Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret/It's Glorious Climax! - Woe to the Ruinous Ones! -- Conclusion

 The third woe is accompanied by an ongoing series of happy events that will proceed progressively through the Lord's day. It is the time for the dead to be judged, and for God to give their reward to his slaves the prophets and to his holy ones and to those fearing his name. That means a resurrection from the dead! For the anointed holy ones who already fallen asleep in death, this takes place early in the Lord's day. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) In due course the remaining holy ones join these by an instantaneous resurrection. Others too are to be rewarded including God's slaves the prophets of ancient times and all others if mankind who have come to fear Jehovah's name, whether  they are of the great crowd who survive the great tribulation or of "the dead, the great and the small," who are being raised to life during Christ's Millennial Reign. Since God's Messianic Kingdom has the keys of death and of Hades, his Kingdom rule opens the way for him to dispense everlasting life to all who reach out for precious provision. (Revelation 1:18; 7:9, 14; 20:12. 13; Romans 6:22; John 5:28, 29) Whether it is immortal life in the heavens or eternal life on earth, this gift of life is an undeserved kindness from Jehovah, for which each recipient may be forever thankful. - HEBREWS 2:9.

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Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret - It's Glorious Climax! -Woe to the Ruinous Ones!

 Here, then, is the third woe. It comes quickly! It is Jehovah's means of bringing ruination to those who desecrate his "footstool," this lovely earth on which we live. (Isaiah 66:1) It is set in motion by the Messianic Kingdom-the sacred secret of God. God's enemies, and Christendom's leaders in particular, have been tormented by the first two woes-resulting principally from the locust plague and the armies of cavalry; but the third woe, which Jehovah's Kingdom itself administers, brings more than torment. (Revelation 9:3-19) It provides the death stroke in ousting a ruinous human society and its rulers. This will come as the climax of Jehovah's Judging at Armageddon. It is just as Daniel had prophesied: "And in the days of those kings [rulers who ruining the earth] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite." Like an imposing mountain, God's Kingdom will rule over an earth made glorious, vindicating Jehovah's sovereignty and bringing eternal joy to mankind. -DANIEL2:35, 44; ISAIAH 11:9; 60:13. 

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Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret/It's Glorious Climax! - Jehovah Takes Power - Conclusion

 Throughout history nations have been ruining the earth by their incessant warfare and bad management.  Since 1914, however, this ruination has escalated to an alarming degree. Greed and corruption have resulted in expanding deserts ad tremendous loss of productive land. Acid rain and radioactive clouds have damaged large areas. Food sources have been polluted. The air we breathe and the water we drink are contaminated. Industrial wastes threaten life on land and in the sea. And the superpowers threaten complete ruination by way of nuclear annihilation of all humankind. Happily, Jehovah will "bring to those ruining the earth; he will execute judgment on those proud godless humans who are responsible for earth's sorry state. (Deuteronomy32:5, 6; Psalm 14:1-3) Therefore, Jehovah arranges for the third woe, to bring these wrongdoers to account. - REVELATION 11:14.

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 On the other hand, the blowing of the seventh trumpet brings no joy to the nations. The time has come for them to experience Jehovah's wrath.  As John relates: "But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time for the dead to b judged, and to give their reward to your slaves the prophets and to the holy ones and to those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth." (Revelation 11:18) From 1914 onward the nations of the world have fiercely expressed the wrath against one another, against God's Kingdom and especially against Jehovah's two witnesses. - REVELATION 11:3. 

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Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret -It's Glorious Climax - Jehovah Takes Power

 Christ enthroned in God's Kingdom -what joy this announcement calls forth! John reports:" And the twenty-four elders who were seated before God upon their thrones fell upon their faces and worshiped God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun ruling as king.' " - REVELATIONS 11:16, 17. 

The ones that offer these thanks to Jehovah God are the 24 elders, symbolizing the anointed brothers of Christ in their heavenly positions. From 1922 onward a remnant on earth of those 144,000 anointed ones got busy in the work that was set in motion by the trumpet blasts. They came to realize the full import of the sign at Matthew 24:3-25:46. Even earlier in the Lord's day, however, their fellow witnesses who had already 'proved faithful even to death' had been resurrected to take their positions in heaven, so that they could now represent the entire group of 144,000 in falling upon their faces to render homage to Jehovah. (Revelation 1:10; 2:10) How thankful of all these that are their Sovereign Lord has not delayed in bringing his sacred secret to a climatic finish!

