OUR PRECIOUS HERITAGE - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? - An Inheritance in the Heavens

An Inheritance in the Heavens

The nation to which the Kingdom was given is "the Israel of God,"  spiritual Israel, made up of 144,000 spirit-begotten followers of Jesus Christ.  (Galatians  6:16; Revelation 5:9, 10, 14:1-3)  Some of those 144,000 were natural Jews, but most were from the Gentile nations.  In that way Jehovah's promise to Abraham, that through his "seed" all the nations would be blessed, began to be fulfilled.  (Acts 3:25, 26;Galatians 3:8, 9) In that initial  fulfillment, people of the nations were anointed with holy spirit and adopted by Jehovah God as spiritual sons, brothers of Jesus Christ.  Thus, they too became a secondary part of that "seed." -Galatians 3:28, 29.

Before his death, Jesus introduced to prospective Jewish members of that new nation the new covenant, which would be validated by his own blood.  On the basis of their faith in that validating sacrifice, those taken into that covenant would be made "perfectly perpetually."  (Hebrews 10:14-18)  They could be "declared righteous" and their sins forgiven.  (1 Corinthians 6:11)  Thus, in that sense  they are as Adam was before he sinned.  However, these are not to live in an earthly paradise.  Jesus said that he was going to prepare a place for them in heaven.  (John 14:2, 3) They give up their earthly prospects in order to have an 'inheritance reserved for them in the heavens."  (1 Peter 1:4)  What do they do there? Jesus explained:  "I make a covenant with you .  . .for a kingdom." -Luke 22:9).

From the heavens, those who will rule with Christ will, among other things, help to remove from the earth all traces of rebellion against Jehovah's sovereignty.  (Revelation 2:26, 27) As a secondary part of the spiritual seed of Abraham, they will share in bringing the blessing of life in perfection to people of all nations.  (Romans 8:17-21)  What a precious inheritance they have! -Ephesians 1:16-18.

But the heritage of Jesus' anointed followers is not all future.  In a manner that no one else could, Jesus helped them to know Jehovah, the only true God.  (Matthew 11:27; John 17:3,. 26) By word and example, he taught them what is meant by 'trusting in Jehovah' and what obedience to Jehovah involves.  (Hebrews 2:13; 5:7-9) Jesus entrusted them with knowledge of the truth concerning God's purpose of the truth concerning God's purpose and assured them that the holy spirit would lead them to a fuller understanding of it.  (John 14:24-26)  He impressed upon their minds and hearts the importance of the Kingdom of God.  (Matthew  6:10, 33) Jesus also entrusted them with the assignment to witness and to make disciples of people in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the most distant parts of the earth. -Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8.

Next time: OUR PRECIOUS HERITAGE-WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? - A Precious Heritage for a Great Crowd

The Watchtower, 2000