Chapter Twenty-Eight/Contending With Two Ferocious Beasts - Continue

 By the end of the first century C.E., however, many in this early congregation had fallen away from the truth, and true Christian wheat, 'the sons of the kingdom," had been largely choked out by weeds, "the sons of the wicked one." But when the conclusion of the system of things arrived, anointed Christians again appeared as an organized group. During the Lord's day, the righteous ones were due to "shine as brightly as the sun." Hence, the Christian congregation was organized for work. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) By then, the Roman Empire, was no more. The huge British Empire, along with the powerful United States of America, held the center of the world stage. This dual world power proved to be the seventh had of the wold beast.

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 It is clear, therefore, that the Author of the inspired Bible regards the political powers of the earth as beasts. What kind of beasts? One commentator calls the wild beast of Revelation 13:1, 2 a "brute," and adds: "We accept all connotations that [the~ri'on, the Greek word for "beast"] conveys, such as that of a cruel, destructive, frightful, ravenous, etc., monster. How well that describes the bloodstained political system by which Satan has dominated mankind! The seven heads of this wild beast stand for six major world powers featured in Bible history up to John's day-Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome-and a seventh world power prophesied to appear later. - Compare REVELATION 17:9, 10. 

True, there have been other world powers in history besides the seven-just as the wild beast John saw was made up of a body as well as of seven heads and ten horns. But the seven heads represent the seven major powers that have, each in its turn, taken the lead in oppressing God's people. In 33 C.E., while Rome was ascendant, Satan used that head of the wild beast to kill the Son of God. At that time, God abandoned the faithless Jewish system of things and later, in 70 C.E., allowed Rome to execute his judgment on that nation. Happily, the true Israel of God, the congregation of anointed Christians, had been forewarned, and those in Jerusalem and Judea had fled to safety beyond the Jordan River. - MATTHEW 24:15, 16; GALATIANS 6:16. 

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 What is this freakish beast? The Bible itself gives the answer. Before the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E., the Jewish prophet Daniel saw visions involving ferocious beasts. At Daniel 7:2-8 he describes four beasts coming out of the sea, the first resembled a lion, the second a bear, the third a leopard, and "see there! a fourth beast m fearsome and terrible and unusually strong . . . and it had ten horns." This is remarkably similar to the wild beast seen by John about the year 96 C.E. That beast also has the characteristics of a lion, a bear, and a leopard and it has ten horns. What is the identity of the huge beasts seen by Daniel? He informs us: "These huge beasts . . . are four kings that will stand up from the earth." (Daniel 7:17) Yes, those beasts represent "kings," or political powers of the earth. 

In another vision, Daniel sees a two-horned ram that is struck down by a goat with a great horn. The angel Gabriel explains to him what it means: "The ram . . . stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands of the king of Greece. " Gabriel goes on to prophesy that the great horn of the he-goat would be broken and be succeeded by four horns.  This actually happened more than 200 years later when Alexander the Great died and his kingdom was split into four kingdoms ruled over by four of his generals. - DANIEL 8:3-8, 20-25. 

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Chapter Twenty-Eight/Contending With Two Ferocious Beasts

 The great dragon has been cast down to the earth! Our study of Revelation makes it clear that never again will the original serpent or his demon followers be allowed back into heaven. But we are not yet finished with "the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth. The account next identifies in greater detail the means used by Satan, to fight against 'woman and her seed.' (Revelation 12:9, 17) John says of that serpentine dragon: "And it stood still upon the sand of the sea." (Revelation 13:1a) So let us pause to examine the dragon's means of operation. 

No longer are the holy heavens afflicted by the presence of Satan and his demons. Those wicked spirits have been ousted from heaven and confined to the vicinity of the earth. This no doubt accounts for the tremendous growth of spiritistic practices in this 20th century. The wily Serpent still maintains a corrupt spirit organization. But does he also use a visible organization in order to mislead mankind? John tells us: "And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names. Now the wild beast that I saw was like  a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was a lion's mouth. And the dragon gave the beast its power and its throne and great authority." - REVELATION 13:1b, 2. 

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

 In this way, the earth has provided sufficient relief to God work to spread to more than 200 lands and produce over three million faithful preachers of the good news. Along with the remaining ones of the woman's seed, a great international crowd of new believers is observing the commandments of God as to separateness from the world, clean morals, and love of the brothers, and they are witnessing to the Messianic Kingdom. Their integrity answers Satan's reproachful challenge, so that the death knell is sounded for Satan and the system of things.

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 Relief arrived from an unexpected source: "But the earth came to the woman's help, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon disgorged out of its mouth. And the dragon grew wrathful at the woman and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her seed, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus." (Revelation 12:16, 17) "The earth" -elements within Satan's own system of things-began to swallow up "the river," or "flood." During the 1940's the Witnesses gained a series of favorable decisions in the United States Supreme Court, and from ruling powers in some other lands that upheld freedom of worship. Finally, the Allied Nations swallowed up the Nazi-fascist juggernaut, to the relief of the Witnesses who had suffered under cruel dictatorships. Persecutions did not stop altogether, for the wrath of the dragon has continued until today, and he keep up with the war of those who "have the work of bearing witness to Jesus." In many lands, loyal Witnesses are still in prison, and some die because of their integrity. But in some of these lands, the authorities from time to time relax their pressure, and the Witnessed enjoy a greater measure of freedom. Thus, in fulfillment of the prophecy, the earth continues to swallow up the river of persecution. 

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 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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 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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