Singing As If A New Song

In harmony with this, John reports: " And I heard a sound out of heaven as the sound of many waters and as the sound of loud thunder; and the sound that I heard was as of singers who accompany themselves on the harp playing on their harps. And they are singing as if a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth." (Revelation 14:2, 3) It is no wonder that John, upon hearing the 144,000 voices joined in one melodious chorus, is reminded of roaring waterfalls and pealing thunderclaps. How pleasant that clear harp like accompaniment! (Psalm 81:2) What choir on earth could ever attain to the grandeur of that magnificent chorus?

And what is this "new song"? As we noted in discussing Revelation 5:9, 10, the song has to do with Jehovah's Kingdom purposes and his wonderful provision, through Jesus Christ, for making spiritual Israel "a kingdom and priests to our God." It is a song of praise to Jehovah publicizing the new things he is accomplishing by means of the Israel of God and in behalf of it. (Galatians 6:16) Members of this spiritual Israel respond to the psalmists invitation: "Praise Jah, you people! Sing to Jehovah a new song, his praise in the congregation of loyal ones. Let Israel rejoice in its grand Maker, the sons of Zion-let them be joyful in their King." (Psalm 149:1, 2) True, those words were written centuries ago, but in our day, they have been sung with new understanding. In 1914 the Messianic Kingdom was born. (Revelation 12:10) In 1919 Jehovah's people on earth began to announce "the word of the kingdom" with renewed zeal. (Matthew 13:19) Stimulated by the Society's year text for 1919 (Isaiah 54:17) and encouraged by their restoration to a spiritual paradise, they began in that year to 'sing to Jehovah with music in their hearts.' -Ephesians 5:19.

Why is it, though, that only the 144,000 were able to learn the song mentioned at Revelation 14:3? Because it is to to with their experiences as chosen heirs of God's Kingdom. They alone are adopted as sons of God and anointed with holy spirit. They alone are bought from the earth to become part of that heavenly Kingdom, and they alone "will be priests. . . and will rule as kings" with Jesus Christ for a thousand years to bring mankind to perfection. They alone are seen to be "singing as if a new song" in the very presence of Jehovah. these unique experiences and prospects give them a singular appreciation of the Kingdom and enable them to sing about it in a way that no one else can. -Revelation 20:6; Colossians 1:13; 1Thessalonians 2:11, 12.

Next time: Continue with Singing As If A New Song.

Continue With Singing The Triumpal New Song

It is just as Jehovah foretold: "I, even I, have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain." (Psalm 2:6; 110:2) This no longer refers to the earthly Mount Zion, the geographical location of earthly Jerusalem, in which city human kings in the line of David used to reign. (1 Chronicles 11:4-7; 2 Chronicles 5:2) No, for Jesus, after his death and resurrection in 33 C.E., was installed as a foundation cornerstone on the heavenly Mount Zion, the celestial location where Jehovah determined to place the "city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem." Hence, "the Mount Zion" here represents the exalted position of Jesus and his joint heirs, who make up heavenly Jerusalem, which is the Kingdom. (Hebrews 12:22, 28; Ephesians 3:6) It is the glorious royal situation to which Jehovah elevates them during the Lord's day. Over the centuries, anointed Christians, as "living stones," have earnestly looked forward to standing on that heavenly Mount Zion, united with the glorified Lord Jesus Christ in his majestic Kingdom. -1Peter 2:4-6; Luke 22:28-30; John 14:2, 3.

John sees not only Jesus but the complete body of the 144,000 fellow heirs of the heavenly Kingdom standing upon the Mount Zion. At the time represented by the vision, many, but not all, of the 144,000 are already in heaven. Later in the same vision, John learns that some of the holy ones still have to endure and die faithful. (Revelation 14:12, 13) Evidently, then, some of the 144,000 are still on earth. So how is it that John sees all of them standing with Jesus on Mount Zion? In that, as members of the congregation of anointed Christians, these have now "approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem." (Hebrews 12:22) Like Paul when he was still on earth, they have already-in a spiritual sense-been raised up to be in union with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:5, 6) Additionally, in 1919 they responded to the invitation, "Come on up here," and in a figurative way "went up into heaven in the cloud." (Revelation 11:12) In view of these scriptures, we can see that all the 144,000-spiritually speaking-are located on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ.

