"Foreigners" and "the Israel of God"

The prophet Isaiah wrote:  "The foreigners that have joined themselves to Jehovah to minister to him and to love the name of Jehovah, in order to become servants to him, all those keeping the sabbath in order not to profane it and laying hold of my covenant, I will also bring them to my holy mountain and make them rejoice inside my house of prayer.  Their whole burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be for acceptance upon my altar." (Isaiah 55:6, 7)  In Israel, this meant that "foreigners," non-Israelites, would worship Jehovah-loving  his name, obeying the terms of the Law covenant, keeping the Sabbath, and offering sacrifices at the temple, God's "House of prayer." -Matthew 21:13. 

In our day, "the foreigners that have joined themselves to Jehovah" are the great crowd.  These minister  to Jehovah in association with the Israel of God.  (Zachariah 8:23)  They offer the same acceptable sacrifices as the Israel of God. (Hebrews 13:15, 16)  The worship in God's spiritual temple, his "house of prayer." (Compare Revelation 7:15) Do they keep the weekly Sabbath?  Neither anointed or other sheep are commanded to do this.  (Colossians 2:16, 17)  However, Paul said to anointed Hebrew Christians:  "There remains a sabbath resting for the people of God. For the man that has entered into God's rest has also himself rested from his own works, just as  God did from his own." (Hebrews 4:9, 10)  Those Hebrews entered into this "sabbath resting" when they subjected themselves by works of the Law.  (Romans 1-0:3, 4)  Anointed Gentile  Christians enjoy the same rest by subjecting themselves to Jehovah's righteousness.  The great crowd join them in that rest. 

Further, other sheep lay hold of the new covenant just as foreigners of old laid hold of the Law covenant. In what way?  Not by becoming participants in it but by submitting to the laws associated with it and benefiting from its arrangements. (Compare Jeremiah 31:33, 34) Like their anointed companions, the other sheep have Jehovah's law written 'in their heart." They deeply Love and obey Jehovah's commandments and principles.  (Psalm 37:31; 119:97)  Like anointed  Christians, they know Jehovah.  (John 17:3)  what about circumcision?  some 1,500 years before the making of the new covenant, Moses urged the Israelites:  "You must circumcise the foreskin of your hearts."(Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4;4)  While compulsory fleshly circumcision passed away with the Law, both the anointed  and the other sheep must"circumcise" their hearts.  (Colossians 2:11)  Finally, Jehovah forgives the error of the other sheep on the basis of Jesus' shed "blood of the covenant."  (Matthew 26:28; 1 John 1:9; 2:2)  God does not adopt them as spiritual sons, as he does the 144,000.  But he does declare the other sheep righteous, in the sense that Abraham was declared righteous as God's friend.-Matthew 25:46; Romans 4:2, 3; James 2:23.  

For the 144,000, being declared righteous opens the way to their having the hope of ruling with Jesus in the heavenly  Kingdom.  (Romans 8:16, 17; Galatians 2:16)  For the other sheep, being declared righteous  as God's friends allows them to embrace the hope of everlasting life in a paradise earth-either by surviving Armageddon as part of the great crowd or through the 'resurrection of the righteous.' (Acts 24:15) what a privilege to have such a hope and to be a friend of the Sovereign of the universe, to be "a guest in [his] tent!" (Psalm 15:1, 2) Yes, both anointed and other sheep are blessed in a wonderful way through Jesus, the Seed of Abraham. 

Next time: A Greater Atonement Day

From the Watchtower magazine, 1998