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 The word "demons" here is likely a reflection of the word "goat-shaped demons" (se'i-rim) found in Isaiah's description of fallen Babylon: "And there the haunters of waterless regions will certainly lie down, and their houses must be filled with eagle owls. And there the ostriches must reside, and goat-shaped demons themselves will go skipping around there." (Isaiah 13:21) It may not refer to literal demons but rather to shaggy-haired, desert-dwelling animals whose appearance made onlookers think of demons. In the ruins of Babylon the Great, the figurative existence of such animals, along with stagnant, poisonous air ("unclean exhalation") and unclean birds, signifies here spiritually dead condition. She holds forth no life prospect whatever for mankind. - Compare Ephesians  2:1,22.

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - Decline of Babylon the Great

 Ancient Babylon's fall in 539 B.C.E. was the start of a long decline that ended in her desolation. Similarly, since the first world war, the influence of Babylonish religion has declined remarkably on a global scale. In Russia, the Bolshevik Revolution has continued to stifle the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. In Japan, Shino emperor worship was proscribed following the second world war. In China, the communist government controls all religious appointments and activity. In Protestant northern Europe, most people have become indifferent to religion. And the Roman Catholic church has recently been weakened by schisms and internal dissent in its global domain. -Compare Mark 3:24, 26. 

All these trends are doubtless part of the 'drying up of the river Euphrates' in preparation for the coming militaristic attack on Babylon the Great. Thos 'drying up' is reflected, too, in the Pope's announcement of October 1986 that the church must "again become mendicant'-because of huge deficits. (Revelation 16:12) Particularly since 1919 has Babylon the Great been exposed to public gaze as a spiritual wasteland, just as the mighty angel here announces: "And she has become a dwelling place of demons and lurking place of every unclean exhalation and lurking place of every unclean and hated bird!" (Revelation 18:2b) Soon she will be literally such a wasteland, as desolate as Babylon's ruins in 20th century Iraq. - See also JEREMIAH 50:25-28.

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - Babylon Takes a Tumble - Conclusion

 True, Babylon the Great was not destroyed in 1919-any more than the ancient city Babylon was destroyed in 539 B.C.E. when it fell to the armies of Cyrus the Persian. But from Jehovah's viewpoint, that organization had fallen. She was judicially condemned, awaiting execution; therefore, false religion could no longer hold Jehovah's people in captivity. (Compare Luke9:59, 60) These were released to serve as the Master's faithful and discreet slave in providing spiritual food at the proper time. They had received a judgment of "Well done" and were commissioned to get busy again in Jehovah's work. - MATTHEW 24:45-47; 25:21, 23; ACTS 1:8. 

Millenniums ago Jehovah used other prophets to foretell this epoch-marking event. Isaiah spoke of a watchman who proceeded to call out like a lion: "'Upon the watchtower, O Jehovah, I am stationed all the nights.' "  And what event does that watchman discern and proclaim with lionlike boldness? This: "She has fallen! Babylon has fallen, and all the graven images of her gods he [Jehovah] has broken to the earth!" (Isaiah 21:8, 9) This watchman well foreshadows the wide-awake John class today, as it uses the Watchtower magazine and other theocratic publications to sound abroad the news that Babylon has fallen. 

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 So by 1919 Babylon the Great has fallen, opening the way for God's people to be released and restored, in one day as it were, to their land of spiritual prosperity. (Isaiah 66:8) By that year, Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, the Greater Darius and the Greater Cyrus, had maneuver matters so that the false religion could no longer keep a hold on Jehovah's people. No more could it prevent them from serving Jehovah and making known to all who might hear that harlot-like Babylon the great is doomed and the vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty is at hand! - ISAIAH 45:1-4; DANIEL 5:30, 31. 

