Continue with Spiritual Fruitage That Glorifies God

From Pentecost 33 C.E. onward, God planted similar "big trees of righteousness"-courageous anointed Christians-in the spiritual estate of his new nation, "the Israel of God."  (Galatians 6:16) Over the centuries, these "trees" have come to number 144,000, producing righteous fruitage to beautify, or bring glory to, Jehovah God.  (Revelation 14:3) The final ones of these stately "trees" have flourished in the years since 1919, when Jehovah revived the remaining ones of the Israel of God from their temporary state of inactivity.  By supplying them with an abundant supply of spiritual waters, Jehovah has produced a virtual forest of righteous, fruit-bearing trees. -Isaiah 27:6.

Highlighting the work of these "trees, Isaiah continues:  "They must rebuild the long-standing devastated places; they will raise up even the desolated places of former times, and they will certainly  make anew the devastated  cities, the places desolate for generation after generation." (Isaiah 61:4) Under the decree of King Cyrus of Persia, faithful Jews who returned from Babylon rebuilt Jerusalem and its temple, which had been left in a devastated condition for so long.  Restoration projects would also  mark the years following 33 C.E. and 1919.

In 33 C.E., Jesus' disciples were greatly saddened by his arrest trial, and death.  (Matthew 26:31)   However, their outlook changed when he appeared to them after his resurrection. And once holy spirit was poured out on them, they got busy with the work of preaching the good news, "both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the most distant part of the earth."  (Acts 1:8)  Thus they began to restore  pure worship.  In a similar way, from 1919 onward Jesus Christ caused the remnant of his anointed  brothers to rebuild "places desolate for generation after generation."  For centuries the clergy of Christendom had failed to impart the knowledge of Jehovah, replacing it with man-made traditions and unscriptural doctrines.  The anointed Christians cleaned out  of their congregations practices that were tainted by false religion so that the restoration of true worship could go forward. And the began what would prove to be the greatest witnessing campaign that the world has ever known. -Mark 13:10.

This is a huge commission.  How could the relatively few remaining ones of the Israel of God accomplish such a task?  Jehovah inspired Isaiah to declare:  "Strangers will actually stand and shepherd the flocks of you people, and the foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers."  (Isaiah 61:5)  The figurative strangers and foreigners have proved to be "a great crowd"  of Jesus' "other sheep."  (Revelation 7:9; John 10:11, 16) They are not anointed with holy spirit with a view to a heavenly inheritance. Rather, they have the hope of everlasting life on a paradise earth.  (Revelation 21:3, 4)  Still, they love Jehovah and have been entrusted with spiritual shepherding, farming, and vinedressing duties.  Such activities are not menial tasks. Under the direction  of the remaining ones of the Israel of God, these workers help in the shepherding, nurturing, and harvesting of people.-Luke 10:2; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2; Revelation 14:15, 16.

Next time: Conclusion of Spiritual Fruitage That Glorifies God

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, Volume II, 2001