JW subtitle extractor

Would you agree that we live
in difficult times?
Despite some advances in technology,
people still must endure the ravages of war,
food shortages, pestilence,
and disasters of various kinds.
Add to that the bitter opposition
and persecution we face
from those who do not yet know Jehovah.
How we yearn for justice and relief!
The Bible book of Revelation
figuratively quotes
faithful martyrs as calling out to Jehovah:
“Until when, Sovereign Lord, holy and true,
are you refraining
from judging and avenging our blood?”
Although those martyrs
were told to wait a little longer,
Christ Jesus makes this remarkable statement
recorded at Revelation 10:6:
“There will be no delay any longer.”
That’s good news!
The entire book of Revelation is good news
for all who love and trust Jehovah.
It foretells momentous events,
but we need not fear them
because we know that Jehovah cares for us.
The good news that Revelation contains
is that all that grieves us today
will soon disappear.
And all of its promises center on one person
—Jesus Christ.
In its very first verse,
this thrilling Bible book
is described
as “a revelation by Jesus Christ.”
It foretells events
that occur during “the Lord’s day”
—that is, the period that began
when our Lord Jesus
became King in 1914—
and continues
until the end of his Thousand Year Reign.
And throughout Revelation,
we read of Jesus’ key role
in destroying God’s enemies,
removing our suffering,
and restoring earth to a paradise.
These are not empty promises.
Revelation 1:1 declares
that these things “must shortly take place.”
What sort of things
“must shortly take place”?
What role will Jesus play in these events?
And how will they
bring justice and relief to us?
Let’s begin by considering what will happen
to the world empire of false religion.
Please turn to Revelation chapter 18.
Revelation depicts false religion
as an evil prostitute
with the name Babylon the Great.
For millenniums, she has ridiculed,
persecuted, and killed God’s people.
Shamelessly, she has
exploited and deceived people with lies.
Her influence is strong.
But that’s about to change.
As we begin reading at Revelation 18:1,
note what will happen to Babylon the Great,
and why.
“After this I saw another angel
“descending from heaven with great authority,
“and the earth was illuminated by his glory.
“And he cried out
with a strong voice, saying:
“‘She has fallen!
“‘Babylon the Great has fallen,
“‘and she has become
a dwelling place of demons
“‘and a place where every unclean spirit
“‘and every unclean and hated bird lurks!
“‘For because of the wine of the passion
of her sexual immorality,
“‘all the nations have fallen victim,
“‘and the kings of the earth
committed sexual immorality with her,
“‘and the merchants of the earth became rich
“owing to the power of her shameless luxury.’
“And I heard another voice out of heaven say:
“‘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.
“‘Repay her in the way she treated others,
“‘yes, pay her back double
for the things she has done;
“‘in the cup she has mixed,
mix a double portion for her.
“‘To the extent that she glorified herself
“‘and lived in shameless luxury,
“‘to that extent give her
torment and mourning.
“‘For she keeps saying in her heart:
“‘“I sit as queen, and I am not a widow,
“‘and I will never see mourning.”
“‘That is why in one day
her plagues will come,
“‘death and mourning and famine,
“‘and she will be
completely burned with fire,
because Jehovah God, who judged her,
is strong.’”
Babylon views herself as a powerful queen
who will never be brought down.
Why should she?
After all,
she has thrived for thousands of years.
And yet, a terrible destruction is coming,
and it will envelop her suddenly,
as if “in one day.”
What role does Jesus play in this event?
Look again at verses 1 and 2.
Who announces the fall of Babylon?
An angel whose glory
lights up the whole earth.
To whom has Jehovah given such glory?
To our Lord Jesus.
Since 1914,
Jesus has been exercising authority
over the earth as King and Judge.
How fitting that he announces
the fall of Babylon the Great!
But that judgment brings with it a warning:
“Get out of her”!
Never would we want to have
any part of an organization
that’s doomed to destruction.
Jehovah detests Babylon the Great.
So must we!
And yet, there are many who have profited
from false religion.
