THE anointed servants of God, seeing that Satan the enemy has been expelled from heaven and has come down to earth, having great wrath against the Lord and his anointed; seeing that the enemy has now come in with a flood of error to turn the minds of the people away from God (Isaiah 59; 19); and seeing that the greatest crisis of the ages is just about to break upon the earth, are breathing the prayer long ago recorded by their prototype David, to wit: "Be thou exalted, 0 God, above the heavens; and thy glory above all the earth." (Psalm 108:5) Back from the courts of heaven comes the response of God through his holy prophet: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." — Psalm 46:10.

In the light of the present day fulfilment of divine prophecy these words of the Lord thrill the hearts of Christians, because they see that the time for the deliverance of the human race from the bondage of Satan the enemy is at hand. With keen expectation they almost breathlessly watch the development of the events preparing for the great battle. Jesus taught his followers to pray: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as in heaven." This of itself is conclusive proof that with the birth of the kingdom or nation of righteousness, God's will would begin to be done on the earth.

It follows then that Satan's organization must be destroyed, because the righteous Messiah cannot rule and bless the peoples of earth so long as Satan holds sway. We may know that Satan the enemy, arrogant, presumptuous, defiant and wicked beyond the description of words, will make a desperate fight to hold his power. This will mean a battle on earth such as men have never known. This is the reasonable conclusion. Is it Scriptural?

The scripture says: "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Revelation 12:12) Since the World War the burdens and trials of the people continue to increase. They are experiencing now some of the woes foretold in this scripture, but not all of them yet. The expenses of governments increase. Some of the people's money must be taken to prepare for another great war. The wicked are set up and the proud appear to be happy, even though they are not. While this is going on the faithful witnesses for God are carrying out the command given them by the Lord, who said: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14) The word "end" used in this text is from the Greek telos, which means the conclusion of an act or state, the limit, the final end. By this it is understood that when the witness has been given as here commanded by the Lord then a final conclusion of Satan's empire shall be reached.

What shall mark the end or conclusion thereof? Jesus answers that this will be marked by tribulation

upon earth such as man has never before known. (Matthew 24: 21, 22) The Prophet Daniel corroborates this and says that the time mentioned is shortly to follow the birth of the nation; at which time Messiah, the great Prince who stands for the people, stands up. That is the time spoken of by the prophet, when Jehovah sends forth his anointed One as King to destroy the enemy and his power. That will mark the time of the deliverance of the people from the bondage of the enemy. "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." — Daniel 12:1,

JEHOVAH IS GOD

But why should there come a great trouble on earth more terrible than man has ever before known? Briefly call to mind what has transpired during the past six thousand years. Satan the enemy, was created perfect, beautiful and glorious; and God. highly honored him by clothing him with power and authority, appointing him as overlord of man and making him a light-bearer. He betrayed that trust and confidence, became guilty of treason, the most heinous of all crimes, and since then has been leading the way in all wickedness. During all the ages Satan has reproached God and mocked him, that he might turn the minds of men away from their only Benefactor and true Friend. (Proverbs 17:17) He introduced hypocrisy among the people that they might mock God. (Genesis 4:26, margin) Teaching

the people to ignore and repudiate God, Satan caused them to build a tower of Babel and induced them to believe that they could save themselves. There God gave the people a lesson, and a very severe one; but they did not heed it. — Genesis 11: 1-4.

Call to mind again that when God's people were domiciled in Egypt Pharaoh, as the Devil's representative, oppressed them; and when God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh of God's command he defiantly said: "Who is the Lord God that I should obey" him? Then God went down to them to make for himself a name. (2 Samuel 7: 23) To this end the Lord slew the Egyptians and miraculously delivered his own people, carrying them safely through the sea. "Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up; so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness." — Psalm 106: 8, 9.

Call to mind further that when the Assyrian ruler, Sennacherib, reproached God, blasphemed his holy name, presumptuously assumed to be greater than Jehovah God and defied the Lord and his people, God sent his angel and slew the Assyrian army in one night. — 2 Kings 19: 35-37.

But the nations of earth have failed to take heed to these things and to learn a lesson therefrom. Their religious teachers have not only failed to teach them the meaning of such lessons but have actually spurned the Bible, Arrogance, hauteur, contemptuousness, presumptuousness and blasphemy against God have in this present day reached the superlative degree. Hypocrisy has matured and gone to seed. Of all the reproaches that have been brought upon God's holy name, of all

the insolence and vainglory on the part of men and religions systems, of all the presumptuous sins committed against God by men or organizations, those in times past pale into insignificance when compared with those of the present time.

