27WT Subject: The heavenly woman gives birth, Michael battles with Satan
and casts him to earth
Time of fulfillment:
From the enthronement of Christ Jesus in 1914 up to the great tribulation
John saw an
angels flying in midheaven, and he had everlasting
good news to declare as glad tidings to those who dwell on the earth, and to
every nation and tribe and tongue and people, 7 saying in a loud voice: “FEAR
God and give him glory, because the hour of the judgment by him has
arrived, and so worship the One who made the heaven and the earth
and sea and fountains of waters.” Angels Actively Support-- No
One can see angels the pa·rou·si′a
of Christ would be an invisible one. They had also come to an understanding
that the end of the Gentile Times would occur in the autumn of 1914. As
spiritual enlightenment progressed, they later understood that Jesus Christ was
enthroned in heaven as King of the Kingdom in that same year, 1914.—Proverbs
4:18; 18 But the path of the righteous ones is like the
bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly
established Daniel 7:13, 14;
SINCE the days of the apostles, God has been
choosing from among mankind a limited number of faithful Christians, adopting
them as sons. The change that these adopted sons experience is so complete that
God’s Word describes it as a new birth. The purpose of the new birth is to
prepare such born-again servants of God to become rulers in heaven. (2 Timothy
2:12) To become rulers, they are raised out of death to heavenly life. (Romans
6:3-5) In heaven, “they are to rule as kings over the earth” along with Christ.—Revelation
5:10; 11:15.Full Article in RulershipForSomeBenefitsForMany.htm
Angels
Christian followers of Jesus, as “partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb 3:1), are assigned by God as “heirs” in union with Christ, through whom God purposed “to gather all things together again.” “The things in the heavens,” that is, those called to heavenly life, are the first to be thus gathered into unity with God through Christ. (Eph 1:8-11) Their inheritance is “reserved in the heavens.” (1Pe 1:3, 4; Col 1:5; compare Joh 14:2, 3.) They are “enrolled” and have their “citizenship” in the heavens. (Heb 12:20-23; Php 3:20) They form the “New Jerusalem” seen in John’s vision as “coming down out of heaven from God.” (Re 21:2, 9, 10; compare Eph 5:24-27.) Since this vision is initially stated to be of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Re 21:1), it follows that both are represented in what is thereafter described. Hence the “new heaven” must correspond to Christ together with his “bride,” the “New Jerusalem,” and the “new earth” is seen in the ‘peoples of mankind’ who are their subjects and who receive the blessings of their rule, as depicted in verses 3 and 4.
The New Birth—What Is
Its Purpose?
MANY
believe that one needs to be born again to receive eternal salvation. Note,
though, what Jesus himself said about the purpose of the new birth.
He stated: “Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the
A
kingdom is a form of government. So, then, the expression “kingdom
of God” means “government of God.” The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ,
the “son of man,” is the King of God’s Kingdom and that Christ has fellow
rulers. (Daniel 7:1, 13, 14; Matthew 26:63, 64) Furthermore, a vision
given to the apostle John disclosed that Christ’s fellow rulers are individuals
chosen “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” and will “rule as
kings over the earth.” (Revelation 5:9, 10; 20:6) God’s Word further reveals that those who
will rule as kings form a “little flock” of 144,000 individuals “who have been bought
from the earth.”—Luke 12:32; Revelation 14:1, 3.
Where
is the seat of God’s Kingdom? “The
What,
then, did Jesus mean when he stated that one must be born again to “enter into
the
Thus
far, we have seen that the new birth is of great importance, is initiated by
God, and is preparing a group of humans for rulership
in heaven. But how does the new birth actually take place?
the Preaching Work
17 Angels are involved in some of the
remarkable things that occur in “the Lord’s day.” These include the birth of
the Kingdom in 1914 and the hurling of Satan and his demons from heaven by
“Michael and his angels.” (Rev. 1:10;
God’s Kingdom Is Born!
Rev Book Chapter 27
Angelic Activity
11 Other texts relating to Jesus’
presence describe him as being accompanied by, or ‘sending forth,’ angelic
hosts. (Matthew
12 Another example of angelic participation
during Jesus’ presence following his enthronement in 1914 is recorded at
Revelation 12:7-9: “Michael [Jesus Christ] and his angels battled with the
dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail, neither
was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was
hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading
the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels
were hurled down with him.” Thus, the heavens above have now been cleansed,
leaving only the earthly realm of the Kingdom yet to be completely purified for
the sanctification of Jehovah’s name. In this year of 1993, the divine warning
continues to apply: “Woe for the earth . . . because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he
has a short period of time.”—Revelation 12:12.
Shedding Light on Christ’s
Presence w5/1/93
So
Jehovah’s people of the 19th century correctly understood that the pa·rou·si′a of Christ would be an invisible one.