Rulers have looked to Babylon the Great
to support their policies and their wars.
Merchants have benefited financially.
How do they react to Babylon’s surprising
and sudden destruction?
Let’s see as we continue reading
from Revelation 18:9.
“And the kings of the earth who committed
“sexual immorality with her
and lived with her
“in shameless luxury
“will weep and beat themselves
in grief over her
“when they see the smoke from her burning.
“They will 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!’
“Also, the merchants of the earth
“are weeping and mourning over her,
“because there is no one
to buy their full cargo anymore,
“a full cargo of gold, silver,
“precious stones, pearls, fine linen,
“purple cloth, silk, and scarlet cloth;
“and everything made from scented wood;
“and every sort of object made from ivory,
“and from precious wood,
copper, iron, and marble;
“also cinnamon, Indian spice, incense,
“perfumed oil, frankincense, wine, olive oil,
“fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep,
“horses, carriages, slaves, and human lives.
“Yes, the fine fruit
that you desired has left you,
“and all the delicacies
and the splendid things
“have vanished from you,
never to be found again.
“The merchants who sold 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,
purple, and scarlet
“‘and richly adorned with gold ornaments,
“‘precious stones, and pearls,
“because in one hour
such great riches have been devastated!’
“And every ship captain
and every seafaring person
“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 her burning and said:
“‘What city is like the great city?’
“They threw dust on their heads
and cried out,
“weeping and mourning, and said:
“‘Too bad, too bad, the great city,
“‘in which all those who had ships at sea
“‘became rich from her wealth,
because in one hour
she has been devastated!’”
“Too bad, too bad . . . !” they cry.
But what about God’s servants?
They have a much different reaction.
Let’s read on from verse 20
to see how God’s servants,
both in heaven and on earth,
will react to Babylon’s destruction.
Notice, too, why false religion deserves
such scathing judgment.
“Be glad over her, O heaven,
“also you holy ones
and apostles and prophets,
“because God has pronounced his judgment
on her in your behalf!
“And a strong angel lifted up a stone
“like a great millstone
“and hurled it into the sea, saying:
“‘Thus with a swift pitch
“‘will Babylon the great city be hurled down,
“‘and she will never be found again.
“‘And the sound of singers
who accompany themselves on the harp,
“‘of musicians, of flutists,
“‘and of trumpeters
will never be heard in you again.
“‘And no craftsman who practices any trade
“‘will ever be found in you again,
“‘and no sound of a millstone
will ever be heard in you again.
“‘No light of a lamp
will ever shine in you again,
“‘and no voice of a bridegroom
“‘and of a bride
will ever be heard in you again;
“‘for your merchants
were the top-ranking men of the earth,
“‘and by your spiritistic practices
all the nations were misled.
“‘Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets
“‘and of holy ones and of all those
“who have been slaughtered on the earth.’
“After this I heard what seemed to be
“a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven.
“They said:
“‘Praise Jah!
“‘The salvation and the glory and the power
“‘belong to our God,
“‘because his judgments
are true and righteous.
“‘For he has executed judgment
“‘on the great prostitute
“‘who corrupted the earth
with her sexual immorality,
“and he has avenged the blood of his slaves
that is on her hands.’
“And right away
for the second time they said:
“‘Praise Jah!
“And the smoke from her goes on ascending
forever and ever.’
Yes, “Praise Jah!”
Why?
False religious leaders were responsible
for the death of the prophets
and of Jesus Christ himself.
Later, the disciple Stephen
asked the religious leaders:
“Which one of the prophets
did your forefathers not persecute?
“Yes, they killed those
who announced in advance
“the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers
you have now become.”
Instead of taking Stephen’s rebuke to heart,
they murdered him too that same day.
In the centuries since Stephen’s day,
false religion has continued to mislead,
to slaughter, and to corrupt the earth
with her sexual immorality.
So once again we can ask,
Why “Praise Jah”?
The heavenly chorus answers:
“Because [God’s] judgments
are true and righteous.”
