Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved -Ascending Out of the Abyss - Continue

 At first, great hopes were expressed for the UN. This was fulfillment of the angel's words: "And when they see how the wild beast was, but is not, and yet will be present, those who dwell on the earth will wonder admiringly, but their names have not been written upon the scroll of life from the founding of the world." -(Revelation 17:8b) Earth's dwellers have admired this new colossus, operating from it imposing headquarters on New York's East River. But true peace and security have eluded the UN. In this diabolical nuclear age, world peace has been maintained only by the threat of "mutual assured destruction" -MAD, as it is abbreviated-and the arms race has continued to escalate astronomically. After almost 40 years of effort by the United Nations, its secretary general, Javier Pe'rez de Cu'ellar lamented in 1985: "We are living in another age of fanatics, and we don't know what to do what to do about it." 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Ascending Out of the Abyss -Continue

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Ascending Out of the Abyss

 The scarlet-colored wild beast did indeed climb out of the abyss. On June 26, 1945, with noisy fanfare in San Francisco, U.S.A., 50 nations voted to accept the Charter of the United Nations organization. This body was "to maintain national peace and security." There are many similarities between the League and UN. The World Book Encyclopedia notes: In some ways, the UN resembles the League of Nations, which was organized after World War I . . . . Many of the nations that had founded the UN had founded the League. Like the League, the UN was established to help keep peace between nations. The main organs of the UN are much like those of the League. "The UN, then, is actually a revival of the scarlet-colored wild beast. Its membership of over 150 nations far exceeds that of the League's 63; It has also taken on broader responsibilities than its predecessor. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Ascending Out of the Abyss -Continue

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Continue

 What light did the talk "Peace-Can It Last? throw on the prophecy? Clearly identifying the scarlet-c0lored wild beast of Revelation 17:3 as the League of Nations, 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 the abyss, and it is to go off into destruction." -REVELATION 17:8. 

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 launched 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: Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Ascending Out of the Abyss

From the jw.org publications 

Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Continue

 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 the telephone with more than 50 other convention cities, for a peak attendance of 129,699. Where wartime conditions permitted, other conventions 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 public 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.

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Continue

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Continue

 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 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 dramatic events that are about unfold. Likewise, as it serves under angelic direction today, the watchful John class had had revealed it to the 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.

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Continue 

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome 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 vision. 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.

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved - Continue

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Three/Judging the Infamous Harlot -A Name, A Mystery - Conclusion

 Over the centuries, the world empire of false religion has shed oceans of blood. For example, in medieval Japan, temple in Kyoto were transformed into fortresses, and warrior-monks, invoking "the holy name of Buddha, battled one another until the streets ran red with blood. In this 20th century, the clergy of Christendom have marched with the armies of their respective countries, and these have slaughtered one another with the loss of a hundred million lives. In October 19 87 former U.S. president Nixon said: "The 20th century has been the bloodiest in history. More people have been killed in the wars of this century than in all the wars fought before the century began."  The religions of the world are judged adversely by God for their share in shedding innocent blood." (Proverbs6:16, 17) Earlier, John heard a cry from the altar: 'Until when, Sovereign Lord holy and true, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood upon these who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:10) Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth will be deeply involved when the time comes to answer that question.

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Four/An Awesome Mystery Solved

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Three/Judging the Infamous Harlot -A Name, a Mystery - Continue

 Babylon the Great is dressed in "purple and scarlet," the colors of royalty, and is "adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls." How appropriate! Just reflect on all the magnificent buildings, rare statues and paintings, priceless icons and other religious paraphernalia, as well as astronomical amounts of property and cash, this this world's religions have accumulated. Whether at the Vatican, in the TV empire of evangelism centered in the United States, in the exotic wats and temples of the Orient, Babylon the Great has amassed-and at times lost-fabulous wealth.  

Look now at what the harlot has in her hand. John must have gasped a the sight of it-a golden cup "full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her fornication"! with which she has made all the nations drunk. (Revelation 14:8; 17:2) It looks rich on the outside. but its contents are disgusting, unclean. (Compare Matthew 23:25, 26) It contains all the filthy practices and lies that the great harlot has used to seduce the nations and bring them under her influence. Even more revolting, John sees that the harlot herself is inebriated, drunk with the blood of God's servants! In fact, we later read that "in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have slaughtered on the earth." (Revelation 18:24) What massive bloodguilt!

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Three/Judging the Infamous Harlot - A Name, a Mystery - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications 

Chapter Thirty-Three/Judging the Infamous Harlot - A Name, a Mystery

 As was the custom in ancient Rome, this prostitute is identified by the name on her forehead." It is a long name: "Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth." That name "is mystery," something with a hidden meaning. But in God's due time, the mystery is to be explained. In fact, the angel gives John enough information to allow Jehovah's servants today to discern the full significance of this descriptive name. We recognize Babylon the Great as being all of false religion. She is "the mother of the harlots" because all the individual false religions in the world, including the many sects in Christendom, are like her daughters, imitating her in committing spiritual harlotry. She is also the mother of "disgusting things" in that she has given birth to such revolting offspring as idolatry, spiritism, fortune-telling, astrology, palmistry, human sacrifice, temple prostitution, drunkenness in honor of false gods, and other obscene practices. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Three/Judging the Infamous Harlot - A Name, a Mystery - Continue 

From the jw.org publications 

Chapter Thirty-Three/Judging the Infamous Harlot - A Name, a Myystery

 The apostle John is soon to learn that the great harlot has chosen a dangerous beast to ride. First, though, his attention turns to Babylon the Great herself. She is richly adorned, but, oh, how repulsive she is! "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and was adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls she had in her hand a golden cup that was full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her fornication. And upon her forehead was written a name, a mystery: 'Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.' And I saw that the woman was drunk with blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus." - REVELATION 17:4-6a. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Three/Judging the Infamous Harlot - A Name, a Mystery - Continue

From the jw.org publications