The Coming Finale of “the Book of the Wars of Jehovah”

“It is said in the book of the Wars of Jehovah.”​—NUMBERS 21:14.

1, 2. On what ancient occasion did Jehovah display to the Egyptians that he was a warrior God, and how did he do it?

IT IS little appreciated by men of today that the God of the Bible, Jehovah, is a warrior, a manly person of war. This fact was dramatized when he delivered his people of ancient times from oppression in Egypt. Pharaoh had been incited by the invisible enemy of that people, Satan the Devil, to try to work them to death. Now, coming to a realization of what he was losing by letting the Israelites go free, Pharaoh and his military forces went in pursuit of them.

² Pharaoh, however, did not discern that the God of the Israelites could become a warrior God in order to deliver His people. As those Egyptian forces were pressing through the dry bed of the Red Sea in vengeful pursuit, the God of the endangered Israelites took action and drowned the charioteers and the horsemen, letting the heaped-up waters cave in upon the escape corridor that had been miraculously opened for the Israelites.​—Exodus 14:14, 24-28.

3. In their victory song, the Israelites characterized Jehovah as what sort of God, but what fact do the nations of today ignore?

³ Safe on the eastern bank of the Red Sea, the jubilant Israelites sang a victory song, extolling their heavenly Deliverer: “Let me sing to Jehovah, for he has become highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has pitched into the sea. My strength and my might is Jah, since he serves for my salvation. This is my God, and I shall laud him; my father’s God, and I shall raise him on high. Jehovah is a manly person of war. Jehovah is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his military forces he has cast into the sea, and the choice of his warriors have been sunk in the Red Sea.” (Exodus 15:1-4) There at the Red Sea, Jehovah displayed himself as a warrior capable of spectacular deeds. This fact the worldly nations have ignored.

4, 5. Those jubilant 12 tribes of Israel stemmed from what common forefather, and whose friend did this one become because of what quality?

⁴ The prophet Moses, who led in the singing of that inspired song, spoke of Jehovah as “my father’s God.” The Hebrew Abraham was an outstanding forefather of the nation of Israel. From him, through Isaac and Jacob and the 12 sons of Jacob, stemmed the 12 tribes of Israel. Abraham proved himself to be an exemplary worshiper of Jehovah God. He was a man of such strong faith that when Jehovah called him to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldeans, he unhesitatingly set out for the land that Jehovah was going to show him, confident that God would fulfill His promise to give it to him and to his offspring.

⁵ Because of Abraham’s magnificent faith, Jehovah promised to give Abraham a “seed,” or offspring, by means of which all the families of the earth, including the families of today, would bless themselves. (Genesis 12:2, 3; 22:17, 18) Abraham was brought into such a close relationship with his God that he was known as “Jehovah’s friend,” God himself calling the faithful patriarch “my friend.”​—James 2:23; Isaiah 41:8.

6. Although a peaceful wanderer in the Promised Land, how did Abraham prove himself to be a fighter trusting in Jehovah?

⁶ Although moving about like a stranger in the Promised Land, Abraham proved that he could act as a fighter, a warrior. On one occasion four kings from outside invaded the Promised Land and made off with Abraham’s nephew Lot and Lot’s family. Abraham, moved by strong family ties, armed 318 of his male servants, and together with reinforcements from three of his local allies, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, he chased after the marauders. Making a surprise attack upon them by night, Abraham and his band defeated the invaders, even though they were a far superior force. A “slaughter of the kings” occurred. (Hebrews 7:1; Genesis 14:13-17) Abraham rescued Lot and his family and recovered all that was stolen.

7-9. (a) What priest did Abraham visit, and what blessing did he obtain? (b) How did Abraham show that he wanted to be made rich only by the Most High God? (c) As confirmed by Melchizedek, who gave Abraham the military victory?

