God's Kingdom Is Born! - Conclusion of A New Nation

Conclusion of A New Nation

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," imprisonment, 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. 

This vicious flood of persecution reached a high point during World War II.  In  Europe some ten thousand Witnesses were incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps, and thousands died.  Under the warlords that ruled Italy, Korea, and Taiwan, faithful Witnesses  suffered similar cruel treatment.  Even in so-called democratic lands, the Witnesses were assaulted by Catholic  Action groups, tarred and feathered, and run out of town.  Christian  assemblies were broke up and Witness children were expelled 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.

In this way, the earth has provided sufficient relief to allow God's work to spread to more than 200 lands and produce over three 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

Next time: Contending With Two Ferocious Beasts

From the Book of Revelation