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

 For the first time John behold a woman in heaven. She is, of course, not a literal woman. Rather she is a sign or a symbol. (Revelation 1:1) What does she symbolize? In the inspired prophecies, women at times represent organizations "married" to outstanding personalities. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel was spoken of as a wife of Jehovah God. (Jeremiah 3:14) In the Greek Scriptures, the congregation of anointed Christians is spoken of as Christ's bride. (Revelation 21:9-14) The woman John here sees is also married to someone and she is about to give birth. Who is her husband? "Well, later her child is "caught away to God and to his throne." (Revelation 12:5) Jehovah thus claims the child as his own. Therefore, the woman that John sees must be Jehovah's symbolic wife.

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! - Continue

From the jw.org publications 

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

 THE sacred secret of God has been unlocked. (Revelation 10:7) Jehovah's Kingdom by his Messiah is now a dynamic reality. It rules!  Its presence spells doom for Satan and his seed and glorious victory for the Seed of God's heavenly organization. The seventh angel has not finished blowing his trumpet, however, for he has much more to reveal to us about the third woe. (Revelation 11:14) The signs described in Revelation chapters 12 to 14 will help us to broaden our appreciation of all that is involved in that woe and in bringing God's sacred secret to a finish. 

John now sees a great sign-one of outstanding interest for God's people. In introduces a thrilling prophetic vision, the meaning of which was first published in the March 1, 1925 issue of the Watch Tower in an article entitled "Birth of the Nation" and then again in 1926 in the book Deliverance. This brilliant flash of Bible understanding became a historical marker in the advancement of Jehovah's work. So let John describe the drama as it starts to unfold: "And a great sign was seen in heaven, a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon was beneath her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars, and she was pregnant. And she cries out in her agony to give birth." - REVELATION 12:1, 2. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born! - Continue

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret-It's Glorious Climax! - Behold the Ark of His Covenant - Conclusion

 The seven angels continue to sound their trumpets, signaling historic events here one earth. Dedicated Christians have a great responsibility to continue proclaiming these announcements to the world. How joyfully they are fulfilling that commission! This is indicated in that, during just ten years, from 1978 to 1987, they more than doubled the hours spent yearly in their global ministry-from 307,272,262 to 739,029,286- a 14o percent increase. Truly, "the sacred secret of God according to the good news" is being made known "to the extremities of the inhabited earth. -REVELATION 10:7; ROMANS 10:18. 

Other visions now await us as God's Kingdom purposes continue to be unveiled. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Seven/God's Kingdom Is Born!

From the jw.org publications 

Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret- It's Glorious Climax - Behold the Ark of His Covenant! -Continue

 Those first ones who have been resurrected to heaven see this symbolic ark at close range, for they have taken their place as part of the 24 elders around Jehovah's throne.  And the John class one earth have been enlightened by Jehovah's spirit to discern His presence in His spiritual temple. There have also been signs to alert mankind in general to this wonderful development. John's vision speaks of lightnings, voices, and thunders, an earthquake, and hail. (Compare Revelation 8:5) What do these symbolize?

Since 1914 there has been a tremendous upheaval in the realm of religion. Happily, though, this "earthquake" has been accompanied by dedicated voices giving a clear message about God's established Kingdom. Thunderous 'storm warnings' from the Bible have been sounded. Like lightning, flashes of insight as to God's prophetic Word have been seen and publicized. A hard pounding "hail" of divine judgments have been unleashed against Christendom and false religion in general. All of this should have caught people's attention. Sadly, though, the majority-like the people of Jerusalem in Jesus' time-have failed to discern the fulfillment of these Revelation signs. -LUKE 19:41-44. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret - It's Glorious Climax! - Behold the Ark of His Covenant - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications 

 

Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret -It's Glorious Climax! -Behold the Ark of the Covenant - Continue

 Now, after more than 2,500 years, the Ark is seen once more. But in John's vision the Ark in not in an earthly temple. It appears in the heavenly sanctuary of God. Once again, Jehovah rules by means of a king in the royal line of David. This time, however, the King, Christ Jesus, is enthroned in heavenly Jerusalem-the exalted vantage point from which he executes Jehovah's judgments. (Hebrews 12:22) The following chapters of Revelation will unveil these to us. 

In ancient earthly Jerusalem, the Ark was not seen by the Israelites in general, nor even the priests serving in the temple, for it was within the Most Holy which was screened off from the Holy Place by a curtain.  (Numbers 4:20; Hebrews 9:2, 3) Only the high priest got to see it when he entered the Most Holy on the annual day of Atonement. Nevertheless, when the temple sanctuary in the heavens   is opened, the symbolic ark is visible not only to Jehovah's High Priest, Jesus Christ, but also to his underpriests, the 144,000, including John. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret -It's Glorious Climax! - Behold the Ark of His Covenant - Continue 

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret-It's Glorious Climax! - Behold the Ark of His Covenant!

 Jehovah rules! Through his Messianic Kingdom, he is exercising his sovereignty toward mankind in a marvelous way. This is confirmed by what John sees next: "And the temple sanctuary of God that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple sanctuary. And there occurred lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and a great hail." (Revelation 11:19) This is the only mention in Revelation of the ark of God's covenant. The Ark had been the visible symbol of Jehovah's presence with his people Israe. In the tabernacle and later in the temple built by Solomon, it was kept in the Most Holy. But when Israel went into captivity in Babylon in B.C.E., Jerusalem was desolated and the ark of the covenant disappeared. That was when representatives of the house of David ceased to sit upon Jehovah's throne king. -1 CHRONICLES  29:23. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret-It's Glorious Climax! -Behold the Ark of His Covenant -Continue

From the jw.org publications

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.

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Six/The Sacred Secret - It's Glorious Climax! - Behold the Ark of His Covenant!

From the jw.org publications

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. 

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

From the jw.org publications

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.

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

From the jw.org publications 

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. 

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

From the jw.org publications