Our just God, Jehovah,
will make sure that false religion
will never again
defile this world
and harm his loyal servants.
The destruction of Babylon the Great
marks the beginning
of what Jesus called the “great tribulation.”
After false religion is gone,
what comes next?
The book of Ezekiel foretells
that the nations
will attack Jehovah’s people,
coming like “a vast army”
and “like clouds covering the land.”
But this is not the first time
that the political system
has acted against Jehovah and his people.
Many nations
have fiercely opposed true worship.
They’ve banned our meetings
and our preaching work
and imprisoned men and women,
old and young,
for the so-called crime of owning a Bible
or talking about their God.
Some of our brothers and sisters
have even been tortured for their faith.
Of course, as long as Jehovah allows
human governments to rule over us,
we respect them.
And not all governments
have actively opposed us.
Still, human government itself
is insulting to Jehovah.
Human rulers suggest
that they could rule better
than the “King of kings and Lord of lords,”
Christ Jesus.
How arrogant!
No wonder, then, that once
these political powers attack God’s people,
Jesus will take action.
In Revelation chapter 19,
note the actions that Jesus takes against
the Anglo-American World Power,
portrayed as a “false prophet,”
and the entire political system,
described as “the kings of the earth”
and “the wild beast.”
We’ll begin reading at Revelation 19:11.
“I saw heaven opened,
and look! a white horse.
“And the one seated on it
is called Faithful and True,
“and he judges and carries on war
in righteousness.
“His eyes are a fiery flame,
“and on his head are many diadems.
“He has a name written that no one knows
but he himself,
“and he is clothed with an outer garment
“stained with blood,
“and he is called by the name
The Word of God.
“Also, the armies in heaven
“were following him on white horses,
“and they were clothed
in white, clean, fine linen.
“And out of his mouth
protrudes a sharp, long sword
“with which to strike the nations,
“and he will shepherd them
with a rod of iron.
“Moreover, he treads the winepress
“of the fury
of the wrath of God the Almighty.
“On his outer garment, yes, on his thigh,
“he has a name written,
“King of kings and Lord of lords.
“I saw also an angel standing in the sun,
“and he cried out with a loud voice
“and said to all the birds
that fly in midheaven:
“‘Come here, be gathered together
“‘to the great evening meal of God,
“‘so that you may eat the flesh of kings
“‘and the flesh of military commanders
“‘and the flesh of strong men
“‘and the flesh of horses
and of those seated on them,
“‘and the flesh of all,
of freemen as well as of slaves
“and of small ones and great.’
“And I saw the wild beast
and the kings of the earth
“and their armies gathered together
to wage war
“against the one seated on the horse
and against his army.
“And the wild beast was caught,
“and along with it the false prophet
“that performed in front of it the signs
“with which he misled those
who received the mark of the wild beast
“and those who worship its image.
“While still alive,
“they both were hurled into the fiery lake
that burns with sulfur.
“But the rest were killed off
“with the long sword
that proceeded out of the mouth
“of the one seated on the horse.
And all the birds
were filled with their flesh.”
Who else but Christ Jesus
would lead the heavenly forces
to the battle of Armageddon?
False religion has already been destroyed.
Now Jesus turns his attention
to what remains of Satan’s wicked world
—its political and commercial systems.
He dismantles, destroys,
and brings to nothing
all who oppose true worship on earth.
But enemies of true worship still remain.
Who are they,
and what does Jesus do about them?
Follow along at Revelation 20:1-3.
“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven
“with the key of the abyss
and a great chain in his hand.
“He seized the dragon, the original serpent,
“who is the Devil and Satan,
“and bound him for 1,000 years.
“And he hurled him into the abyss
“and shut it and sealed it over him,
“so that he would not mislead
the nations anymore
“until the 1,000 years were ended.
After this he must be released
for a little while.”
Who has “the key of the abyss”?
Doubtless, the same one
who was prophesied to bruise Satan’s head
—Jesus Christ.
It’s Jesus
who will remove all enemies of God,
including the great enemy, Satan himself.