⁷ Abraham recognized that his military exploit had proved successful only with the help of Jehovah God, and on his triumphal journey homeward, he was able to make a public acknowledgment of that fact. He knew that the approved priest of his God was to be found in the city of Salem. So to that city he marched. The latter part of Genesis chapter 14 informs us of what then took place:

⁸ “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine, and he was priest of the Most High God. Then he blessed him and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, Producer of heaven and earth; and blessed be the Most High God, who has delivered your oppressors into your hand!’ At that Abram gave him a tenth of everything. After that the king of Sodom said to Abram: ‘Give me the souls, but take the goods for yourself.’ At this Abram said to the king of Sodom: ‘I do lift up my hand in an oath to Jehovah the Most High God, Producer of heaven and earth, that, from a thread to a sandal lace, no, I shall take nothing from anything that is yours, in order that you may not say, “It was I who made Abram rich.” Nothing for me! Only what the young men have already eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol and Mamre​—let them take their share.’”​—Genesis 14:18-24.

⁹ As these verses show, Melchizedek, the royal priest of the city of Salem, confirmed Abraham’s conviction that it was the Most High God who fought for him and his military forces and gave him the victory. King-Priest Melchizedek did not detract from Jehovah’s part in the matter.

The Book of Jehovah’s Wars

10. What is the first mention of warfare in the Bible, and why was it just a beginning of Jehovah’s victorious wars?

¹⁰ The description in Genesis 14 of the invasion of the Promised Land and of Abraham’s defeating of the armed invaders is the first mention of warfare in the Holy Scriptures. Thus, more than four centuries before his exploit at the Red Sea, Jehovah displayed himself as a warrior, “a manly person of war.” Yet, that was only a beginning. Far greater and more resounding victories would follow, including a final one in this “conclusion of the system of things.”​—Matthew 24:3.

11. What is “the book of the Wars of Jehovah,” but where else is there an abundance of accounts of his military exploits?

¹¹ According to what is said at Numbers 21:14, a “book of the Wars of Jehovah” was written up. This reliable record, or history, of God’s wars in behalf of his people, perhaps had its beginning with this battle in behalf of the faithful Abraham. Moses knew of this book but gives us no further details about it. Hence, we are not informed of all the ways that Jehovah demonstrated himself to be a warrior during the period of time covered by that book of the Wars of Jehovah. Since the mention of that book, however, the major portion of the Holy Bible came to be written, and this gives us plenty of accounts of Jehovah’s military exploits.

The Greater Melchizedek​—A Warrior

12. Melchizedek pictured what greater Official of the Most High God, and what psalm composed by David is addressed to this one as a priest and warrior?

¹² After Abraham defeated Chedorlaomer and his confederate kings, Melchizedek blessed him. King-Priest Melchizedek prophetically pictured One who would be the High Priest of the Most High God and also a mighty warrior backed up by the Supreme God. Psalm 110, composed under inspiration by the warrior-king David, is addressed to this One greater than Melchizedek of Salem when it says: “The rod of your strength Jehovah will send out of Zion, saying: ‘Go subduing in the midst of your enemies.’ Jehovah has sworn (and he will feel no regret): ‘You are a priest to time indefinite according to the manner of Melchizedek!’ Jehovah himself at your right hand will certainly break kings to pieces on the day of his anger.”​—Psalm 110:2, 4, 5.

13. In Hebrews chapters 7 and 8, the One greater than Melchizedek of old is identified as whom, and into what lofty place did this One enter and with what kind of sacrifice?

¹³ The inspired writer of the book of Hebrews revealed the identity of the One to whom those words were really addressed when he said: “A forerunner has entered in our behalf, Jesus, who has become a high priest according to the manner of Melchizedek forever.” (Hebrews 6:20) In the following chapter of Hebrews, the greatness of Melchizedek of old is explained. But his priestly greatness is, nevertheless, surpassed by the One whom he foreshadowed, the resurrected, glorified Jesus Christ, who entered into the holy presence of Jehovah God himself with the value of a sacrifice far grander than anything that King-Priest Melchizedek of Salem could ever have offered.​—Hebrews 7:1–8:2.

14. Has the Greater Melchizedek authorized the clergy of Christendom to share in the military ventures of so-called Christian nations?

¹⁴ The royal priest Melchizedek blessed a warrior, the victorious Abraham. But what about the Greater Melchizedek, the Founder of true Christianity? The clergy of Christendom claim to represent Jesus Christ in blessing the armies of so-called Christian nations and praying for them. But has Jehovah’s High Priest in heaven backed up the clergymen of Christendom in this? Has he thus accepted responsibility for all the bloodspilling that has gone on during the so-called Christian Era, including the blood that was shed during World Wars I and II? Absolutely not! At no time did he authorize his true disciples to make themselves a part of this world and to join in its blood-spilling militarism.