They had also come to an understanding that the end of the Gentile Times would
occur in the autumn of 1914. As spiritual enlightenment progressed, they later
understood that Jesus Christ was enthroned in heaven as King of the Kingdom in
that same year, 1914.—Proverbs 4:18; 18 But the path of
the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter
until the day is firmly established
Daniel 7:13, 14;
Luke 21:24;
Revelation
Shedding Light on Christ’s
Presence
“When the
Son of man arrives in his glory, . . . he will separate people one from
another.”—MATTHEW 25:31, 32.
THREE
days before Jesus’ death, four of his disciples approached him and earnestly
asked: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming [Greek, pa·rou·si′a], and of the end of the world?” For centuries Christendom’s clergy and writers have interpreted
these words spoken to Jesus at Matthew 24:3 (King James Version)
to mean that he would again be visible in the flesh to be viewed by all
mankind. Hence, they have taught that Christ’s return would be with
great display and visible pomp. They refer to it as Christ’s second coming. But
are their assumptions correct?
2 By 1889, Jehovah’s anointed ones,
as 19th-century light bearers, had already received correction on the matter of
Christ’s return. In Volume 2 of Studies in the Scriptures,
pages 158 to 161, Charles T. Russell, the first president of the
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, wrote: “Parousia
. . . signifies presence, and should never be translated coming,
as in the common English Bible . . . The ‘Emphatic Diaglott,’ a very valuable translation of the
New Testament, renders parousia properly, presence . . . ,
not that of coming, as being on the way, but presence, as after arrival [Jesus] says, ‘As the days
of Noah, so shall also the parousia [presence]
of the Son of man be.’ Notice, that the comparison is not between the coming
of Noah and the coming of our Lord . . .
The contrast, then, is between the time of the presence of Noah among the
people ‘before the flood,’ and the time of the presence of Christ in the
world, at his second advent, ‘before the fire’—the extreme trouble of
the Day of the Lord [Jehovah] with which this age ends.”—Matthew 24:37.
3 So Jehovah’s people of the
19th century correctly understood that the pa·rou·si′a
of Christ would be an invisible one. They had also come to an understanding
that the end of the Gentile Times would occur in the autumn of 1914. As
spiritual enlightenment progressed, they later understood that Jesus Christ was
enthroned in heaven as King of the Kingdom in that same year, 1914.—Proverbs
“The Presence of Our Lord”
4 In our day, then, what is meant by
the Biblical expression “the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ”?
(1 Thessalonians 5:23) One authority comments that the term “presence,” pa·rou·si′a, “became the official term
for a visit of a person of high rank, esp[ecially] of kings and emperors
visiting a province.” So this expression refers to the royal presence of the
Lord Jesus Christ as King, from and after 1914, following his enthronement in
heaven. He is present invisibly to ‘go subduing in the midst of his enemies,’
actively ruling as King to fulfill this prophetic command. (Psalm 110:2) For
some 79 years, humans on earth have been experiencing the effects of Christ’s
invisible royal presence.
5 In this series of three articles,
we will review the striking evidence of Christ’s Kingdom accomplishments during
this period. First, we will present several Bible prophecies foretelling events
that have already occurred or are even now taking place. Second, we will
describe the great work being accomplished by the faithful and discreet slave
class that Jesus is using during this entire period of his royal presence.
(Matthew 24:45-47) The third article will describe for us the grand conclusion,
the period of the “great tribulation.” That is the time when Jesus comes as
Jehovah’s Executioner to destroy unrighteous humans and deliver the righteous.
(Matthew 24:21, 29-31) That time of destruction is described by the apostle
Paul as bringing “to you who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation
of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he
brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the
good news about our Lord Jesus.”—2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8.
The Sign
6 Nineteen hundred years ago, Jesus’
light-bearing disciples asked him for a sign, or evidence, of his future presence
in Kingdom power. His reply, recorded in the 24th and 25th chapters of Matthew,
provided a composite sign, all the elements of which are now being fulfilled on
an international scale. The fulfillment of that sign marks a time of distress
and great testing. Jesus warned: “Look out that nobody misleads you; for many
will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead
many. You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not
terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet.”—Matthew
24:4-6.
7 Jesus further prophesied that there
would be wars on an unprecedented scale. In the fulfillment, two of these have
been classified as world wars, one from 1914 to 1918 and the second from 1939
to 1945. Further, he said that there would be food shortages and earthquakes in
one place after another. Genuine Christians would be severely persecuted. True
to the prophecy, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the modern light bearers, have suffered
persecution for the past eight decades while preaching the good news of God’s
Kingdom “in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.” (Matthew
24:7-14) Each Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses adds
to the evidence that these aspects of the sign are being fulfilled.
8 Since Jesus’ kingship embraces the
whole earth, true worship is expanding on all continents. His regal presence (pa·rou·si′a) is a time of global inspection.