The 144,000 have no part with the worshipers of the wild beast, who are marked with the symbolic number 666. (Revelation 13:15-18) In contrast, these loyal ones have the name of God and of the Lamb written on their foreheads. No doubt John, a Jew, saw God's name in Hebrew lettering. In having the name of Jesus' Father symbolically written on their foreheads, these sealed ones make known to all that they are Jehovah's witnesses, His slaves. (Revelation 3:12) Their having Jesus' name also displayed on their foreheads indicates that they acknowledged being owned by him. He is their betrothed "husband," and they are his prospective "bride," "a new creation"serving God with heavenly life in view. (Ephesians 5:22-24; Revelation 21:2, 9; 2 Corinthians 5:17) Their intimate relationship with Jehovah and Jesus Christ affects their thoughts and actions.

Next time: Singing As If A New Song.

Singing The Triumphal New Song

How refreshing it is turn John's next vision! In contrast with the dragon's grotesque beast like organizations, we now see Jehovah's loyal servants and their activities during the Lord's day. (Revelation 1:10) Already, Revelation 7:1, 3 has disclosed to us that the four winds of destruction are being held back until all 144,000 of these anointed slaves are sealed. Revelation 12:17 has made known that these "remaining ones of [the woman''s] seed" become the special target of Satan, the dragon, during that time. And Revelation chapter 13 has vividly depicted the political organizations raised up on earth by Satan to bring intense pressure and cruel persecution on Jehovah's faithful servants. But that archenemy cannot thwart God's purpose! We will now learn that despite Satan's malevolent activity, all the 144,000 are triumphantly gathered.

John, and with him the John class today, is given a preview of that happy outcome: "And I saw, and, look! the Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads." (Revelation 14:1) As we have seen, this Lamb is the same as the Michael who cleansed the heavens by casting out the Devil and his demons. He is the Michael whom Daniel describes as "standing in behalf of the sons of [God's ] people" as he prepares to "stand up" in executing Jehovah's righteous judgments. (Daniel 12:1; Revelation 12:7, 9) Since 1914 this self-sacrificing Lamb of God has been standing on Mount Zion as the Messianic King.

Next time: Continue with Singing The Triumphal New Song.

Continue with The Mark Of The Wild Beast

Those who refuse to accept the mark of the wild beast have had constant problems. starting in the 1930's, for example, they had to fight many court battles and endure violent mobbings and other persecutions. In the totalitarian countries, they were thrown into concentration camps, where many died. Since the second world war, countless young men have suffered lengthy imprisonments, some even being tortured and killed, because of their refusal to compromise their Christian neutrality. In other lands Christians are literally unable to buy or sell, some are unable to own property; others are raped, murdered or chased from their native land. Why? Because in good conscience, they refuse to buy a political party card. -John 17:16.

In some areas of the earth, religion is so ingrained in community life that anyone who stands for Bible truth is ostracized by family and friends. It takes great faith to endure. (Matthew 10:36-38; 17:22) In a world where the majority worship material wealth and where dishonesty is rampant, the true Christian often has to trust implicitly in Jehovah that he will uphold him in pursuing an upright course. (Psalm 11:7; Hebrews 13:18) In a world awash with immorality, it takes great determination to remain clean and pure. Christians who fall sick are often pressured by doctors and nurses to break God's law on the sanctity of blood; they even have to resist court orders that conflict with their faith. (Acts 15:28, 29; 1 Peter 4:3, 4) And in these days of rising unemployment, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a true Christian to avoid work that would mean compromising his integrity before God. - Micah 4:3, 5.

Yes, the world is a difficult place for those who do not have the mark of the wild beast. It is an outstanding demonstration of Jehovah's power and blessing that the remaining ones of the seed of the woman, as well as more than three million of the great crowd, are keeping integrity despite all the pressures to break God's laws. (Revelation 7:9) Unitedly, throughout the earth, may all of us continue to magnify Jehovah and his righteous ways, as we refuse to receive the mark of the wild beast. -Psalm 34:1-3.

Next time: Singing The Triumphal New Song.

The Mark Of The Wild Beast

John now sees how Satan maneuvers the political parts of this visible organization to cause the maximum suffering for the remaining ones of the seed of God's woman. (Genesis 3:15) He returns to describing "the wild beast" itself: "And it puts under compulsion all persons, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, that they should give these a mark in their right hand or on their forehead, and that nobody might be able to buy or sell except a person having the mark, the name of the wild beast or the number of its name. Here is where the wisdom comes in: Let the one that has intelligence calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man's number; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six." - Revelation 13:16-18.

