What will precipitate Armageddon? The prophetic account regarding Gog of Magog reveals that God will maneuver his enemies to stage an all-out attack upon his apparently unprotected people on earth. Then Jehovah’s forces under Jesus Christ will take them by surprise, as we read: “Whenever it is that they are saying, ‘Peace and security!’ then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them.” And first to go down at that time will be organized false religion, because of its greater guilt: “Slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; . . . and begin at my sanctuary.”—1 Thess. 5:3; Ezek. 9:6, AS.

After all the visible enemies of Jehovah have been destroyed, then Jesus Christ will take Satan and his demons and cast them into the abyss of death. There they will remain for a thousand years, to be loosed briefly to test mankind before being finally destroyed.—Ezek. 38:1 to 39:7; Rev. 19:11 to 20:10.

Today a great dividing work is going on. The “three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs” that John saw represent the selfish propaganda that is gathering the people on the side of Satan. On the other hand, the preaching of “this good news of the kingdom” is gathering all lovers of righteousness on the side of Jehovah God.—Rev. 16:13; Matt. 24:14.

What will Armageddon mean for you? That will depend upon which side you take your stand. Jehovah will protect and deliver those on his side, even as he protected and delivered Noah, Lot and other faithful servants in times past. To be among that comparatively small number of happy persons you must obey God’s command: “Get out of her [modern Babylon, Satan’s organization], my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues.” You must ‘do justly, love kindness and walk humbly with your God,’ seeking Jehovah, meekness and righteousness.—Rev. 18:4; Mic. 6:8; Zeph. 2:3.

Surviving Armageddon, you can look forward to everlasting life in Jehovah’s new world of righteousness, in which he “will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more.” All earth will become a paradise and will be “full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.” The death of Jesus Christ as a sacrifice made all this possible; and by means of his kingdom, for which Christians have so long prayed, all this will come about.—Rev. 21:4; Isa. 11:9, AS.

Will Armageddon mean everlasting destruction or everlasting life in happiness for you? That will depend upon the course of action you take from now until Armageddon!

REFERENCES

¹ Evening Free Lance, Hollister, Calif., Jan. 30, 1957.

² The Bible as History, Keller, p. 202.

³ Miami, Florida Herald, Nov. 18, 1956.

⁴ Richmond, Virginia, Times-Dispatch, Nov. 17, 1956.

⁵ Prophetic Footnotes, Armageddon, p. 2.

⁶ Chicago, Illinois, Sunday Tribune, Mar. 7, 1954.

⁷ Time magazine, Dec. 12, 1955.

⁸ New York Times, Sept. 8, 1957.

⁹ New York Sunday Times, Nov. 11, 1956.

¹⁰ The Christian Century, Sept. 26, 1956.

¹¹ Cardinal Spellman, London News Chronicle, May 29, 1952.

“The Clergy Are Afraid”

Hugh Price Hughes, an English Methodist clergyman, once told the following: “I am very much struck by one remark which Mr. Gladstone made to Mr. Stead. He had one grievance with the Anglican clergy whom he has so faithfully served. ‘I have one thing,’ he said, ‘against the clergy; I think they are not severe enough on their congregations. They do not sufficiently lay upon the . . . consciences of their hearers their moral obligations, and probe their hearts and bring their whole lives and actions to the bar of conscience. The clergy are afraid of dealing faithfully with their hearers.’”—Treasury of the Christian World.