(1 Peter 2:12) But is there a capital city, or center, where Jesus can be
consulted? Jesus answered this by foretelling that in expectation of his
presence, false Christs would arise. He warned: “If
people say to you, ‘Look! He [Christ] is in the wilderness,’ do not go out;
‘Look! He is in the inner chambers,’ do not believe it. For just as the
lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the
presence [pa·rou·si′a] of the Son of man
will be.”—Matthew 24:24, 26, 27.
9 Better than anyone else on earth,
Jesus, “the Son of man,” knew where he would be located when his presence actually
began. He would not locate himself either here or there or in any particular
spot on the earth. He would not put in an appearance in some isolated place,
“in the wilderness,” so that those who would seek the Messiah could consult
with him away from observation by the governmental authorities of the land, a
location where followers could train under his leadership, preparing to strike
a political blow and install him as the Messianic Ruler of the world. Further,
he would not conceal himself in some “inner chambers,” his location being known
to only a select few, that there, unobserved and undetected, he might conspire
and draw up secret plans with accomplices for overturning the governments of
the world and having himself anointed as the promised Messiah. No!
10 On the contrary, there would be
nothing to hide about Jesus’ having come as King, at the beginning of his royal
presence. As Jesus foretold, in a global way, lightnings
of Bible truth continue to flash over broad areas from eastern parts to western
parts. Truly, as modern light bearers, Jehovah’s Witnesses prove to be “a light
of the nations, that [Jehovah’s] salvation may come to
be to the extremity of the earth.”—Isaiah 49:6.
Angelic Activity
11 Other texts relating to Jesus’
presence describe him as being accompanied by, or ‘sending forth,’ angelic
hosts. (Matthew
12 Another example of angelic
participation during Jesus’ presence following his enthronement in 1914 is
recorded at Revelation 12:7-9: “Michael [Jesus Christ] and his angels battled
with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail,
neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon
was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is
misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his
angels were hurled down with him.” Thus, the heavens above have now been
cleansed, leaving only the earthly realm of the Kingdom yet to be completely
purified for the sanctification of Jehovah’s name. In this year of 1993, the
divine warning continues to apply: “Woe for the earth . . .
because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a
short period of time.”—Revelation 12:12.
Heavenly Resurrection
13 Another amazing happening during
Christ’s presence is the start of the heavenly resurrection. The apostle Paul
indicated that those anointed Christians long asleep in their graves would be
the first to be made alive and live with Christ Jesus in the spirit realm.
Evidence has been presented over the years to show that this appears to have
happened from 1918 onward. Paul writes: “In the Christ all will be made alive.
But each one in his own rank: Christ the firstfruits,
afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence [pa·rou·si′a].” (1 Corinthians
15:22, 23) The resurrection of the anointed during Christ’s presence is
confirmed at 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17: “This is what we tell you by
Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence [pa·rou·si′a] of the Lord shall in no way
precede those who have fallen asleep in death . . .
Those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. Afterward we the
living who are surviving will, together with them, be
caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” There are 144,000 who
belong to Christ as anointed ones who eventually receive this marvelous
reward.—Revelation 14:1.
14 As Paul shows, those of the
anointed remnant alive today do not get into the Kingdom ahead of those earlier
faithful anointed Christian martyrs and disciples. The apostle John further
describes those of the anointed who die today as follows: “Happy are the dead
who die in union with the Lord from this time onward. Yes, says the spirit, let
them rest from their labors, for the things they did go right with them,” that
is, in their resurrected existence. (Revelation 14:13) And Paul says: “Look! I
tell you a sacred secret: We shall not all fall asleep in
death, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be
raised up incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians
15:51, 52) What an amazing miracle!
15 Once when Jesus was preaching to a
group of his followers about God’s Kingdom, he used an illustration to help
them correct their wrong ideas. The account reads: “They were imagining that
the
16 Jesus was that “man” who went to
heaven, the “distant land” where he was to receive a kingdom. That Kingdom he
obtained in 1914. Soon after, Christ as King held an accounting with his
professed followers to see what they had done in caring for the Kingdom
interests entrusted to them. A faithful few were chosen to receive the master’s
commendation: “Well done, good slave! Because in a very small matter you have
proved yourself faithful, hold authority over ten cities.” (Luke 19:17) This
period of Christ’s presence involved continued intense Kingdom-preaching activity,
including the declaration of God’s judgments against the wicked, and overseeing
this work was included in the authority entrusted to the “good slave.”
Worldwide Preaching
17 What else would happen during this pa·rou·si′a? It would be a time of
great joy in the preaching work and in helping new ones to prepare for survival
through the coming great tribulation. These ones of the “great crowd,” who
assist the remnant, become “letters of recommendation.” (Revelation 7:9;
2 Corinthians 3:1-3) Paul mentions the joy of this harvest work when he
says: “What is our hope or joy or crown of exultation—why, is it not in fact
you?—before our Lord Jesus at his presence [pa·rou·si′a]?”—1 Thessalonians
2:19.