The wild beast has a name, and this name is a number 666. Six, as a number, is associated with Jehovah's enemies. A Philistine man of the Rephaim was of "extraordinary size," and his "fingers and toes were in sixes." (1 Chronicles 20:6) King Nebuchadnezzar erected a golden image 6 cubits in breadth and 60 cubits high, to unify his political officials in one worship. When God's servants refused to worship the image of gold, the king had them thrown into a fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:1-23) The number six falls short of seven, which stands for completeness from God's standpoint. Therefore, a triple six represents gross imperfection.

A name identifies a person. So how does this number identify the beast? John says that it "is a man's number," not that of a spirit person, so the name helps to confirm that the wild beast is earthly, symbolizing human government. Just as six falls to measure up to seven, so 666-six to the third degree-is a fitting name for the world's gigantic political system that fails so miserably to measure up to God's standard of perfection. The world's political wild beast rules supreme under the name-number 666, while big politics, big religion and big business keep that wild beast functioning as an oppressor of mankind and a persecutor of God's people.

What does it mean to be marked on the forehead or in the right hand with the name of the wild beast? When Jehovah gave Israel the Law, he told them: "You must apply these words of mine to your heart and your soul and bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they must serve as a frontlet band between your eyes." (Deuteronomy 11:18) This meant that the Israelites had to keep that Law constantly before them, so that it influenced all their actions and thoughts. The 144,000 anointed ones are said to have the Father's name and that of Jesus written on their foreheads. This identifies them as belonging to Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. (Revelation 14:1) In imitation, Satan uses the demonic mark of the wild beast. Anybody engaged in everyday activities such as buying and selling is pressured to do things the way the wild beast does, as, for example, in celebrating holidays. They are expected to worship the wild beast, letting it rule their lives, so as to receive its mark.

Next time: Continue with: The Mark Of The Wild Beast.

The Image Of The Wild Beast

Is this two-horned wild beast as innocent as its lamb like horns would indicate? John goes on to say: "And it misleads those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs that were granted it to perform in the sight of the wild beast, while it tells those who dwell on the earth to make and image to the wild beast that had the sword-stroke and yet revived. And there was granted it to give breath to the image of the wild beast, so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed all those who would not in any way worship the image of the wild beast." -Revelation 13:14, 15.

What is this "image of the wild beast," and what is its purpose? The purpose is to promote the worship of the seven-headed wild beast of which it is an image and thus, in effect, to perpetuate the existence of the wild beast. This image is constructed after the seven-headed wild beast revives from its sword stroke, that is, after the end of the first world war. It is no lifeless statue, such as Nebuchadnezzar erected on the plains of Dura. (Daniel 3:1) The two-horned wild beast breathes life into this image so that the image can live and play a role in world history.

The outworking of history identifies this image as the organization proposed, promoted and supported by Britain and the United Nations. Later, in Revelation chapter 17, it will appear under a different symbol, that of a living, breathing, scarlet-colored wild beast having an independent existence. this international body 'speaks,' in that it makes boastful claims to be the only one able to bring peace and security to mankind. But in reality it has become a forum for member nations to exchange verbal tirades and insults. It has threatened with ostracism, or a living death, any nation or people that does not bow to its authority. It has actually expelled nations that fail to abide by its ideologies. At the onset of the great tribulation, militaristic "horns" of this image of the wild beast will fulfill a devastating role. -Revelation 7:14; 17:8, 16.

Since World War II , the image of the wild beast-now manifested as the United Nations organization-has already killed in a literal way. For example, in 1950 a UN force took the field in the war between North Korea and South Korea. The UN force, along with the South Koreans, killed an estimated 1,420,000 North Koreans and Chinese. Similarly, from 1960 to 1964, United Nations armies were active in the Congo (now Zaire). Moreover, world leaders including popes Paul VI and John Paul II, have continued to affirm that this image is man's last and best hope for peace. If mankind fails to serve it, they insist, the human race will destroy itself. They thus figuratively cause to be killed all humans who refuse to go along with the image and worship it. -Compare Deuteronomy 5:8, 9.

Next time: The Mark Of The Wild Beast.

The Two-Horned Wild Beast

But now another wild beast comes into the scene. John reports: " And I saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, but it began speaking as a dragon. And it exercises all the authority of the first wild beast in its sight. And it makes the earth and those who dwell in it worship the first wild beast, whose death-stroke got healed. And it performs great signs, so that it should even make fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind." (Revelation 13:11-13) This wild beast has two horns, indicating a partnership of two political powers. And it is described as coming out of the earth, not out of the sea. Thus, it comes out of Satan's already established earthly system of things. It must be a world power, already existing, that takes a significant role during the Lord's day.

