"STAND FIRM AND SEE THE SALVATION OF JEHOVAH"

"Jehovah is on my side; I shall not fear.  What can earthling man do to me?" -Psalm 118:6



TODAY, mankind faces events of a magnitude never previously experienced.  Foretelling this about our day, Jesus warned his followers: "There will be great tribulation such as not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.  In fact, unless those days were  cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short." -Matthew 24:21, 22.

Unseen to human eyes, heavenly forces are now holding back that great tribulation.  The apostle John was privileged to see the reason for this restraint in a revelation  given to him by Jesus.  Here is how the ages apostle described it:  "I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding  tight the four winds of the earth . . . And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrising, having a seal of the living God; and the rising, having a seal  of the living God; and  he cried with a loud voice  to the four angels . . .'Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until after we have sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads.' " -Revelation  7:1-3.

The final sealing of the anointed "slaves of our God" is approaching  completion.  The four angels are ready to release those destructive winds.  When they do, what will happen first?  An angel answers that question: "With a swift pitch will Babylon the great city be hurled down, and she will never be found again."  (Revelation 18:21) what heavenly rejoicing there will be when this happens, when the world empire of false religion is destroyed! -Revelation 19:1, 2.

All the nations of the earth will have aligned themselves against Jehovah's people.  Will the nations succeed in wiping out those faithful Christians?  It may seem as if they could.  But look!  Heavenly armies following Christ Jesus  will see to it that these human forces are destroyed.  (Revelation 19:19-21)  Finally, the Devil and his angels will be cast into an abyss of inactivity.  They will no longer be able to mislead man because they will be bound for  thousand years.  Oh, what a relief that will be to the great multitude of survivors! -Revelation 7:9, 10, 14; 20:1-3.

We are about to experience these wonderful and awe-inspiring events.  They all have to do with vindicating Jehovah's right to rule, his universal sovereignty.  And think of this:  If we remain loyal to Jehovah and if we stand firm for his sovereignty, we shall have the opportunity of sharing in the sanctification of Jehovah's name and the fulfillment of his purpose.  What an inestimable joy that will be!

Are we prepared for those momentous events? Do we have faith in Jehovah's  saving power?  Are we confident that he will come to our aid at the right time and in the best way? In answering such personal questions,m we can keep in mind what the apostle Paul told his fellow Christians in Rome:  "All the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope."  (Romans 15:3)  Among the things written for our instruction, giving us comfort and hope, is the record of the occasion when Jehovah delivered the Israelites from  the iron grip of their Egyptian oppressors. A close examination of those exciting events when Jehovah maneuvered the salvation of the sons of Israel should be of great encouragement to us as we look forward to the fast-approaching great tribulation.

Next time: Jehovah Rescues His People

The Watchtower, 2007