Still Mightier Works

17. How does ‘the song of Moses and of the Lamb’ extol Jehovah?

¹⁷ During the past six thousand years, the King of eternity has set in motion still mightier works. In the final book of the Bible, at Revelation 15:3, 4, we read of those in heaven who have triumphed over demonic enemies: “They are singing the song of Moses the slave of God and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity. Who will not really fear you, Jehovah, and glorify your name, because you alone are loyal? For all the nations will come and worship before you, because your righteous decrees have been made manifest.’” Why is this called ‘the song of Moses and of the Lamb’? Let us see.

18. What mighty work is memorialized in song in Exodus chapter 15?

¹⁸ Some 3,500 years ago, when Pharaoh’s mighty army perished in the Red Sea, the Israelites thankfully praised Jehovah in song. We read at Exodus 15:1, 18: “At that time Moses and the sons of Israel proceeded to sing this song to Jehovah and to say the following: ‘Let me sing to Jehovah, for he has become highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has pitched into the sea. Jehovah will rule as king to time indefinite, even forever.’” Righteous decrees of this King of eternity were manifest in his judging and executing of enemies that defied his sovereignty.

19, 20. (a) Why did Jehovah form the nation of Israel? (b) How have the Lamb and others answered Satan’s challenge?

¹⁹ Why had this become necessary? It was in the garden of Eden that the wily Serpent led our first parents into sin. This resulted in sinful imperfection being passed on to all mankind. However, the King of eternity immediately took steps in harmony with his original purpose, which would lead to the ousting of all his enemies from earth’s domain and to the restoring of paradisaic conditions. The King of eternity formed the nation of Israel and provided his Law to foreshadow how he would accomplish this.—Galatians 3:24.

²⁰ In time, though, Israel itself sank into unfaithfulness, and this sad state climaxed when its leaders gave God’s only-begotten Son over to the Romans to be viciously tortured and killed. (Acts 10:39; Philippians 2:8) However, Jesus’ integrity to the death, as the sacrificial “Lamb of God,” refuted outstandingly the challenge made by God’s ancient Adversary, Satan—that no man on earth could keep faithful to God under a severe test. (John 1:29, 36; Job 1:9-12; 27:5) Though inheriting imperfection from Adam, millions of other God-fearing humans have followed in Jesus’ footsteps by keeping integrity in the face of satanic attacks.—1 Peter 1:18, 19; 2:19, 21.

21. In line with Acts 17:29-31, what will be discussed next?

²¹ Now the day has arrived for Jehovah to reward those faithful ones and to judge all enemies of truth and righteousness. (Acts 17:29-31) How will this come about? Our next article will tell.

1, 2. (a) To what extent did true Christianity flourish in the first century? (b) What forewarning had the apostles given? (c) How did apostasy develop?

JESUS organized his disciples into the Christian congregation, which flourished in the first century. Despite bitter religious opposition, the “good news . . . was preached in all creation that is under heaven.” (Colossians 1:23) But after the death of the apostles of Jesus Christ, Satan insidiously fomented apostasy.

² The apostles had given prior warning of this. For example, Paul told the elders from Ephesus: “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:28-30; see also 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 2:18, 19.) Thus, in the fourth century, apostate Christianity began to combine forces with the Roman Empire. Some centuries later the Holy Roman Empire, with ties to the pope of Rome, came to rule over a large section of mankind. In time, the Protestant Reformation rebelled against the wicked excesses of the Catholic Church, but it failed to restore true Christianity.

3. (a) When and how was the good news preached to all creation? (b) What Bible-based expectations were realized in 1914?

³ Nevertheless, as the end of the 19th century approached, a sincere group of Bible students was again busy preaching and extending to ‘all creation under heaven the hope of the good news.’ On the basis of their study of Bible prophecy, this group pointed forward more than 30 years to the year 1914 as marking the end of “the appointed times of the nations,” a period of “seven times,” or 2,520 years, that began with the desolating of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. (Luke 21:24; Daniel 4:16) True to expectations, 1914 proved to be a turning point in man’s affairs on earth. Historic events took place in heaven as well. It was then that the King of eternity placed his associate King, Jesus Christ, upon a heavenly throne, preparatory to sweeping all wickedness from the face of this earth and reestablishing Paradise.—Psalm 2:6, 8, 9; 110:1, 2, 5.

Behold the Messianic King!

4. How did Jesus live up to the meaning of his name Michael?

⁴ In 1914 this Messianic King, Jesus, moved into action. In the Bible he is also named Michael, meaning “Who Is Like God?,” for he is intent on vindicating Jehovah’s sovereignty. As recorded at Revelation 12:7-12, the apostle John described in vision what would happen: “War broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.” A mighty fall indeed!

5, 6. (a) Following 1914, what thrilling proclamation was made from heaven? (b) How does Matthew 24:3-13 tie in with this?

⁵ A stentorian voice in heaven then proclaimed: “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 has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! And they [faithful Christians] conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb [Christ Jesus] and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death.” This means deliverance for integrity keepers, who have exercised faith in Jesus’ precious ransom sacrifice.—Proverbs 10:2; 2 Peter 2:9.

