Chapter Twent-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - Measuring the Temple Sanctuary - Conclusion

 Therefore, when John is commanded to measure the temple sanctuary and that priest worshiping in it, it is a sign that nothing can prevent the fulfilling of Jehovah's purposes regarding the temple arrangement and those associated with it, and that those purposes are nearing their climax. Now that all things have been placed under the feet of Jehovah's strong angel, it is the time for "the mountain of the house of Jehovah" to become "firmly established above the top of the mountains." (Isaiah 2:2-4) Jehovah's pure worship must be exalted, after centuries of Christendom's apostasy. It is also time for those of Jesus' faithful brothers who have died to the resurrected into "the Holy of Holies. (Daniel 9:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16; Revelation 16:11; 14:4) And the last sealed ones on earth of "the slaves of our God" must be measure according to the divine standards in order to qualify for their permanent place in the temple arrangement as spirit-begotten sons of God. The John class today is fully aware of those holy standards and is determined to measure up to them. - REVELATION 7:1-3; MATTHEW 13:41, 42; EPHESIANS 1:13, 14; compare Romans 11:20. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - The Trampling of the Courtyard

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Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - Measuring the Temple Sanctuary

 John is told to measure the temple sanctuary of God and the altar and those worshiping in it. What does this imply? In the Hebrew Scripture prophecies, such measuring provided a guarantee that justice, tempered with mercy, would be rendered on the basis of Jehovah's perfect standards. In the days of King Manasseh, the prophetic measuring of Jerusalem testified to an unalterable judgment of destruction on that city. (2 Kings 21:13; Lamentations 2:8) Later, however, when Jeremiah saw Jerusalem being measured, this confirmed that the city would be rebuilt. (Jeremiah 31:39; see also Zechariah 2:2-8) Likewise, the extensive and detailed measuring of the visionary temple witnessed by Ezkiel was a guarantee to the Jewish exiles in Babylon that true worship would be restored in their homeland. It was also a reminder that, in view of their errors, Israel henceforth had to measure up to God's holy standards. - EZEKIEL 40:3, 4; 43:10.

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Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses - The Temple Sanctuary --Conclusion

 From this divinely inspired information, we can conclude that the Holy place in the tabernacle symbolizes a holy condition enjoyed first by Christ and then by the anointed members of the royal priesthood of the 144,000 while they are on earth, before entering through "the curtain." (Hebrews 6:19, 20; 1 Peter 2:9) It well represents their having been adopted as spiritual sons of God, even as God acknowledged Jesus to be his Son following Jesus' baptism in the Jordan in 29 C.E. (Luke 3:22; Romans 8:15) And what of the inner courtyard, the only part of the tabernacle visible to non-priestly Israelites and the place where sacrifices were made? This pictures the perfect standing of the man Jesus that qualified him to offer his life for mankind. It also represents the righteous standing as holy ones, imputed   on the basis of Jesus' sacrifice; that is his anointed followers enjoy while one earth. 

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Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses -The Temple Sanctuary - Continue

 The apostle Paul explains that the curtain of the tabernacle, separating the Most Holy from the holy compartment, pictures Jesus' flesh. When Jesus sacrificed his life, this curtain was rent in two, showing that Jesus' flesh was no longer a barrier to his entry into Jehovah's presence in heaven. On the basis of Jesus sacrifice, his anointed underpriests who died faithful would, in due course, also pass into the heavens. (Matthew 27:50, 51; Hebrews 9:3; 10:19, 20) Paul points out, too, that the continual services of animals at the tabernacle pointed toward Jesus' one sacrifice of his perfect life. The altar of sacrifice in the courtyard represented Jehovah's provision, according to his will , for accepting Jesus' sacrifice in behalf of the " many" - of the anointed and, later, of the other sheep- who would be "earnestly looking for him for their salvation." - HEBREWS 9:28; 10:9, 10; JOHN 10:16.

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses -The Temple Sanctuary - Conclusion

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Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses

 Before the second woe is finally past, the strong angel calls upon John to take part in another prophetic presentation, this one having to do with the temple. (Revelation 9:2; 12; 10:1) Here is what John reports: "And a reed like a rod was given me as he said: 'Get up and measure the temple sanctuary of God and the altar and those worshipping in       it,' " -REVELATION 11:1. 