Modern wickedness is made worse because evil doers perform their evil deeds in the name of the Lord. A great religious system, steeped in wickedness and crime, is headed by one man; and it is claimed for his office that he is the vicegerent of Christ on earth and that he possesses power equal to that of Jehovah God. The clergy of this system fraudulently represent to the people that their loved ones who have died are now consciously suffering in purgatory because of the wrath of God, and these clergy claim to be able by their prayers and upon a sufficient consideration to relieve the suffering ones from purgatorial fires. Thus under false pretenses they receive money from the people and turn the minds of the people away from the true and loving God. This system is spoken of in the Scriptures as "the great harlot".

The offspring of this impure religious system, the daughter, likewise claims to represent God; yet she too defames his holy name by teaching that he is tormenting millions of unfortunate souls in a lake of eternal fire. The clergy of these religious systems hypocritically call themselves by the name of the Lord and pose before the people as God's representatives, while at the game time they deny the Word of God and repudiate the blood of Jesus Christ given for man's redemptive price. These religious systems have illicit relationship with the commercial and political powers of the world: and the Lord himself denounces the one as the mother

of harlots and the other as the daughter, both of equal unchastity and unrighteousness.

The shepherds and leaders, speaking for these hypocritical religious systems, presumptuously and insolently say: "I sit a queen, ... I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." (Revelation 18:7; 3:17) And now when the wicked world which has oppressed the people has come to an end, and when the nation of righteousness is born; when the Lord is present and beginning his reign, for which he taught his disciples to pray and which prayer these clergy have hypocritically repeated; and when the evidence clearly proving these facts is brought to their attention, these self-satisfied ecclesiastics not only turn deaf ears thereto, but persecute the humble followers of Jesus who dare call attention to the message of truth. Instead of heeding the words of the Lord and telling the people that his kingdom is their hope, these ecclesiastics blatantly, irreverently and presumptuously unite with the profiteers and professional politicians in setting up a League of. Nations to keep the people under the control of Satan the enemy, and then blasphemously declare that such a League of Nations is "the political expression of God's kingdom on earth". They have not only defamed the name of God but have pushed the Lord aside and have set themselves up in his place, and claim that their wisdom is superior to his and a safe and ample guide for the people to follow.

If it was necessary in times past for God to exhibit his power against the Devil's organization, in order to preserve his name in the minds of the people and to save them from going into complete infidelity, the reason for so doing now has increased a thousandfold.

Hence he says to these babbling, discourteous, swaggering ecclesiastics and to the principal of their flocks, their allies: "Be still, and know that I am God." The time has come for the arrogance of men before God to cease. "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." — Isa. 2:17.

God will now make for himself a name in the earth that the people shall never forget. He warns the nations of earth, and particularly the clergy and the principal of their flock; but they refuse to heed the warning. "They know not, neither will they understand: they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course." — Psalm 82: 5.

GATHERING FOR BATTLE

St. John, because of his faithfulness as a witness of God, was banished to the Isle of Patmos. There the Lord rewarded him by giving him visions pertaining to his great plan. Amongst other things St. John had a vision of the great and terrible day of God Almighty. He saw the throngs hurrying on for the great battle of that day, and he wrote: "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. . . . And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." — Revelation 16: 13,14,16.

"Dragon" here mentioned is one of the names of

the enemy, the Devil; and it particularly applies to him; and his organization, visible and invisible, when bent upon the destruction of the seed of promise, the true followers of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17) Satan's organization, visible and invisible, is the real foe of the faithful; as it is written: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."  — Ephesians 6:12.

"Beast" in the above text is used symbolically. Wherever thus used in the Scriptures this symbol refers to Satan's visible or earthly organization. Since the days of Nebuchadnezzar all world powers have been under the dominion and control of Satan the enemy. (2 Corinthians 4: 3, 4) These world powers have governed the people by military rule, and their rule has been beastly, unrighteous and ungodly. The Devil has made it so. This symbolical beast therefore fitly describes the world powers under the dominion of the evil one.

There are three elements that go to make up these world powers or "beast", to wit, the commercial, political and ecclesiastical. Satan has always had the money powers as the great bulwark of his organization; and he uses the religious element as a camouflage, to keep the people in ignorance of his wicked course. When the Lord designates anything under a symbol, that designation, name or symbol implies much. The Lord designates these world powers as "beasts", and such they are.