Into the abyss he’ll go.
Jesus doesn’t just put him there;
he hurls him there.
Good riddance!
After the dust of Armageddon settles,
God’s Kingdom will act to restore the earth
to the state Jehovah originally intended.
Those who’ve been loyal to Jehovah
will then witness astonishing things.
Let’s consider one of them,
beginning at Revelation 20:12.
“And I saw the dead,
“the great and the small,
“standing before the throne,
“and scrolls were opened.
“But another scroll was opened;
“it is the scroll of life.
“The dead were judged
out of those things written in the scrolls
“according to their deeds.
“And the sea gave up the dead in it,
“and death and the Grave
gave up the dead in them,
“and they were judged individually
“according to their deeds.
“And death and the Grave
were hurled into the lake of fire.
This means the second death,
the lake of fire.”
According to verse 4,
Jehovah
—the Supreme Judge—
has delegated “authority to judge”
to Jesus Christ and his corulers.
Whom will they be judging?
Not merely the great crowd
who have survived Armageddon
but billions of others
who’ll be resurrected from the dead!
And at the end of the Millennial Reign,
death itself will finally be gone.
It’s “hurled into the lake of fire,”
as irretrievable as a piece of paper
thrown into a raging furnace.
What will life be like under Kingdom rule?
How we love the promises at Revelation 21:4:
“And [God] will wipe out every
“tear from their eyes, and death
“will be no more,
“neither will mourning
“nor outcry
nor pain be anymore”!
Just think of what this will mean.
The deaf will hear and listen to the sounds
of gentle rains,
happy people,
birdsong, and beautiful music.
The blind will see,
examine starry skies,
and behold rainbows.
They will watch animals and children at play.
Mankind will experience
miraculous healing
on a global scale.
Those once disabled or elderly
will hike through a forest,
climb a mountain,
or run on a sandy beach.
Gone will be hunger,
sickness, and injustice.
There will be no wicked people.
Everyone will live in perfect health,
security, and happiness
—and do so forever.
Think deeply about these promises;
engage your senses.
Let’s conclude by reading a passage
from the final chapter of Revelation,
chapter 22,
which describes other blessings
that will come from earth’s righteous rulers.
“And he showed me a river of water of life,
“clear as crystal,
flowing out from the throne of God
“and of the Lamb
down the middle of its main street.
“On both sides of the river
were trees of life
“producing 12 crops of fruit,
“yielding their fruit each month.
“And the leaves of the trees
“were for the healing of the nations.
“And there will no longer be any curse.
“But the throne of God and of the Lamb
will be in the city,
“and his slaves
will offer him sacred service;
“and they will see his face,
“and his name will be on their foreheads.
“Also, night will be no more,
“and they have
no need of lamplight or sunlight,
“for Jehovah God will shed light upon them,
“and they will rule as kings
“forever and ever.
“He said to me:
“‘These words are faithful and true;
“‘yes, Jehovah, the God
who inspired the prophets,
“‘has sent his angel to show his slaves
“‘the things that must shortly take place.
“‘Look!
I am coming quickly.
“‘Happy is anyone observing the words
“of the prophecy of this scroll.’
Do you long to worship Jehovah
in perfect health,
under perfect rule,
in a perfect world?
Our King longs for that day too.
The angel tells John that these things
“must shortly take place.”
And speaking in Jesus’ name, the angel says:
“I am coming quickly.”
Today’s world presents many problems,
but Jesus will solve them all.
He’s announced
that false religion will soon end.
He’ll defeat the rest of this
system of things at the war of Armageddon.
He’ll abyss and eventually destroy
that despicable serpent, Satan the Devil.
And soon he’ll eliminate
“the last enemy, death.”
These things will happen.
Should we ever have any doubts,
remember the angel’s words:
“These words are faithful and true.”
What good news for all of us
who support our King, Christ Jesus!
Yes, we echo the apostle John’s words
in verse 20:
“Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus.”

