Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! - A New Nation - Continue

 This vicious flood of persecution reached a high point during World War II. In Europe, some ten thousand Witnesses were incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps, and thousands died. Under the warlords that ruled Italy, Korea, and Taiwan, faithful Witnesses suffered similar cruel treatment. Even in so-called democratic lands, the Witnesses were assaulted by Catholic Action groups, tarred and feathered and run out of town. Christian assemblies were broken up and Witness children were expelled from school. 

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! - A New Nation -Continue

 The dragon did not give up! "And the serpent disgorged water like a river from its mouth after the woman, to cause her to be drowned by the river." (Revelation 12:15) What is meant by "water like a river," or "a flood of water"? (The New English Bible) Ancient King David spoke of the wicked men who opposed him as "a flash flood of good-for-nothing men" ["streams of the worthless," Young].  (Psalm 18:4, 5, 16, 17) What Satan now unleashes is likewise persecution by worthless or "good-for-nothing men."  After 1922 Satan spewed out a flood of persecution against the Witnesses. (Matthew 24:9-13) This came to include physical violence, "framing trouble by decree," imprisonments, and even executions by hanging, shooting, and beheading.  (Psalm 94:20) The debased Satan, having been denied direct access to God's heavenly woman, set out wrathfully to attack her remaining seed on earth and to destroy them, either directly or by causing them to lose Gods favor through breaking their integrity. But their resolve proved to be like that of Job: "Until I expire shall I not take away my integrity from myself! " - JOB 27:5. 

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! - A New Nation

 In the wilderness, Jehovah brought forth the Israelites as a nation, providing for them spiritually and physically. Similarly starting in 1919, Jehovah brought forth the seed of the woman as a spiritual nation. This is not to be confused with the Messianic Kingdom that has been ruling from the heavens since 1914. Rather, this new nation is made up of the remnant of anointed witnesses on earth, who were brought into a glorious spiritual estate in 1919. Being provided now with "their measure of food supplies at the proper time," these were strengthened for the work that lay ahead. - LUKE12:42; ISAIAH 66:8. 

How long did this respite for the seed of the woman last? Revelation 12:14 calls the period a time, time, and a half time. In fact, both expressions stand for three and half years, extending in the Northern Hemisphere from the spring of 1919 to the autumn of 1922. This was a period of refreshing recuperation and reorganization for restored John class.

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! -A New Nation

 While the first world war was being fought, Jesus' brothers faithfully kept on with their witnessing to the extent possible. This was done in the face of intensified opposition from Satan and his vicious henchmen. Finally, the Bible Students' public witnessing was virtually stopped. (Revelation11:7-10) That was when they had an experience quite similar to that of the Israelites in Egypt who also endured under great oppression. It was then that Jehovah brought them swiftly, as if on wings of eagles, to safety in the desert of Sinai. (Exodus 19:1-4) Likewise, after the bitter persecution of 1918-19, Jehovah delivered his witnesses, as representing his woman, into a spiritual situation that was as safe for them as the desert for the Israelites. This came as an answer to their prayers. - Compare PSALM 55:6-9.

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! - A Rival Woe! - Conclusion

 Since Satan's catastrophic ouster, Christ's brothers still one earth have borne the brunt of his wrath. John reports: "Now when the dragon saw that it was hurled down to the earth, it persecuted the woman that gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman that she might fly into the wilderness to her place; there is where she is fed for a time and times and a half a time away from the serpent." -REVELATION 12:13, 14. 

Here the vision picks up the thought introduced in verse 6, which tells us that after the birth of her child, the woman flees into the wilderness away from the dragon. We may wonder how the dragon can persecute the woman since she is in heaven and the dragon has now been cast down to earth. Well, remember that the woman has children here on earth, her seed. Later in this vision, we are informed Satan expresses his rage toward the woman by persecuting her seed. (Revelation 12:17) What happens to the woman's seed here may be regarded as happening to the woman herself. (Compare Matthew 25:40) And the growing number of companions of the seed here on earth would also experience these persecutions. 

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! -A Rival Woe!

 Chafing because of the third woe, Satan is now intent on afflicting mankind with his own particular brand of woe. It is: "Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time." (Revelation 12:12b) Satan's ouster from heaven does indeed mean woe for the literal earth, which is being ruined by selfish humans under his control. (Deuteronomy 3:25) Even more so, Satan's policy of  'rule or ruin' brings woe to the symbolic earth, the structure of human society, as well as to the symbolic sea, the turbulent mass of mankind itself. During the two world wars, Satan's wrath was reflected in the wrath subject to him, and similar explosions of demonic rage continue to this day-though not for much longer! (Mark 13:7, 8) But terrible as the Devil's devices be, they will never approach the woeful effect that the third woe-action by Gods Kingdom-will produce on Satan's visible organization!

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! -"Be Glad, You Heavens - Conclusion

 Anointed Christians who are counted righteous "because of the blood of the Lamb," are continuing to bear witness to God and to Jesus Christ, despite persecutions. For more than a hundred years, this John class had been pointing to great issues involved with the ending of the Gentile times in 1914. (Luke 21:24, King James Version) And the great crowd are serving loyally by their side. None of these are "fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul," as real-life experiences of Jehovah's Witnesses have demonstrated over and over again during the 20th century. By word of mouth and by proper Christian conduct, they have conquered Satan, consistently proving him to be a liar. (Matthew 10:28; Proverbs 27:11; Revelation 7:9) On being resurrected to heaven, how happy anointed Christians must be, since Satan is no longer up there to accuse their brothers! It is the time indeed, for all the angelic host to respond joyously to the call: "Be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them.

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born1 - "Be Glad, You Heavens" - Continue

 The finish of the sacred secret of God calls for Jesus to take authority in Jehovah's Kingdom. The way is thus opened for God to carry out his great purpose to deliver faithful mankind. Jesus brings salvation not only to his God-fearing disciples now on earth but also to the countless millions of dead ones who are in God's memory. (Luke 21:27, 28) Satan's being called "the accuser of our brothers" shows that, even though his accusations against Job were proved false, he kept right on challenging the integrity of God's earthly servants. Evidently, he repeated on many occasions the charge that a man will give all he has in exchange for his soul. How dismally Satan has failed! - JOB 1:9-11; 2:4, 5. 

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born1 -"Be Glad, You Heavens"

 John reports a joyous heavenly reaction to this stupendous fall of Satan: "And I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 'Now has come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God1 And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them. -REVELATION 12:10-12a. 

Whose loud voice is it that John hears? The Bible does not say. But a similar cry reported at Revelation 11:17 came from the resurrected 24 elders in their heavenly position, where they can now represent the 144,000 holy ones. (Revelation 11:18) And since the persecuted anointed servants of God still on earth are here spoken of as "our brothers, "this statement could well come from the same source. No doubt these faithful ones can join their voice, since their resurrection would follow soon after Satan and his demon hordes had been thrown out of heaven. 

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Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! -War in Heaven - Conclusion

 These and other scriptures lead us to the inescapable conclusion that Michael is no one else but the Lord Jesus Christ in his heavenly position. Now, in the Lord's day, he no longer merely says to Satan: "May Jehovah rebuke you." Since this is a time for judging, Jesus, as Michael hurls Satan and his demon angels down from heaven. (Jude 9; Revelation 1:10) It is most fitting that He should be the One to do this, as He is the newly installed King, Jesus is also the Seed promised back in Eden, who will ultimately crust the head of that original serpent, thus putting him out of existence for all time. (Genesis 3:15) By ejecting Satan from heaven, Jesus has moved toward that final crushing

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