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 Whom does this angel with great authority use in heralding such amazing news before mankind? Why, it is the very people that are released as a result of that fall, the remaining anointed ones on earth, the John class. From 1914 to 1918, these suffered greatly at the hands of Babylon the Great, but in 1918 the Lord Jehovah and his "messenger of the [Abrahamic] covenant," Jesus Christ, began judgment with "the house of God, those professing to be Christians. Thus apostate Christendom was brought to trial. (Malach 3:1; 1 Peter4:17) Her tremendous bloodguilt incurred during the first world warm, her complicity in persecuting Jehovah's faithful witnesses, and her Babylonish creeds did not help her in the time of judgment; nor did any other part of Babylon the Great merit God's approval. - Compare ISAIAH 13:1-9. 

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - Babylon Takes a Tumble

 John continues the account, telling us: "After these things I saw another angel descending from heaven, with great authority; and the earth was lightened up from his glory. And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: 'She has fallen Babylon the Great has fallen.' " (Revelation 18:1, 2a) It is the second time that John hears that angelic announcement. (See Revelation 14:8.) This time, however, its significance is emphasized by the magnificence of the heavenly angel, for his glory lights up the whole earth! Who can he be? Centuries earlier the prophet Ezekiel, reporting on a heavenly vision stated that "the earth itself shone because of his [Jehovah's] glory. (Ezekiel 43:2) The only angel to shine with glory comparable t0 Jehovah's would be the Lord Jesus, who is "the reflection of [God's] glory and the exact representation of his very being." (Hebrews 1:3) In 1914 'the Son of man arrived in his glory," and since that time Jesus, installed "on his glorious throne" in the heavens, has been exercising authority over the earth as Jehovah's associate King and Judge. It is fitting then, that he should announce the fall of Babylon the Great. -MATTHEW 25:31, 32. 

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated

 It is therefore appropriate that Revelation should confirm the doom of false religion by giving us two detailed descriptions of her fall and subsequent events leading to her total desolation. We have already seen her as "the great harlot" that is finally devastated by her erstwhile lovers of the political realm. (Revelation 17:1, 15, 16) Now, in still another vision, we are to view her as a city, the religious antitype of ancient Babylon.

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated

 SUDDEN, shocking, devastating-such will be the demise of Babylon the Great! It will be one the most catastrophic events in all history, making the start of the "great tribulation such as not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." - MATTHEW 24:21.

False religion has been around for a long time. It has existed without a break since the day of bloodthirsty Nimrod, who opposed Jehovah and set men to building the Tower of Babel. When Jehovah confused the tongues of those rebels and scattered them over the earth, Babylon's false religion traveled with them. (Genesis 10:8-10; 11:4-9) Since then, political empires have risen and fallen, but Babylonish religion has endure. It has taken many shapes and forms becoming a world empire of false religion, the prophesied Babylon the Great. Its most prominent part in Christendom, which grew out of fusion of early Babylonish teachings with apostate "Christian" doctrine. Because of the long history of Babylon the Great, many people find it hard to believe that will ever be destroyed.

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Chapter Thirty-Five/Executing Babylon the Great - Carrying Out God's Thought - Conclusion

 As if to emphasize the certainty of Jehovah's execution of judgment on the world empire of false religion, the angel concludes his testimony by saying: "And the woman whom you saw means the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:18) Like Babylon of Belshazzar's time, Babylon the Great has "been weighed in the balance and found wanting." (Daniel 5:27, The New English Bible) Her execution will be swift and final. And how do Jehovah's Witnesses respond to the unraveling of the mystery of the great harlot and of the scarlet-colored wild beast? The show zeal in proclaiming Jehovah's day of judgment, while answering "with graciousness" sincere searchers for truth. (Colossians 4:5, 6; Revelation17:3, 7) As our next chapter will show, all those who desirous of surviving when the great harlot is executed must act, and act quickly!

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Chapter Thirty-Fivc/Executing Babylon the Great - Carrying Out God's Thought - Continue

 Yes, the nations will use the scarlet-colored wild beast, the3 United Nations, in destroying Babylon the Great. They do act on their own initiative, for Jehovah puts into their hearts "even to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast." When the time comes, the nations will evidently see the need to strengthen the United Nations. They will give it teeth, as it were, lending it whatever authority and power they possess so that it can turn upon false religion and fight successfully against her "until the words of God will have been accomplished." Thus, the ancient harlot will come to her complete end. And good riddance to her! 

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