Chapter 12

How We Can Enjoy the World Government Forever

1. Under the “new heavens” what will spring up on earth?

WORLD GOVERNMENT by the Creator of heaven and earth will be a thing to enjoy forever. It will stand for all time and will ever handle mankind’s affairs with perfect success. After the storm clouds of mankind’s greatest “time of distress” have passed over, this world government of Jehovah God by Jesus Christ will be the “new heavens” that will arch out brilliantly over all the earth. On earth a new and righteous human society will spring up that will respond harmoniously to the governmental “new heavens.” The way to Paradise will be opened!

2. What question may we ask ourselves about being eyewitnesses?

² Just think of it: There are to be direct eyewitnesses of the setting up of the “new heavens” in which righteousness is to dwell. Will these eyewitnesses include us? We can rightly ask ourselves that question, for the Bible assures us that there will be survivors without specified number who will be here on earth to hail with joy the inauguration of the “new heavens.” By no means will those “new heavens” be established over a depopulated earth. Right from the start of their righteous rule they will have willing subjects here  on the cleansed earth. By the unmerited kindness of the Creator of the “new heavens and a new earth,” the remnant of Christ’s spiritual “brothers” and the unnumbered “great crowd” of those who aided and supported Christ’s “brothers” will have an experience like that of the apostle John. Their eyes will be entranced, as were John’s, at the vision about which he said: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more.”​—Revelation 21:1; Isaiah 65:17.

3. In what way will it be that “the sea is no more”?

³ What? Will the seven seas of our globe be evaporated during the fiery “day of Jehovah” and be no more? Happily not! John speaks of a symbolic “sea.” Consequently, when, in due time, the remnant and the “great crowd” of their fellow survivors look out over the new scene, they will not see on the cleansed earth anywhere any restless, dissatisfied, turbulent society expressing opposition to God’s established world government. The “world of ungodly people” will have been dried up, wiped out, removed during the “great tribulation” that will have just ended. Such a “sea” of polluted, filth-laden water will not survive the judgment day on which Jehovah’s anger is poured out like fire.​—Revelation 8:8, 9; 10:2; 13:1; 16:3; 17:15; 2 Peter 2:5; Isaiah 17:12; 57:20.

4. What other element is to be removed besides the “sea”?

⁴ That boisterous element on earth that has roared against God’s world government by Christ will not be the only opposition group that will be put out of action. Another opposition group,  an even more powerful one, will be removed from the neighborhood of our earth. Who are these latter ones? The symbolic Dragon, Satan the Devil, and all his demon angels. After the war in heaven that followed upon the birth of God’s Messianic kingdom at the close of the Gentile Times in 1914, that “ruler of the demons,” together with his legions of demon angels, was ousted from heaven. Down to the vicinity of our earth they were hurled, to be restrained there for “a short period of time.” In great anger over his ouster and eternal debarment from heaven, this superhuman Dragon, like a huge Leviathan, has churned up the “sea” of restless humanity against the newborn kingdom of God by Christ and its reign of a thousand years.​—Revelation 12:3-13; Job 41:1-32.

5, 6. (a) When and how will Satan and the demon angels be put to silence? (b) In support of what will the “great crowd” cry out?

⁵ After the Dragon, Satan the Devil, sees his earthly servants defeated in the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon, he and his invisible legions reach the end of their “short period of time.” What then? In a prophetic preview of the postwar period, the apostle John saw all that demon band removed from the neighborhood of our earth and imprisoned, chained, in an abyss, under a seal that was not to be broken for a thousand years. In this thoroughgoing way both heaven and earth are cleared of all wicked opposers of Jehovah’s world government by his Christ. (Revelation 16:14, 16; Re 19:19 through 20:3) What an ideal condition now prevails universally! How enjoyable life will become for us  if we prove worthy to be part of the “great crowd” of “tribulation” survivors! Satan the Devil and all who imitate him in challenging God’s rightful sovereignty of heaven and earth will have been silenced and removed. In hearty support of Jehovah’s sovereignty the “great crowd” will take their stand before his throne and cry out:

⁶ “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.”​—Revelation 7:9, 10, 14, 15.

A LIFE-GIVING WORLD GOVERNMENT

7. Revelation 21:2-5 shows that God’s government gives mankind what?

⁷ Salvation out of the “great tribulation” is one thing, of surpassing grandeur indeed, but eternal life in good health and happiness is another thing, of all-transcending grandeur. This latter benefit is what the divine world government will offer to earth’s inhabitants. In words of sheer beauty, the apostle John tells us of this. After remarking that then “the sea is no more,” he says, “I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. With that I heard a loud voice from the throne [hence God’s voice] say: ‘Look! The tent of God [not, the throne of God] is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things [including the former heaven and earth] have passed  away.’ And the One seated on the throne [God] said: ‘Look! I am making all things new.’”​—Revelation 21:2-5.

8. The New Jerusalem represents what and brings what to men?

⁸ The expression, “the holy city, New Jerusalem,” denotes a government, just as ancient Jerusalem in the days of King David and his son, King Solomon, denoted a government, these kings being said to sit on “Jehovah’s throne” as His representatives. (1 Chronicles 29:23) Has any government till now been able to give to the people on earth what the New Jerusalem will bring, wiping away of tears because of calamities and heartaches, removal of death, mourning, outcry and pain of heart? All mankind’s mournful condition till now answers No! But the New Jerusalem can and will bring those blessings because it is a government from God. God’s beloved Son, Jesus Christ, tasted a sacrificial human death for all mankind to lift inherited death from us forever. For the realization of that he must reign for a thousand years.​—1 Timothy 2:5, 6; Hebrews 2:9; 1 Corinthians 15:24-27.