The Warrior God Makes a Beautiful Name for Himself

15, 16. What did Jehovah make for himself when he fought for his people to deliver them from Egypt?

¹⁵ Nehemiah 9:10 refers to Jehovah’s deliverance of the 12 tribes of Israel from Egypt, saying: “Then you gave signs and miracles against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted presumptuously against them [the Israelites]; and you proceeded to make a name for yourself as at this day.”​—Compare Exodus 14:18.

¹⁶ The prophet Isaiah refers to the quality of this name when he speaks of Jehovah as “the One making His beautiful arm go at the right hand of Moses; the One splitting the waters from before them in order to make an indefinitely lasting name for his own self.” And addressing Jehovah, he says: “Thus you led your people in order to make a beautiful name for your own self.” (Isaiah 63:12-14) Appealing to Jehovah to act again for his people, Daniel addressed him as “you who brought your people out from the land of Egypt by a strong hand and proceeded to make a name for yourself as at this day.”​—Daniel 9:15; Jeremiah 32:20.

17. Whom will Jehovah send forth to fight in his name, and what will he thus show all the nations today?

¹⁷ In due time, Jehovah God will send forth Jesus Christ, the Greater Melchizedek, as a mighty warrior. By means of him, Jehovah will make a name for himself surpassing anything in the past as described in the book of the Wars of Jehovah or in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Holy Bible. In the last chapter of the second-to-last book of the Hebrew Scriptures, an international attack against Jerusalem is foretold. (Zechariah 14:2) Then, according to Zec 14 verse 3, “Jehovah will certainly go forth and war against those nations as in the day of his warring, in the day of fight.” In this way the God of the Bible will show all the modern nations that he is still the warrior God he was in the days of ancient Israel.

18, 19. Which Jerusalem will be the subject of an all-out attack by the nations?

¹⁸ This is a prospect yet ahead of us. But which Jerusalem will suffer such an all-out attack? The prophecy was not fulfilled upon the Jerusalem of Zechariah’s day. That city was destroyed by the armies of Rome in 70 C.E. Jerusalem was rebuilt, however, and today is viewed as sacred by Christendom as well as by the fleshly nation of Israel. In the six-day war of 1967, fleshly Israel took possession of all rebuilt earthly Jerusalem. However, there is not a shred of evidence that Jehovah God took any part in the fighting then. His enthroned King, Jesus Christ, does not reign in earthly Jerusalem, and it is no longer “the city of the great King,” that is, of Jehovah.​—Matthew 5:35.

¹⁹ No, this official capital city of the Jewish member of the United Nations is not the Jerusalem mentioned in Zechariah’s prophecy. Rather, Zechariah is referring to the Jerusalem that we read about in the book of Hebrews. There, Paul addresses anointed Christians and says: “You have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels.” (Hebrews 12:22) This heavenly Jerusalem is none other than God’s Messianic Kingdom, represented on earth today by a small band of anointed Christians who cherish the hope of being fellow rulers with Jesus Christ in that Kingdom. These will be the object of the prophesied attack.

20. What words did King Hezekiah say to his threatened people to brace them up, and upon the words of what King greater than Hezekiah do Jehovah’s Witnesses today brace themselves?

²⁰ Neither these, however, nor the great crowd of Christians with an earthly hope who have come out of all the nations to join them in pure worship need fear the outcome of this attack. When the fright-inspiring armies of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came against Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah, the endangered Israelites were given a calming view of the situation when King Hezekiah said to them: “With him there is an arm of flesh, but with us there is Jehovah our God to help us and to fight our battles.” The result was that “the people began to brace themselves upon the words of Hezekiah the king of Judah.” (2 Chronicles 32:8) Jehovah’s Witnesses of today, when threatened by the national forces of this world system, can brace themselves upon similar words from a king greater than Hezekiah, Jesus Christ.

21. (a) Why will the words of Jahaziel be called to mind during the coming attack on heavenly Jerusalem? (b) What will be the outcome of the battle that is to be fought?

²¹ At that time, the faith-inspiring words of Jahaziel the Levite will be called to mind: “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.” (2 Chronicles 20:17) Yes, throughout that dangerous time, Jehovah will be with his people. Their safety and preservation will depend upon his fighting for them. And fight he will, by means of his warrior King, Jesus Christ! The result? The total annihilation of the Devil’s visible organization on earth.​—Revelation 19:11-21.

