himself and this planet? No; for the Bible itself decrees that the earth will last forever, with righthearted humans living upon it.—Psalm 37:29; Matthew 5:5. Third, the sign of the last days is especially convincing when taken as a whole. All told, when we take into account the features Jesus mentioned in the three Gospels, those in Paul’s writings, and those in Revelation, this sign has dozens of features. A person might quibble about them one at a time, arguing that other ages have seen similar problems, but when we consider all of them together, they point an unmistakable finger at only one age—our own. What, though, does all of this mean? That the Bible simply paints our age as a desperate, hopeless time? Far from it! Good News One of the most noteworthy features of the sign of the last days is recorded at Matthew 24:14: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” In this century, Jehovah’s Witnesses have carried out a work unique in human history. They have taken the Bible’s message about Jehovah God’s Kingdom—what it is, how it rules, and what it will accomplish—and have spread that message all over the earth. They have published literature on this subject in well over 300 languages and have brought it to people in their homes or on the streets or at their places of business in virtually every land on earth. In so doing, they have been fulfilling this prophecy. But they have also been spreading hope. Notice that Jesus called this “good news,” not bad news. How could that be in these dark times? Because the Bible’s central message is not about how bad things will be at the end of this old world. Its central message involves God’s Kingdom, and that Kingdom promises something dear to the hearts of every peace-loving human—deliverance. Just what is that deliverance, and how can it be yours? Please consider the following articles on this subject.” *** w93 3/1 pp. 4-7 Will You Heed God’s Warning? *** PEOPLE often ignore lifesaving warnings. Most of the inhabitants of Pompeii chose to ignore the angry sounds of Mount Vesuvius. In a similar fashion, most people today are ignoring the warnings of a coming global catastrophe. But to those who are willing to face the facts, the warning is as real as the flashes of lightning and fire that emanated from Mount Vesuvius back in the first century. Two world wars, hundreds of smaller armed conflicts, famines, great earthquakes, pestilences, wave after wave of crime and violence, and a worldwide preaching campaign all together constitute a dramatic warning that human society is rapidly approaching a cataclysmic crisis. The Bible makes this sobering prediction: “There will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.” (Matthew 24:21) As was the case in the disaster at Pompeii, there will be those who escape—“a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues,” will survive, that is, “come out of the great tribulation.”—Revelation 7:9, 14. The question is, When will this destruction come? There is compelling reason to believe that the tribulation is imminent. Apparently with time in mind, Jesus’ disciples asked: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3) Note the answer Jesus Christ gave. War—Prominent Feature of the Composite Sign Jesus did not predict simply one outstanding event. Rather, he spoke of a series of events that, taken as a whole, would constitute a divine warning—a composite sign of the conclusion of the system of things. The first event predicted is described at Matthew 24:7: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” In a parallel prophecy at Revelation 6:4, the Bible predicted that ‘peace would be taken away from the earth.’ This meant war on an unprecedented scale. History tells us that this prophecy of global war has seen its fulfillment since the memorable year 1914. The book American Adventures says regarding the years before 1914: “Many Americans had entered the new century full of hope. These were the ‘good years’ and they lasted into the century’s second decade. . . . Then, on July 28, 1914, this mood was shaken by one word: war.” Thus began World War I, which lasted from 1914 to 1918 and was designated by some as the “war to end all wars.” Twenty-eight countries were directly involved in it. And if you include the lands that served as their dependencies, the warring nations represented almost 90 percent of the world’s population at that time. World War I also saw the use of new and exceedingly deadly instruments of warfare, such as the machine gun, poison gas, flamethrowers, tanks, airplanes, and submarines. Almost ten million soldiers were killed—more than all the soldiers in all the major wars fought during the preceding 100 years! About 21 million were wounded. Truly, it was a global war, marking 1914 as the beginning of “the last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1) However, war was just one feature of Jesus’ sign. Other Features of the Sign Jesus added: “There will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.” (Matthew 24:7, 8) Luke 21:11 adds “pestilences” to that list. Before World War I ended, the Spanish influenza epidemic began sweeping the earth. Eventually, it killed over 20 million people, more than all those who had died in the war. During and after the war, millions of others died from starvation. Earthquakes also took a high toll. In 1915 over 30,000 were killed in Italy; in 1920 about 200,000 perished in China; in 1923 almost 143,000 died in Japan. Still, as Jesus indicated, all of this was just a beginning of pangs of distress. One dictionary defines “pang” as a “brief piercing spasm of pain.” This world has been reeling from one spasm of pain to the next with ever-increasing intensity and frequency since 1914. For example, just 21 years after World War I came the second world war, which claimed 50 million victims and ushered mankind into the nuclear age. In recent years much has been said about yet another cause of distress: man’s destruction of the environment. Although Jesus did not specifically mention this in his prophecy, Revelation 11:18 indicates that prior to the coming destruction, man would be “ruining the earth.” The evidence that this ruining is taking place is abundant. Quoted in the book State of the World 1988, environmental consultant Norman Myers gives this frightening message: “No generation in the past has faced the prospect of mass extinction within its lifetime. No generation in the future will ever face a similar challenge: if this present generation fails to get to grips with the task, the damage will have been done and there will be no ‘second try.’” Consider the report in the February 17, 1992, issue of Newsweek magazine on the depletion of ozone in the atmosphere. Greenpeace ozone specialist Alexandra Allen was quoted as warning that ozone loss “now amounts to a threat to the future of all life on earth.”