THE TIMELINE

The timeline is based on the scripture found at 2 Peter 3:8-10 where it reads, 8 However, let this one fact not be escaping YOUR notice, beloved ones, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. 9 Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. 10 Yet Jehovah’s day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a hissing noise, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be discovered. See the blog How old is man for more information on the difference between a day & a creative day and for more interesting research on this subject.

Therefore, scripturally speaking, a little over 6 days ago Adam & Eve appeared on the scene and that same day, Jehovah's right to rule was challenged.
The very next day, Jehovah made plans to address & fix the problem by creating the covenant with Abraham identifying the ransom in detail.
5 1/2 days ago Jehovah decided to cleanse the earth of all wickedness by flooding out the entire earth and initiated plans to prevent the demons from access to the heavens and regain their original positions
Around noon the next day, Jehohah sends a message to Daniel to write a blog on the world governments, how to identify and assist them in knowing the sequence of events for earth.
a couple of days ago Jehovah sent his son Jesus to earth and then notified the earths inhabitants of the set up of His Kingdom
within minutes of his arrival, the ransom was paid
Then 2 hours 27 minutes ago Jehovahs Kingdom was established in the heavens, finalized the kingdom arrangements and cleansed the heavens of all demonic activity and gave his people a job to announce this good news to the earth.
2 hours 9 min ago Jehovah gave his people a name - Jehovahs Witnesses
1 hour 7 1/2min ago Jehovah began releasing mini publications simplifying the Bible in easy to understand terms starting with "The Truth that leads to everlasting life" published in 1968
Moments later the publication "Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?"
Seconds later Aid to Bible Understanding in 1971 followed by Insight on the Scriptures provided the first doctrinal and biblical encyclopedia of Jehovah's Witnesses.
About a minute ago The complete explanation on the Bible book of Daniel's prophecy was clarified. This was in clear detail the vision of the statue which identified the world powers of today and their imminent destruction at the hands of Jehovahs kingdom.

So stand firm my brothers, it'll all be over in a few minutes.

10. Paradise Regained

By means of the Kingdom under Christ, Jehovah sanctifies His name, vindicates His sovereignty, and eliminates all evil. THE last book of the Bible, called Revelation or Apocalypse, provides all mankind with hope. Recorded by the apostle John, the book contains visions that climax in the fulfillment of Jehovah’s purpose.


In the first vision, the resurrected Jesus commends and corrects a number of congregations. The next vision takes us before God’s heavenly throne, where spirit creatures are offering him praise.


As God’s purpose moves forward, the Lamb, Jesus Christ, receives a scroll with seven seals. With the opening of the first four seals, symbolic horsemen charge onto the world scene. The first is Jesus on a white horse and crowned as King. Next come riders on different-colored horses, prophetically representing war, famine, and pestilence—all of which take place during the last days of this system of things. The opening of the seventh seal leads to the blowing of seven symbolic trumpets, denoting proclamations of God’s judgments. These lead to seven symbolic plagues, or expressions of God’s anger.


God’s Kingdom, depicted as a newborn male child, is established in heaven. War breaks out, and Satan and his wicked angels are cast down to the earth. “Woe for the earth,” says a loud voice. The Devil has great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.—Revelation 12:12.


John sees Jesus in heaven represented as a lamb, and with him 144,000 who are chosen from among mankind. These ones “will rule as kings with” Jesus. Revelation thus reveals that the secondary members of the seed will total 144,000 in number.—Revelation 14:1; 20:6.



“BABYLON THE GREAT” - In the book of Revelation, all false religions—that is, religions that stand in opposition to the true God—are collectively identified as “the great harlot.” She is called “Babylon the Great,” and she sells, or prostitutes, herself to the world’s political powers. At Jehovah God’s appointed time, says Revelation, these powers will turn on this harlot and destroy her.—Revelation 17:1-5, 16, 17. This same time period was foreshadowed in a battle between the Moabites, the Amonites and the Edomites. In history, we discover that the Moabites were known as a commercial country. The Amonites were a political country and the Edomites were direct decendants of Noah and therefore had more of a religious background and were prior relatives of Israel. Each country had a quest to conquer Israel. 2Chronicles:1-37. There was an announcement 1 And it came about afterward that the sons of Mo′ab and the sons of Am′mon and with them some of the Am′mon·im came against Je·hosh′a·phat in war. 2 So people came and told Je·hosh′a·phat, saying: “There has come against you a large crowd from the region of the sea, from E′dom; and there they are in Haz′a·zon-ta′mar, that is to say, En-ge′di.” 3 At that Je·hosh′a·phat became afraid and set his face to search for Jehovah. So he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 Eventually those of Judah were collected together to inquire of Jehovah. Even from all the cities of Judah they came to consult Jehovah.

A little history about the Moabites and the Amonites and the Edomites. The Moabites were a commercial country. The Ammonites were Political in nature and the Edomites were Religious a group. The Edomites claimed to be related to Israel in prior years. These three countries came together to attach Israel. So
5 Then Je·hosh′a·phat stood up in the congregation of Judah and of Jerusalem in the house of Jehovah before the new courtyard, 6 and he proceeded to say: “O Jehovah the God of our forefathers, are you not God in the heavens, and are you not dominating over all the kingdoms of the nations, and are there not in your hand power and mightiness, with no one to hold his ground against you? 7 Did not you yourself, O God of ours, drive away the inhabitants of this land from before your people Israel and then give it to the seed of Abraham, your lover, to time indefinite? 8 And they took up dwelling in it, and they proceeded to build in it for you a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 ‘If there should come upon us calamity, sword, adverse judgment, or pestilence or famine, let us stand before this house and before you (for your name is in this house), that we may call to you for aid out of our distress, and may you hear and save.’ 10 And now here the sons of Am′mon, and Mo′ab and the mountainous region of Se′ir, whom you did not allow Israel to invade when they were coming out of the land of Egypt, but they turned away from them and did not annihilate them, 11 yes, here they are rewarding us by coming in to drive us out from your possession that you caused us to possess. 12 O our God, will you not execute judgment upon them? For in us there is no power before this large crowd that is coming against us; and we ourselves do not know what we ought to do, but our eyes are toward you.” 13 All the while all those of Judah were standing before Jehovah, even their little ones, their wives and their sons.