The Temple Sanctuary

The temple here mentioned cannot be any literal temple in Jerusalem, since the last of these was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. The apostle Paul, however, showed that even before that destruction, there had appeared another temple sanctuary that fulfilled the prophetic types that would endure up to our day. This was the great spiritual temple that fulfilled the prophetic types provided by the tabernacle and later by the temples built in Jerusalem. It is "the true tent, which Jehovah put up, and not man," and its High Priest is Jesus, whom Paul describes as have already "sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." Its Most Holy is the location of Jehovah's presence in heaven itself. - HEBREWS 8:1, 2; 9:11, 24. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Five/Reviving the Two Witnesses -The Temple Sanctuary - Continue 

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Chapter Twenty-Four/A Sweet-and-Bitter Message - The Little Scroll Today - Continue

 John's eating up the scroll pictured that Jesus' brothers accepted this assignment. It became a part of them to the extent that they were now identified with this portion of God's inspired Word, drawing nourishment from it. But what they had to preach contained expressions of Jehovah's judgments that were unpalatable to many of mankind. Indeed, it included the plague foretold in Revelation chapter 8.  It was sweet, however, to these sincere Christians to know those ingredients and to realize that they were again being used by Jehovah in proclaiming them. - PSALM 19:9, 10. 

In time, the message of this scroll also became sweet to the "great crowd . . . out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues" who were found to be sighing on account of the desirable things they saw being done in Christendom. (Revelation 7:9; Ezekiel 9:4) These too, vigorously proclaim the good news, using sweet, gracious words to describe Jehovah's marvelous position for sheeplike Christians. (Psalm 37:11, 29; Colossians 4:6) But to goatlike people, this is bad news. Why? It means that the system in which they trust-and which may even have brought them transitory satisfaction-must go. For them, the good news spells doom. - MATTHEW 25:31-34,41, 46; compare DEUTERONOMY 28:15; 2 Corinthians 2:15, 16.

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Chapter Twenty-Four/A Sweet-and-Bitter Message - The Little Scroll Today - Continue

 Like Jesus, however, they were used by Jehovah even before the voices of the seven thunders were fully published. They had preached diligently for 40 years before 1914, and they had struggled to stay active during the first world war. They had proved to be the ones who, when the master arrived, were to be giving the domestics food at the proper time. (Matthew 24:45-47) Thus, in 1919 they were the ones who were given the opened little scroll-that is, an open message to preach to mankind. Like Ezekiel they had a message for an ungrateful organization-Christendom-that claimed to be serving God but, in fact, was not. Like John they had to preach some more regarding "peoples and nations and tongues and many kings." 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Four/A Sweet-and-Bitter Message - The Little Scroll Today 

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Chapter Twenty-Four/A Sweet-and-Bitter Message - The Little Scroll Today

 What John sees foreshadows remarkably the experience of the John class at the beginning of the Lord's day. Their understanding of Jehovah's purposes, including the implication of the seven thunders, was then incomplete. Nevertheless, they had a deep interest in Revelation, and Charles Taze Russell had commented on many parts of it during his lifetime. After his death in 1916, many of the writings were collected and published in a book entitled The Finished Mystery. In time, though, this book proved to be unsatisfactory as an explanation of Revelation. The remnant of Christ's brothers had to wait a while longer, until the visions started to be fulfilled, for an accurate understanding of that inspired record.

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Four/A Sweet-and-Bitter Message -The Little Scroll Today - Continue

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Chapter Twenty-Four/A Sweet-and-Bitter Message - The Opened Scroll - Conclusion

 The ones who tell John to prophesy again are doubtless Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. John, although exiled on the island of Patmos, has already prophesied regarding peoples, nations, tongues, and kings through the information recorded so far in the book of Revelation. The word "again" means that he must write and publish the rest of the information recorded in the book of Revelation. But remember, John is here actually participating in the prophetic vision. What he records is, in fact, a prophesy to be fulfilled after 1914, when the strong angel takes up his position astride the earth and the sea.  What, then, does this dramatic portrayal mean to the John class today? 

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Chapter Twenty-Four/A Sweet-and-Bitter Message - The Opened Scroll

 While John is waiting for the blowing of this seventh trumpet and the bringing to a finish of the sacred secret of God, he is given a further assignment: "And the voice that I heard out of heaven is speaking again with me and saying: 'Go, take the opened scroll that is in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and the earth.' And I went away to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me: 'Take it and eat it up, and it will make your belly bitter, but in your mouth, it will be as sweet as honey.' And I took the little scroll out of his hand of the angel and ate it up, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; but bitter. And they say to me; you must prophesy again with regard to peoples and nations and tongues and many kings.' " - REVELATION 10:8-11.

John's experience is rather similar to that of the prophet Ezekiel during his exile in the land of Babylonia. He too was commanded to eat a scroll that tasted sweet in his mouth. But it filled his stomach, it made him responsible to tell the bitter things for the rebellious house of Israel. (Ezekiel2:8-3:15) The opened scroll that the glorified Jesus Christ gives to John is likewise a divine message. John is to preach regarding "peoples and nations and tongues and many kings." To feed upon this scroll is sweet for him because it is from a divine source. (Compare Psalm 119:103; Jeremiah 15:15, 16) But he finds it bitter to digest because-it foretells unsavory things for rebellious humans. - PSALM 145:20.

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