"False prophet" means the high ecclesiastics, those who speak by pretended authority and in the name of the Lord. A true prophet is one who speaks by divine authority and in the name of the Lord. Those who

speak in the name of the Lord without authority, and who speak lies, are false prophets. "Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart." (Jeremiah 14:14) "How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams, which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal." — Jeremiah 23: 26, 27.

When a religious system claims to represent the Lord but allies itself with the Devil's organization, it is a hypocritical religious system and forms a part of the false prophet class. One or more such systems, allied with other parts of the Devil's organization and prophesying falsehoods, therefore constitute the false prophet of Revelation 16:13. The same false prophet class forms a part of the beast, because allied with the world powers under the supervision of Satan the Devil. The term "false prophet", therefore, within the meaning of this text, may be properly defined as the religious systems of the nations, called Christian, which are allied with the commercial and political powers in ruling the people of the earth.

Spirits are invisible and intangible; hence the "unclean spirits like frogs" symbolize messages, declarations or proclamations, rather than tangible things. A frog is a kind of animal that has a big mouth, assumes much wisdom, looks wise, bluffs a great deal, swells up and makes much noise, It is noticed that the Rev-

elator here saw three unclean spirits like frogs. This therefore would signify a trio of declarations, principles, rules or proclamations which are boastful, arrogant and claim much. These messages come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. They assume to be messages of wisdom. They are boastful and are proclaimed with much braggadocio and great noise.

The 'Dragon" the Devil and his organization, by its efforts to destroy the seed of promise, boastfully says: "God is a liar and his Word unreliable. Ignore him, and away with those who advocate his cause!"

The "beast", the Devil's organization visible, made up of the commercial, political and ecclesiastical factors, are saying, "The earth is for man, and man for the earth. We have the only established forms of government that are proper, and we make the earth a fit place in which to live. Who is Jehovah that we should heed him? Our wealth and our power is our god."

The "false prophet", the religious prophet for the Devil's organization, with pious face and flowing garments says: "We are ordained from heaven to teach the people; we are the spiritual guardians for the people; we preach that which is orthodox; nothing else should be heard; we must unite the nations in one great compact and thereby establish the rule divine. This arrangement of ours is the political expression of God's kingdom on earth!"

All of these declarations are false, hence unclean. It is Satan the enemy, and his organization that proclaim these false messages. Satan is responsible for them all. These false teachings are the real reasons why the nations of the world are being gathered to the great

battle of Armageddon. And why is this so? The answer is that each one of. these messages and their messengers defame God's holy name, and their purpose is to turn the minds of the people away from God. They are driving the people and their rulers into infidelity. And now Jehovah, according to his Word, will make a demonstration of his power so clearly and unequivocally that the people may be convinced of their ungodly course and may understand that Jehovah is God. That is the reason why God brought the great flood, threw down the Tower of Babel, destroyed the army of Sennacherib the Syrian king, and swallowed up the Egyptians; and it is also the reason why he is now going to bring another great trouble upon the world. The former calamities were but shadows of the one now impending. The gathering is to the great day of God Almighty. It is "the great and terrible day of the Lord" (Joel 2: 31), when God will make for himself a name. In this great and final conflict the peoples of every nation, kindred and tongue will learn that Jehovah is the all-powerful, all-wise and just God.

BATTLE ARRAY

There are divers opinions among men as to the Devil's organization. Many deny the existence of the Devil, hence deny that there is such a thing as the Devil's organization. These are blinded by the enemy and know not the Word of God. Others claim to believe that there is a Devil; but they look upon him as an invisible imp who goes about to amuse himself with petty wickednesses, and think that he can do nothing of any particular consequence to men and nations. Still others believe there is a Devil, but claim that he is

now bound and think that he can do nothing more. These are likewise blinded by his influence. Others believe that there is a Devil, but consider his organization of such little moment that it will easily be turned over by the socialists, laborites or anarchists.

To have some conception of what the terrible and final trouble will be, what will constitute the battle of Armageddon, we must have some conception of the extent and power of Satan's organization. Satan the enemy is in possession of practically all the material Wealth of the earth, which he controls through the commercial wing of his organization. He controls and operates every world power or government on earth, through the political wing of his organization. He manages and controls practically all the religious systems of the earth, through the ecclesiastical wing of his Organization.