So now what will the Israelites do? There are 3 countries teaming up to run them off their land which Jehovah gave to them. They approach Jehovah in prayer and ask Jehovah for his help. Here's how Jehovah responds. 14 Now as for Ja·ha·zi′el the son of Zech·a·ri′ah the son of Be·nai′ah the son of Je·i′el the son of Mat·ta·ni′ah the Levite of the sons of A′saph, the spirit of Jehovah came to be upon him in the middle of the congregation. 15 Consequently he said: “Pay attention, all Judah and YOU inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Je·hosh′a·phat! Here is what Jehovah has said to YOU, ‘Do not YOU be afraid or be terrified because of this large crowd; for the battle is not YOURS, but God’s.16 Tomorrow go down against them. There they are coming up by the pass of Ziz; and YOU will be certain to find them at the end of the torrent valley in front of the wilderness of Je·ru′el. 17 YOU will not need to fight in this instance. Take YOUR position, stand still and see the salvation of Jehovah in YOUR behalf. O Judah and Jerusalem, do not be afraid or be terrified. Tomorrow go out against them, and Jehovah will be with YOU.’” So this must have given the Israelites all the confidence they needed to deal with this onslaught but was it to be all that easy?

Here's what happens next. 18 At once Je·hosh′a·phat bowed low with his face to the earth, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem themselves fell down before Jehovah to do obeisance to Jehovah. 19 Then the Levites of the sons of the Ko′hath·ites and of the sons of the Ko′rah·ites rose up to praise Jehovah the God of Israel with an extraordinarily loud voice. 20 And they proceeded to rise early in the morning and go out to the wilderness of Te·ko′a. And as they went out, Je·hosh′a·phat stood up and then said: “Hear me, O Judah and YOU inhabitants of Jerusalem! Put faith in Jehovah YOUR God that YOU may prove yourselves of long duration. Put faith in his prophets and so prove successful.” 21 Further, he took counsel with the people and stationed singers to Jehovah and those offering praise in holy adornment as they went out ahead of the armed men, and saying: “GIVE praise to Jehovah, for to time indefinite is his loving-kindness.” The Israelites were ever so grateful and now confident that Jehovah said that this was His battle. But Jehovah had told them to go to the valley and wait for instructions. 22 And at the time that they started off with the joyful cry and praise,

Next Jehovah set men in ambush against the sons of Am′mon, Mo′ab and the mountainous region of Se′ir who were coming into Judah, and they went smiting one another. 23 And the sons of Am′mon and Mo′ab proceeded to stand up against the inhabitants of the mountainous region of Se′ir to devote them to destruction and annihilate them; and as soon as they finished with the inhabitants of Se′ir, they helped each one to bring his own fellow to ruin.

Then as for the cleanup. 24 But as for Judah, it came to the watchtower of the wilderness. When they turned their faces toward the crowd, why, there they were, their carcasses fallen to the earth without anyone escaping. 25 So Je·hosh′a·phat and his people came to plunder the spoil on them, and they got to find among them in abundance both goods and clothing and desirable articles; and they went stripping them off for themselves until they could carry no more. And it came to be three days that they were plundering the spoil, for it was abundant. 26 And on the fourth day they congregated together at the low plain of Ber′a·cah, for there they blessed Jehovah. That is why they called the name of that place Low Plain of Ber′a·cah—until today.


27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned, with Je·hosh′a·phat at their head, to return to Jerusalem with rejoicing, for Jehovah had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came to Jerusalem with stringed instruments+ and with harps and with trumpets to the house of Jehovah. 29 And the dread+ of God came to be upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Jehovah had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Thus the royal realm of Je·hosh′a·phat had no disturbance, and his God continued to give him rest all around. 31 And Je·hosh′a·phat went on reigning over Judah. Thirty-five years old he was when he began to reign, and for twenty-five years he reigned in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was A·zu′bah the daughter of Shil′hi. 32 And he kept walking in the way of his father A′sa, and he did not turn aside from it, by doing what was right in Jehovah’s eyes. 33 Only the high places themselves did not disappear; and the people themselves had not yet prepared their heart for the God of their forefathers. 34 As for the rest of the affairs of Je·hosh′a·phat, the first and the last, there they are written among the words of Je′hu the son of Ha·na′ni, which were inserted in the Book of the Kings of Israel. 35 And after this Je·hosh′a·phat the king of Judah had partnership with A·ha·zi′ah the king of Israel, who acted wickedly. 36 So he made him a partner with himself in making ships to go to Tar′shish and they made ships in E′zi·on-ge′ber. 37 However, E·li·e′zer the son of Dod·av′a·hu of Ma·re′sha spoke prophetically against Je·hosh′a·phat, saying: “Inasmuch as you have had partnership with A·ha·zi′ah, Jehovah will certainly break down your works.” Accordingly the ships were wrecked,+ and they did not retain strength to go to Tar′shish.+


In modern times, The rulers of the earth gather at a place which is called in Hebrew Harmageddon, Revelation 16:14 “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” They wage war with the one seated on the white horse—Jesus, who leads heavenly armies. All the rulers of this world are destroyed. Satan is bound, and Jesus and the 144,000 reign over the earth for “a thousand years.” At the end of the thousand years, Satan is destroyed.— 20:4.


What will the Millennial Reign of Christ and his corulers mean for obedient humans? John writes: “[Jehovah] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) The earth becomes a paradise!


The book of Revelation thus completes the Bible’s message. By means of the Messianic Kingdom, Jehovah’s name is sanctified and his sovereignty completely vindicated for all eternity!


—Based on the book of Revelation you will learn.
▪ What is the meaning of the symbolic horsemen
▪ What dramatic things take place as God’s purpose moves forward
▪ What is Armageddon, and what is its outcome

9. New light identifies this systems end is imminent

JESUS CHRIST foretold that at a future date, ‘the end would come.’ Describing that time, he said: “Then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.”—Matthew 24:14, 21.


Jesus’ statements about the end, along with other Bible passages on this topic, raise a number of important questions. Why not open your Bible and read what it says in answer to those questions?


The Bible does not teach that the literal earth will be destroyed. “[God] has founded the earth upon its established places,” wrote the psalmist. “It will not be made to totter to time indefinite, or forever.” (Psalm 104:5) Nor does the Bible teach that all life will be annihilated in a global conflagration. (Isaiah 45:18) Jesus himself indicated that some people will survive the end. (Matthew 24:21, 22) What, then, does the Bible say will end? Among other things that cause human suffering -


Failing human governments will end. God inspired the prophet Daniel to write: “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.”—Daniel 2:44.


War and pollution will end. Describing what God will do, Psalm 46:9 states: “He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces; the wagons he burns in the fire.” The Bible also teaches that God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”—Revelation 11:18.


Crime and injustice will end. God’s Word promises: “The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.”*—Proverbs 2:21, 22.


