42. When the members of the United Nations move in to attack Jehovah’s witnesses, against whom, in reality, will they be expressing their defiance?

⁴² Forward, then, to the attack, you united national members of the world organization for international peace and security! Forward, yes, but not really against the surviving witnesses of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah; rather, against their heavenly Leader, Jesus Christ, the once-sacrificed “Lamb of God”! For, respecting the political powers that gave their earthly “power and authority” to the world organization for domination of mankind, it is written: “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.”​—Revelation 17:13, 14.

45. What reasons will the ungodly nations have given the Universal Sovereign for destroying them?

⁴⁵ All the holy heavens and all the holy ones on earth are watching what now takes place! Now at last has been reached the culminating point of the brazen defiance and challenge by the nations on earth with respect to the universal sovereignty of the Most High God, the Producer of heaven and earth! Now the heavenly Claimant to Universal Sovereignty must decide as to whose position is right, that of his Christian witnesses on earth or that of the self-glorifying nations of mortal creature men. The nations have not only ‘ruined the earth’ by their pollutions and violations of the Creator’s laws but also now set themselves to destroying His “people for special possession,” the anointed remnant of spiritual Israel, along with the “great crowd” of God-fearing persons who do good to that “people for special possession.” (Revelation 11:18; 1 Peter 2:9) What further reason does the Universal Sovereign need in his seeking for a cause to destroy the ungodly nations? None!

46. (a) How have the nations shown that they have refused to heed the inspired counsel recorded at Psalm 2:10-12? (b) So, in harmony with Psalm 2:5-9, for what action does the time arrive?

⁴⁶ Stubbornly, during all the worldwide preaching of the “good news of the kingdom” for a witness since 1914 C.E., the nations have refused to heed the inspired counsel: “And now, O kings, exercise insight; let yourselves be corrected, O judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear and be joyful with trembling. Kiss the Son [the Messiah] that He [Jehovah] may not become incensed and you may not perish from the way, for his anger flares up easily.” (Psalm 2:7, 10-12) The nations have persistently held back from kissing the King whom Jehovah has universally announced to be his only-begotten Son, for the nations have done nothing to soften his face toward a reconciliation. They have refused to surrender to him their sovereignties over their claimed territories. The clock of God’s timetable strikes the hour for Him to ‘speak to the nations in his anger and disturb them in his hot displeasure.’ So now let the rule of the “iron scepter” go into operation. Let Jehovah’s installed royal Son break the nations, dash them to pieces like a potter’s earthenware vessel. (Psalm 2:5-9) At once, then, let the Son of God with the iron scepter engage the enemy forces in battle!