Chapter Forty/ Crushing the Serpent's Head

 What about the Serpent and his seed? About 56 C.E. the apostle Paul wrote a long letter to the Christians in Rome. In concluding it, he encouraged them by saying: "For his part, the God who gives peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly." (Romans 16:20) This is more than superficial bruising. Satan is to be crushed! Paul here used a Greek word, syn-tri'bo, that means to bruise into jellylike state, to trample down, to destroy utterly by crushing. As for the human seed of the Serpent, this is due for a real plaguing in the Lord's day, climaxing at the great tribulation the great and political system of the world, together with their financial and military henchmen. (Revelation, chapter 18 and 19) Thus Jehovah brings to a climax the enmity between the two seeds. The Seed of God's woman triumphs over the earthly seed of the Serpent, and that seed is no more!

Next time: Chapter Forty/Crushing the Serpent's Head - Satan Abyssed

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Forty/Crushing the Serpent's Head

 DO YOU recall the first Bible prophecy? It was uttered by Jehovah God when he said to the serpent: "I shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and he will bruise you in the heel." (Genesis3:15) Now the fulfillment of that prophecy comes to its climax! We have traced the history of Satan's warning against Jehovah's heavenly womanlike organization. (Revelation 12:1, 9) The Serpent's earthly seed, with its religion, politics, and big business, has heaped cruel persecution on the woman's seed, Jesus Christ and his 144,000 anointed followers, here on earth. (John 8:37, 44; Galatians 3:16, 29) Satan inflicted an agonizing death on Jesus. But this proved to be like a heel wound, for God resurrected his faithful Son on the third day. - ACTS 10:38-40. 

Next time: Chapter Forty/Crushing the Serpent's Head 

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God -- Conclusion

 All others who were not directly part of the government but who were nevertheless an irreformable part of this corrupt world of mankind are likewise "killed off with the long sword of the one seated on the white horse." Jesus will pronounce them deserving of death. Since in their case the lake of fire is not mentioned, are we to expect that they will have a resurrection? Nowhere ae we told those executed by Jehovah's Judge at that time are to be resurrected. As Jesus himself stated, all those who are not "sheep" go off into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels," That is, into everlasting cutting off." (Matthew 25:33,41, 46) This climaxes "the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men." - 2 PETER 3:7; NAHUM 1:2, 7-9; MALACHI 4:1. 

In this way, all of Satan's earthly organization comes to an end. The "former heaven" of political rulership has passed away. The "earth," that seemingly permanent system that Satan has built up over the centuries, is now utterly destroyed. The "sea" the mass of wicked humanity opposed to Jehovah is no more. (Revelation 21:1; 2 Peter 3:10) What, though, does Jehovah have in mind for Satan himself? John goes on to tell us. 

Next time: Chapter Forty/Crushing the Serpent's Head

From the jw.org publications 

Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God - Continue

 The seven-headed, ten-horned wild beast out of the sea, representing Satan's political organization, is tumbled into oblivion, and along with it goes the false prophet, the seventh world power. (Revelation 13:1, 11-13; 16:13) While still "alive" or still functioning in their united opposition to God's people on earth, they are cast into "the lake of fire." Is this a literal lake of fire? No, not any more than the wild beast and the false prophet are literal animals. Rather, it is a symbol of complete final destruction, a place of no return. Here is where, later, death and Hades as well as the Devil himself, will be hurled. (Revelation 20:10, 14) It is certainly not an inferno of eternal torture for the wicked, since the very idea if such a place is detestable to Jehovah. - JEREMIAH 19:5; 32:35; 1 JOHN 4:8, 16. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King/ Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God  - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon- The Great Evening Meal of God -Continue

 After the pouring out of the sixth bowl of Jehovah's wrath, John reported that "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" were gathered by democratic propaganda "to "the battle of that great day of God Almighty." This is fought at Armageddon-not a literal location, but the global situation that calls for execution of Jehovah's judgment. (Revelation 16:12, 14, 16, King James Version) Now John sees the battle lines. There, ranged against, are all "the kings of the earth and their armies." They have stubbornly refused to submit themselves to Jehovah's King. He gave them fair warning in the inspired message: "Kiss the son, that [Jehovah] may not become incensed and you may not perish from the way." Not having submitted to Christ's rule, they must die. - PSALM 2:12. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God - Continue 

From the jw.org publications 

Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God - Continue

The angel is "standing in the sun," a commanding position for attracting the attention of the birds. He invites them to gorge themselves on the flesh of those about to be slain by the Warrior-King and his heavenly armies. The fact that the dead are to be left on the surface of the ground indicated that they will die in public shame. Like Jezebel of old, they will not have an honorable burial. (2 Kings 9:36, 37) The list of those whose corpses would be left dying there shows the range of the destruction: kings, military commanders, strong men, free men, and slaves. No exceptions. Every last trace of the rebellious world in opposition to Jehovah will be eliminated. After this, there will be no more be a restless sea of confused humans. (Revelation 21:1) This is "the great evening meal of God," since it is Jehovah who invites the birds to share therein. 