Jehovah God has set an “appointed time” to bring an end to wickedness and to install his Kingdom government. (Mark 13:33) But the Bible clearly indicates that we cannot calculate the specific date for the end. Jesus said: “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) Jesus and his disciples did, however, foretell what conditions on earth would be like just before God brings the end. The end is imminent when all the following events are happening at the same time and on a global scale. The Bible does not teach that all good people will be taken from the earth to live forever in heavenly bliss. Instead, Jesus taught that God’s original purpose for mankind will be fulfilled. “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth,” said Jesus. (Matthew 5:5; 6:9, 10) For those who die before the end comes, the Bible holds out the promise of a future resurrection. (Job 14:14, 15; John 5:28, 29)


From heaven, Jesus will rule as King of God’s Kingdom. “I kept on beholding in the visions of the night,” wrote the prophet Daniel, “and, see there! with the clouds of the heavens someone like a son of man [the resurrected Jesus] happened to be coming; and to the Ancient of Days [Jehovah God] he gained access, and they brought him up close even before that One. And to him [Jesus] there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin.”—Daniel 7:13, 14; Luke 1:31, 32; John 3:13-16.


Subjects of God’s Kingdom will enjoy perfect health, lasting security, and eternal life. “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy,” wrote the prophet Isaiah. “And they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating.” (Isaiah 65:21-23) The apostle John wrote of that time: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:3, 4.


Again, there is so much more on this and other subjects in this blog that I encourage you to contact me with specific questions at haleiwa.hi@gmail.com

8. Jesus' rule and the beginning of the last days begins

MILLIONS of people worldwide are familiar with the prayer that many call the Our Father, or the Lord’s Prayer. Both expressions refer to a famous prayer given as a model by Jesus Christ himself. It is a very meaningful prayer, and a consideration of its first three petitions will help you to learn more about what the Bible really teaches. Have you ever given close consideration to what this prayer really says?


At the beginning of this model prayer, Jesus instructed his hearers: “You must pray, then, this way: ‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.’” (Matthew 6:9-13) What is the significance of these three petitions?


We have already learned a lot about God’s name, Jehovah. And to some extent we have discussed God’s will—what he has done and will yet do for mankind. To what, though, was Jesus referring when he told us to pray: “Let your kingdom come”? What is God’s Kingdom? How will its coming sanctify God’s name, or make it holy? And how is the coming of the Kingdom related to the doing of God’s will?


God’s Kingdom is a government established by Jehovah God with a King chosen by God. Who is the King of God’s Kingdom? Jesus Christ. Jesus as King is greater than all human rulers and is called “the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15) He has the power to do far more good than any human ruler, even the best among them.


Here is another truth about God’s Kingdom: Jesus will not rule alone. He will have corulers. For example, the apostle Paul told Timothy: “If we go on enduring, we shall also rule together as kings.” (2 Timothy 2:12) Yes, Paul, Timothy, and other faithful ones who have been selected by God will rule together with Jesus in the heavenly Kingdom. That number of co-rulers has been identified for us in Revelations 14:3 at 144,000.


The following prophetic words describe what would happen: “I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers [Satan] has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God!’” (Revelation 12:10) Did you notice two very important events described in that Bible verse? First, God’s Kingdom under Jesus Christ begins to rule. Second, Satan is cast out of heaven down to the earth. It is our understanding that this event took place in 1914. The last days was to last one generation. Matthew 24:1-51


What have been the results of those two events? Regarding what happened in heaven, we read: “On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them!” (Revelation 12:12) Yes, the faithful angels in heaven rejoice because, with Satan and his demons gone, everyone in heaven is happy and faithful to Jehovah God. There is complete, unbroken peace and harmony there. God’s will is finally being done in heaven.


What, though, about the earth? The Bible says: “Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Revelation 12:12) Satan is angry about being cast out of heaven and having just a short time left. In his anger he causes distress, or “woe,” on earth.


Consider the prophecy found at Daniel 2:44. There we read: “In the days of those kings 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." This prophecy is discussed more in detail in Sub-Section 5of this blog.


The Bible has much to say about that final war between God’s Kingdom and the governments of this world. For example, it teaches that as the end approaches, wicked spirits will spread lies to deceive “the kings of the entire inhabited earth.” For what purpose? “To gather them [the kings] together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” The kings of the earth will be gathered together to “the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon.” (Revelation 16:14, 16) Because of what is said in those two verses, the final conflict between human governments and God’s Kingdom is called the battle of Har–Magedon, or Armageddon.


After Armageddon, mankind will be under just one government, God’s Kingdom. That Kingdom will do God’s will and bring wonderful blessings. For example, it will remove Satan and his demons. (Revelation 20:1-3) The power of Jesus’ sacrifice will be applied so that faithful humans will no longer get sick and die. Instead, under Kingdom rule they will be able to live forever. (Revelation 22:1-3) The earth will be made into a paradise. Thus the Kingdom will cause God’s will to be done on earth and will sanctify God’s name.


When Jesus told his followers to pray, “Let your kingdom come,” it was clear that the Kingdom had not come at that time. Did it come when Jesus ascended to heaven? No, because both Peter and Paul said that after Jesus was resurrected, the prophecy at Psalm 110:1 was fulfilled in him: “The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: ‘Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.’” (Acts 2:32-35; Hebrews 10:12, 13) There was a waiting period.


For how long? During the 19th and 20th centuries, sincere Bible students now known as Jehovah's Witnesses progressively discerned that the waiting period would end in 1914. World events that began in 1914 confirm that the understanding of these sincere Bible students was correct. The fulfillment of Bible prophecy shows that in 1914, Christ became King and God’s heavenly Kingdom began to rule. Hence, we are living in the “short period of time” that Satan has left. (Revelation 12:12; Psalm 110:2) We can also say with certainty that soon God’s Kingdom will act to cause God’s will to be done on earth. (again, see Sub-Section 5 for an explanation of Daniels prophecy)


There is so much more to be discussed on this subject, but to keep it short and to the point, I limited the information so as not to be overwhelming about the content. Again, I am available for further discussion and proof of this and other Bible based subects at haleiwa.hi@gmail.com

7. Why does God permit suffering

Definition of Suffering: The experience undergone by a person when enduring pain or distress. The suffering may be physical, mental, or emotional. Many things can cause suffering; for example, the damage done as a result of war and of commercial greed, adverse hereditary factors, illness, accidents, “natural disasters,” unkind things said or done by others, demonic pressures, an awareness of impending calamity, or one’s own foolishness. Suffering that results from these various causes will be considered here. However, suffering may also be experienced because of a person’s sensitivity to the plight of other people or his grief at observing ungodly conduct.


Who really is to blame for it?
Humans are to blame for much of the suffering. They fight wars, commit crimes, pollute the environment, often carry on business in a manner motivated by greed rather than concern for their fellowman, and sometimes indulge in habits that they know can be harmful to their health. When they do these things, they hurt others and themselves. Should it be expected that humans would be immune to the consequences of what they do? (Gal. 6:7; Prov. 1:30-33) Is it reasonable to blame God for these things that humans themselves do?


Satan and his demons also share responsibility. The Bible discloses that much suffering is because of the influence of wicked spirits. The suffering for which so many people blame God does not come from him at all.—Rev. 12:12; Acts 10:38; see also pages 363, 364, under the heading “Satan the Devil.”