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Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret -It's Glorious Climax

 The trumpet blast of the seventh angel was reflected in highlights of the Bible Students' convention in Detroit, Michigan, July 30-August 6, 1928. At that time 107 broadcasting stations were tied in to what The New York Times described as the most extensive and expensive radio hook-up in history.' The convention enthusiastically adopted a powerful "Declaration against Satan and for Jehovah," pointing to the overthrow, at Armageddon, of Satan and his evil organization and the emancipation of all who love righteousness. Loyal subjects of God's Kingdom were delighted to receive a convention release, the 368-page book Government. This supplied the clearest proofs "that God set his Anointed King upon his throne in 1914. 

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Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret-It's Glorious Climax! - Continue

 When the sounding of the seven trumpets got underway in 1922, the Bible Students' convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, featured a talk by the president of the Watch Tower Society, J.F. Rutherford, based on the scripture "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17, King James Version) He concluded with these words: "Then back to the field, O ye sons of the high God! Gird on your armor! Be sober, be vigilant, be active, be brave, Be faithful true witnesses for the Lord. Go forward in the fight until every vestige of Babylon likes desolate. Herald the message far and wide. The world must know that Jehovah is God and that Jesus Christ is King and Lord of lords. This is he day of all days. Behold the King reigns! You are his publicity agents. Therefore, advertise, advertise, advertise, the King and his kingdom." God's King by Christ Jesus was brought to the fore, and that set off the great surge of Kingdom preaching that has included the judgments heralded by the sounding of all seven of the angelic trumpets.

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Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret-It's Glorious Climax! -Continue

 But how did "the kingdom of the world . . . become the kingdom of our Lord, "Jehovah? Has not Jehovah God always been King? That is true, for the Levite Asaph sang: God is my King from long ago." And another psalmist proclaimed "Jehovah himself has become King! . . . Your throne is firmly established from long ago; you are from time indefinite." (Psalm 74:12; 93:1, 2) In his wisdom, though, Jehovah has allowed other sovereignties to exist one earth. Thus the issue raised in Eden as to whether man can govern himself without God has been fully tested. Man-made rule has failed miserably. True, indeed, are the words of God's prophet: "I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step." (Jeremiah 10:23) Ever since the defection of our first parents, the entire habited earth has been under the domination of "the original Serpent, Satan. (Revelation 12:9; Luke 4:6) It is time now, for a dramatic change! To vindicate his rightful position, Jehovah begins to exercise his sovereignty over the earth in a new way, through his designated Messianic Kingdom. 

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Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret-It's Glorious Climax! -Continue

 The sacred secret comes to its happy climax! Gloriously, magnificently, it is brought to a triumphant finish in 1914 when the Lord Jehovah enthrones his Christ as associate King. Acting for his Father, Jesus Christ takes over active rulership in the midst of an enemy world of mankind. As the promised Seed, he receives Kingdom power in order to bring to nothing the Serpent and his brood and restore paradisaic peace to this earth. (Genesis 3:15; Psalm 72:1, 7) As Messianic King, Jesus will thus fulfill Jehovah's Word and vindicate his Father, "the King of eternity," who must rule as Sovereign Lord "forever and ever." - 1 TIMOTHY 1:17. 

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Chapter Twenty-Six/God's Sacred Secret-It's Glorious Climax!

 Do you recall the sworn declaration by the strong angel recorded at Revelation 10:1,6,7?  "There will be no delay any longer; but the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, which is about to blow his trumpet, the sacred secret of God according to the good news which he declared to his own slaves the prophet is indeed brought to a finish."  Jehovah's due time has arrived for the sounding of that final trumpet! How is it, then, that the sacred secret is brought to a finish? John is truly overjoyed to inform us! He writes: "And the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and loud voices occurred in heaven, saying: "The Kingdom of the world did become the King of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king forever and ever.' " (Revelation 11:15) Those angelic angels hosts have reason to speak loudly, even in thunderous tones!  For this historic announcement is of universal importance. It is of vital concern to all living creation.

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