—See the box on this page for further evidence of environmental ruining of the earth. Space does not permit a detailed discussion of all aspects of Jesus’ prophecy. (See the chart on page 5 for an overview of other prophetic features.) One feature that cannot be overlooked, though, is described at Matthew 24:14: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” There is little question as to who is carrying on this global preaching work. Jehovah’s Witnesses in 229 lands spent over one billion hours in this work in the year 1992 alone. Their work thus constitutes one of the most visible proofs that we are living in the last days. Do Not Be Fooled! Some may argue, though, that all this talk of “the last days” is mere pessimism. ‘What about the recent demise of Communism in Eastern Europe?’ they ask, ‘or the efforts of the superpowers to make peace? Is this not evidence that things are getting better?’ No. Notice that Jesus did not say that the entire world would continuously be engulfed in wars, earthquakes, and famines during the last days. In order for the good news to be preached worldwide, there would have to be at least some periods of relative calm. Recall, too, that Jesus compared the last days to the days before the Noachian Flood. At that time people were preoccupied with eating, drinking, and marrying—the normal activities of life. (Matthew 24:37-39) This would indicate that while conditions during the last days would be distressing, things would not degenerate to the point where the normal pursuits of life would be impossible. As in Noah’s day, the vast majority of humanity are so preoccupied with day-to-day affairs that they take no note of the seriousness of the times. Therefore, it would be dangerous to lapse into indifference because of some seemingly favorable political developments. (Compare 1 Thessalonians 5:3.) The evidence is overwhelming that Jesus’ prophecy is undergoing fulfillment now—a warning that destruction is near!” Jesus referred to various features of "the sign" as "a beginning of pangs of distress" ("pangs of birth," King- dam Interlinear) (Mt 24:8) Like pangs of birth, which increase in severity, frequency, and duration, distress of this system intensifies as Babylon's judgment nears (2Ti 3:1, 13; w83 4/1 6) *** w83 4/1 p. 6 World War I and the Beginning of Sorrows *** Yet, said Jesus, this would be but a “beginning of sorrows,” or “of pangs of distress.” Other translations render Jesus’ words as “the beginning of the birthpangs.” (Jerusalem Bible; Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English) A woman about to give birth experiences pains that occur with increasing severity, frequency and duration. World War I and its accompanying sorrows were but a start of pangs of distress. World Distress Increases Other and more intense pangs were soon to follow with the coming of World War II. “The total deaths from military action and war-distributed disease attributable to World War I have been estimated as over forty million and those attributable to World War II as over sixty million,” writes Quincy Wright in the book A Study of War. “At least 10 per cent of deaths in modern civilization can be attributed directly or indirectly to war.” Civilian deaths were exceptionally high in the second world war. As Professor Wright explains: “Starvation, bombardment, confiscation of property, and terrorization involving the destruction of entire cities were applied in World War II against the entire enemy population and territory. . . . The entire life of the enemy state came to be an object of attack. The doctrine of conquest was even extended by some states to the elimination of a population and its property rights in order to open the space it occupied for settlement.” The distress caused by the fire bombings of Dresden and Tokyo in 1945, which resulted in 235,000 deaths, was eclipsed by the horrors unleashed a few months later by the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What used to take tens of thousands of bombs to accomplish, in terms of lives lost, could now be accomplished by only one bomb. But even more devastating were the deadly effects of the radiation poisoning, which continue until our day. Writing about just the one atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, World Press Review of June 1982 states: “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse had been turned loose. The lucky ones were those who died in the first onslaught—about 100,000 men, women, schoolchildren, round-faced toddlers, and newborn babies. Most of the additional 100,000 casualties would die in agony from ruptured organs, horrendous burns, or the slow hell of radiation sickness.” The pangs of distress were getting stronger.” No.155-E 11/02 Printed in U.S.A.Striking 'manifestation of Christ's presence' is imminent (Read 2 Thessalonians 2:8) (re 282) World events suggest that false religion is now in the target zone for destruction
*** re chap. 39 p. 282 The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon ***
13 Does this mean that Jehovah’s Witnesses are against all government? Far from it! They obey the apostle Paul’s counsel: “Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities.” They realize that as long as the present system lasts, those “superior authorities” exist by God’s permission for maintaining a measure of order in human society. Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses pay their taxes, obey the laws, respect traffic ordinances, comply with registrations, and so forth. (Romans 13:1, 6, 7) Further, they follow Bible principles in being truthful and honest; showing love of neighbor; building a strong, moral family unit; and training their children to be exemplary citizens. In this way they pay back not only “Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.” (Luke 20:25; 1 Peter 2:13-17) Since God’s Word shows that the governmental powers of this world are temporary, Jehovah’s Witnesses prepare now for the fuller life, the real life, soon to be enjoyed under Christ’s Kingdom rule. (1 Timothy 6:17-19) Though they will have no part in overturning the powers of this world, the Witnesses experience reverential awe at what God’s inspired Word, the Holy Bible, says regarding the judgment Jehovah is about to execute at Armageddon.—Isaiah 26:20, 21; Hebrews 12:28, 29.