Keep Clean and Blameless
18 Paul also prayed for the sanctification
of those alive during this time of Christ’s presence: “May the very God of
peace sanctify you completely. And sound in every respect may the spirit and
soul and body of you brothers be preserved in a blameless manner at the
presence [pa·rou·si′a] of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Yes, today, whether we are of the anointed
remnant or of the great number of the other sheep, the spirit of cooperation
binds us loyally together that we may continue to be clean and blameless at
this unique time. Similarly, we need to exercise patience. James wrote:
“Exercise patience, therefore, brothers, until the presence [pa·rou·si′a] of the Lord. . . . Make
your hearts firm, because the presence [pa·rou·si′a]
of the Lord has drawn close.”—James 5:7, 8.
19 The apostle Peter also had
something to say to us who are alive in this present period. He warned us
against ridiculers, of whom there are many in all parts of the earth. Peter
says: “You know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with
their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires and saying: ‘Where is
this promised presence [pa·rou·si′a] of
his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are
continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.’” (2 Peter 3:3, 4)
Despite the prevalence of ridiculers during Christ’s presence, Jehovah’s people
continue to shine as the light of the world, for the salvation of many.
Questions in Review
□
How were Jehovah’s people enlightened progressively regarding the pa·rou·si′a?
□
How has Matthew 24:4-8 been undergoing fulfillment?
□
How have the angels been cooperating with the
enthroned Christ?
□
What amazing miracle appears to accompany the pa·rou·si′a?
□
What joy is experienced during this time, and who
share in it?
[Study Questions]
1. What have Christendom’s clergy interpreted
the words at Matthew 24:3 to mean?
2, 3.
(a) What distinction did Volume 2 of Studies in the
Scriptures make between the words “coming” and “presence”? (b) What
did Jehovah’s people come to understand regarding the meaning of the pa·rou·si′a of Christ?
4. “The presence of our Lord Jesus Christ”
refers to what?
5. What developments during the pa·rou·si′a will be discussed in the three
study articles of this magazine?
6. What composite sign is described in Matthew
chapters 24 and 25?
7. What features of the sign have we seen
fulfilled since 1914?
8, 9.
(a) What does Jesus’ regal presence involve? (b) What does Jesus’
prophecy concerning false Christs indicate as to the
place and manner of his presence?
10.
How have lightnings of Bible truth flashed out in a
global way?
11.
(a) In what way are angelic hosts used in
shedding forth Kingdom light? (b) When and into what group have members of
the wheat class been gathered?
12. In what cleansing have the angels participated, and with
what result to the earth?
13, 14. (a) What do the Scriptures indicate has been
proceeding from 1918 onward? (b) What do Paul and John reveal concerning
the anointed remnant today?
15, 16. (a) What illustration did Jesus give at Luke 19:11-15,
and for what reason? (b) How has this prophecy been undergoing
fulfillment?
17.
What joy marks the pa·rou·si′a?
18.
(a) What prayer of Paul has reference to the pa·rou·si′a? (b) What spirit must
all of us display during this time, and in what ways?
19.
What warning did Peter sound concerning the pa·rou·si′a,
and how should we respond?
God’s Kingdom Is Born!
Chap 27
Vision 7—Revelation
12:1-17
Subject: The heavenly
woman gives birth, Michael battles with Satan and
casts him to earth
Time of fulfillment:
From the enthronement of Christ Jesus in 1914 up to the great tribulation
THE
sacred secret of God has been unlocked. (Revelation 10:7) Jehovah’s Kingdom by
his Messiah is now a dynamic reality. It rules! Its presence spells doom for Satan and his seed (Christendom and all false religion) and glorious
victory for the Seed of God’s heavenly organization. The seventh angel has not
finished blowing on his trumpet, however, for he has much more to reveal to us
about the third woe. (Revelation 11:14) The signs described in Revelation
chapters 12 to 14 will help us to broaden our appreciation of all that is
involved in that woe and in bringing God’s sacred secret to a finish.
2 John now sees a great sign—one
of outstanding interest for God’s people. It introduces a thrilling prophetic
vision, the meaning of which was first published in the March 1, 1925,
issue of The Watch Tower in an article entitled “Birth of
the Nation” and then again in 1926 in the book Deliverance. This
brilliant flash of Bible understanding became a historic marker in the
advancement of Jehovah’s work. So let John describe the drama as it starts to
unfold: “And a great sign
was seen in heaven, a
woman arrayed with the sun,
and the moon was beneath
her feet, and on her
head was a crown of
twelve stars, and she was
pregnant. And she cries
out in her pains and
in her agony to give
birth.”—Revelation 12:1, 2.