9. The New Jerusalem will consist of what?

⁹ A government is not an automaton, a thing set in motion and running automatically. To function, it requires governors or officials. Who, then, will compose the God-given New Jerusalem? God’s angel explained to the apostle John that the New Jerusalem is “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” That signifies that it is the congregation of the 144,000 disciples and joint heirs with Jesus Christ the Lamb, all spiritual Israelites. (Revelation 21:9-14; 7:4-8; 14:1-4; 19:7, 8; 2 Corinthians  11:2) However, because the New Jerusalem class is spoken of as a bride, a wife, this class is not here spoken of as reigning, but it is her Bridegroom that reigns.

10. In what way do God and Jesus occupy the throne in “the city”?

¹⁰ Just as “Jehovah’s throne” was located in ancient earthly Jerusalem and King David and his succession of kings sat upon that throne as Jehovah’s visible representatives, so the case is similar here with the New Jerusalem. We read: “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city.” It is from this throne that the “river of water of life” flows for the eternal life of the subjects of God’s kingdom by Christ. (Revelation 22:1, 3) Accordingly, in the New Jerusalem the Lamb Jesus Christ sits upon “Jehovah’s throne” as the Messianic King anointed by Him. This royal descendant of Kings David and Solomon is greater than these forefathers of his, for his kingdom is heavenly and will be a world government: “He will have subjects from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.” (Psalm 72:8) His rulership will be global.​—Zechariah 9:9, 10; Psalm 110:1, 2.

11. (a) When and how is the Bride class completed? (b) What does the World Ruler, Jesus, become to his subjects, and on what basis?

¹¹ At a time not indicated, the remnant of Christ’s joint heirs will pass off the earthly scene and, by means of the “first resurrection,” they will be united with their heavenly Bridegroom and thus the entire Bride class of 144,000 joint heirs will be completed. (Revelation 20:4, 6) But the “great crowd” of their virginlike companions  will continue here on earth as subjects of the World Governor, Jesus Christ. (Psalm 45:14) Though being a world ruler, he will be a father to them. To his faithful subjects he will become their Eternal Father, for he died for them all that he might be their Life-Giver. As “the last Adam,” he was made “a life-giving spirit” in their behalf.​—1 Corinthians 15:45; Isaiah 9:6.

12. To what will the “great crowd” apply themselves? Where?

¹² It is said of the “great crowd” that “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” This sacrificial “Lamb of God” therefore acts as God’s High Priest at His spiritual temple. Logically, then, what is the first thing that the “great crowd” of ‘white-robed’ ones do after they “come out of the great tribulation”? Like Noah and his family right after the Deluge, the “great crowd” address themselves to Jehovah’s worship. “That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple.” (Revelation 7:9, 10, 14, 15; John 1:29, 36) They know that, under God’s world government by Christ, no form of worship will ever be permitted but the one true religion, the pure worship of the one living and true God, Jehovah. This will be the one and only religion of the “new earth.” It will be a unifying source for all.

13. Who on earth will share in making all earth a Paradise?

¹³ Will the surviving “great crowd” be the only ones used to transform our earthly globe into a surpassingly beautiful Paradise? No, but the redeemed human dead, after their resurrection, will share in this delightful work. This will include the  sympathetic man who died at Jesus’ side.​—Luke 23:43.

14. Who will use the “keys of death and of Haʹdes”? For whom?

¹⁴ The “keys of death and of Haʹdes [the common grave of mankind]” are to be used. Jesus Christ has them since his own resurrection. O joy, he will use them for the resurrecting of all those to whom his ransom sacrifice applies! The works that these resurrected ones do during his thousand-year reign will be the basis for their being judged. Those proving willfully disobedient and irreformable will forfeit all claim on life. They will get the penalty of a death from which there will be no resurrection.​—Revelation 1:18; 20:11-15; Acts 24:15; John 5:28, 29.

15. How will the cleansing of the universe be capped?

¹⁵ The cleansing of the universe will be capped finally by the destruction of Satan the Devil and his demons, the promoters of wickedness. (Revelation 20:7-10; Genesis 3:15) What a blessing to our earth! Beautifying it then will be one world under one government in loving loyalty to God’s rightful sovereignty.

16, 17. Appreciation of God’s undeserved kindness moves us to do what?

¹⁶ O what a blessed prospect is before us in the light of God’s Word! Irresistibly it tugs at our heartstrings. O, then, with open arms we bid you welcome, you long-awaited world government. The “sign” of your imminence has appeared before our eyes and ever becomes more meaningful. Clearly within our reach is the loving provision for us to enjoy eternal life on a Paradise earth under your rightful rulership. Our hearts, burning with appreciation, move us to embrace such a precious opportunity.

 ¹⁷ Thanks to your Creator, Jehovah, the Maker of heaven and earth, we know now what to do in this “year of goodwill on the part of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 61:2; 49:8; 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2) The privilege is ours to become the dedicated, baptized disciples of Jehovah’s Chief Agent for blessing mankind. (Matthew 28:19, 20) In his footsteps we will press forward, joyfully proclaiming everywhere “this good news of the kingdom,” until all enemies bow to your glorious triumph, O you our incoming world government, God’s kingdom.

[Study Questions]