Chapter Thirty-Eight -Praise Jah for His Judgments!

Babylon the Great has been set afire like a conquered city, and the smoke from her "goes on ascending forever and ever."  When a literal city is burned by conquering armies, the smoke keeps ascending as long as the ashes are hot. Anyone who tries to rebuild it while it is still smoking will simply get burned by the smoldering ruins. Since the smoke from Babylon the Great will rise "forever and ever" in token of the finality of he  judgment, no one will ever be able to restore that iniquitous city.  False religion is gone forever.  Hallelujah, indeed. -Compare Isaiah 34:5, 9, 10.  

In an earlier vision, John saw around the throne four living creatures,  together with the 24 elders that picture the Kingdom heirs in their glorious heavenly position.  (Revelation 4:8-11)  Now he sees them again as they thunder forth a third Hallelujah over the destruction of Babylon the Great:  "And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God seated upon the throne, and said: "Amen! Hallelujah!' "" (Revelation 19:4)   This grand Hallelujah chorus is in addition, then, to the "new song" of praise to the Lamb.  (Revelation 5:8, 9)  They sing now the magnificent victory refrain, ascribing all glory to the Sovereign Lord Jehovah because of his decisive victory over the great harlot, Babylon the Great.  These Hallelujahs peal forth far more melodiously  than any Hallelujah choruses sung in Christendom's churches, where Jehovah or Jah, has been dishonored and despised.  Such hypocritical singing that reproaches Jehovah's name is now silenced forever!

It was in 1918 that Jehovah began rewarding 'those his name, the small and the great'-the first of these being the anointed Christians who died faithful , whom he resurrected and stationed in the heavenly ranks of the 24 elders.  (Revelation 11:18)  Others join with these in singing the Hallelujahs, for John reports: "Also, a voice issued forth from the throne and said:  "Be praising our God, all you his slaves, who fear him, the small ones and the great.' " (Revelation 19:5)   This is the "voice" of Jehovah's Mouthpiece, his own Son, Jesus Christ, who stands "in the midst of the throne." (Revelation 5:6)  No only in heaven but also here on earth,  "all you his slaves" share in the singing, with the anointed John class taking the lead on earth.  How exultantly these share in obeying the command:  "Be praising our God"! 

Yes, those of the great crowd are also numbered among these slaves.  Since 1935 these have been coming out of Babylon the Great and have experienced the fulfillment of God's promise: "He will bless those fearing Jehovah, the small ones as well as the great ones."  (Psalm 115:13)  When harlotlike Babylon is destroyed, millions of them will join in "praising our God"-along with the John class and all the heavenly host.  Later, those resurrected on earth, whether previously prominent or not, will no doubt sing further Hallelujah'[s on learning that Babylon the Great is gone forever.  (Revelation 20:12, 15) All praise to Jehovah for his resounding victory over the age-old harlot!

What an incentive all of this gives us to share fully God's  work for today! May all of Jah's servants devote themselves heart and soul to declaring God's judgments, together with the grand Kingdom hope, now; before Babylon the Great is unseated and destroyed. -Isaiah 61:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:58.

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight - Praise Jah for His Judgments! - 'Hallelujah-Jehovah is King!'

From the book of Revelation