To the Final Battle!
14 By what authority does Jesus complete his conquest? John informs us: “And out of his mouth there protrudes a sharp long sword, that he may strike the nations with it, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron.” (Revelation 19:15a) That “sharp long sword” represents Jesus’ God-given authority to issue orders for the execution of all who refuse to support God’s Kingdom. (Revelation 1:16; 2:16) This vivid symbolism parallels Isaiah’s words: “He [Jehovah] proceeded to make my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand he has hidden me. And he gradually made me a polished arrow.” (Isaiah 49:2) Here Isaiah foreshadowed Jesus, who proclaims God’s judgments and executes them, as with an unerring arrow.
15 At this point in time, Jesus will already have acted in fulfillment of Paul’s words: “Then, indeed, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence.” Yes, Jesus’ presence (Greek, pa·rou·si´a) has been demonstrated from 1914 onward by the exposing and judging of the man of lawlessness, the clergy of Christendom. That presence will be strikingly manifested when the ten horns of the scarlet-colored wild beast execute that judgment and ravage Christendom, along with the rest of Babylon the Great. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 8) That will be the start of the great tribulation! After that, Jesus turns his attention to what remains of Satan’s organization, in line with the prophecy: “He must strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the spirit of his lips he will put the wicked one to death.”—Isaiah 11:4.”
ESCAPE BLOODGUILTY BABYLON'S JUDGMENT-FLEE TO SAFETY! (10 min.) Need to heed warning of Revelation 18:4 (w93 5/1 24)
*** w93 5/1 pp. 24 Deliverance at the Revelation of Jesus Christ ***
11 It is a figurative woman who has really tried to make herself “someone.” She is described at Revelation 17:5 as “a mystery: ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.’” But she is no longer a mystery to Jehovah’s Witnesses. She has clearly identified herself as the world empire of false religion, of which Christendom’s sects make up the dominant part. Disgusting in Jehovah’s eyes are her dabbling in political affairs, her becoming “drunk with the blood of the holy ones” by persecuting true Christians, and her being responsible for the blood “of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth,” including more than a hundred million killed in the wars of this 20th century alone.—Revelation 17:2, 6; 18:24.
12 Worst of all, Christendom’s sects have brought reproach on the name of the God whom they hypocritically claim to represent. They have taught Babylonian and Grecian philosophies instead of the pure Word of God and have contributed to the moral delinquency of entire nations by approving permissive life-styles that flout Bible principles. Greedy wheeler-dealers among them stand condemned by the words of James 5:1, 5: “Come, now, you rich men, weep, howling over your miseries that are coming upon you. You have lived in luxury upon the earth and have gone in for sensual pleasure. You have fattened your hearts on the day of slaughter.”
Down With Babylon the Great!
13 The opening salvo of the great tribulation comes with the execution of Jehovah’s judgment on Babylon the Great. Revelation 17:15-18 graphically describes God’s “thought”—to maneuver “ten horns,” powerful forces from within the multinational UN “wild beast,” to dispose of her. “And the ten horns that you saw, and the wild beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire. For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought.” No wonder a heavenly voice sounds an urgent warning at Revelation 18:4, 5: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues. For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind.” The call continues to go forth: Cut all ties with false religion, before it is too late!
14 How will the world regard the devastating of Babylon the Great? From a distance, corrupt politicians—“kings of the earth”—grieve over her because they had for centuries found mutual pleasure in their spiritual fornication. Also weeping and mourning over her are greedy men of commerce, “traveling merchants . . . , who became rich from her.” These also distance themselves from her, saying: “Too bad, too bad—the great city, clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and richly adorned with gold ornament and precious stone and pearl, because in one hour such great riches have been devastated!” All the finery of ecclesiastical garments and the magnificence of the world’s great cathedrals will be gone forever! (Revelation 18:9-17) But will everyone mourn over Babylon the Great?