These three combined forces make up what is known amongst men as world powers, and what the Lord describes as "the beast". The League of Nations, which is an attempt to unite all the nations of Christendom (so-called) in one compact, is designated in the Scriptures as the "image of the beast". It is the last and final attempt of Satan to perfect an organization that will blind the people, turn their minds away from God and his kingdom, and keep them in subjection to the evil one. Few stop to think about the enormity of Satan's organization and the power that it wields. Practically every newspaper and source of publicity stands ready to mold public sentiment at his will.

Take a stroll through the financial district of New York City and you will get some faint idea of the magnitude of the commercial power of this world. Walk

leisurely around its Federal Reserve Bank Building; look at its great walls with windows barred with steel, the whole structure seemingly as invulnerable as the rock of Gibraltar. Step inside for a moment. Observe that every corridor is guarded by soldiers armed to the teeth who, as silent sentinels, are watching the movements of every person who enters or passes out. Look at the great bales of money, piled inside of the steel cage?, within which men must work as though they were behind prison bars. Peep through into the great vault? stocked with millions of gold. Come also and view one of its safe deposit vaults. Here arc other millions kept in reserve. Mark that it is safeguarded by great steel doors weighing twenty tons, but so evenly balanced that with two fingers a man can move them with ease. This is but a sample of many like places.

The wealth of the world is staggering to the mind of the ordinary man. We can only estimate this by figures, The following figures are taken from government reports and show approximately the wealth of the nations, measured in dollars, to wit:

In 1914 the total railway mileage of the world was 696,274. This is sufficient to make twenty-seven trunk lines around the globe and then have some left. Have in mind then that Satan's organization owns and con-

trols all the railways, transportation systems and steamship lines, all the factories, all the mines, all the manufacturing industries, etc., and that these are all controlled by a few men.

The political wing of the enemy's organization consists of three empires, twenty-one kingdoms, forty republics, five Mohammedan nations, five dominions and four protectorates; a total of seventy-eight. Sixty of these nations claim to be Christian; and all of them, except five, are members of the League of Nations. The United States is one of the five.

About a year ago one hundred and fifty thousand clergymen, pastors of church denominations residing in the United States, arranged for what they called a drive week, the object and purpose of which was to create a sentiment that would induce the United States to enter the World Court, which is but a back door to the League of Nations. They have succeeded, and it is probable that the United States will finally actually join the League also. The political wing of Satan's organization directs all the official work of the armies, and navies, with their guns, airplanes and poison gas; and manipulates the various government offices in all lands, from the chief executive down to the humblest official.

The following census figures are taken from the) 1925 "World Almanac":

The ecclesiastical wing of Satan's visible organization has a world membership made up as follows:

The Protestant denominations claim a membership of 32,503,199 in the United States alone, divided among one hundred and six different sects. These figures comprise the so-called Christian religion of Satan's organization. In addition to them there are 1,017,983,000 heathen, controlled by priests who worship what the, apostle plainly says is the Devil.

The clergy of these various ecclesiastical systems bless the armies which are sent out by the commercial and political wings, and their blessing is extended regardless of which side these armies are fighting on. The clergy all pretend to pray to the same God for a blessing upon the warring armies of both sides. Their course during the World War proves this beyond a question, and is admitted by all. Of course they will all join in asking a blessing upon the Devil's armies as they assemble for Armageddon.

All these elements that go to make up the visible part of Satan's organization are being gathered together and assembled for the great battle of Armageddon. The formation of the army is in progress and is nearing

completion. Looking at the armies of the nations, assembled preparatory for "the great day of God Almighty" which are mobilizing as the Devil's organization, we see in the forefront the so-called Christian nations, under the leadership of the clergy the shepherds of the flocks, and supported by the principal of their flock. They all call themselves by the name Christian; but, as the prophet truly says, each one eats his own bread and wears his own apparel (meaning that he follows his own doctrines and clothes himself with his own salvation garments). Truly this is the time referred to by the prophet when he said: "And in that day (seven women [symbolic of all ecclesiasticism, the so-called Christian systems, always pictured by a woman] shall take hold of one man [the name of Christ Jesus] saying [hypocritically], We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach." — Isaiah 4:1.

Like certain ostriches that hide their heads in the sand when pursued by a foe and make themselves believe that they are safe, so these ecclesiastical leaders confess to themselves that they are safe, that they need only to be called by the name of Christ, while they continue to play with the Devil's fire. They blind themselves to the real situation by putting sand into their own eyes as well as into the eyes of their fellow men.