What can it be? The Anglo-American World Power-the same as the seventh head of the first wild beast but in a special role! Isolating it in the vision as a separate wild beast helps us to see more clearly how it acts independently on the world stage. This figurative two-horned wild beast is made up of two co-existing, independent, but cooperating political powers. Its two horns "like a lamb" suggest that it makes itself out to be mild and inoffensive, with an enlightened form of government to which all the the world should turn. But it speaks "as a dragon" in that it uses pressure and threats and even outright violence wherever its version of ruler ship is not accepted. It has not encouraged submission to God's Kingdom under the rule of the Lamb of God, but, rather, to the interests of Satan, the great dragon. It has promoted nationalistic divisions and hatreds that add up to worshiping the first wild beast.

This two-horned wild beast performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven. (Compare Matthew 7:21-23) This latter sign reminds us of Elijah, the ancient prophet of God who engaged in a contest with the prophets of Baal. When he successfully called down fire from heaven in the name of Jehovah, it proved beyond doubt that he was a true prophet and that the Baal prophets were false. (1Kings 18:21-40) Like those Baal prophets, the two-horned wild beast feels that it has adequate credentials as a prophet. (Compare Revelation 13:14, 15; 19:20) Why, it claims to have vanquished the forces of evil in two world wars, and not it stands firm against so-called godless communism! Many, indeed, view the modern counterpart of the two-horned wild beast as a guardian of liberty and a font of material good things.

Next time: The Image Of The Wild Beast

The Two-Horned Wild Beast

The Two-Horned Wild Beast

Waging War Against The Holy Ones

The wily Satan had plans for manipulating the wild beast to his own ends. John explains this: " And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given it [the seven-headed beast], and authority to act forty-two months was given it. And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his residence, even those residing in heaven. And there was granted it to wage war with the holy ones and conquer them, and authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And all those who dwell on the earth will worship it; the name of not one of them stands written in the scroll of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered, from the founding of the world." -Revelation 13:5-8.

The 42 months mentioned here appear to be the same as the three and a half years during which the holy ones are harassed by a horn arising from one of the beasts in Daniel's prophecy. (Daniel 7:23-25; see also Revelation 11:1-4) Thus, from the latter part of 1914 on into 1918, while the warring nations were literally tearing at one another like wild beasts, citizens of those nations were pressured to worship the wild beast,to indulge in the religion of nationalism, even to be ready to die for their country. Such pressure led to intense suffering on the part of many of the anointed ones, who felt that their higher obedience belonged to Jehovah God and his Son, Christ Jesus. (Acts 5:29) Their trials came to a climax in May 1918, when they were 'conquered.' In the United States, prominent officers and other representatives of the Watchtower Society were wrongly imprisoned, and the organized preaching by their Christian brothers was greatly hindered. Having authority "over every tribe and people and tongue and nation," the wild beast clamped down on God's work worldwide.

This seemed like a victory for Satan and his organization. But it could bring them no long-term benefits, since no one in Satan's visible organization had his name written in "the scroll of life of the Lamb." Figuratively, this scroll contains the names of those who will rule with Jesus in his heavenly Kingdom. The first names were written in it at Pentecost 33 C.E. And in the years since then, more and more names have been added. Since 1918, the sealing of the remaining ones of the 144,000 Kingdom heirs has been proceeding to completion. Soon, the names of all of them will be written in that scroll. So any apparent victory these may have over "the holy ones" is an empty one, merely temporary.

John now calls upon those with discernment to listen very carefully: "If anyone has an ear, let him hear." Then he goes on to say: "If anyone is meant for captivity, he goes away into captivity. If anyone will kill with the sword, he must be killed with the sword. Here is where it means the endurance and faith of the holy ones." (Revelation 13:9, 10) Jeremiah wrote words quite similar to these in the years preceding 607 B.C.E., to show that there was no turning back of Jehovah's judgments for the unfaithful city of Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 15:2; see also Jeremiah 43:11; Zechariah 11:9) In his time of great trial, Jesus made it plain that is followers must not compromise when he said: "All those who take the sword will perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:52) Similarly, now in the Lord's day God's people must hold fast to Bible principles. There will be no final escape for unrepentant ones who worship the wild beast. All of us will need endurance, along with unshakable faith,in order to survive the persecutions and trials that lie ahead. -Hebrews 10:36-39; 11:16.

Next time: The Two-Horned Wild Beast