God's Kingdom Is Born! - A New Nation

 The dragib 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 "flash floods of good-for-nothing men"   ["streams of the worthless ," Young].  (Psalm 18:4, 5, 6, 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 womanm, set out wrathfully to attack her remaining seed on earth and to destroy them, either directly or by causing them to lose God's favor through their integrity.  But their resolve proved to be like that of Job:  "Until I expire I shall not take away my integrity from myself!" - JOB 27:5.

This vicious flood of persecution reached a  high point during duing World War II.  In Europe some 12,000 Witnesses were incarcerate in Nazi concentration camps and prisons, and about 2,000 died.  Under the warlords that ruled Italy, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, faithful Witnesses suffered similar cruel treatment.  Even in so-called democratic lands, the Witnesses were asaulted by Catholic Action groups, tarred and feathered, and run out of town.  Christian assemblies were broken up and Witness children were expelled from school.  

Relieved arrived from and unexpected source: "But the earth cam to the woman's help, and the earth opened up  its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon disgorged from 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" -elementrs within Satan's own system of things-began to swallow 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 swallow up the Nazi  Fascist judgment, 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 keeps us the war against those who "have the work of bearing witness to Jesus."  In many lands, loyal Witnesses ae still in priso, and some still die because of their integrity. But in some of these lands, the authorities from time to time relax their pressure, and the Witnesses enjoy a greater measure of freedom.   Thus, in fulfillment of the prophecy, the earth continues to swallow up the river of persecution. 

In this way, the earth has provided  sufficient relief to allow God's work to spead to some 235 lands and produce over six 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 separatenes 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 os sounded for Satan and his system of things. - PROVERBS  27:11. 

Next time: Contending with Two Ferocious Wild Beasts

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