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<noinclude><pagequality level="1" user="" /></noinclude>il02 %e WATCHTOWER. God's universal organization which brings forth the kingdom or natIon is symbolized by the pure woman and is pal'twlly vIsible to man, but the greater part thereof is In- visible to man. It includes his beloved Son and all the host of heavenly creatures In harmony with God, and it includes those on earth who are faithful and true to God. The latter are the only part that is visible to human eyes, but these are the ones who are in real danger, by reason of the enmity of Satan against God and against His organization and the children thereof. Note that the woman is clothed and shod with God's light. The sun was her clothing, and the moon her shoes, and the stars are about her head. The sun and the moon and the stars give light to men on the earth. So the light of God shmcs upon and about them that love and serve him. Those of God's organizatIOn on earth are sure of God's light and favor both day and night, which fact is here symbolized. The 't'eh'e stars upon the head of the woman' symbolically says' ':::lhe is a heavenly queen and therefore fit to bring forth the offspring of Jehovah. Her husband is the King of EternIty.' (See Jeremiah 10: 10, marginal reading.) "And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered." (Rev. 12: 2) The woman's Cries were those of pain directed to Jehovah God, the only One who could help her. Her cries are prayers for God's king- dom to begin. Clearly the point taught by this is that the kingdom is not produced except at great cost of pain and suffering on the part of those who are members of God's organization. To such the apostle Paul said: "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14: 22)-Gal. 4: 19. At the same time, so Revelation 12: 3 states, "there ap- peared another wonder [or sign] in heaven." After Christ Jesus came to the temple in A.D. 1918 and the spiritual temple of God was opened, those who were brought into the temple had an understanding of these "signs" or "wonders" ; but they could not have an under~tandl!lg pnor thereto. Through the columns of The Watchtower, as of Jlarch 1, 1925, the Lord revealed these truths concerning the great wonders to his people. This latter "wonder" or "sign" is described tllU';: "And behold a great reel dragon, lia 'Ing seven heads and ten horns, and sew'n crowns upon his heads. And IllS tail drew the third lJ.lrt of the stars of hea Yen, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."-Rev. 12: 3, 4. "Dragon" is one of the names that God gave to Satan the enemy, and It properly applies to Satan's organization. It is derived from the Greek word drakoon, and means a ~erpellt, and this also is Olle of the names that apply to Satan the Devil. (See Revelation 12: 15; 20: 1-4) Thus the Devil is identified, and his organization with him. The diadems or crowns were upon his seven heads, and he had "ten horns", this symbolically representing complete invisible and visible power and authority over his organi- zation j ,vhereas the "seven heads" symbolically represented his complete invisible organization, "seven" standing for spiritual completeness. According to Isaiah 9: 15, his "tail" is his prophet, and therefore "the false prophet" or mouth- pICee of Satan's organization and that does most of the talk- .lIgo for that wicked organization and utters many loud and BnOOKLY)l, K Y. boastful claims as to what the visible rulers of the earth WIll soon accomplish for man. Satan's organization, particularly by and through thIS false prophet, knows how to lure and draw and entIce; and therefore it is written that "his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth". EVI' dently this does not mean exactly one third in number, but rather a class of persons amongst three general classes of persons that claim to stand for God's heavenly king-dom This particular class claim to be faithful, yet are unfaith- ful to God. Those who will compose the spiritual "body of Christ" (1 Cor. 12: 27) and those who will compose the "great multitude" of the Lord's "other sheep" must pro'<e faithful. But there is a "third part" that will not be faith- ful, but will go after the Devil, and these are called "wander- ing stars, to whom is reserved the blackncss of darkness fo t' ever". (Jude 13) By his prophet Daniel (ehapter 8. verse 10) God foretold that Satan, through his mstrtlmenb or agents, would "east down some of the host and of the stars to the ground". The "false prophet" has accomplIshed this. The dragon is shown standing before the woman of nod and ready and waiting to devour her child as soon as It IS born. Thus is pictured the "enmity" between the serpell t lind the woman, as God had long previously declared in Eden. (Gen. 3: 15) This was the exact condItion that obtained at the close of the "times of the Gentiles" in .A.D 1914.- Luke 21: 24. For centuries God's people have looked forward to the settmg up of the kingdom, or Theocratic Govel'llment, WIth great expectation. When on earth Jesus spoke of the coming of the kingdom more than of any other one thing, evidently because of its greatest importance. It is the most stupendous of all things. Its birth was and is of the greatest Importance As Satan recognized Jesus as the heir of God and of the kingdom, and tried to kill him when he was III the flesh, even so Satan recognized the kingdom as his greatest enemy. He stood ready to destroy the kingdom at Its beglllning Jehovah challenges hIm when He says, at ISclJah GG.!) (Am Rev. Ver.) : "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cau"e to bring forth 1 saith Jehovah: shall I that cau~e to bnng forth ~hut the womb f saith thy God." God's due tIme had arrived at the end of the penod that Jesus sat at Jehovah'" right hand waiting for his enemies to be made hIS footstool (Ps. 110: 1; Heb. 10: 12, 13) Now nothing could preven t the' birth of Jehovah's Theocratic Government, the "nation" of which the King Christ Jcsus is the Head. Revelation 12: 5 continues: "And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all natIOns with a rod of iron and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." The man child here mentioned is God's kingdom, new na- tion or government under Christ that must rule all the na- tions of the earth. Concerning these nations it is written "Thou [Christ 1 shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shal t dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Ps. 2: 9) Christ's perIOd of waiting at Jehovah's rIght hand, and the end thereof in 1914, was foretold by another prophet of God, who wrote: "Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she [God's woman Zion] which travaileth hath brought forth [the kingdom 1; then the remnan t of his brethren [Jehovah's witnesses on earth] shall return unto <noinclude><references/></noinclude>