3 For the first time, John beholds a
woman in heaven. She is, of course, not a literal woman. Rather, she is a sign,
or a symbol. (Revelation 1:1) What does she symbolize? In the inspired
prophecies, women at times represent organizations “married” to outstanding
personalities. In the Hebrew Scriptures,
4 About eight centuries earlier,
Jehovah had addressed this symbolic wife, saying: “All your sons will be
persons taught by Jehovah.” (Isaiah 54:5, 13) Jesus quoted this prophecy
and showed that these sons were his faithful followers, who later formed the
congregation of anointed Christians. (John 6:44, 45) So members of this
congregation, spoken of as God’s sons, are also children of God’s symbolic
wife. (Romans 8:14) The apostle Paul adds the final piece of information when
he says: “The
5 Exactly what, though, is
6 John sees this woman as being
robed with the sun and having the moon beneath her feet. When we add her crown
of stars, she is completely surrounded by heavenly lights. God’s favor shines
upon her day and night. What a fitting symbol of Jehovah’s magnificent heavenly
organization! She is also pregnant, enduring labor pains. Her cries for
divine help show that her time has come to give birth. In the Bible, labor
pains often symbolize the hard work needed to produce an important result. (Compare Psalm 90:2; Proverbs 25:23; Isaiah 66:7, 8.)
No doubt labor pains of this kind were experienced as Jehovah’s heavenly
organization prepared for this historic birth.
A
Great Fiery-Colored Dragon
7 What does John next observe? “And
another sign was seen in
heaven, and, look! a
great fiery-colored dragon, with
seven heads and ten horns
and upon its heads seven
diadems; and its tail drags
a third of the stars
of heaven, and it hurled
them down to the earth.
And the dragon kept standing
before the woman who was
about to give birth, that,
when she did give birth,
it might devour her
child.”—Revelation 12:3, 4.
8 This dragon is Satan, “the original
serpent.” (Revelation 12:9; Genesis
3:15) He is a ferocious destroyer—a seven-headed dragon, or devourer,
that can completely swallow his prey. How strange he looks! Those seven heads
and ten horns indicate that he is the architect of the political wild beast
soon to be described in Revelation chapter 13. This beast also has seven
heads and ten horns. Since Satan has a diadem on each head—seven in all—we can
be sure that the world powers represented in that wild beast have been
under his rulership. (John 16:11) The
ten horns are a fitting symbol of the completeness of the power that he has
exercised in this world.
9 The dragon has authority also in
the spirit realm. With his tail, he “drags a third of the stars of heaven.”
Stars can represent angels. (Job 38:7) Mention of “a third” would emphasize
that a considerable number of angels have been misled by Satan. Once these came
under his control, there was no escape for them. They could not return
to God’s holy organization. They became demons, dragged
along, as it were, by Satan their king, or ruler. (Matthew 12:24) Satan
also cast them down to the earth. This no doubt refers to Noah’s day before the
Flood, when Satan induced the disobedient sons of God to go down to earth and
cohabit with the daughters of men. As a punishment, these “angels that sinned”
have been thrown by God into the prisonlike
condition called Tartarus.—Genesis 6:4; 2 Peter
2:4; Jude 6.
10 Thus, two opposing organizations
have come clearly into view—Jehovah’s heavenly organization as pictured by the
woman and Satan’s demonic organization that challenges God’s sovereignty.
The great issue of sovereignty must be settled. But how?
Satan, still dragging the demons along with him, is like a vicious beast of
prey eyeing a potential victim. He is waiting for the woman to give birth. He
wants to devour this expected infant because he knows that it poses an
ominous threat to his continued existence and that of the world over
which he exercises rulership.—John
A
Son, a Male
11 The
appointed time for the nations to rule without interruption by God came to an
end in 1914. (Luke 21:24)
Then, right on time, the woman bears her child: “And she
gave birth to a son,
a male, who is to
shepherd all the nations
with an iron rod. And
her child was caught away
to God and to his
throne. And the woman fled
into the wilderness, where
she has a place prepared
by God, that
they should feed her there
a thousand two hundred and
sixty days.” (Revelation 12:5, 6)
The child is “a son, a male.” Why does John use this double expression? He does
it to show the child’s suitableness, his competence for ruling the nations with
adequate power. It also emphasizes how momentous, how joyous an occasion this
birth is! It plays a key role in bringing the sacred secret of God to a finish.
Why, this male child will even “shepherd all the nations with an iron rod”!
12 Now, does that expression sound
familiar? Yes, Jehovah promised prophetically regarding Jesus: “You will
break them with an iron scepter, as though a potter’s vessel you will dash them
to pieces.” (Psalm 2:9) It was also prophesied regarding him: “The rod
of your strength Jehovah will send out of
13 Never would Jehovah permit Satan to
devour His wife or His newborn son! At birth, the male child is “caught away to
God and to his throne.” He thus comes completely under the protection of Jehovah,
who will take the fullest care of this newborn
Kingdom, His instrument for sanctifying His holy name. At the same
time, the woman flees to a place that God has prepared for her in the
wilderness. More details on that later! As for Satan, the stage is now set for
a momentous event that will make it utterly impossible for him ever again to
threaten the Kingdom in heaven. What is that event?
War in Heaven!
