wt 5 9 2010 study baptized in the name of part a

STUDY ARTICLES FOR THEWEEKS OF:

May 3-9

Baptized in the Name ofWhom and What?

PAGE 10 SONGS TO BE USED: 58, 59

May 10-16

Walk by Spirit and Live Upto Your Dedication


May 17-23

“The Righteous Ones Will Shineas Brightly as the Sun”


May 24-30

One Flock, One Shepherd


34567�

MARCH 15, 2010

(Pages 10-18, 19-28)

� 2010 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. wst10 03/15-E

PURPOSE OF STUDY ARTICLES

STUDY ARTICLES 1, 2 PAGES 10-18

These two articles will help us to understandthe significance of being baptized “in thename of the Father and of the Son and of theholy spirit.” (Matt. 28:19) You will find inthem helpful ideas on how you can live up toyour dedication.

STUDY ARTICLES 3, 4 PAGES 19-28

In Jesus’ parable of the wheat and theweeds, he illustrated the future develop-ments with regard to “the sons of the king-dom.” What do the wheat and the weedsrepresent? How does this parable see its ful-fillment in our day? Does this parable con-cern only the anointed?

10

JERUSALEM was bustling with crowdsfrom many lands. On the day of Pente-

cost 33 C.E., an important festival was inprogress and many visitors were sharing init. But something unusual occurred, afterwhich the apostle Peter gave a stirring dis-course that had an amazing effect. Some3,000 Jews and proselytes were touched byhis words, repented, and got baptized in wa-ter. Thus they were added to the newlyformed Christian congregation. (Acts 2:41)The baptism of so many in the pools or res-ervoirs around Jerusalem must have causedconsiderable commotion!

2 What led up to so many getting bap-tized? Earlier that day, “there occurred from

1, 2. (a) What took place in Jerusalem at Pente-cost 33 C.E.? (b) Why were many in the crowdmoved to get baptized?

heaven a noise just like that of a rushingstiff breeze.” In the upper chamber of ahouse, some 120 of Jesus’ disciples werefilled with holy spirit. Thereafter, reverentmen and women gathered and were in-trigued to hear these disciples “speak withdifferent tongues.” Upon listening to whatPeter said, including his pointed commentsabout Jesus’ death, many “were stabbed tothe heart.” What should they do? Peter an-swered: “Repent, and let each one of you bebaptized in the name of Jesus Christ . . . , andyou will receive the free gift of the holy spir-it.”—Acts 2:1-4, 36-38.

3 Think of the religious situation of thoseJews and proselytes who heard Peter. Theyhad already accepted Jehovah as their God.

3. On the day of Pentecost, what did repentant Jewsand proselytes need to do?

BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OFWHOM AND WHAT?

“Go therefore and make disciples . . . , baptizing them in the name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the holy spirit.”—MATT. 28:19.

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After Pentecost 33 C.E., the new disciples came intowhat relationship with the Father?

THE WATCHTOWER ˙ MARCH 15, 2010 11

And from the Hebrew Scriptures, they knewabout the holy spirit, God’s active force usedduring creation and thereafter. (Gen. 1:2;Judg. 14:5, 6; 1 Sam. 10:6; Ps. 33:6) But theyneeded something more. It was vital forthemtounderstandand acceptGod’smeansof salvation—the Messiah, Jesus. Hence, Pe-ter highlighted their need for being “bap-tized in the name of Jesus Christ.” Somedaysbefore, the resurrected Jesus command-ed Peter and others to baptize people “in thename of the Father and of the Son and ofthe holy spirit.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) That hadprofound meaning in the first century, andit still does. What is it?

In the Name of the Father4 Asnoted, thosewho responded to Peter’s

discourse worshipped Jehovah and had pre-viously had a relationship with him. Theyhadbeen trying to followhis Law,whichwasthe reason those from other lands had cometo Jerusalem. (Acts 2:5-11) However, Godhad just made a significant change in hisdealings. He rejected the Jews as his specialnation; their keeping the Law was no longerthe means to obtain his approval. (Matt. 21:43; Col. 2:14) If those listeners wanted anongoing relationship with Jehovah, theyneeded something else.

5 It certainly was not to turn away from Je-hovah, their Life-Giver. (Acts 4:24) No, thoseresponding to Peter’s explanation could seenow more than ever that Jehovah was a be-nevolent Father. He sent the Messiah to de-liver them and was willing to forgive eventhose to whom Peter could say: “Let all thehouse of Israel know for a certainty that Godmade him both Lord and Christ, this Jesuswhom you impaled.” Actually, those apply-

4. As to people having a relationship with Jehovah,what change had occurred?5, 6. What did many first-century Jews and prose-lytes do in order to have a relationship with God?

ing Peter’s words would now have evengreater reason to appreciate what the Fatherhad done for all who wanted a relationshipwith God!—Read Acts 2:30-36.

6 Indeed, those Jews and proselytes couldnow see that a relationship with Jehovah in-volved recognizing him as the Provider ofsalvation by means of Jesus. You can under-stand, then, why they repented of their sins,including that of knowingly or unknowing-ly sharing in killing Jesus. And it is equallyunderstandable that during the followingdays “they continued devoting themselvesto the teaching of the apostles.” (Acts 2:42)They could and would want to “approachwith freeness of speech to the throne of un-deserved kindness.”—Heb. 4:16.