How did suffering get started? Examination of the causes focuses attention on our first human parents, Adam and Eve. Jehovah God created them perfect and put them in paradise surroundings. If they had obeyed God, they would never have got sick or died. They could have enjoyed perfect human life forever. Suffering was not part of Jehovah’s purpose for mankind. But Jehovah clearly told Adam that continued enjoyment of what He had given them depended on obedience. Obviously, they had to breathe, eat, drink, and sleep in order to continue living. And they had to keep God’s moral requirements in order to enjoy life fully and to be favored with such life forever. But they chose to go their own way, to set their own standards of good and bad, and thus they turned away from God, the Life-Giver. (Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1-6) Sin led to death. It was as sinners that Adam and Eve produced children, and they could not pass on to their children what they no longer had. All were born in sin, with inclinations toward wrongdoing, weaknesses that could lead to illness, a sinful inheritance that would eventually result in death. Because everyone on earth today was born in sin, all of us experience suffering in various ways.—Gen. 8:21; Rom. 5:12.


Ecclesiastes 9:11 says that “time and unforeseen occurrence” also have a bearing on what happens to us. We may get hurt, not because the Devil directly causes it or because any human does it, but because by chance we are in a place at the wrong moment.


An Issue Raised in Eden
How would a loving and capable parent feel if he was publicly accused of lying to his children, abusing his authority over them, and withholding good things from them? Would he disprove those slanderous accusations by physically assaulting his accuser? Of course not! In fact, by reacting in such a manner, he might give credibility to the accusations.


This illustration helps to explain Jehovah God’s way of handling a challenge raised against him at the dawn of human history in a place called Eden. There God announced to the first two humans, Adam and Eve, a wonderful project for his earthly children. They were to fill the earth, subdue it, and turn it into a global paradise. (Genesis 1:28) Moreover, hundreds of millions of spirit sons of God were keenly interested in this exciting project.—Job 38:4, 7; Daniel 7:10.


Being a generous God, Jehovah gave Adam and Eve a beautiful garden home with all its delicious fruits. Only one tree was out of bounds for them—“the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.” By not eating from this tree, Adam and Eve would demonstrate their full trust in their Father, recognizing that he had the right to decide what was good and bad for his children.—Genesis 2:16, 17.


Sadly, though, one of God’s spirit sons, motivated by the desire to be worshipped, told Eve that if she ate the forbidden fruit, she would not die. (Genesis 2:17; 3:1-5) Thus, this wicked angel, Satan, blatantly contradicted God, essentially calling him a liar! Satan also went on to accuse God of withholding vital knowledge from Adam and Eve. Humans, Satan implied, should be able to decide for themselves what is good and what is bad. Simply put, Satan accused God of being an unfit Ruler and Father and implied that he, Satan, could do a better job.


By means of those cunning and malicious lies, the angel made himself Satan the Devil. These names mean “Resister” and “Slanderer.” What did Adam and Eve do? They sided with Satan, turning their backs on God.—Genesis 3:6.


Jehovah could have destroyed the rebels on the spot. But, as mentioned in our illustration, such issues cannot be settled by violent retaliation. Keep in mind too that when Satan challenged God, millions of angels were listening. In fact, a significant, but undisclosed, number later joined Satan in his rebellion, making themselves demons.—Mark 1:34; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6.



Why does God not do something to bring relief to mankind? Why should we all suffer for something that Adam did? In the Bible, God tells us how we can avoid much suffering. He has provided the very best counsel on living. When applied, this fills our lives with meaning, results in happy family life, brings us into close association with people who really love one another, and safeguards us against practices that can bring much needless physical suffering. If we ignore that help, is it fair to blame God for the trouble that we bring upon ourselves and others?—2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Ps. 119:97-105.


Jehovah has made provision to end all suffering. He created the first human pair perfect, and he lovingly made every provision so that life would be pleasant for them. When they deliberately turned their backs on God, was God obligated to intervene so as to shield their children from the effects of what the parents had done? (Deut. 32:4, 5; Job 14:4) As we well know, married couples may have the joys that go with producing children, but they also have responsibilities. The attitudes and actions of parents affect their children. Nevertheless, Jehovah, as an expression of marvelous undeserved kindness, sent his own dearly loved Son to earth to lay down his life as a ransom, to provide relief for those of Adam’s offspring who would appreciatively exercise faith in this provision. (John 3:16) As a result, the opportunity is open to people living today to have what Adam lost—perfect human life, free from suffering, in a paradise earth. What a generous provision that is!



But why would a God of love allow the suffering to continue so long?
Have we benefited because he has allowed it until now? “Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) If God had immediately executed Adam and Eve, following their sin, none of us would be in existence today. Surely that is not what we would want. Moreover, had God at some later time destroyed all who were sinners, we would not have been born. The fact that God has allowed this sinful world to exist until now has afforded us the opportunity to be alive and learn his ways, to make needed changes in our lives, and to avail ourselves of his loving provisions for eternal life. That Jehovah has granted us this opportunity is an evidence of great love on his part. The Bible shows that God has a set time to destroy this wicked system and will do so soon.—Hab. 2:3; Zeph. 1:14.


God can and will undo all the harm that may come upon his servants in this system of things. God is not the one who is causing the suffering. But by means of Jesus Christ, God will raise the dead, heal obedient ones of all their illnesses, root out every trace of sin, and even cause former grief to fade from our minds.—John 5:28, 29; Rev. 21:4; Isa. 65:17.


The time that has elapsed has been needed to settle the issues that were raised in Eden. For details, see pages 363, 364, also 428-430.


We personally are anxious to have relief. But when God takes action, it must be in behalf of all who love what is right, not just a few. God is not partial.—Acts 10:34.


Illustrations: Is it not true that a loving parent may allow a child to undergo a painful operation because of beneficial results that can come from it? Also, is it not true that “quick solutions” to painful ailments are often only superficial? More time is frequently needed in order to eliminate the cause.


Why does God permit “natural disasters,” which cause extensive damage to property and life?
God is not causing the earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, droughts, and volcanic eruptions that are so often in today’s news. He is not using these to bring punishment on certain peoples. To a large extent, these are caused by natural forces that have been operating since the earth’s creation. The Bible foretold great earthquakes and food shortages for our day, but that does not mean that either God or Jesus is responsible for them, any more than a meteorologist is responsible for the weather that he forecasts. Because these are occurring along with all the other things foretold in the composite sign of the conclusion of this system of things, they are part of the evidence that the blessings of God’s Kingdom are near.—Luke 21:11, 31.


Humans often bear heavy responsibility for harm done. In what way? Even when given ample warning, many people refuse to get out of the danger area or fail to take needed precautions.—Prov. 22:3; compare Matthew 24:37-39.