14 John tells us: “And war broke
out in heaven: Michael and
his angels battled with
the dragon, and the dragon
and its angels battled but
it did not prevail, neither
was a place found for
them any longer in heaven.
So down the great dragon
was hurled, the original
serpent, the one called
Devil and Satan, who is
misleading the entire inhabited
earth; he was hurled down
to the earth, and his
angels were hurled down
with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9)
So as a dramatic development in bringing the sacred secret of God to a finish,
Satan is ejected, pitched out of heaven, and his demons are cast down to the
earth with him. The one who has misled the entire inhabited earth to the extent
of becoming its god is finally restricted to the vicinity of this planet, where
his rebellion first began.—2 Corinthians 4:3, 4.
15 Who accomplish this great victory in Jehovah’s name? The Bible says it is Michael and
his angels. But who is Michael?
The name “Michael” means “Who Is
Like God?” So Michael must be
interested in vindicating Jehovah’s sovereignty by proving that no one is to be
compared to Him. In Jude verse 9, he is called “Michael the archangel.”
Interestingly, the title “archangel” is used elsewhere in the Bible with
reference to only one person: Jesus Christ. Paul says of him: “The Lord himself will
descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice
and with God’s trumpet.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) The title “archangel”
means “chief of the angels.” So it is not surprising that Revelation speaks of “Michael
and his angels.” Other places where the Bible mentions
angels subject to a righteous servant of God have reference to Jesus.
Thus, Paul speaks of “the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his
powerful angels.”—2 Thessalonians 1:7; see also Matthew 24:30, 31; 25:31.
New
Nation open Gathering Things in Heaven and
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16 These and other scriptures lead us
to the inescapable conclusion that Michael is no one else but the Lord Jesus
Christ in his heavenly position. Now, in the Lord’s day,
he no longer merely says to Satan: “May Jehovah rebuke you.” Since this is a
time of judging, Jesus, as Michael, hurls the wicked Satan and his demonic
angels down from heaven. (Jude 9; Revelation 1:10) It is most fitting that
He should be the One to do this, as He is the newly installed King. Jesus is
also the Seed, promised back in Eden, who will ultimately crush the head of the
Serpent, thus putting him out of existence for all time. (Genesis 3:15) By
ejecting Satan from heaven, Jesus has moved toward that final crushing. The Law
covenant made with fleshly
“Be Glad, You Heavens”
17 John reports a joyous heavenly reaction to this stupendous fall of
Satan: “And
I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing,
and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them!’”—Revelation
12:10-12a.
18 Whose loud voice is it that John
hears? The Bible does not say. But a similar cry reported at Revelation 11:17
came from the resurrected 24 elders in their heavenly positions, where they can
now represent the 144,000 holy ones. (Revelation 11:18) And since the
persecuted anointed servants of God still on earth are here spoken of as “our
brothers,” this statement could well come from the same source. No doubt these
faithful ones can join their voice, since their resurrection would follow soon
after Satan and his demon hordes had been thrown out of heaven.
19 The finishing of the sacred secret
of God calls for Jesus to take authority in Jehovah’s Kingdom. The way is thus
opened for God to carry out his great purpose to deliver faithful mankind.
Jesus brings salvation not only to his God-fearing disciples now on earth but
also to the countless millions of dead ones who are in God’s memory. (Luke
21:27, 28) Satan’s being called “the accuser of our brothers” shows that, even
though his accusations against Job were proved false, he kept right on
challenging the integrity of God’s earthly servants. Evidently, he repeated on
many occasions the charge that a man will give all he has in exchange for his
soul. How dismally Satan has failed!—Job 1:9-11; 2:4, 5.
20 Anointed Christians, who are
counted righteous “because of the blood of the Lamb,” are continuing to bear
witness to God and to Jesus Christ despite persecutions. For more than 120 years, this John class has been pointing
to the great issues involved with the ending of the Gentile Times in 1914.
(Luke 21:24, King James Version) And the great crowd are now serving loyally by their side. None of
these are “fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” as
real-life
experiences of
Jehovah’s Witnesses have demonstrated over and over again during our time. By
word of mouth and by proper Christian conduct, they have conquered Satan,
consistently proving him to be a liar. (Matthew 10:28; Proverbs 27:11; Revelation 7:9) On
being resurrected to heaven, how happy anointed Christians must be, since Satan
is no longer up there to accuse their brothers! It is the time, indeed, for all the angelic host to respond joyously to the call: “Be
glad, you heavens and you who reside in them!”
A
Rival Woe!
21 Chafing because of the third woe,
Satan is now intent on afflicting mankind with his own particular brand of woe.
It is: “Woe for the earth
and for the sea, because
the Devil has come down
to you, having great anger,
knowing he has a short
period of time.” (Revelation
12:12b) Satan’s ouster from heaven does indeed mean woe for the
literal earth, which is being ruined by selfish humans under his control.