One division of the enemy's army, approximately three hundred and ninety-five millions, call themselves Christian Catholics; and one hundred and seventy millions call themselves Christian Protestants. The principal ones of these flocks are profiteers, financiers, rulers and politicians, men of influence. In the assembly of the nations for Armageddon these take their place to the

strains of martial music, with banners flying and the clanging of accoutrements of war. The Scriptures indicate that the so-called Christian nations compose chiefly the army of the Devil; but probably the heathen nations, with their own commercial, political and ecclesiastical elements, also play a part in the coming conflict. The prophet of the Lord declares that all nations shall be assembled against Jerusalem to battle.  — Zechariah 14: 2.

The total population of the nations of the earth is approximately 1,748,000,000. Almost all of these are on the enemy's side; or, rather, are under the control of the enemy, even though many of them are there by reason of coercion or fear, or because they are blind. No wonder the leading factors stand afar off and say: What is like unto this great city (organization)! — Revelation 18:18.

Jerusalem is a name applied to the people of God who are consecrated to him. A great number of these are held in bondage to the various ecclesiastical systems or are otherwise blinded by the enemy, and are fearful to take their stand boldly on the side of the Lord. The name Zion applies more particularly to that smaller number of the Jerusalem class who are not merely consecrated but who are fully devoted to the Lord and his cause because of love for him and an appreciation of their privileges. These are designated the overcoming class. Of the overcoming class, who have the promise of being forever with the Lord, there will be only one hundred and forty-four thousand; and doubtless the major portion of these have already passed into glory, while the minority remain on the earth waiting for the consummation of their hopes. Of these it is probable

that there are no more than fifty thousand, maybe less, who are faithfully and joyfully bearing witness to God's holy name. These are "the remnant" against which Satan the enemy makes war, and he attempts to destroy them because they keep the commandments of God and have the witness of Jesus Christ. — Revelation 12:17.

As the enemy and his hosts view the little company who are faithfully bearing witness to the name of God, and hear what these witnesses say, they laugh them to scorn. The clergy, the false prophets, together with the principal of their flocks, make extravagant claims for their organizations and point the finger of disgust toward those who now proclaim the name of God and his incoming kingdom. So small are the numbers who appear to be on the Lord's side, so great and powerful are the numbers on the enemy's side, and so extravagant are the claims made by the false prophets of the enemy's camp, that all except the very elect of God will be deceived to some extent. (Matthew 24:24) The false prophets will tell the people that the present institutions will stand eternally, and that they and their allies have been commissioned to establish God's kingdom on earth; and this they are now doing.

But the elect, "the remnant of her seed," will not be at all deceived by the extravagant claims, the threats, persecutions, the brandishing of arms or any exhibition of Satan's power. They will remember that Goliath, the representative of Satan the enemy, defied the army of the Lord and fell at the hands of the lad David, who was there a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Samuel 17:48, 49.

This 'little flock" will call to mind how the Syrian

king Sennacherib stood before the walls of Jerusalem, arrogantly claiming to be greater than Jehovah God, defying Jehovah and blaspheming his holy name, and how the angel of the Lord swept away his army in one night. — 2 Kings 19: 35.

This little company of faithful Christians will remember how Pharaoh, the visible representative of Satan the enemy, pursued the people of God with his army and would have crushed them, but that the Lord utterly destroyed Pharaoh and his army in the sea. — Exodus 14:27-29.

This little company of faithful Christians will also call to mind how Jehoshaphat, a representative of the Lord, was beset by the armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, corresponding to the three elements composing Satan's organization at the present time; and how the Lord put his hand over his own people and shielded them, while he drove the enemy's army into destruction.

Why did God cause these things to be recorded in his Word? The evident purpose was and is to show how he can make himself a name when he so desires, and to encourage and strengthen the faith of his people and cause them to trust him implicitly in the time of great peril. To such he has said: "0 love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer." — Psalm 31: 23.

On one side of the valley of decision, and in the valley, stands the tremendous army of Satan the enemy, defying God, uttering cries of derision, and threatening to feed the fowls of the air upon the flesh of those who have come out against them to declare the name of the Lord. On the other side of the valley, and high

up the mountainside facing to the east, stands the little company of faithful servants of the Lord, small in number and weak in individual power; yet they never for one moment quail before the enemy. They are smiling; they are happy; yea, they are even joyful; and together they lift up their voices in song, saying: Jehovah is God; Christ Jesus is King; the kingdom of heaven is at hand; the day of deliverance has come! Jehovah God is saying to them: "Ye are my witnesses . . . that I am God. I, even I am the Lord; and beside me there is no Saviour." — Isaiah 43:12, 11.