“There Will Be No Delay Any Longer”
- 

“There Will Be No Delay Any Longer”

Would you agree that we live
in difficult times?
Despite some advances in technology,
people still must endure the ravages of war,
food shortages, pestilence,
and disasters of various kinds.
Add to that the bitter opposition
and persecution we face
from those who do not yet know Jehovah.
How we yearn for justice and relief!
The Bible book of Revelation
figuratively quotes
faithful martyrs as calling out to Jehovah:
“Until when, Sovereign Lord, holy and true,
are you refraining
from judging and avenging our blood?”
Although those martyrs
were told to wait a little longer,
Christ Jesus makes this remarkable statement
recorded at Revelation 10:6:
“There will be no delay any longer.”
That’s good news!
The entire book of Revelation is good news
for all who love and trust Jehovah.
It foretells momentous events,
but we need not fear them
because we know that Jehovah cares for us.
The good news that Revelation contains
is that all that grieves us today
will soon disappear.
And all of its promises center on one person
—Jesus Christ.
In its very first verse,
this thrilling Bible book
is described
as “a revelation by Jesus Christ.”
It foretells events
that occur during “the Lord’s day”
—that is, the period that began
when our Lord Jesus
became King in 1914—
and continues
until the end of his Thousand Year Reign.
And throughout Revelation,
we read of Jesus’ key role
in destroying God’s enemies,
removing our suffering,
and restoring earth to a paradise.
These are not empty promises.
Revelation 1:1 declares
that these things “must shortly take place.”
What sort of things
“must shortly take place”?
What role will Jesus play in these events?
And how will they
bring justice and relief to us?
Let’s begin by considering what will happen
to the world empire of false religion.
Please turn to Revelation chapter 18.
Revelation depicts false religion
as an evil prostitute
with the name Babylon the Great.
For millenniums, she has ridiculed,
persecuted, and killed God’s people.
Shamelessly, she has
exploited and deceived people with lies.
Her influence is strong.
But that’s about to change.
As we begin reading at Revelation 18:1,
note what will happen to Babylon the Great,
and why.
“After this I saw another angel
“descending from heaven with great authority,
“and the earth was illuminated by his glory.
“And he cried out
with a strong voice, saying:
“‘She has fallen!
“‘Babylon the Great has fallen,
“‘and she has become
a dwelling place of demons
“‘and a place where every unclean spirit
“‘and every unclean and hated bird lurks!
“‘For because of the wine of the passion
of her sexual immorality,
“‘all the nations have fallen victim,
“‘and the kings of the earth
committed sexual immorality with her,
“‘and the merchants of the earth became rich
“owing to the power of her shameless luxury.’
“And I heard another voice out of heaven say:
“‘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.
“‘Repay her in the way she treated others,
“‘yes, pay her back double
for the things she has done;
“‘in the cup she has mixed,
mix a double portion for her.
“‘To the extent that she glorified herself
“‘and lived in shameless luxury,
“‘to that extent give her
torment and mourning.
“‘For she keeps saying in her heart:
“‘“I sit as queen, and I am not a widow,
“‘and I will never see mourning.”
“‘That is why in one day
her plagues will come,
“‘death and mourning and famine,
“‘and she will be
completely burned with fire,
because Jehovah God, who judged her,
is strong.’”
Babylon views herself as a powerful queen 
who will never be brought down.
Why should she?
After all,
she has thrived for thousands of years.
And yet, a terrible destruction is coming,
and it will envelop her suddenly,
as if “in one day.”
What role does Jesus play in this event?
Look again at verses 1 and 2.
Who announces the fall of Babylon?
An angel whose glory
lights up the whole earth.
To whom has Jehovah given such glory?
To our Lord Jesus.
Since 1914,
Jesus has been exercising authority
over the earth as King and Judge.
How fitting that he announces
the fall of Babylon the Great!
But that judgment brings with it a warning:
“Get out of her”!
Never would we want to have
any part of an organization
that’s doomed to destruction.
Jehovah detests Babylon the Great.
So must we!