(Deuteronomy 32:5) Even more so, Satan’s policy of ‘rule or ruin’ brings woe to
the symbolic earth, the structure of human society, as well as to the symbolic
sea, the turbulent mass of mankind itself. During the two world wars, Satan’s
wrath was reflected in the wrath of the nations subject to him, and similar
explosions of demonic rage continue to this day—though not for much longer!
(Mark 13:7, 8) But terrible as the Devil’s devices may be, they will never
approach the woeful effect that the third woe—action by God’s Kingdom—will
produce on Satan’s visible organization!
22 Since Satan’s catastrophic ouster,
Christ’s brothers still on the earth have borne the brunt of his wrath. John
reports: “Now when the dragon
saw that it was hurled
down to the earth, it
persecuted the woman that
gave birth to the male
child. But the two wings
of the great eagle were
given the woman, that she
might fly into the wilderness
to her place; there is
where she is fed for
a time and times and
half a time away from
the face of the serpent.”—Revelation
12:13, 14.
23 Here the vision picks up the
thought introduced in verse 6, which tells us that after the birth of her
child, the woman flees into the wilderness, away from the dragon. We may wonder
how the dragon can persecute the woman, since she is in heaven and the dragon
has now been cast down to the earth. Well, remember that the woman has children
here on earth, her seed. Later in this vision, we are informed that Satan
expresses his rage toward the woman by persecuting her seed. (Revelation 12:17)
What happens to the woman’s seed here on earth may be regarded as happening to
the woman herself. (Compare Matthew 25:40.) And the growing number of
companions of the seed here on earth would also experience these persecutions.
A
New Nation
8 Who
has heard of a thing like this? Who has seen things like these? Will a land be
brought forth with labor pains in one day? Or will a nation be born at one
time? For
24 While the first
world war was being fought, Jesus’ brothers faithfully kept on with
their witnessing to the extent possible. This was done in the face of
intensified opposition from Satan and his vicious henchmen. Finally, the Bible
Students’ public witnessing was virtually stopped. (Revelation 11:7-10) That
was when they had an experience quite similar to that of the Israelites in
25 In the wilderness, Jehovah brought
forth the Israelites as a nation, providing for them spiritually and
physically. Similarly, starting in 1919, Jehovah brought forth the seed of the
woman as a spiritual nation. This is not to be confused with the Messianic
Kingdom that has been ruling from the heavens since 1914. Rather, this new
nation is made up of the remnant of anointed witnesses on earth, who were
brought into a glorious spiritual estate in 1919. Being provided now with “their
measure of food supplies at the proper time,” these were strengthened for the
work that lay ahead.—Luke 12:42; Isaiah 66:8.
26 How long did this respite for the
seed of God’s woman last? Revelation 12:6 says 1,260 days. Revelation
27 The dragon did not give up! “And
the serpent disgorged water
like a river from its
mouth after the woman, to
cause her to be drowned
by the river.” (Revelation
12:15) What is meant by “water like a river,” or “a flood of water”?
(The New English Bible) Ancient King David spoke of
the wicked men who opposed him as “flash floods of good-for-nothing men” [“streams
of the worthless,” Young]. (Psalm 18:4, 5, 16, 17) What Satan now
unleashes is likewise persecution by worthless or “good-for-nothing men.” After
1922 Satan spewed out a flood of persecution against the Witnesses. (Matthew
24:9-13) This came to include physical violence, “framing trouble by decree,”
imprisonments, and even executions by hanging, shooting, and beheading. (Psalm
94:20) The debased Satan, having been denied direct access to God’s heavenly
woman, set out wrathfully to attack her remaining seed on earth and to destroy
them, either directly or by causing them to lose God’s favor through breaking
their integrity. But their resolve proved to be like that of Job: “Until I
expire I shall not take away my integrity from myself!”—Job 27:5.
28 This vicious flood of persecution
reached a
29 Relief arrived from an unexpected
source: “But the earth came
to the woman’s help, and
the earth opened its mouth
and swallowed up the river
that the dragon disgorged
from its mouth. And the
dragon grew wrathful at
the woman, and went off
to wage war with the
remaining ones of her seed,
who observe the commandments
of God and have the
work of bearing witness
to Jesus.” (Revelation 12:16, 17)
“The earth”—elements within Satan’s own system of things—began to swallow up “the
river,” or “flood.” During the 1940’s the Witnesses gained a series of favorable
decisions in the United States Supreme Court, and from ruling powers in some
other lands, that upheld freedom of worship. Finally, the Allied nations
swallowed up the Nazi-Fascist juggernaut, to the relief of the Witnesses who
had suffered under cruel dictatorships. Persecutions did not stop altogether,
for the wrath of the dragon has continued until today, and he keeps up the war
against those who “have the work of bearing witness to Jesus.” In many lands,
loyal Witnesses are still in prison, and some still die because of their
integrity. But in some of these lands, the authorities from time to time relax
their pressure, and the Witnesses enjoy a greater measure of freedom. Thus, in
fulfillment of the prophecy, the earth continues to swallow up the river of
persecution.
