16. What must be said of survival of the war at Har–Magedon, as to (a) the earth, (b) the birds, and (c) exceptions to the worshipers of the wild beast?

¹⁶ It is to be noted that the account does not say that the literal earth over which the “kings” have reigned is burned up. No, but the earth survives the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon. Also, “all the birds that fly in midheaven” survive, to feast upon the fleshy parts of the bodies strewn over the earth. But there are also human survivors on earth after the “war of the great day of God the Almighty.” This is not shown here directly in this battle account. Yet this must be so! Why? Because not all the inhabitants of the earth at the time of the battle will be misled by the “false prophet.” There will be exceptions, though comparatively few, to “those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image.” (Revelation 19:20) What about the “great crowd,” whom the apostle John saw earlier in the vision and who were seen standing before God’s throne and before the Lamb Jesus Christ? They are not among those fighting against God’s Messianic kingdom at Har–Magedon.

17. What does Revelation, chapter seven, show regarding the attitude of the “great crowd” toward God and his Messianic kingdom?

¹⁷ Telling about these, John says: “They keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: ‘Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” After making inquiry about these, one of the twenty-four heavenly elders tells John: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-14) This “great crowd” that comes “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues” was definitely not against the Messianic kingdom of God. It refused to receive the “mark of the wild beast” and to “render worship to its image.”

18. Why will the earth not be found empty of human life when Christ’s thousand-year reign begins?

¹⁸ So the “great crowd” will not fall slain with people executed at Har–Magedon, but will “come out of the great tribulation,” the grand climax of which will be the “war of the great day of God the Almighty.” Surviving that “great tribulation” and hailing victorious Jehovah God and the Lamb Jesus Christ, the “great crowd” will, as with palm branches, look forward joyfully to the thousand years ahead. So the earth will not be found empty of human life as the glorious thousand years of Christ’s reign begins.

1, 2. (a) Will our earth be burned up in the war at Har–Magedon? (b) How is this shown by what is done to Satan and his demons thereafter?

OUR earthly globe will not be reduced to ashes and smoke by being burned up in the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon. This is shown by what happens to Satan the Devil right after that war. How so? Because he and his demon angels are found still alive at the earth, to which they were cast down in defeat after a war broke out in heaven after the birth of God’s Messianic kingdom in the heavens. Down Satan and his demons plunged to earth’s vicinity, to be retained there for a “short period of time.” (Revelation 12:7-13) Because they are restrained to the earth clear through the “war of the great day of God the Almighty,” God’s angel needs to come down to the earth to take further action against them. Respecting this we read in John’s account of his vision:

² “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.