And yet, there are many who have profited
from false religion.
Rulers have looked to Babylon the Great
to support their policies and their wars.
Merchants have benefited financially.
How do they react to Babylon’s surprising
and sudden destruction?
Let’s see as we continue reading
from Revelation 18:9.
“And the kings of the earth who committed
“sexual immorality with her
and lived with her
“in shameless luxury
“will weep and beat themselves
in grief over her
“when they see the smoke from her burning.
“They will 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!’
“Also, the merchants of the earth
“are weeping and mourning over her,
“because there is no one
to buy their full cargo anymore,
“a full cargo of gold, silver,
“precious stones, pearls, fine linen,
“purple cloth, silk, and scarlet cloth;
“and everything made from scented wood;
“and every sort of object made from ivory,
“and from precious wood,
copper, iron, and marble;
“also cinnamon, Indian spice, incense,
“perfumed oil, frankincense, wine, olive oil,
“fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep,
“horses, carriages, slaves, and human lives.
“Yes, the fine fruit
that you desired has left you,
“and all the delicacies
and the splendid things
“have vanished from you,
never to be found again.
“The merchants who sold 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,
purple, and scarlet
“‘and richly adorned with gold ornaments,
“‘precious stones, and pearls,
“because in one hour
such great riches have been devastated!’
“And every ship captain
and every seafaring person
“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 her burning and said:
“‘What city is like the great city?’
“They threw dust on their heads
and cried out,
“weeping and mourning, and said:
“‘Too bad, too bad, the great city,
“‘in which all those who had ships at sea
“‘became rich from her wealth,
because in one hour
she has been devastated!’”
“Too bad, too bad . . . !” they cry.
But what about God’s servants?
They have a much different reaction.
Let’s read on from verse 20
to see how God’s servants,
both in heaven and on earth,
will react to Babylon’s destruction.
Notice, too, why false religion deserves
such scathing judgment.
“Be glad over her, O heaven,
“also you holy ones
and apostles and prophets,
“because God has pronounced his judgment
on her in your behalf!
“And a strong angel lifted up a stone
“like a great millstone
“and hurled it into the sea, saying:
“‘Thus with a swift pitch
“‘will Babylon the great city be hurled down,
“‘and she will never be found again.
“‘And the sound of singers
who accompany themselves on the harp,
“‘of musicians, of flutists,
“‘and of trumpeters
will never be heard in you again.
“‘And no craftsman who practices any trade
“‘will ever be found in you again,
“‘and no sound of a millstone
will ever be heard in you again.
“‘No light of a lamp
will ever shine in you again,
“‘and no voice of a bridegroom
“‘and of a bride
will ever be heard in you again;
“‘for your merchants
were the top-ranking men of the earth,
“‘and by your spiritistic practices
all the nations were misled.
“‘Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets
“‘and of holy ones and of all those
“who have been slaughtered on the earth.’
“After this I heard what seemed to be
“a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven.
“They said:
“‘Praise Jah!
“‘The salvation and the glory and the power
“‘belong to our God,
“‘because his judgments
are true and righteous.
“‘For he has executed judgment
“‘on the great prostitute
“‘who corrupted the earth
with her sexual immorality,
“and he has avenged the blood of his slaves
that is on her hands.’
“And right away
for the second time they said:
“‘Praise Jah!
“And the smoke from her goes on ascending
forever and ever.’
Yes, “Praise Jah!”
Why?
False religious leaders were responsible
for the death of the prophets
and of Jesus Christ himself.
Later, the disciple Stephen
asked the religious leaders:
“Which one of the prophets
did your forefathers not persecute?
“Yes, they killed those
who announced in advance
“the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers
you have now become.”
Instead of taking Stephen’s rebuke to heart,
they murdered him too that same day.
In the centuries since Stephen’s day,
false religion has continued to mislead,
to slaughter, and to corrupt the earth
with her sexual immorality.
So once again we can ask,
Why “Praise Jah”?
The heavenly chorus answers:
“Because [God’s] judgments
are true and righteous.”