THE CONTRAST

The contrast between the numbers in the enemy's visible army and the apparent numbers in the army of the Lord is so great that only a very few are able to see that the enemy's organization will be destroyed. It seems quite apparent that for the special encouragement of the faithful Christians now on earth God long ago caused to be recorded the following picture relating to the present time.

Jehoshaphat was a faithful king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat represented the Lord. Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir entered into a conspiracy against Jehoshaphat and the people of Jerusalem. They came up to assault Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat prayed to God. His prayer is a pathetic one, and fitly pictures the utter helplessness of men and the complete dependence of the Christian upon Jehovah. While Jehoshaphat prayed the Lord sent him a message, to wit: "Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat; thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude;

for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go ye down against them; behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, 0 Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them; for the Lord will be with you. . . . And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before tho army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Amnion, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." — 2 Chronicles 80: 15-17, 21, 23.

THE FIGHT

The history of sixty centuries is behind us. Upon every page of it appears the marks of Satan, the enemy. In all that time he has reproached God, defied him and turned the people away from him. God has permitted it that he may from time to time thereby teach the people a lesson. He has promised that the time will come when he will put an end to this fraudulent deception of the people, and that he will open the eyes of the people and deliver them.

The hour has arrived when God will send forth his beloved Son as Field Marshal, to lead the fight against the nations of earth composing the Devil's organization; It is God's fight; but he acts through his beloved Son, whom he has placed upon the throne and who is the

priest of the Most High God. (Psalm 110:2,4) In this great conflict Jehovah is the right hand support of his beloved Son. He delights in him because he is his faithful servant. (Isaiah 42:1) To him he says: "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon, thy thigh, 0 most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things." — Psalm 45: 2-4.

In times past the prophets of God were granted visions of the preparation for the great battle and the going into action. Habakkuk saw the Devil's organization assembled and, to the nations composing that organization who practice the devil religion through worship of images, he says: "What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it." — Habakkuk 2:18,19.

Then the prophet calls the attention of the people to the purpose of the great war. He says: "But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him." — Habakkuk 2: 20.

Jeremiah was given a vision of the day of God's wrath, and he wrote: "But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation." (Jeremiah 10:10)

"Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations; he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord." — Jeremiah 25:30,31.

Joel saw the army assembled in the valley of judgment, and he expressed this prophecy: "Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord shall also roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion." — Joel 3:13-17.

Micah had a vision of the great and terrible day of God, and he prophesied for the benefit of the people now living on earth as follows: "The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear, all ye people; hearken, 0 earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple." — Micah 1:1,2,

The Prophet Isaiah had a vision of this day; and he speaks of the Lord Jesus, the active agent of Jehovah, the priest of the Most High, the Field Marshal, coming forth to make war upon the Devil's organization, and says: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? 1 that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?" And the response to the prophet is: "For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come."  — Isaiah 63:1,2,4.

Suddenly there bursts forth a great flame of light and fire from the right hand of the little company who are singing praises to God. The trumpets are pealing out their terrible strains; the thunders are rolling, the mountains are quaking and trembling, and a voice is calling from the habitation of Zion. It is the God of heaven moving into battle. The great and terrible day of the Lord has come! So terrible was the vision and so great was the effect upon the ancient prophet, that he cried out: "0 Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: 0 Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." — Habakkuk 3: 2.

The mighty Warrior halts; and with feet planted upon the clouds of fire, "He stood and measured the earth." He made a survey of the army of the enemy, the nations of the earth assembled against God. The prophet then says: "I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble." (Habakkuk 3:6,7) Cushan means black

face; while Midian means brawling, contentious, strife-breeding, fighting ones. The latter term well describes the leaders in the ecclesiastical systems, the false prophets who have blasphemed God's holy name and stirred up strife against God's faithful witnesses and persecuted those who tell the truth. Now they tremble at the sight of the Lord, and as the Prophet Joel says: "All faces gather blackness." The assembled nations see the approaching majesty and greatness of the Lord, and their faces turn black as they tremble for fear.

Then the mighty Leader of the army of the Lord unsheaths his sword and brings into action his instruments of destruction. "Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet."(Habakkuk 3:5) At the approach of these the shepherds and the principal of their flocks smite together their knees for fear; and, being unable to give battle against any other, in blind fear they turn to battle against each other.

