An Awesom Mystery Solved

What is John's reaction at seeing the great harlot and her fearsome mount? He himself answers: " Well, on catching sight of her I wondered with great wonderment." (Revelation 17:6b) Mere human imagination could never conjure up such a sight. Yet, there it is-away out in a wilderness-a debauched prostitute perched on a gruesome, scarlet-colored wild beast! (Revelation 17:3) The John class today also wonders with great wonderment as events unfold in fulfillment of the prophetic vison. If people of the world could see it, they would exclaim, 'incredible!' and the world's rulers would echo, 'Unthinkable!' But the vision becomes a startling 20th-century reality. God's people have already had a remarkable share in the vision's fulfillment, and this assures them that the prophecy will move right on to its astounding climax.

The angel notices John's amazement. "And so," John continues: "The angel said to me: ' Why is it you wondered? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the wild beast that is carrying her and that has the seven heads and and the ten horns.' " (Revelation 17:7) Ah, the angel will now unravel the mystery! He explains to the wide-eyed John the various facets of the vision and the dramatic events that are about to unfold. Likewise, as it serves under angelic direction today, the watchful John class has had revealed to it understanding of the prophecy. "Do not interpretations belong to God?" Like faithful Joseph, we believe that they do. (Genesis 40:8; compare Daniel 2:29, 30) God's people are placed, as it were, center stage as Jehovah interprets to them the meaning of the vision and its impact on their lives. (Psalm 25:14) Right on time, he has opened up to their understanding the mystery of the woman and of the wild beast. - Psalm 32:8.

From September 18 to 20, 1942, at the height of World War II, Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States held their New World Theocratic Assembly, the key city, Cleveland, Ohio, was tied in by telephone with more than 50 convention cities, for a peak attendance of 129,699. Where wartime condions permitted, other coventions repeated the program around the world. At the time, many of Jehovah's people expected that the war would escalate into God's war of Armageddon; hence, the title of the phone talk, "Peace-Can It Last?," aroused much curiosity. How could the new president of the Watch Tower Society, N.H. Knorr, presume to talk about peace when the very opposite seemed to be in store for the nations? The reason was that the John class was paying "more than the usual attention" to God's prophetic Word. -Hebrews 2:1; 2 Peter 1:19.

What light did the talk "Peace-Can It Last?" throw on the prophecy? Clearly identifying the scarlet-colored wild beast of Revelation 17:3 as the League of Naions, President Knorr went on to discuss its stormy career on the basis of the angel's following words to John: "The wild beast that you saw, was, but is not, and yet is about to ascend out of the abyss, and it is to go off into destruction." -Revelation 17:8a.

"The wild beast. . . was." Yes, it had existed as the League of Nations from January 10, 1920, onward, with 63 nations participating at one time or another. But, in turn, Japan, Germany and Italy withdrew, and the Soviet Union was dropped from the League in September 1939 the Nazi dictator of Germany launced World War II. Having failed to keep peace in the world, the League of Nations virtually plunged into an abyss of inactivity. By 1942 it had become a has-been. Neither before this nor at some later date-but right at that critical time-did Jehovah interpret to his people the full depth of meaning of the vision! At the New World Theocratic Assembly, President Knorr could declare, in line with the prophecy, that "the wild beast. . . is not. He then asked the question, "Will the League remain in the pit?" Quoting Revelation 17:8, he answered: "The association of worldly nations will rise again." That is just how it proved to be-in vindication of Jehovah's prophetic Word!

Next time: Asccnding Out Of The Abyss.