Our just God, Jehovah,
will make sure that false religion
will never again
defile this world
and harm his loyal servants.
The destruction of Babylon the Great
marks the beginning
of what Jesus called the “great tribulation.”
After false religion is gone,
what comes next?
The book of Ezekiel foretells
that the nations
will attack Jehovah’s people,
coming like “a vast army”
and “like clouds covering the land.”
But this is not the first time
that the political system
has acted against Jehovah and his people.
Many nations
have fiercely opposed true worship.
They’ve banned our meetings
and our preaching work
and imprisoned men and women,
old and young,
for the so-called crime of owning a Bible
or talking about their God.
Some of our brothers and sisters
have even been tortured for their faith.
Of course, as long as Jehovah allows
human governments to rule over us,
we respect them.
And not all governments
have actively opposed us.
Still, human government itself
is insulting to Jehovah.
Human rulers suggest
that they could rule better
than the “King of kings and Lord of lords,”
Christ Jesus.
How arrogant!
No wonder, then, that once
these political powers attack God’s people,
Jesus will take action.
In Revelation chapter 19,
note the actions that Jesus takes against
the Anglo-American World Power,
portrayed as a “false prophet,”
and the entire political system,
described as “the kings of the earth”
and “the wild beast.”
We’ll begin reading at Revelation 19:11.
“I saw heaven opened,
and look! a white horse.
“And the one seated on it
is called Faithful and True,
“and he judges and carries on war
in righteousness.
“His eyes are a fiery flame,
“and on his head are many diadems.
“He has a name written that no one knows
but he himself,
“and he is clothed with an outer garment
“stained with blood,
“and he is called by the name
The Word of God.
“Also, the armies in heaven
“were following him on white horses,
“and they were clothed
in white, clean, fine linen.
“And out of his mouth
protrudes a sharp, long sword
“with which to strike the nations,
“and he will shepherd them
with a rod of iron.
“Moreover, he treads the winepress
“of the fury
of the wrath of God the Almighty.
“On his outer garment, yes, on his thigh,
“he has a name written,
“King of kings and Lord of lords.
“I saw also an angel standing in the sun,
“and he cried out with a loud voice
“and said to all the birds
that fly in midheaven:
“‘Come here, be gathered together
“‘to the great evening meal of God,
“‘so that you may eat the flesh of kings
“‘and the flesh of military commanders
“‘and the flesh of strong men
“‘and the flesh of horses
and of those seated on them,
“‘and the flesh of all,
of freemen as well as of slaves
“and of small ones and great.’
“And I saw the wild beast
and the kings of the earth
“and their armies gathered together
to wage war
“against the one seated on the horse
and against his army.
“And the wild beast was caught,
“and along with it the false prophet
“that performed in front of it the signs
“with which he misled those
who received the mark of the wild beast
“and those who worship its image.
“While still alive,
“they both were hurled into the fiery lake
that burns with sulfur.
“But the rest were killed off
“with the long sword
that proceeded out of the mouth
“of the one seated on the horse.
And all the birds
were filled with their flesh.”
Who else but Christ Jesus
would lead the heavenly forces
to the battle of Armageddon?
False religion has already been destroyed.
Now Jesus turns his attention
to what remains of Satan’s wicked world
—its political and commercial systems.
He dismantles, destroys,
and brings to nothing
all who oppose true worship on earth.
But enemies of true worship still remain.
Who are they,
and what does Jesus do about them?
Follow along at Revelation 20:1-3.
“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven
“with the key of the abyss
and a great chain in his hand.
“He seized the dragon, the original serpent,
“who is the Devil and Satan,
“and bound him for 1,000 years.
“And he hurled him into the abyss
“and shut it and sealed it over him,
“so that he would not mislead
the nations anymore
“until the 1,000 years were ended.
After this he must be released
for a little while.”
Who has “the key of the abyss”?
Doubtless, the same one
who was prophesied to bruise Satan’s head
—Jesus Christ.
