Jehovah has assigned the mother an honorable role in the family, and he has given her a measure of authority over her children. In fact, a mother’s influence on her children can be profound and lifelong. (Prov. 22:6) Note what mothers can learn from Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary knew the Scriptures very well. She had developed a deep respect for Jehovah and had formed a strong personal friendship with him. She was willing to submit to Jehovah’s direction, even though it involved changing her entire life course. (Luke 1:35-38, 46-55) Mothers, you can imitate Mary in a number of ways. How? First, by maintaining your own friendship with Jehovah through personal Bible study and private prayers. Second, by being willing to make changes in your life to please Jehovah. w19.09 18 ¶17-19

The apostle John received an exciting prophetic vision. In it, angels are told to hold back the destructive winds of the great tribulation until the final sealing of a group of slaves. (Rev. 7:1-3) That group is made up of 144,000 who will rule with Jesus in heaven. (Luke 12:32; Rev. 7:4) Then John mentions another group, so vast that he exclaims: “Look!”​—an expression that may indicate his surprise at seeing something unexpected. What does John see? “A great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:9-14) Imagine how happy John must have been to learn about myriads of people practicing true worship in the future! That vision no doubt strengthened John’s faith. How much more should it strengthen our faith, since we live in the time of the fulfillment of the vision! We have seen the gathering of millions whose hope is to survive the great tribulation and live forever on earth. w19.09 26 ¶2-3

Imagine that the nations have just made their long-awaited proclamation of “peace and security.” They may boast that the world has never been so safe. The nations will want us to think that they have the world situation under control. But they have absolutely no control over what will follow. “Babylon the Great” will be destroyed! (Rev. 17:5, 15-18) “God [will] put it into their hearts to carry out his thought.” What is that thought? To destroy the world empire of false religion, including Christendom. God will put his thought into the hearts of “the ten horns” of the “scarlet-colored wild beast.” The ten horns represent all the political powers that support “the wild beast”​—the United Nations. (Rev. 17:3, 11-13; 18:8) When those political powers turn on false religion, that will mark the beginning of the great tribulation. It will be a truly catastrophic world event. w19.10 14 ¶1, 3