• Jehovah Is “a Revealer of Secrets”
    The Watchtower—2012 | June 15

    • BABYLON​—THE THIRD HEAD

      9, 10. (a) What did Jehovah allow the Babylonians to do? (b) In order for prophecy to be fulfilled, what would have to happen?

      9 The third head of the beast that John saw represents the kingdom of which Babylon was capital. Jehovah allowed the Babylonians to overthrow Jerusalem and to take his people into captivity. Before permitting this humiliation, though, Jehovah warned the rebellious Israelites that such a tragedy would strike them. (2 Ki. 20:16-18) He foretold that the line of human kings who were said to sit on “Jehovah’s throne” in Jerusalem would be removed. (1 Chron. 29:23) However, Jehovah also promised that a descendant of King David, one who had “the legal right,” would come and reclaim that authority.​—Ezek. 21:25-27.

      10 Another prophecy indicated that the Jews would still be worshipping at the temple in Jerusalem when the promised Messiah, or Anointed One, arrived. (Dan. 9:24-27) An earlier prophecy, written before Israel was taken captive to Babylon, stated that this person would be born in Bethlehem. (Mic. 5:2) If those prophecies were to be fulfilled, the Jews would have to be liberated from captivity, return to their homeland, and rebuild the temple. But it was not Babylon’s policy to release captives. How would that challenge be overcome? Jehovah revealed the answer to his prophets.​—Amos 3:7.

      11. The Babylonian Empire is pictured in what different ways? (See footnote.)

      11 The prophet Daniel was among the captives taken to Babylon. (Dan. 1:1-6) Jehovah used him to reveal the succession of kingdoms that would follow that world power. Jehovah disclosed these secrets, using a number of different symbols. For instance, he caused Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to have a dream of an immense image that was made of various metals. (Read Daniel 2:1, 19, 31-38.) Through Daniel, Jehovah revealed that the gold head of the image symbolized the Babylonian Empire.b