Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments -The Lamb's Marriage Is at Hand!

 "You woman enemy of mine"! That is how Jerusalem, the location of Jehovah's temple of worship, addressed Idolatrous Babylon. (Micah 7:8) Likewise, "the holy city, New Jerusalem," made u[ of the bride of 144,000 members has had every reason to address Babylon the Great as her enemy. (Revelation 21:2) But at last the great harlot has suffered adversity, calamity, and ruin. Her spiritistic practices and astrologers have been unable to save her. (Compare Isaiah 47:1,11-13) A major victory, indeed, for true worship!

With the disgusting harlot, Babylon the Great, gone forever, attention can now be focused on the virgin-pure bride of the Lamb! Hence, the heavenly throngs sing exultantly in praise of Jehovah: "Let us rejoice and be overjoyed, and let us give the glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has arrived and his wife prepared herself. Yes, it has been granted to her to be arrayed in bright, clean, fine linen, for the fine linen stands for the righteous acts of holy ones." - REVELATION 19:7, 8.

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments -The Lamb's Marriage Is at Hand! - Continue

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Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments - 'Hallelujah!' Jehovah Is King!'- Conclusion

 How is it, though, that Jehovah begins to rule? Millenniums have passed since the psalmist declared: "God is my King from long ago." (Psalm 74:12) Jehovah's kingship was ancient even then, so how can the universal chorus sing that "Jehovah . . . has begun to rule as king"? In that when Babylon the Great is destroyed, Jehovah will no longer have that presumptuous rival to detract from obedience to him as the Universal Sovereign. No longer will false religion incite earth's rulers to oppose him. When ancient Babylon fell from world dominance, Zion heard the victorious proclamation: "Your God has become king!" (Isaiah 52:7) After the Kingdom's birth in 1914, the 24 elders proclaimed: "We than you, Jehovah God . . . because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king." (Revelation 11:17) Now, after the devastation of Babylon the Great, the cry is again uttered: "Jehovah has begun to rule as king." No man-made god remains to contests the sovereignty of the true God, Jehovah!

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments - The Lamb's Marriage Is at Hand!

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Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments - 'Hallelujah-Jehovah Is King!'

 There are further reasons for rejoicing, as John goes on to tell us: "And I heard what was as voice of a great crowd and as a sound of many waters and as  sound of heavy thunders. They said: 'Hallelujah, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, as begun to rule as king.' " (Revelation 19:6) This last Hallelujah is the one that makes the proclamation foursquare, or symmetrical.  It is mighty celestial sound, more magnificent than any human choir, more majestic than any earthly waterfall, and more fear-inspiring than any terrestrial thunderstorm. The myriads of heavenly voices celebrate the fact that "Jehovah, our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king. " 

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

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Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments!

 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 one as well as the great ones." (Psalm 115:13) When harlotlike Babylon is desrtroyed, 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 Hallelujahs on learning that Babylon the Great is gone forever. (Revelation20:12, 15) All praise to Jehovah for all his resounding victory over the old-age harlot!

What an incentive all of this gives us to share fully in 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!' 

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Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for HIs Judgments!

 It was in 1918 that Jehovah began rewarding 'those fearing his him, the small and the great'-the first of these being the anointed Christians who had died faithful, whom he resurrected and stationed in the heavenly ranks of the 24 elders. (Revelation 11:18) Others joined 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) Not 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"!

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments

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Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments!

 Babylon the Great has been set afire like 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 smoldering ruins. Since the smoke from Babylon the Great will rise "forever and ever" in token of the finality of her judgment, no one will ever be able to restore that iniquitous city. False religion is one forever.  Hallelujah, indeed - Compare ISAIAH3:4, 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 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God seated upon his throne and said: 'Amen! Hallelujah! ' " (Revelation 19:4) This grand Hallelujah chorus is in addition, then, to the "new song" 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!

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments 

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Chapter Thiry-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments

 

To my readers: The first blog I did is supposed to be for the third. today, but I got up earlier and forgot it was the third yet. I am sorry. 

Why has the great harlot been so deserving of this judgment? According to the law that Jehovah gave to Noah-and through him to all mankind-the wanton shedding of blood calls for the death sentence.  This was stated again in God's Law to Israel. (Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:21, 21) Moreover, under that Mosaic Law both physical and spiritual adultery merited death. (Leviticus20:10; Deuteronomy 13:1-5) For thousands of years Babylon the Great has been bloodguilty, and she is a gross fornicatrix. For example, the policy of the Roman Catholic Church of forbidding her priests to marry has resulted in gross immorality on the part of many of them of these today contracting AIDS. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; 1 Timothy4:1-3) But her major sins, 'massing together clear up to heaven,' are her shocking acts of spiritual fornication-this latter in teaching falsehoods and allying herself with corrupt politicians. (Revelation 18:5) Since her punishment has finally overtaken her, the heavenly multitude now echoes a second Hallelujah.

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments

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Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for HIs Judgments!

 Hallelujah indeed! The word means "Praise Jah, you people," "Jah being the shortened form of the divine name, Jehovah. We are here reminded of the exhortation of the psalmist: "Every breathing thing-let it praise Jah, you people!" (Psalm 150:6) John's hearing the exultant heaven chorus sing "Hallelujah!" twice at this point in Revelation demonstrates the continuity of the divine revelation of truth. The God of the Christian Greek Scriptures is the same as the God of the earlier Hebrew Scriptures, and Jehovah is his name. The God that caused the fall of ancient Babylon the Great. Ascribe to him all glory for that feat! The power that maneuvered her downfall belongs to him rather than to the nations that he used as instruments in desolating her. To Jehovah alone we must attribute salvation. - ISAIAH 12:2; REVELATION 4:11; 7:10, 12. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments 

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Chapter Thirty-Eight/Prase Jah for His Judgments!

 BABYLON THE GREAT is no more! This is truly joyous news. No wonder John hears happy exclamations of praise in heaven! "After these things I heard what was a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven. They said: 'Hallelujah!" The salvation and glory and the power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and righteous. For he has executed judgment upon the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged the blood of his slaves at her hand.' And right away for the second time they said: 'Hallelujah!" And the smoke from her goes on ascending forever and ever." REVELATION 19:1-3. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah for His Judgments! 

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End - An Appalling Bloodguilt - Conclusion

 What is the second way? From Jehovah's viewpoint the world's religions are bloodguilty because they have not convincingly taught their followers the truth of Jehovah's requirements for his servants. They have not convincingly taught people that God's true worshipers must imitate Jesus Christ and show love toward others regardless of their national origin. (Micah 4:3, 5; John 13:34, 35; Acts 10:34, 35; 1 John 3:10-12) Because the religions making up Babylon the Great have not taught these things, their adherents have drawn into the vortex of international warfare. How evident this was in the two world wars of the first half of this century, both of which started in Christendom and resulted in fellow religionists' slaughtering one another! if all who claimed to be Christians had adhered to Bible principles, those wars could never have taken place. 

Jehovah lays blame for all this bloodshed at the feet of Babylon the Great. Had the religious leaders, and particularly those in Christendom, taught their people Bible truth, such massive bloodshed would not have occurred. Truly, then, directly or indirectly, Babylon the Great-the great harlot and world empire of false religion -must answer to Jehovah not only for "the blood of prophets and of holy ones" whom she has persecuted and killed but for the blood "of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth." Babylon the Great does indeed carry an appalling bloodguilt. Good riddance when her final destruction takes place!

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Eight/Praise Jah For His Judgments!

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