God can control such natural forces. He empowered Jesus Christ to calm a storm on the Sea of Galilee, as an example of what He will do for mankind under His Messianic Kingdom. (Mark 4:37-41) By turning his back on God, Adam rejected such divine intervention on behalf of himself and his offspring. Those who are granted life during Christ’s Messianic Reign will experience such loving care, the kind of care that only a government empowered by God can give.—Isa. 11:9.


SOMETIMES a person asking the question “Why?” seeks comfort as well as answers, for when the question springs from severe loss, there is a great need for solace. Does the Bible offer such comfort? Consider three important Biblical truths related to this matter.


First, it is not wrong to ask why God allows suffering. Some people worry that posing such a question implies a lack of faith in God or disrespect for him. On the contrary, if you ask this question out of a sincere heart, you are in good company. The faithful prophet Habakkuk asked God: “Why do you make me watch such terrible injustice? Why do you allow violence, lawlessness, crime, and cruelty to spread everywhere?” (Habakkuk 1:3, Contemporary English Version) Jehovah God did not rebuke Habakkuk. Instead, he had that faithful man’s questions recorded for all of us to read.—Romans 15:4.


Second, it is important to understand that God feels for you in your plight. He is not aloof and mysterious; he is “a lover of justice,” and he detests wickedness and the suffering it causes. (Psalm 37:28; Proverbs 6:16-19) Back in the days of Noah, God felt “hurt at his heart” because of the violence spreading in the earth. (Genesis 6:5, 6) God has not changed; he does not feel differently about what is occurring today.—Malachi 3:6.


Third, God is never the source of wickedness. The Bible makes this quite clear. Those who attribute such things as murder and terrorism to God are maligning him. Note what Job 34:10 says: “Far be it from the true God to act wickedly, and the Almighty to act unjustly!” Similarly, James 1:13 states: “When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” So if you have suffered evil, rest assured that God is not the cause.


Most of the world’s religions teach that something inside a person continues living after death. Some hold that the dead can harm the living or that God punishes the wicked by condemning them to eternal torment in a fiery hell.


WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:
At death, humans cease to exist. “The dead . . . are conscious of nothing at all,” states Ecclesiastes 9:5. Since the dead cannot know, feel, or experience anything, they cannot harm—or help—the living.—Psalm 146:3, 4. See also Genesis 3:19 and Ecclesiastes 9:6, 10.


Most people who have died will be resurrected. Jesus promised that “those in the memorial tombs will . . . come out.” (John 5:28, 29) In harmony with God’s original purpose, those resurrected as humans will have the opportunity to live on a paradise earth. (Luke 23:43) This promised future includes perfect health and everlasting life for obedient humans. The Bible says: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29. See also Job 14:14, 15; Luke 7:11-17; and Acts 24:15.

6. His messenger comes to earth

Jehovah identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the long-promised Messiah


WOULD Jehovah help people to identify the promised Messiah? Yes. Consider what God did. It was some four centuries after the Hebrew Scriptures were completed. In a city called Nazareth, in the northern region of Galilee, a young woman named Mary received a most surprising visit. An angel named Gabriel appeared to her and told her that God was going to use his active force, his holy spirit, to cause her to give birth to a son, though she was a virgin. This son was to become the long-promised King, the one who would rule forever! This child would be God’s own Son, whose life God would transfer from the heavens to the womb of Mary.


Mary humbly accepted that awesome assignment. Her fiancé, a carpenter named Joseph, married her after God sent an angel to assure him of the cause of Mary’s pregnancy. What, though, about the prophecy saying that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem? (Micah 5:2) That small town was some 90 miles [140 km] away!


A Roman ruler decreed that a census be taken. People were required to register at their town of origin. It appears that both Joseph and Mary had roots in Bethlehem, so Joseph took his pregnant wife there. (Luke 2:3) Mary gave birth in a humble stable, laying the baby in a manger. God then sent a multitude of angels to tell a group of shepherds on a hillside that the child just born was the promised Messiah, or Christ.


Later, others too would testify that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The prophet Isaiah had foretold that a man would arise to prepare the way for the Messiah’s vital work. (Isaiah 40:3) That forerunner was John the Baptist. When he saw the man Jesus, he cried: “See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!” Some of John’s disciples immediately followed Jesus. One of them said: “We have found the Messiah.”—John 1:29, 36, 41.


There was further testimony. When John baptized Jesus, Jehovah himself spoke from heaven. By means of holy spirit, he appointed Jesus as the Messiah and said: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.” (Matthew 3:16, 17) The long-promised Messiah had arrived!


When did this happen? In the year 29 C.E., just when the 483 years foretold by Daniel finished running their course. Yes, that is part of the overwhelming evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, or Christ. What message, though, would he proclaim during his time on the earth?


—Based on Matthew chapters 1 to 3; Mark chapter 1; Luke chapter 2; John chapter 1 you will find out:
▪ How Jehovah used angels to identify Jesus as the Messiah
▪ How God used John the Baptist to point to Jesus as the Messiah and
▪ How Jehovah himself identifid his Son as the Messiah


GOD’S SON IN WHAT SENSE? Jehovah is the Father of Jesus—but not in the same way that men are fathers. Jesus was not conceived by a woman—he was created by God. In fact, he was the first person that Jehovah created. (Colossians 1:15-17) Since Jehovah gave life to Jesus by creating him, He can be called Jesus’ Father. After creating this spirit Son, Jehovah used him as “a master worker” to bring all other things into existence, including the physical universe.—Proverbs 8:30.

5. Daniel foretells the time of the end of this system by use of a statue

(Daniel 2:36-45) “This is the dream, and its interpretation we shall say before the king. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, you to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the might, and the strength and the dignity, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever the sons of mankind are dwelling, the beasts of the field and the winged creatures of the heavens, and whom he has made ruler over all of them, you yourself are the head of gold. 39 “And after you there will rise another kingdom inferior to you; and another kingdom, a third one, of copper, that will rule over the whole earth. 40 “And as for the fourth kingdom, it will prove to be strong like iron. Forasmuch as iron is crushing and grinding everything else, so, like iron that shatters, it will crush and shatter even all these. 41 “And whereas you beheld the feet and the toes to be partly of molded clay of a potter and partly of iron, the kingdom itself will prove to be divided, but somewhat of the hardness of iron will prove to be in it, forasmuch as you beheld the iron mixed with moist clay. 42 And as for the toes of the feet being partly of iron and partly of molded clay, the kingdom will partly prove to be strong and will partly prove to be fragile. 43 Whereas you beheld iron mixed with moist clay, they will come to be mixed with the offspring of mankind; but they will not prove to be sticking together, this one to that one, just as iron is not mixing with molded clay. 44 “And in the days of those kings 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; 45 forasmuch as you beheld that out of the mountain a stone was cut not by hands, and [that] it crushed the iron, the copper, the molded clay, the silver and the gold. The grand God himself has made known to the king what is to occur after this. And the dream is reliable, and the interpretation of it is trustworthy.”