It’s Jesus
who will remove all enemies of God,
including the great enemy, Satan himself.
Into the abyss he’ll go.
Jesus doesn’t just put him there;
he hurls him there.
Good riddance!
After the dust of Armageddon settles,
God’s Kingdom will act to restore the earth
to the state Jehovah originally intended.
Those who’ve been loyal to Jehovah
will then witness astonishing things.
Let’s consider one of them,
beginning at Revelation 20:12.
“And I saw the dead,
“the great and the small,
“standing before the throne,
“and scrolls were opened.
“But another scroll was opened;
“it is the scroll of life.
“The dead were judged
out of those things written in the scrolls
“according to their deeds.
“And the sea gave up the dead in it,
“and death and the Grave
gave up the dead in them,
“and they were judged individually
“according to their deeds.
“And death and the Grave 
were hurled into the lake of fire.
This means the second death,
the lake of fire.”
According to verse 4,
Jehovah
—the Supreme Judge—
has delegated “authority to judge”
to Jesus Christ and his corulers.
Whom will they be judging?
Not merely the great crowd
who have survived Armageddon
but billions of others
who’ll be resurrected from the dead!
And at the end of the Millennial Reign,
death itself will finally be gone.
It’s “hurled into the lake of fire,”
as irretrievable as a piece of paper
thrown into a raging furnace.
What will life be like under Kingdom rule?
How we love the promises at Revelation 21:4:
“And [God] will wipe out every
“tear from their eyes, and death
“will be no more,
“neither will mourning
“nor outcry
nor pain be anymore”!
Just think of what this will mean.
The deaf will hear and listen to the sounds
of gentle rains,
happy people,
birdsong, and beautiful music.
The blind will see,
examine starry skies,
and behold rainbows.
They will watch animals and children at play.
Mankind will experience
miraculous healing
on a global scale.
Those once disabled or elderly
will hike through a forest,
climb a mountain,
or run on a sandy beach.
Gone will be hunger,
sickness, and injustice.
There will be no wicked people.
Everyone will live in perfect health,
security, and happiness
—and do so forever.
Think deeply about these promises;
engage your senses.
Let’s conclude by reading a passage
from the final chapter of Revelation,
chapter 22,
which describes other blessings
that will come from earth’s righteous rulers.
“And he showed me a river of water of life,
“clear as crystal,
flowing out from the throne of God
“and of the Lamb
down the middle of its main street.
“On both sides of the river
were trees of life
“producing 12 crops of fruit,
“yielding their fruit each month.
“And the leaves of the trees
“were for the healing of the nations.
“And there will no longer be any curse.
“But the throne of God and of the Lamb
will be in the city,
“and his slaves
will offer him sacred service;
“and they will see his face,
“and his name will be on their foreheads.
“Also, night will be no more,
“and they have 
no need of lamplight or sunlight,
“for Jehovah God will shed light upon them,
“and they will rule as kings
“forever and ever.
“He said to me:
“‘These words are faithful and true;
“‘yes, Jehovah, the God
who inspired the prophets,
“‘has sent his angel to show his slaves
“‘the things that must shortly take place.
“‘Look!
I am coming quickly.
“‘Happy is anyone observing the words
“of the prophecy of this scroll.’
Do you long to worship Jehovah
in perfect health,
under perfect rule,
in a perfect world?
Our King longs for that day too.
The angel tells John that these things
“must shortly take place.”
And speaking in Jesus’ name, the angel says:
“I am coming quickly.”
Today’s world presents many problems,
but Jesus will solve them all.
He’s announced
that false religion will soon end.
He’ll defeat the rest of this
system of things at the war of Armageddon.
He’ll abyss and eventually destroy
that despicable serpent, Satan the Devil.
And soon he’ll eliminate
“the last enemy, death.”
These things will happen.
Should we ever have any doubts,
remember the angel’s words:
“These words are faithful and true.”
What good news for all of us
who support our King, Christ Jesus!
Yes, we echo the apostle John’s words
in verse 20:
“Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus.”


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