On comes the conquering hero, the Word of God, who for centuries has waited for this very blessed hour. (Hebrews 10:12,13) "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; . . . he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood." (Revelation 19:12,13) But behold his apparel; it is glorious, even though covered with blood. He is treading out the winepress; he is crushing the wicked vine of the earth. At his approach the mountains tremble, and the great deep utters its terrible voice and lifts up its hands to the heaven. The sun and the moon stand still in their orbits, and all the stars of the high heaven are shouting VICTORY! With righteous indignation and anger the mighty Conqueror marches through the earth to thresh the nations that have defamed Jehovah's holy

name. He drives asunder the nations, and their kingdoms are scattered and their high places brought low.

The saints do not engage in the actual combat. This is the fight of God Almighty; and the fight is led by his beloved Son, the Priest of whom Melchizedek was a type. Long ago Jehovah's prophet recorded concerning this hour: "The Lord [Jehovah] at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the head over many countries." (Psalm 110:5,6) He is also fighting for the salvation of the people, that they might be delivered from the oppressor; and he is fighting for the anointed of God, that they may be vindicated for their faithful witness to the name of Jehovah.

That wicked ruling system, designated by the title "beast"' and made up of profiteers, politicians and clergy, is taken. That wicked system of religion which has hypocritically paraded in the name of the Lord, and known as the "false prophet", is also taken; and these are cast into the burning flames of everlasting destruction. (Revelation 19: 20) These wicked systems fall, never to rise again. Then the Lord seizes the enemy himself, the Dragon, that old Serpent, the Devil and Satan, and binds him and casts him into the bottomless pit that he may deceive the nations no more. — Revelation 20: 2, 3.

Thus is Satan's empire swept from the earth to oblivion. The name of Jehovah God is vindicated. But all human words attempting to describe this great and terrible day of the Lord are beggarly. Let us read the words which God caused his holy prophet long ago to record, describing his majestic and victorious march

against the stronghold of Satan and his organization:

"A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. 0 Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: 0 Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations: and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.

"I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the 'curtains of the land Midian did tremble. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation? Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the nations in anger.

"Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for the salvation with thine anointed: thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked, by dis-

covering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages; they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters. When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops."  — Habakkuk 3:1-16.

In this great battle no Christian will strike a blow. The reason they do not is because Jehovah has said: "For the battle is not yours but God's." To them the Lord said further: "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people" (Isaiah 51:16) The hand of the Lord is over his little ones; and they that trust him implicitly and will prove faithful to him are free from harm and will continue to sing his praises until the end.

A description of this final battle is referred to again, in Revelation, as a "war between the beast and the Lamb", in which the Lamb, Christ Jesus, is victorious, because he fights the battle on the side of Jehovah. "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." — Revelation 17:14.

Let no one deceive himself into thinking that the battle of Armageddon is a mere fight between men, or that it is only a picture. The Scriptures make it clear

that it is real. It is the battle of God Almighty, in which he will clear the earth of the wicked system that Satan has used to blind the people for all these centuries. Satan has already been ousted from heaven, he has been cast into the earth; and now he is making a desperate attempt to destroy those who witness for God, and to blind all others and turn them away from God. But with the end of Armageddon, when his systems have been cast into utter destruction and when he is in restraint, then will come to pass the fulfilment of the prophetic utterance long ago written concerning the Devil: "Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" — Isaiah 14: 11, 12.

Another illustration of Armageddon is given in the battle fought by Gideon against the great multitude of Midian. The Midianites were the enemies of God's people. A great multitude of these were camped in a valley. Gideon, who is a type of Christ Jesus, was directed to put them to flight. What his followers did, well illustrates what the Christian's part will be in the great and final conflict.

When it came to the time of going into action Gideon had only three hundred men. These he divided into three companies, and put into each man's hand a trumpet with an empty pitcher and a lamp within that pitcher. His orders were that these should be stationed in three different sides of the camp of the Midianites, and that they should watch Gideon; and that when Gideon should give the command each one must blow his trumpet,

break the pitcher which he held in his hands, and hold high his light and shout: "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon." When this was done the Midianites in their fear fell upon each other and slew one another, and the army of the Midianites perished. (Judges 7: 16-20) Even so the Scriptures teach that in these closing days of the age of wickedness and the time of the incoming of the Lord's kingdom, it is the duty and the privilege of those who are really consecrated to the Lord to lift high the light of truth and sing the praises of Jehovah God, proclaiming the message that he is God and that Jesus Christ is the King of kings.