Kings in their order listed by Daniel

Information taken from 2012 June 15 Watchtower











Jehovah is a Revealer of Secrets:
WHICH governments will be dominating the earth when God’s Kingdom brings an end to human rulership? We know the answer—it has been disclosed to us by the “Revealer of secrets,” Jehovah God. He enables us to discern the identity of those governments through the writings of the prophet Daniel and the apostle John.


2 Jehovah revealed to those men a series of visions involving a succession of beasts. He also told Daniel the meaning of a visionary dream depicting an immense metal image. Jehovah had those accounts recorded and preserved in the Bible for our benefit. (Rom. 15:4) He did so to strengthen our hope that soon his Kingdom will crush all human governments.—Dan. 2:44.


3 Taken together, the accounts of Daniel and John not only identify eight kings, or human rulerships, but also show the sequence in which those powers would appear. However, we can accurately understand those prophecies only if we comprehend the meaning of the very first prophecy recorded in the Bible. Why so? Because the outworking of that prophecy is the uniting theme of the Bible. It is, in a way, the cord on which all other prophecies hang.


THE SERPENT’S SEED AND THE WILD BEAST
4 Soon after the rebellion in Eden, Jehovah made a promise that a “woman” would produce a “seed.”* (Read Genesis 3:15.) That seed would eventually bruise the serpent, Satan, in the head. Jehovah later revealed that the seed would come through Abraham, belong to the nation of Israel, be a Judean, and be a descendant of King David. (Gen. 22:15-18; 49:10; Ps. 89:3, 4; Luke 1:30-33) The principal part of that seed proved to be Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:16) The secondary part of the seed is made up of the spirit-anointed members of the Christian congregation. (Gal. 3:26-29) Jesus and these anointed ones unite to form God’s Kingdom, the instrument with which God will crush Satan.—Luke 12:32; Rom. 16:20.


5 That first prophecy given in Eden also stated that Satan would produce a “seed.” His seed would express enmity, or hatred, for the seed of the woman. Who make up the seed of the serpent? All those who imitate Satan’s hatred of God and oppose God’s people. Throughout history, Satan has organized his seed into various political movements, or kingdoms. (Luke 4:5, 6) However, only relatively few human kingdoms have exerted a major influence on God’s people, whether the nation of Israel or the congregation of anointed Christians. Why is this fact significant? Because it explains why the visions of Daniel and John describe a total of only eight such great powers.


6 At the close of the first century C.E., the resurrected Jesus gave the apostle John a series of stunning visions. (Rev. 1:1) In one of them, John saw the Devil, represented as a dragon, standing on the shore of a vast sea. (Read Revelation 13:1, 2.) John also saw a strange beast rise from that sea and receive great authority from the Devil. An angel later indicates to John that the seven heads of a scarlet beast, which is an image of the beast of Revelation 13:1, represent “seven kings,” or governments. (Rev. 13:14, 15; 17:3, 9, 10) At the time of John’s writing, five of those had fallen, one was currently in power, and one had “not yet arrived.” What is the identity of those kingdoms, or world powers? Let us consider each of the heads of the beast described in Revelation. We will also see how the writings of Daniel added detailed insights into many of these kingdoms, sometimes centuries before they came into existence.


EGYPT AND ASSYRIA—THE FIRST TWO HEADS
7 The first head of the beast represents Egypt. Why? Because Egypt was the first major power to express enmity toward God’s people. The descendants of Abraham—through whom the promised seed of the woman would come—grew numerous in Egypt. Then, Egypt oppressed Israel. Satan attempted to wipe out God’s people before the seed could arrive. How? By motivating Pharaoh to execute all male Israelite children. Jehovah thwarted that attempt and liberated his people from enslavement to Egypt. (Ex. 1:15-20; 14:13) Later he established the Israelites in the Promised Land.


8 The second head of the beast represents Assyria. This mighty kingdom also attempted to wipe out God’s people. True, Jehovah used Assyria as his instrument to punish the ten-tribe kingdom for their idolatry and rebellion. However, Assyria then attacked Jerusalem. Satan may have had the goal of obliterating the royal line that would eventually lead to Jesus. That assault was not part of Jehovah’s purpose, and he miraculously delivered his faithful people by destroying the invaders.—2 Ki. 19:32-35; Isa. 10:5, 6, 12-15.


BABYLON—THE THIRD HEAD
9 The third head of the beast that John saw represents the kingdom of which Babylon was capital. Jehovah allowed the Babylonians to overthrow Jerusalem and to take his people into captivity. Before permitting this humiliation, though, Jehovah warned the rebellious Israelites that such a tragedy would strike them. (2 Ki. 20:16-18) He foretold that the line of human kings who were said to sit on “Jehovah’s throne” in Jerusalem would be removed. (1 Chron. 29:23) However, Jehovah also promised that a descendant of King David, one who had “the legal right,” would come and reclaim that authority.—Ezek. 21:25-27.


10 Another prophecy indicated that the Jews would still be worshipping at the temple in Jerusalem when the promised Messiah, or Anointed One, arrived. (Dan. 9:24-27) An earlier prophecy, written before Israel was taken captive to Babylon, stated that this person would be born in Bethlehem. (Mic. 5:2) If those prophecies were to be fulfilled, the Jews would have to be liberated from captivity, return to their homeland, and rebuild the temple. But it was not Babylon’s policy to release captives. How would that challenge be overcome? Jehovah revealed the answer to his prophets.—Amos 3:7.


11 The prophet Daniel was among the captives taken to Babylon. (Dan. 1:1-6) Jehovah used him to reveal the succession of kingdoms that would follow that world power. Jehovah disclosed these secrets, using a number of different symbols. For instance, he caused Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to have a dream of an immense image that was made of various metals. (Read Daniel 2:1, 19, 31-38.) Through Daniel, Jehovah revealed that the gold head of the image symbolized the Babylonian Empire.* The world power after Babylon is pictured by the breasts and arms of silver. What would that power be, and how would it treat God’s people?


MEDO-PERSIA—THE FOURTH HEAD
12 More than a century before Daniel’s time, Jehovah revealed through the prophet Isaiah details about the world power that would conquer Babylon. Jehovah disclosed not only the manner in which the city of Babylon would be defeated but also the name of the conqueror. That leader was Cyrus the Persian. (Isa. 44:28–45:2) Daniel received two other visions regarding the Medo-Persian World Power. In one, the kingdom was depicted as being like a bear that was raised up on one side. It was told to “eat much flesh.” (Dan. 7:5) In a separate vision, Daniel saw this dual world power symbolized by a two-horned ram.—Dan. 8:3, 20.