30 In this way, the earth has provided
sufficient relief to allow God’s work to spread to some 235 lands and produce
over six million faithful preachers of the good news. Along with the remaining
ones of the woman’s seed, a great international crowd of new believers is
observing the commandments of God as to separateness from the world, clean
morals, and love of the brothers, and they are witnessing to the Messianic
Kingdom. Their integrity answers Satan’s reproachful challenge, so that the
death knell is sounded for Satan and his system of things.—Proverbs 27:11.
[Footnotes]
Compare
the 12 tribes of fleshly Israel, the 12 apostles, the 12 tribes of spiritual
Israel, and the 12 gates, 12 angels, and 12 foundation stones of the New
Jerusalem.—Revelation 21:12-14.
Notice,
however, that Revelation 12:9 speaks of “the great dragon . . .
and his angels.” So the Devil not only makes a counterfeit god of himself but also tries to become an archangel, though the
Bible never gives him that title.
The
highest courts in a number of lands have granted relief to Jehovah’s Witnesses;
some of these decisions are cited in the box on page 92.
[Study Questions]
1. How will an understanding of the signs
described in Revelation chapters 12 to 14 help us?
2. (a) What
great sign does John see? (b) When was the meaning of the great sign
revealed?
3. What is the identity of the woman seen in
heaven?
4. Who are the sons of God’s symbolic wife,
and what does the apostle Paul call the woman seen by John?
5. Since Jehovah’s symbolic wife is crowned
with 12 stars, what in reality is the
6. (a) What is
indicated by the fact that the woman seen by John is robed with the sun, has
the moon beneath her feet, and has a crown of stars? (b) What is symbolized
by the labor pains of the pregnant woman?
7. What is another sign that John sees in
heaven?
8. (a) What is
the identity of the great fiery-colored dragon? (b) What is indicated by
the dragon’s having seven heads, ten horns, and a diadem on each head?
9. What is indicated by the fact that the
dragon’s tail “drags a third of the stars of heaven” down to the earth?
10.
What opposing organizations come into view, and why does the dragon seek to
devour the child when the woman gives birth?
11.
How does John describe the birth of the woman’s child, and why is the child
called “a son, a male”?
12.
(a) In the Psalms, what did Jehovah prophetically
promise regarding Jesus? (b) What is symbolized by the woman’s giving
birth to a son “who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod”?
13.
What is indicated by the male child’s being “caught away to God and to his
throne”?
14.
(a) As John tells it, what event makes it
impossible for Satan ever again to threaten the Kingdom? (b) To what
locality are Satan and his demons restricted?
15, 16. (a) Who is Michael, and how do we know? (b) Why
is it fitting that Michael is the one who hurls Satan down from heaven?
17, 18. (a) What heavenly reaction does John report as to the
fall of Satan from heaven? (b) What is the likely source of the loud voice
that John hears?
19.
(a) The finishing of the sacred secret of God
opens the way for Jesus to do what? (b) What is indicated by Satan’s being
called “the accuser of our brothers”?
20.
How have faithful Christians conquered Satan?
21.
How has Satan brought woe to the earth and to the sea?
22, 23. (a) What does John say happens after the dragon has
been hurled down to the earth? (b) How is it possible for the dragon to
persecute “the woman that gave birth to the male child”?
24.
What experience did the Bible Students have that was similar to the deliverance
of the Israelites from
25.
(a) What did Jehovah bring forth in 1919, much as
he brought forth the Israelites as a nation in the wilderness? (b) Who
make up this nation, and into what have they been brought?
26.
(a) How long is the time period mentioned at
Revelation 12:6, 14? (b) What was the purpose of
the period of three and a half times, when did it start, and when did it
finish?
27.
(a) According to John’s report, what did the
dragon do after 1922? (b) What was Satan’s purpose in spewing forth a
flood of persecution against the Witnesses?
28.
How did the flood of persecution reach a peak during World War II?
29.
(a) How does John describe relief arriving from
an unexpected source? (b) How is it that “the earth came to the woman’s
help”? (c) What has the dragon continued to do?
30.
(a) The earth has provided sufficient relief for
what to take place? (b) The integrity of God’s people results in what?
[Box on page 185]
“The Earth Opened Its
Mouth”
Satan’s flash flood of persecution has been unleashed in many lands
against anointed Christians and their companions. Often, though, developments
within Satan’s own system of things have resulted in that flood’s being swallowed
up.
The flood of mobbings and imprisonments in the
1945: Vicious persecution in lands controlled by
When a ban was imposed on Jehovah’s Witnesses in the
The shooting, burning, rape, beating, torture, and killing of Witnesses
during a civil war in
In
In
In
[Chart on page 183]
(For fully formatted text, see
publication)
1914 Birth of Kingdom
1919 Birth of new nation
1919-1922 Period of recuperation
1922- Flood of persecution
[Pictures on page 182]
Woe to the earth