The Ingathering Continues

The full number of that "royal priesthood" is 144,000, and in time the gathering of them was completed.  (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1)  Was that the end of the ingathering work?  No. Isaiah's prophecy continues:  " 'Just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making are standing before me,' is the utterance of Jehovah, 'so the offspring of you people and the name of you people will keep standing.' " (Isaiah 66:22)  In the initial fulfillment of those words, Jews who return from Babylonian captivity will begin raising children, thus, the restored Jewish remnant, "the new earth," under the new Jewish administration, "the new heavens,"  will become firmly established.  However, the prophecy has had a most remarkable fulfillment in our day. 

"The offspring" that the nation of spiritual brothers produces are the "great crowd," who have the hope of everlasting life on earth.  They come "out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues," and they stand "before the throne and before the Lamb."  These ones "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9-14; 22:17) Today the "great crowd" are turning from spiritual darkness to the light that Jehovah provides.  They exercise faith in Jesus Christ, and like their anointed brothers and sisters, they strive to remain spiritually and morally clean.  As a group they continue serving under Christ's direction  and will "keep standing" forever! -Psalm 37:11, 29.

These hard-working men and women with an earthly hope know that while it is vital to remain morally and spiritually clean, more is involved in pleasing Jehovah. The ingathering work is in full swing, and they want to have a share in it.  The book of Revelation prophesies concerning them: "They are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple."  (Revelation  7:15)  Those words  remind us of the second-to-last verse in Isaiah's prophecy:  " ' It will certainly occur that from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh will come in to bow down before me,' Jehovah has said."  (Isaiah 66:23)  This is happening today. "From new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath"-that is, regularly, every week of every month-anointed Christians and their companions, the great crowd, come together to worship Jehovah.  they do this, among other things, attending Christian meetings and engaging in the public ministry.  Are you one of those regularly 'come and bow down before Jehovah'?  Jehovah's people find great joy in doing this, and those of the great crowd look forward  to the time when "all flesh"-all living humans-will serve Jehovah "from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath" for all eternity.

Next time:  The Final End of God's Enemies

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