22. (a) What will be the triumphant conclusion of the book of the Wars of Jehovah, and what will Jehovah make for himself thereby? (b) What will lovers of Jehovah’s name be moved to do by his victory?

²² How beautiful a name God will make for himself by his awe-inspiring victory in this “the war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon! (Revelation 16:14, 16) A new chapter, as it were, will be added to the book of the Wars of Jehovah. It will be a triumphant conclusion, a grand finale with regard to this system of things. The entire book will show that Almighty God has never lost a battle. How jubilantly lovers of Jehovah’s name will laud him thereafter! Then, indeed, the last verse of the book of Psalms will be grandly carried out: “Every breathing thing​—let it praise Jah. Praise Jah, you people!”​—Psalm 150:6.

Settling the Universal Issue for Good

“Jehovah himself at your right hand will certainly break kings to pieces on the day of his anger.”​—PSALM 110:5.

1, 2. In the year 70 C.E., what event may have cast doubt upon the universalness of the sovereignty of Jehovah God, but by then, to whom had his favor been turned?

THE universal sovereignty of the Creator of heaven and earth is the foremost issue before men and angels. Shortly, the issue will be settled for all time, but for many centuries Jehovah’s enemies have challenged his sovereignty. Indeed, the destruction in 70 C.E. of the city of Jerusalem together with its temple dedicated to Jehovah may have cast doubt on the universalness of the Creator’s sovereignty. Nevertheless, there was a valid reason why Jehovah did not then choose to be a warrior God in behalf of fleshly Israel.

² What was the reason? By that time Jehovah God had turned his favor to a new nation, a spiritual Israel, “the Israel of God,” as the apostle Paul calls the congregation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 6:16) So far, though, during all the so-called Christian Era, Jehovah has not fought for spiritual Israel as a warrior God in the same way that he fought for natural Israel under the Mosaic Law covenant. He even permitted Roman soldiers, at the instigation of the Jews, to put Jesus Christ to death on a torture stake at Calvary. That was 37 years before the second destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, in 70 C.E.

3, 4. From the days of Moses down to King Hezekiah, how had God shown himself to be a warrior, but in the case of the spiritual Israelites, what has been true as to his fighting and their fighting?

³ From the days of the prophet Moses down to the reign of King Hezekiah of Jerusalem, Jehovah God fought miraculously for the nation of Israel, and the Israelites fought under him with lethal weapons. (Deuteronomy 1:30; 3:22; 20:3, 4; Joshua 10:42) But not so in the case of spiritual Israel! From the death of Jesus Christ outside Jerusalem down through our Common Era, this warrior God has not chosen to fight in physical warfare for the Israel of God. Correspondingly, he has not authorized the spiritual Israelites making up the Christian congregation to fight with material weapons of war. Christians have another kind of warfare to wage.

⁴ In agreement with this, one of the leading fighters for the Christian faith wrote to fellow Christians at Corinth, Greece: “The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things. For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God; and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ; and we are holding ourselves in readiness to inflict punishment for every disobedience, as soon as your own obedience has been fully carried out.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-6) Earlier in the same letter, Paul spoke of “the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.”​—2 Corinthians 6:7; see also Ephesians 6:11-18.

Jehovah to Fight at Armageddon

5. In the garden of Gethsemane, what position did Jesus take toward the use of material weapons in self-defense, and what course of action do his disciples take?

⁵ Jesus Christ, when on earth, never resorted to lethal weapons in self-defense. On the night of his betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane, his devoted disciple Simon Peter drew a sword and struck off the ear of the servant of the Jewish high priest. But Jesus miraculously restored the ear to its place and said: “All those who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father to supply me at this moment more than twelve legions of angels? In that case, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must take place this way?” (Matthew 26:52-54) In the face of all of this, true imitators of the self-sacrificing Son of God keep their neutrality, both directly and indirectly, when it comes to worldly warfare.​—John 17:16; 18:36.

6. During the war of the great day of God the Almighty at Armageddon, what position will Jehovah’s Witnesses take?

⁶ Here, then, let the nations be served with notice that during “the war of the great day of God the Almighty” at “the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon,” Jehovah’s Witnesses will not share in the fighting. They will leave that to the warrior God, “Jehovah of armies,” along with his legions of angels under the captaincy of Jesus Christ.​—Revelation 16:14-16; 19:11-21; Psalm 84:12.