Since Babylon the Great is guilty of bloodshed to the ultimate degree, one must flee to the antitypical city of
refuge (w95 11/15 15-20)
Cities of refuge mercifully provided by God under the Law as safe havens for the unintentional manslayer (Read Numbers 35:11, 12)
To benefit from God's mercy today, we must run to and remain within the antitypical city of refuge (Read Numbers 35:26-28)
Guarding against worldly attitudes and enticements and having plenty to do in the work of the Lord can help us remain there (re 126)
By continually demonstrating faith in Jesus' sacrifice and availing ourselves of his services as High Priest, we will be spared from execution when Babylon the Great and the rest of this system of things are de- stroyed (Re 7:9, 10, 14)
End of all false religion will mark the dawning of anew era in God's exercise of sovereignty (Read Revelation 19:1, 2, 6) (re 274-5)
*** re chap. 38 pp. 274-275 Praise Jah for His Judgments! ***
6 It was in 1918 that Jehovah began rewarding ‘those fearing his name, the small and the great’—the first of these being the anointed Christians who had died faithful, whom he resurrected and stationed in the heavenly ranks of the 24 elders. (Revelation 11:18) Others join with these in singing the Hallelujahs, for John reports: “Also, a voice issued forth from the throne and said: ‘Be praising our God, all you his slaves, who fear him, the small ones and the great.’” (Revelation 19:5) This is the “voice” of Jehovah’s Mouthpiece, his own Son, Jesus Christ, who stands “in the midst of the throne.” (Revelation 5:6) Not only in heaven but also here on earth, “all you his slaves” share in the singing, with the anointed John class taking the lead on earth. How exultantly these share in obeying the command: “Be praising our God”!
7 Yes, those of the great crowd are also numbered among these slaves. Since 1935 these have been coming out of Babylon the Great and have experienced the fulfillment of God’s promise: “He will bless those fearing Jehovah, the small ones as well as the great ones.” (Psalm 115:13) When harlotlike Babylon is destroyed, millions of them will join in “praising our God”—along with the John class and all the heavenly host. Later, those resurrected on earth, whether previously prominent or not, will no doubt sing further Hallelujahs on learning that Babylon the Great is gone forever. (Revelation 20:12, 15) All praise to Jehovah for his resounding victory over the age-old harlot!
8 What an incentive all of this gives us to share fully in God’s work for today! May all of Jah’s servants devote themselves heart and soul to declaring God’s judgments, together with the grand Kingdom hope, now, before Babylon the Great is unseated and destroyed.—Isaiah 61:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:58.
‘Hallelujah—Jehovah Is King!’
9 There are further reasons for rejoicing, as John goes on to tell us: “And I heard what was as a voice of a great crowd and as a sound of many waters and as a sound of heavy thunders. They said: ‘Hallelujah, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.’” (Revelation 19:6) This last Hallelujah is the one that makes the proclamation foursquare, or symmetrical. It is a mighty celestial sound, more magnificent than any human choir, more majestic than any earthly waterfall, and more fear-inspiring than any terrestrial thunderstorm. The myriads of heavenly voices celebrate the fact that “Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.”
10 How is it, though, that Jehovah begins to rule? Millenniums have passed since the psalmist declared: “God is my King from long ago.” (Psalm 74:12) Jehovah’s kingship was ancient even then, so how can the universal chorus sing that “Jehovah . . . has begun to rule as king”? In that when Babylon the Great is destroyed, Jehovah will no longer have that presumptuous rival to detract from obedience to him as the Universal Sovereign. No longer will false religion incite earth’s rulers to oppose him. When ancient Babylon fell from world dominance, Zion heard the victorious proclamation: “Your God has become king!” (Isaiah 52:7) After the Kingdom’s birth in 1914, the 24 elders proclaimed: “We thank you, Jehovah God . . . because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king.” (Revelation 11:17) Now, after the devastation of Babylon the Great, the cry is again uttered: “Jehovah . . . has begun to rule as king.” No man-made god remains to contest the sovereignty of the true God, Jehovah!”
Will be followed by the immediate end of the rest of Satan's system of things (Re 19:19-21)
By taking action now and remaining faithful to Jehovah, we will enjoy the blessings of the righteous new world that follows (Mt 21:1-4; 24:13)
(Adhere closely to the outiined material, and observe the indicated timing of each section. Not all cited texts need be read or commented on)
No. 155-E-page 2 TO BE COVERED IN 45 MINUTES
@ 2002 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania All Rights Reserved
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I hope it will please some ...on this board.
Greeting, J.C. MacHislopp