13 Jehovah used the Medo-Persian Empire to fulfill prophecy by overthrowing Babylon and restoring the Israelites to their homeland. (2 Chron. 36:22, 23) However, this same power later came close to eradicating God’s people. The Bible book of Esther records a plot hatched by the prime minister of Persia, a man named Haman. He arranged for the extermination of all the Jews who lived in the vast Persian Empire and set a specific date on which the genocide was to happen. It was only due to Jehovah’s intervention that His people were once again protected from the animosity of Satan’s seed. (Esther 1:1-3; 3:8, 9; 8:3, 9-14) Medo-Persia, therefore, is fittingly depicted as the fourth head of the beast of Revelation.


GREECE—THE FIFTH HEAD
14 The fifth head of the wild beast of Revelation represents Greece. As Daniel had revealed earlier when he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, this same power is symbolized by the copper belly and thighs of the image. Daniel also received two visions that provide remarkable details both about the nature of this empire and about its most prominent ruler.


15 In one vision, Daniel saw Greece depicted as a leopard with four wings, indicating that this empire would conquer swiftly. (Dan. 7:6) In another vision, Daniel described how a goat with a prominent single horn quickly kills a two-horned ram, Medo-Persia. Jehovah told Daniel that the goat symbolized Greece and the large horn depicted one of its kings. Daniel further recorded that the large horn would be broken and four smaller horns would grow in its place. Even though this prophecy was written hundreds of years before Greece became dominant, every detail came true. Alexander the Great, the most prominent king of ancient Greece, led the charge against Medo-Persia. This horn was soon broken, though, the great king dying at the height of his power and at only 32 years of age. Then, his kingdom was eventually divided among four of his generals.—Read Daniel 8:20-22.


16 After conquering Persia, Greece ruled over the land of God’s people. By this time, the Jews were resettled in the Promised Land and had rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. They were still God’s chosen people, and the rebuilt temple was still the center for true worship. However, in the second century B.C.E., Greece, the fifth head of the wild beast, attacked God’s people. Antiochus IV, one of the heirs to Alexander’s divided empire, placed a pagan altar on the grounds of the temple in Jerusalem and made practicing the Jewish religion a crime punishable by death. What an act of hatred by part of Satan’s seed! Soon, though, Greece was supplanted as the world power. What would be the sixth head of the wild beast?


ROME—THE SIXTH HEAD, “FEARSOME AND TERRIBLE”
17 Rome was the dominant power when John received the vision of the wild beast. (Rev. 17:10) This sixth head played a key role in the fulfillment of the prophecy recorded at Genesis 3:15. Satan used Roman officials to deliver a blow that temporarily crippled the seed, bruising it “in the heel.” How so? They tried Jesus on the false charge of sedition and had him executed. (Matt. 27:26) But that wound soon healed because Jehovah resurrected Jesus.


18 The religious leaders of Israel conspired with Rome against Jesus, and the majority of the nation also rejected him. Thus, Jehovah abandoned natural Israel as his people. (Matt. 23:38; Acts 2:22, 23) He now chose a new nation, “the Israel of God.” (Gal. 3:26-29; 6:16) That nation was the congregation of anointed Christians made up of both Jews and Gentiles. (Eph. 2:11-18) After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the seed of the serpent continued to express animosity toward the seed of the woman. On more than one occasion, Rome attempted to wipe out the Christian congregation, the secondary part of the seed.*


19 In the dream that Daniel interpreted for Nebuchadnezzar, Rome is depicted by the legs of iron. (Dan. 2:33) Daniel also saw a vision that well describes not only the Roman Empire but also the next world power that would grow out of Rome. (Read Daniel 7:7, 8.) For centuries, Rome appeared to her enemies to be “fearsome and terrible and unusually strong.” However, the prophecy foretold that “ten horns” would grow from this empire and one in particular would gain prominence. What are these ten horns, and what is the identity of the small horn? In what way does the small horn correspond to the description of the giant image seen by Nebuchadnezzar? The article on page 14 will consider the answers.


Once again, Biblical kingdoms in order of appearance & dates of Gods people
1. Egypt
2. Assyria
3. Babylon
4. Medo-Persia
5. Greece
6. Rome
7. Britain and the U.S.A.*
8. League of Nations
and then United Nations*

GOD’S PEOPLE
2000 B.C.E.
Abraham 1500 BCE
Nation of Israel 1000 BCE
Daniel 500 BCE
B.C.E./C.E.
John 1-100 C.E.
Spiritual Israel of God from -0 C.E.- thru today 2013 C.E.

Jehovah Reveals what must shortly take place -
THE prophecies of Daniel and John correspond in ways that allow us to understand the meaning of many present and future world events. What can we learn by comparing John’s vision of the wild beast, Daniel’s account of the fearsome beast that had ten horns, and Daniel’s interpretation of the immense image? And what should a clear understanding of those prophecies move us to do?


2 Let us address John’s vision of the wild beast. (Rev., chap. 13) As we saw in the preceding article, the first six heads of the beast represent Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. All of those expressed hatred for the seed of the woman. (Gen. 3:15) Rome, the sixth head, remained a dominant political force for centuries after John wrote down his vision. Eventually, the seventh head would take the place of Rome. Which political world power did that prove to be, and how would it treat the seed of the woman?


BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES RISE TO POWER
3 We can identify the seventh head of the wild beast of Revelation chapter 13 by comparing John’s vision with Daniel’s vision of the frightening ten-horned beast.* (Read Daniel 7:7, 8, 23, 24.) The beast that Daniel saw represented the Roman World Power. (See the chart on pages 12-13.) In the fifth century C.E., the Roman Empire began to fragment. The ten horns sprouting from the head of that fearsome beast represent kingdoms that grew out of that empire.


4 Four of the horns, or kingdoms, that sprouted from the head of the ferocious beast receive special mention. Three are plucked out by another horn, “a small one.” This was fulfilled when Britain, a former outpost of the Roman Empire, grew to prominence. Until the 17th century, Britain was a relatively insignificant power. Three other regions of the old Roman Empire—Spain, the Netherlands, and France—were far more influential. Britain plucked those powers out one by one, removing them from their positions of prestige. By the mid-18th century, Britain was on its way to become the dominant power on the world scene. But it had not yet become the seventh head of the wild beast.


5 Though Britain gained dominance, colonies in North America broke away. Even so, the United States was allowed to grow mighty, protected by British naval power. By the time the Lord’s day began in 1914, Britain had built the largest empire in history and the United States had become the greatest industrial power on earth.* During World War I, the United States forged a special partnership with Britain. The seventh head of the beast had now emerged as the Anglo-American World Power. How did this head treat the seed of the woman?


