Jehovah’s Witnesses are given advance notice of that in this prophecy of Revelation 17:13, 14:

¹⁴ “These [political elements represented in the United Nations] have one thought, and so they give their power and authority to the wild beast. These will battle with the Lamb, but, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them. Also, those called and chosen and faithful with him will do so.”

15, 16. (a) That final clash over world domination means, in effect, what? (b) What preview does the apostle John give us of this event, with what outcome?

¹⁵ This military engagement means the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at the world situation called Har–Magedon. (Rev. 16:13-16) Under Jehovah’s protection his witnesses on earth will witness the “war” as described in Revelation 19:11-21. In a preview of this final clash over the issues of world domination, the Christian apostle John describes the outcome of the war, writing:

¹⁶ “I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage the war with the one seated on the horse [Jehovah’s field marshal, Jesus Christ] and with his army [of heavenly angels]. And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet [the Anglo-American World Power] that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image [the United Nations]. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulphur. But the rest were killed off with the long sword of the one seated on the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth. And all the birds [mentioned in Re 19 verses 17, 18] were filled from the fleshy parts of them.”

17. What does this calamity upon the atheistic political elements terminate, and then what takes place toward unseen elements?

¹⁷ That destruction of all the atheistic elements of this Devil-controlled system of things will terminate the “great tribulation” mentioned in Revelation 7:14. This will be followed by the binding and abyssing of the invisible world ruler, Satan the Devil, and all his demon angels for the next 1,000 years.​—Rev. 20:1-3.

18. What does God’s Word show as to whether that war of all wars will leave our earth entirely depopulated?

¹⁸ Will that war of all wars at Har–Magedon leave an earth totally bereft of all human life? The end of the ancient world of Noah’s day by the deluge did not depopulate the earth, for eight human survivors rode out the earth-wide flood. (2 Pet. 2:5) Noah’s God, Jehovah, formed the earth “even to be inhabited.” (Isa. 45:18) Through the prophet Isaiah, Jehovah foretold the Persian conqueror, Cyrus the Great, by his personal name, and this liberator of the exiled Jews was raised up to picture the Greater Liberator, Jesus Christ. In the coming “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon, Jesus Christ will gain the victory over all the earthly enemies of Jehovah and of his people, killing off those enemies of God’s kingdom. Jesus Christ will not do this executional work at the expense of every member of the remnant of his spirit-begotten, anointed followers yet on earth, for in that case there would be no complete victory for the side of God’s kingdom.

When those political rulers try to obliterate all worship from the earth by touching the remnant and their companions, it will be the same as touching their heavenly Master, Jesus Christ, the Greater Cyrus. This will spell war with him at Har–Magedon. The war that will then erupt will surpass the radiological warfare that the nations are now trying to prevent among themselves, for from the invisible realm Jesus Christ and his army of heavenly angels will deal out destruction to these presumptuous assailants of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

24. Who will have the privilege of being eyewitnesses of that “war of the great day,” and without having to take part in it, but with what reaction?

²⁴ What a great privilege it will be to be an eyewitness of that “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon! Under his protection and without having to take part in the fighting, the remnant of the Jeremiah class and their devoted companions will enjoy that privilege right here on earth, the battleground. Thus their having proclaimed “the day of vengeance on the part of our God” will be amply rewarded; it will not have been in vain. (Isa. 61:2) Who can now measure the extent of their jubilation then, along with that of all the holy angels of heaven under Christ?