⁶ The loud voice in heaven went on to declare: “On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! 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.” The “woe” thus prophesied for this earth has been manifest in the world wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and lawlessness that have plagued the earth in this century. As Matthew 24:3-13 recounts, Jesus foretold that these would be part of ‘the sign of the conclusion of the system of things.’ True to prophecy, since 1914 mankind has experienced on earth woe unequaled in all previous human history.

7. Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses preach with urgency?

⁷ In this age of satanic woe, can mankind find hope for the future? Why, yes, for Matthew 12:21 says of Jesus: “Indeed, in his name nations will hope”! The traumatic conditions among the nations mark not only ‘the sign of the conclusion of the system of things’ but also ‘the sign of Jesus’ presence’ as heavenly King of the Messianic Kingdom. Concerning that Kingdom, Jesus further says: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) What one people on earth today are preaching the grand hope of God’s Kingdom rule? Jehovah’s Witnesses! With urgency, they proclaim publicly and from house to house that God’s Kingdom of righteousness and peace is about to take over earth’s affairs. Are you sharing in this ministry? You could have no greater privilege!—2 Timothy 4:2, 5.

How Does “the End” Come?

8, 9. (a) How did judgment start “with the house of God”? (b) How has Christendom violated God’s Word?

⁸ Mankind has entered a period of judgment. We are informed at 1 Peter 4:17 that judgment started “with the house of God”—a judgment of professed Christian organizations that has been apparent since “the last days” got under way with the slaughter of World War I during 1914-18. How has Christendom made out in this judgment? Well, consider the stand of the churches in supporting the wars since 1914. Are not the clergy stained with “the blood marks of the souls of the innocent poor ones” that they preached into the firing lines?—Jeremiah 2:34.

⁹ According to Matthew 26:52, Jesus stated: “All those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” How true this has been in the wars of this century! The clergy have urged young men on to massacre other young men, even those of their own religion—Catholic killing Catholic and Protestant killing Protestant. Nationalism has been exalted above God and Christ. Recently, in some African nations, ethnic ties have been placed ahead of Bible principles. In Rwanda, where most of the population are Catholic, at least half a million were slaughtered in ethnic violence. The pope admitted in the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano: “This is an out-and-out genocide, for which unfortunately even Catholics are responsible.”—Compare Isaiah 59:2, 3; Micah 4:3, 5.

10. What judgment will Jehovah execute on false religion?

¹⁰ How does the King of eternity regard religions that encourage men to slaughter one another or that stand idly by while members of their flock kill other members? Regarding Babylon the Great, the worldwide system of false religion, Revelation 18:21, 24 tells us: “A strong angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea, saying: ‘Thus with a swift pitch will Babylon the great city be hurled down, and she will never be found again. Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.’”

11. What horrible things have been happening in Christendom?

¹¹ In fulfillment of Bible prophecy, horrible things have been happening in Christendom. (Compare Jeremiah 5:30, 31; 23:14.) Largely because of the permissive attitude of the clergy, their flocks are riddled with immorality. In the United States, supposedly a Christian nation, about half of all marriages end up in divorce. Teenage pregnancies and homosexuality run riot among church members. Priests are sexually abusing young children—and not in just a few instances. It has been said that court settlements involving these cases could cost the Catholic Church in the United States a billion dollars within a decade. Christendom has disregarded the apostle Paul’s warning found at 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10: “What! Do you not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom.”

12. (a) How will the King of eternity take action against Babylon the Great? (b) In contrast with Christendom, for what reason will God’s people sing “Hallelujah” choruses?

¹² Shortly, the King of eternity, Jehovah, acting through his heavenly Field Marshal, Christ Jesus, will let loose the great tribulation. First, Christendom and all other branches of Babylon the Great will suffer the execution of Jehovah’s judgment. (Revelation 17:16, 17) They have shown themselves unworthy of the salvation that Jehovah has provided through Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. They have despised God’s holy name. (Compare Ezekiel 39:7.) What a mockery it is that they sing “Hallelujah” choruses in their opulent religious edifices! They remove Jehovah’s precious name from their Bible translations but seem oblivious to the fact that “Hallelujah” means “Praise Jah”—“Jah” being a shortened form of “Jehovah.” Appropriately, Revelation 19:1-6 records the “Hallelujah” choruses soon to be sung in celebration of God’s executing judgment on Babylon the Great.

13, 14. (a) What momentous events occur next? (b) What is the happy outcome for God-fearing humans?

¹³ Next in order is Jesus’ ‘arrival’ to pronounce and execute judgment on nations and peoples. He himself prophesied: “When the Son of man [Christ Jesus] arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious [judgment] throne. And all the nations [on earth] will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world.’” (Matthew 25:31-34) Mt 25 Verse 46 goes on to relate that the goat class “will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”

¹⁴ The Bible book of Revelation describes how the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” our heavenly Lord, Jesus Christ, will at that time ride into battle at Armageddon, destroying the political and commercial elements of Satan’s system. Thus Christ will have poured out “the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty” on Satan’s entire earthly domain. As these ‘former things pass away,’ God-fearing humans will be ushered into the glorious new world where God “will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”—Revelation 19:11-16; 21:3-5.