6 Shortly after the start of the Lord’s day, the seventh head launched an attack on God’s people—the remaining ones of Christ’s brothers on earth. (Matt. 25:40) Jesus indicated that during his presence, a remnant of the seed would be active on earth. (Matt. 24:45-47; Gal. 3:26-29) The Anglo-American World Power waged war with those holy ones. (Rev. 13:3, 7) During World War I, it oppressed God’s people, banned some of their publications, and threw representatives of the faithful slave class into prison. The seventh head of the wild beast as much as killed the preaching work for a period of time. Jehovah foresaw this dramatic event and revealed it to John. God also told John that the secondary part of the seed would be revived to increased spiritual activity. (Rev. 11:3, 7-11) The history of Jehovah’s modern-day servants confirms that those events took place.


THE ANGLO-AMERICAN WORLD POWER AND THE FEET OF IRON AND CLAY
7 What is the relationship between the seventh head of the wild beast and the immense image? Britain—and by extension, the United States—grew out of the Roman Empire. What, though, about the feet of the image? They are described as an amalgam of iron and clay. (Read Daniel 2:41-43.) This description coincides with the time when the seventh head—the Anglo-American World Power—would come to prominence. Just as an iron structure mixed with clay is weaker than solid iron, so too the Anglo-American World Power is weaker than the power from which it emerged. How?


8 At times, the seventh head of the beast has displayed ironlike characteristics. For example, it proved its power by winning World War I. During World War II, the ironlike power of the seventh head was also evident.* After that war, the seventh head at times still displayed ironlike characteristics. However, from early on, that iron has been mixed with clay.


9 Jehovah’s servants have long sought to understand the symbolic meaning of the feet of the image. Daniel 2:41 describes the mixture of iron and clay as one “kingdom,” not many. The clay, therefore, represents elements within the sphere of influence of the Anglo-American World Power, elements that make it weaker than the solid iron of the Roman Empire. The clay is referred to as “the offspring of mankind,” or the common people. (Dan. 2:43) In the Anglo-American World Power, people have risen up to claim their rights through civil rights campaigns, labor unions, and independence movements. The common people undermine the ability of the Anglo-American World Power to act with ironlike strength. Also, opposing ideologies and close election results that do not end up in a clear majority have weakened the power base of even popular leaders, so that they have no clear mandate to implement their policies. Daniel foretold: “The kingdom will partly prove to be strong and will partly prove to be fragile.”—Dan. 2:42; 2 Tim. 3:1-3.


10 In the 21st century, Britain and the United States have continued their special partnership, often acting together in world affairs. The prophecies about the immense image and the wild beast confirm that the Anglo-American World Power will not be replaced by some future world power. This last world power may be weaker than that represented by the legs of iron, but it will not disintegrate on its own.


11 Does the number of toes of the image have special meaning? Consider: In other visions, Daniel mentions specific numbers—for example, the number of horns on the heads of various beasts. Those numbers are significant. However, when describing the image, Daniel does not mention the number of toes. Therefore, the number seems no more significant than the fact that the image had multiple arms, hands, fingers, legs, and feet. Daniel does specifically mention that the toes would be made of iron and clay. From his description, we can conclude that the Anglo-American World Power is the one that will be dominating when the “stone” representing God’s Kingdom hits the feet of the image.—Dan. 2:45.


ANGLO-AMERICA AND THE TWO-HORNED WILD BEAST
12 Though the Anglo-American World Power is a mixture of iron and clay, the visions that Jesus gave to John show that this power would continue to play a key role during the last days. How so? John saw a vision of a two-horned wild beast that spoke like a dragon. What does this strange beast represent? It has two horns, so it is a dual power. John is again seeing the Anglo-American World Power but in a special role.—Read Revelation 13:11-15.


13 This wild beast promotes the making of an image of the wild beast. John wrote that the image of the beast would appear, disappear, and then rise again. That is exactly what happened to an organization promoted by Britain and the United States, one that was intended to unite and represent the world’s kingdoms.* This organization appeared after World War I and was known as the League of Nations. It disappeared with the onset of World War II. During that war, God’s people declared that according to the prophecy in Revelation, the image of the wild beast would ascend again. And rise it did—as the United Nations.—Rev. 17:8.


14 John described the image of the beast as “an eighth king.” In what sense? It is not depicted as an eighth head on the original wild beast. It is only an image of that beast. Any power it has comes from its member nations, especially from its key backer, the Anglo-American World Power. (Rev. 17:10, 11) But it does receive authority to act as a king to carry out a specific task, one that triggers a chain of events that will change history.


THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST DEVOURS THE HARLOT
15 According to John, upon a scarlet-colored wild beast—the image of the wild beast—rides a symbolic harlot, dominating it. She bears the name “Babylon the Great.” (Rev. 17:1-6) This harlot fittingly stands for all false religion, foremost of which are the churches of Christendom. Religious organizations have given their blessing to the image of the beast and have tried to exert influence over it.


16 However, during the Lord’s day, Babylon the Great has seen the waters, the people who support her, dry up dramatically. (Rev. 16:12; 17:15) For example, when the image of the beast first appeared, the churches of Christendom—an influential part of Babylon the Great—dominated the Western world. Today, the churches and their ministers have lost the respect and support of the masses. In fact, many people believe that religion contributes to or causes conflict. An increasingly vocal and militant group of Western intellectuals is calling for the end of religion’s influence on society.


17 False religion, however, will not just fade away. The harlot will remain a potent force, attempting to bend kings to her will until God plants an idea in the hearts of those in power. (Read Revelation 17:16, 17.) Soon Jehovah will cause the political elements of Satan’s system, as represented by the United Nations, to attack false religion. They will destroy her influence and devastate her riches. Such an event may have seemed unlikely just decades ago. Today, the harlot teeters on the back of the scarlet-colored beast. Even so, she will not slip slowly from her seat. Her tumble will be sudden and violent.—Rev. 18:7, 8, 15-19.


THE BEASTS COME TO THEIR END
18 After false religion is destroyed, the wild beast, Satan’s earthly political setup, will be goaded into an attack on God’s Kingdom. Unable to reach into heaven, the kings of the earth will vent their rage on those on earth who support God’s Kingdom. The result is inevitable. (Rev. 16:13-16; 17:12-14) Daniel describes one aspect of the final battle. (Read Daniel 2:44.) The wild beast mentioned at Revelation 13:1, its image, and the two-horned wild beast will be destroyed.


19 We are living in the days of the seventh head. No more heads will appear on this beast before it is annihilated. The Anglo-American World Power will be the dominant world power when false religion is eradicated. The prophecies of Daniel and John have been fulfilled to the smallest detail. We can be confident that the destruction of false religion and the battle of Armageddon will soon come. God has revealed these details in advance. Will we pay attention to the prophetic warnings? (2 Pet. 1:19) Now is the time to take sides with Jehovah and to support his Kingdom.—Rev. 14:6, 7.