Jehovah About to Resume His Military Activities

7. As a warrior God, by what title did Jehovah come to be designated, and does he still rank as such?

⁷ The God of ancient Israel came to be known and addressed as Jehovah tseva·ʼohthʹ, or Jehovah of armies. (1 Samuel 1:3, 11) At Romans 9:29 (King James Version) the Christian apostle Paul refers to Isaiah 1:9 and writes: “Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.” Also, the Christian disciple James writes: “The cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” (James 5:4, KJ; American Standard Version) So Paul and James ranked God as Jehovah of armies during the first century of our Common Era. During the following 18 centuries, God has not engaged in fleshly warfare in behalf of spiritual Israel, the Israel of God, in the way that he did for ancient Israel, yet he is still Jehovah of armies.

8-10. (a) Who authorized the war in heaven, and why was Michael most qualified to do battle? (b) What was the result of the war in heaven, and how much time remains before the war of Jehovah’s great day?

⁸ At the birth of the Messianic Kingdom in 1914 at the end of “the times of the Gentiles,” war broke out in the heavenly domain of Jehovah God. (Luke 21:24, KJ) Who authorized that war? Jehovah God himself. He sent his enthroned Son into the field of battle under the name Michael because this One is most qualified to answer the question contained in that name, that is, “Who Is Like God?” Michael promptly went into action as the fighting representative of Jehovah of armies.

⁹ Accordingly, we read at Revelation 12:7-10: “And 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. And 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 has been hurled down.’”

¹⁰ By now, more than 70 years after that battle in the heavens, only “a short period of time” remains before the war of Jehovah’s great day breaks out and God vividly displays himself as Jehovah of armies to the present generation of mankind.​—Revelation 12:12; Zechariah 14:3.

The Fighter for Jehovah’s Vindication

11. What appointed time do the remnant of the little flock and the great crowd await, and what will they then jubilantly applaud?

¹¹ Under inspiration, wise King Solomon of ancient Israel wrote: “For everything there is an appointed time, even a time for every affair under the heavens: . . . a time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) On earth the disciples of the reigning King who is “something more than Solomon” await the time and the occasion for Him to lead the victorious heavenly angels into the battle engagement at Har–Magedon. (Matthew 12:42; Revelation 19:11-16) There he “will shepherd [the nations] with a rod of iron,” breaking them “with an iron scepter.” (Revelation 19:15; Psalm 2:9) How his peacekeeping, protected disciples will applaud his awe-inspiring deliverance of them! This will include both the remnant of the “little flock” of his Kingdom coheirs and the “great crowd” of his “other sheep” that entertain the hope of inheriting the Paradise earth under his pacific reign of a thousand years. (Luke 12:32; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:16) Jubilantly, “under the very shadow of the Almighty One,” they will applaud the resounding victory of the Shepherd-King, Jesus Christ, in vindication of the universal sovereignty of Jehovah God.​—Psalm 91:1.

12. War looms from where for the nations, and with what result according to Psalm 68:1, 2?

¹² Without exaggeration, it may now be said that war from far beyond the realm of man and involving the use of precisely aimed weapons outclassing his nuclear bombs looms before all earthly nations, whether inside or outside the United Nations organization. Listen: “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, and let those who intensely hate him flee because of him. As smoke is driven away, may you drive them away; as wax melts because of the fire, let the wicked ones perish from before God.”​—Psalm 68:1, 2.

13. As preparations for war go on, to whom are the words of Psalm 45:1-6 now addressed in a most timely way?

¹³ The preparations for the war of all wars are now under way. As God’s foremost Fighter, the Battler for Jehovah’s vindication is addressed in the following words composed under inspiration by a member of the nation of Israel: “You are indeed more handsome than the sons of men. Charm has been poured out upon your lips. That is why God has blessed you to time indefinite. Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, with your dignity and your splendor. And in your splendor go on to success; ride in the cause of truth and humility and righteousness, and your right hand will instruct you in fear-inspiring things. Your arrows are sharp​—under you peoples keep falling—​in the heart of the enemies of the king. God is your throne to time indefinite, even forever; the scepter of your kingship is a scepter of uprightness.”​—Psalm 45:1-6.

