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

 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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 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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 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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 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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Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses -Raised Again! - Continue

 But how did the rest [of Christendom] give glory to the God of heaven? Certainly not by abandoning their apostate religion and becoming servants of God. Rather, it is as explained in Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament, in discussing the expression "gave glory to the God of heaven." There it is stated: "The phrase signifies not conversion, nor repentance, nor thanksgiving, but recognition, which is its usual sense in scripture. Compare Joshua vii. 19 (Sept.) John ix. 24; Acts xii 23; Romans iv. 20." To her chagrin, Christendom had to acknowledge that the God of the Bible Students had performed a great act in restoring them to Christian activity. 

It may be that the clergy gave this acknowledgement only mentally, or themselves. Certainly, none of them went on record as publicly acknowledging the God of the two witnesses. But Jehovah's prophecy through John helps us to discern what was in their hearts and realizing the humiliating shock that they experienced in 1919. From that year onward, as the "seven thousand" left Christendom despite her determined effort s to hold on to her sheep, the clergy were forced to recognize that God of the John class was stronger than their god. In later years they would realize this even more clearly, as many more of their flock would depart, echoing the words of the people when Elijah triumphed over the Baal religionists at Mount Carmel: "Jehovah is the true God! Jehovah is the true God!" - 1 KINGS 18:39. 

But listen! John tells us: "The second woe is past. Look! The third woe is coming quickly." (Revelation 11:14) If Christendom is shaken by what has happened so far, what will she do when the third woe is announced, the seventh angel blows his trumpet, and the sacred secret of God if finally finished? - REVELATION 10:7. 

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Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - Raised Again! - Continue

 The expression "a tenth of the city" reminds us that Isaiah prophesied regarding ancient Jerusalem that a tenth would survive the destruction of the city as a holy seed. (Isaiah 6:13) Similarly, the number 7,000 reminds us that when Elijah felt that he alone remained faithful in Israel, Jehovah told him that there were, in fact, still 7,000 who not bent down to Baal. (1 Kings 19:14, 18) In the first century, the apostle Paul said that these 7,000 pictured the remnant of the Jews who had responded to the good news about the Christ. (Romans 11:1-5) These Scriptures help us to understand that the "seven thousand" and the "the tenth of the city" in Revelation 11:13 are those who respond to the restored two witnesses and abandon the sinful great city. They die, as it were, to Christendom their names are taken off her membership roles. They no longer exist as far as she is concerned. 

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 Christendom tried and tried again to repeat her triumph od 1918. She resorted to mob action, legal maneuvering, imprisonment, even executions-all to no avail! After 1919, the spiritual domain of the two witnesses was of out of her reach. In that year Jehovah said to them: 'Come on up here,' and they had ascended to an elevated spiritual state where their enemies could see them but not touch them. John describes the shocking effect their restoration had on the great city: "And in that hour a great earthquake, and the rest became frightened and gave Glory to God of heaven." (Revelation 11:13) There were truly great convulsion in the realm of religion. The ground seemed to move under the leaders of the established churches as the body of revivified Christians got to work. One tenth of their city, figuratively 7,000 persons were so profoundly affected that they are spoken of as being killed. 

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