EXTENT OF SLAUGHTER

The great and terrible day of God Almighty, the battle of Armageddon, will be marked with such a decisive victory for righteousness that all will know it. The name of Jehovah will be exalted in the earth. Even the clergy shall have their mouths for ever closed to speaking presumptuously concerning the Lord God. Now they name themselves shepherds of the flock. They have brought into the flock as the principal men the profiteers and politicians and men of great influence. God's prophet, describing the expression of God's angel against these wicked systems and false prophets and which is another description of Armageddon, says: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Howl, ye shep-

herds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the Lord hath spoiled their pasture. And the peaceable habitations are cut down, because of the fierce anger of the Lord." — Jeremiah 25: 32-37.

Another of God's prophets gives a vivid picture of the great and terrible day of the Lord. The sea, being a great, restless body of water that is constantly lashing itself against the rocks, fitly represents the restless and disturbed elements of human society, especially in these troublesome days, dashing themselves against the solid parts of the nations and governments. The prophet, in the prophecy about to be quoted, uses the sea as a symbol of such. Ships are used as a symbol of present methods of carrying on great commercial enterprises. The financial interests of the world are really the backbone of the present visible organization of the enemy. The prophet refers to the time when Satan's organization will reach the point of assembling or being assembled for Armageddon, saying, "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters." — Psa. 107:23.

In the deep distress that comes upon the nations they discern the Lord; that is, they see the manifestation of his power in these troublesome events, even as described by the Prophet Habakkuk. Then the psalmist pictures Jehovah as commanding the fight to begin. The conflict is represented as a stormy wind. A stormy wind is always used as a symbol of trouble. The proph-

et proceeds and thus describes the scope of the trouble and the result: "For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and ere at their wits' end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven."  — Psalm 107:25-30.

The Lord Jesus refers to the same great battle of Armageddon that would follow the World War, when he says: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." — Matthew 24:21,22.

The people may confidently rely upon the statement of Jesus that this will be the end of tribulation upon the earth, because he says there shall never be another. He also states that many will pass through this trouble and live and not die, and all should take courage from this who desire to see a better condition.

Another of the prophets shows that two parts will be destroyed in this time of trouble and that the third part shall be brought through. "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off, and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and

will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God." — Zechariah 13: 8, 9.

It seems, in harmony with Revelation 19:20, that the "two parts" here mentioned are those composing the beast and the false prophet class. These two wicked systems will be completely destroyed; and those people who give allegiance and support and aid and comfort to them will, it seems, also go down; but not for ever. The "third part" that will be brought through the fire evidently describes that class of people who will survive the trouble and who then will have the opportunities of complete reconstruction and blessing. Without doubt there are a great many people who are now held in bondage to Satan's organization by reason of the fact that they are blinded to God's purposes, The enemy Satan has blinded them, lest the glorious good news of God's kingdom should shine into their minds and lest they should understand and believe and break away from the Devil's system, (2 Corinthians 4:4) The Lord Jesus, speaking of the conclusion of this old world and of the manifestation of his kingdom, said: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man, in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30) It is manifest from this scripture that all the peoples will see, in the great battle of Armageddon, that it is the Lord dashing to pieces Satan's organization.

The stubborn and wilful, who continue to support the systems in defiance of God, will go down with them.

Doubtless this will be the time when they who by deceit and fear have been held in bondage to the Devil's organization will break away and will call upon the Lord, and then he will bring them through the time of trouble. The Lord has specially promised favors to those who are good to their fellow creatures. Through his prophet he says: "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies." — Psalm 41:1, 2.

These mentioned hero as coming to some knowledge that the great trouble is a manifestation of God's power and glory shining through his kingdom will doubtless call upon the name of the Lord, and he will hear them and bring them through the trouble; and then, if they are obedient to him, he will give them the blessings long ago promised to come through the seed of Abraham.

The prophet of God again refers to the same time, when he says: "Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." — Zephaniah 3: 8,9.

This will mark the end of Satan's organization and the deliverance of the people therefrom. Then, as the prophet here says, God will turn to them a pure message that they may all call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one consent. Then will follow the

establishment of conditions upon the earth such as will make it a fit place upon which to live. Such will be the work of the Messiah and the next step in the outworking of the divine plan.