Nations Mass Themselves Together Against Jehovah

14, 15. After release from detention, what words from Psalm 2 did the apostles quote as being fulfilled, and what request to God did they make?

¹⁴ Shortly after the establishment of the Christian congregation on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., anointed Christians discerned an application of Psalm 2:1, 2. This scripture reads: “Why have the nations been in tumult and the national groups themselves kept muttering an empty thing? The kings of earth take their stand and high officials themselves have massed together as one against Jehovah and against his anointed one.” After the apostles of Jehovah’s Anointed One had suffered their first arrest and mistreatment by enemy Jews, they rejoined their fellow Christians and then quoted these words of Psalm 2 as composed by King David. Acts 4:23-30 reports the matter, saying:

¹⁵ “After being released they went to their own people and reported what things the chief priests and the older men had said to them. Upon hearing this they with one accord raised their voices to God and said: ‘Sovereign Lord, you are the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them, and who through holy spirit said by the mouth of our forefather David, your servant, “Why did nations become tumultuous and peoples meditate upon empty things? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers massed together as one against Jehovah and against his anointed one.” Even so, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with men of nations and with peoples of Israel were in actuality gathered together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, in order to do what things your hand and counsel had foreordained to occur. And now, Jehovah, give attention to their threats, and grant your slaves to keep speaking your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing and while signs and portents occur through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’”

16, 17. (a) In all human history, has anything ever occurred to compare with what started to occur in 1914? Explain. (b) What course of action are the nations continuing to take, thereby obligating Jehovah God to write what, as to ‘the book of his wars’?

¹⁶ However, when it comes to tumultuous nations, kings taking their stand together as one, political leaders massing together against Jehovah and his Anointed One, Jesus Christ, what in all human history can compare with what started 76 years ago in 1914? That was not only the year when the first world war of all human existence erupted but particularly the year when the times of the Gentiles, “the appointed times of the nations,” ended! (Luke 21:24) Psalm 2 clearly had its greater fulfillment starting in that year.

¹⁷ At the end of the times of the Gentiles in 1914, none of the nations​—not even the nations of so-called Christendom, many citizens of which religiously view themselves as spiritual Israelites—​were inclined to welcome Jehovah’s Anointed One, Jesus Christ, to the throne of rulership over the earth. And now, 71 years after “this good news of the kingdom” began to “be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations,” from 1919 onward, the nations inside and outside of Christendom are certainly not going to hail the long-announced King of Jehovah and swear allegiance to him as they renounce their own rulership over the earth. (Matthew 24:14) On the contrary, they have at long last come to the time and situation when they are obliging Jehovah to write, as it were, the grand finale to “the book of the Wars of Jehovah.”​—Numbers 21:14.

Glorious Triumph of the Warrior God

18. Of what action on Jehovah’s part are we in favor, and who will be at his side, as it were, for the fulfillment of Psalm 110?

¹⁸ Forward, then, into battle action, O Jehovah of armies, with your royal Son, Jesus Christ, at your side! To him are addressed the prophetic words: “Go subduing in the midst of your enemies. Jehovah himself at your right hand will certainly break kings to pieces on the day of his anger. He will execute judgment among the nations; he will cause a fullness of dead bodies. He will certainly break to pieces the head one over a populous land.”​—Psalm 110:2, 5, 6.

19. Regarding the war of the great day of God the Almighty that is just ahead, what prayer do we offer to him in behalf of the great crowd of other sheep?

¹⁹ O Jehovah of armies, let your faithful servants on earth become the jubilant witnesses of your peerless victory by means of your warrior King, Jesus Christ, on the occasion of the war of the great day of God the Almighty at the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon! (Revelation 16:14) Alongside the remnant of true spiritual Israelites, let the great crowd of sheeplike ones who “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” exultantly “come out of the great tribulation” to be your earthly witnesses for all eternity! (Revelation 7:14) Under your loving care, let them survive without dying into the warless realm of your victorious Son, who will rule over the cleansed earth that is to be transformed into a beauteous paradise, in harmony with your original purpose. Let them be a visible testimony to all the resurrected dead in vindication of the sovereignty that is rightly yours over all the universe! We thank you that you will then have settled the universal issue for good, yes, forever!