John summarizes the course of the final war: "And I saw the wild beast and the kings f the earth and their armies gathered together to wage the war with the one seated on the horse and with his army. And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs which he misled those who render worship to its image. While still alive, they both were killed off with the long sword of the one seated on the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth. And all the birds were filled from the fleshy parts of them." -REVELATION 19:19-21. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God - Continue

From the jw.org publications 

Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon -The Great Evening Meal of God

 In Ezekiel's vision, after the destruction of Gog's crowd, the birds and the wild animals are invited to a feast! They rid the landscape of carcasses by eating the dead bodies of Jehovah's enemies. (Ezekiel 39:11, 17-20) John's next words bring that earlier prophecy vividly to mind: "I saw also an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice and said to all the birds that fly in the midheaven: 'Come here, be gathered together to the evening meal of God, that you may eat the fleshly parts of the kings and the fleshly parts of military commanders and the fleshly parts of strong men and the fleshly parts of  horses and of those seated upon them, and the fleshly parts of all, of freemen as well as slaves of small ones and great.' " -REVELATION 19:17, 18. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God - Continue

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - To the Final Battle - Conclusion

That will be day of doom, indeed, for disobedient nations and   humans but a day of relief for all who have made Jehovah and his Warrior-King their refuge! (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) The judgment that started with the house of God in 1918 will have run through to its climax, answering the question at 4:17: "What will the end be to those who are not obedient to the good news of God?" The glorious Victor will have trodden the winepress to finish, demonstrating that he is the exalted One of whom John says: "And upon his outer garment, even upon his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." (Revelation 19:16) He has proved to be far mightier than earthly ruler, any human king or lord. His dignity and splendor are transcendent. He had ridden "in the cause of truth and humility and righteousness" and has triumphed for all time! (Psalm 45:4) Upon his blood-sprinkled garments is written the name bestowed on him by the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, whose vindicator he is! 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Great Evening Meal of God

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thiry-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - To the Final Battle! -

 

This mighty Warrior-King appears again in the next scene of the vision: "He treads too the winepress of the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty." (Revelation 19:15b) In a previous vision, John had already seen the treading of the "winepress of the anger of God. (Revelation 14:18-20) Isaiah also describes an executional winepress, and other prophets tell how calamitous the day the day of God's anger will be for all the nations. - ISAIAH24:1-6; 63:1-4; JEREMIAH 25:30-33; DANIEL 2:44; ZEPHANIAH 3:8; ZECHARIAH 14:3, 12, 13; REVELATION 6:15-17. 

The prophet Joel associates a winepress with Jehovah's coming to "judge all the nations round about." And it is Jehovah who issues the command, no doubt to His associate Judge, Jesus and his heavenly armies: "Thrust in a sickle, for harvest has grown ripe. Come, descend for the winepress is full. The press vats actually overflow; for their badness has become abundant. Crowd, crowds are in the low plain of the decision, for the day of Jehovah is near in the low plain of the decision. Sun and moon themselves will certainly become dark, and the very stars will actually withdraw their brightness. And out of Zion Jehovah himself will roar, and out of Jerusalem he will give forth his voice. And heaven and earth certainly will rock; but Jehovah will a refuge for his people, ad fortress for the sons of Israel. And you people will have to know that I am Jehovah your God." - JOEL 3:12-17. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - To the Final Battle! -Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

Chapter Thirty-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - To the Final Batte!- Continue

 The Warrior-King, as Jehovah's appointee, will make a distinction between those who survive and those who will die. Jehovah, speaking prophetically to this Son of God, says: "You will break them [earth's rulers] with an iron scepter, as though a potter's vessel you will dash them to pieces." And Jeremiah addresses such corrupt governmental leaders and they hackeys, saying: "Howl,you shepherds, and cry out! And wallow about, you majestic ones of the flock, because your days for slaughtering and your scatterings have been fulfilled, and you must fall like desirable vessel!" However desirable those rulers  may have appeared to a wicked world, one blow from the King's iron scepter will shatter them, as if smashing and an attractive vessel. It will be just as David prophesied concerning the Lord Jesus: "The rod of your strength Jehovah will send out of Zion, saying: 'Go subduing in the midst of your enemies.' Jehovah himself at your right hand will certainly break kings to pieces on the day of his anger. He will execute judgment among the nations; he will cause a fulness of dead bodies." - PSALM2:9,12; 83:17, 18;110:1. 2. 5, 6; JEREMIAH 25:34.

Next time: Chapter Thiry-Nine/The Warrior-King Triumphs at Armageddon - The Final Battle! - Continue