7 Today, millions of people from variousbackgrounds have learned from the Biblethe truth about Jehovah. (Isa. 2:2, 3) Somewere atheists or deists,� but they becameconvinced of the existence of a Creator withwhom they could have a meaningful rela-tionship. Others worshipped a triune god orvarious idols. They learned that Jehovahalone is the almighty God, and they now ad-dress him by his personal name. That is inline with the fact that Jesus said his disciplesshould be baptized in the name of the Fa-ther.

8 They have also learned that they inherit-ed sin from Adam. (Rom. 5:12) This wassomething new that they had to accept astrue. Such ones can be likened to a sick manwhowas unaware of his illness.He may havehad some symptoms, such as an occasional

� Those with deistic thoughts believe in the existenceof God but do not think that he is interested in his cre-ation.

7. Howhave many today changed their viewof Godand been baptized in the name of the Father?

8. What did those who had no concept of Adamicsin need to realize about the Father?

12 THE WATCHTOWER ˙ MARCH 15, 2010

pain. Yet, having no diagnosis of a specificdisease, he might have imagined that hewasbasically in good health. The facts provedotherwise, however. (Compare 1 Corinthi-ans 4:4.) What if he got an accurate diagno-sis of his illness? Would he not be wise toseek and accept a known, proven, and effec-tive treatment? Similarly, upon learning thetruth about inherited sin,manyhave accept-ed the Bible’s “diagnosis” and have come tounderstand that God is offering the “cure.”Yes, all who are alienated from the Fatherneed to turn to the One who can “cure”them.—Eph. 4:17-19.

9 If you have already dedicated your life toJehovah God and have become a baptizedChristian, you know what awonderful thingit is to have a relationship with him. You cannow appreciate how loving your Father,Jehovah, is. (Read Romans 5:8.) AlthoughAdam and Eve had sinned against him, Godtook the initiative so that their descendants—including us—could have a good relation-ship with him. In doing that, God had toface the pain of seeing his dear Son sufferand die. Does knowing this not help usto recognize God’s authority and obey hiscommands out of love? If you have not yetdone so, you have reasons to dedicate your-self to God and be baptized.

In the Name of the Son10 Think again, though, about what Peter

said to the crowd. He stressed accepting Je-sus, which is directly linked to being bap-tized “in the name . . . of the Son.” Why wasthat vital then, and why is it vital now?Well, accepting Jesus and being baptized inhis name means recognizing his role in ourrelationship with the Creator. Jesus had to

9. What did Jehovah do to make a relationship withhim possible?10, 11. (a) How indebted are you to Jesus? (b) Howdo you feel about Jesus’ dying as a ransom?

be hanged on a torture stake in order to re-move the curse of the Law from the Jews;however, his death had a greater benefit.(Gal. 3:13) He provided the ransom sacrifice

that all mankind needed. (Eph. 2:15, 16;Col. 1:20; 1 John 2:1, 2) To that end, Je-sus endured injustice, reviling, torture, andfinally death. How much do you appreciate

his sacrifice? Imagine you were a 12-year-old boy traveling on the Titanic, the shipthat struck an iceberg and sank in 1912. Youtry to jump into a lifeboat, but it is full. Then

a man on the lifeboat kisses his wife, jumpsback onto the deck, and puts you into thelifeboat. How do you feel? Certainly you are

grateful to him! You can understand howone boy who really had that experiencefelt.� Yet, Jesus did much more for you. Hedied so that you can gain endless life.

11 How did you feel upon learning whatthe Son of God did for you? (Read 2 Corin-thians 5:14, 15.) Likely you felt deep grati-

tude. That helped to move you to dedicateyour life to God and to ‘live no longer foryourself, but for him who died for you.’ Be-ing baptized in the name of the Son means

acknowledging what Jesus has done for youand accepting his authority as “the ChiefAgent of life.” (Acts 3:15; 5:31) Previously,

you had no relationship with the Creator,and actually you had no valid hope. But byexercising faith in the shed blood of JesusChrist and being baptized, you now have a

relationship with the Father. (Eph. 2:12, 13)“You who were once alienated and enemiesbecause your minds were on the worksthat were wicked,” wrote the apostle Paul,

“[God] now has again reconciled by meansof [Jesus’] fleshly body through his death,in order to present you holy and unblem-

ished.”—Col.1:21, 22.

� See Awake! October 22, 1981, pages 3-8.


12 Though you were baptized in the nameof the Son, you are keenly aware of yourown sinful inclinations. That awareness ishelpful every day. For example, if someoneoffends you, do you bear in mind that bothof you are sinners? You bothneed God’s for-giveness, and you should both be forgiving.(Mark 11:25) To emphasize this need, Jesusgave an illustration: The master of a slavecanceled his debt of ten thousand talents(60 million denarii). Later, that slave wouldnot release his fellow slave who owed him100 denarii. Jesus then made this point: Je-hovahwill not forgive theonewhodoes notforgive his brother. (Matt. 18:23-35) Yes, be-ing baptized in the name of the Son meansrecognizing Jesus’ authority and striving tofollow his example and teachings, includ-ing that of being willing to forgive others.—1 Pet. 2:21; 1 John 2:6.

13 Being imperfect, you are not able to im-itate Jesus fully. Nevertheless, in line withyour wholehearted dedication to God, youwant to imitate Jesus to the best of your abil-ity. This involves continuing to work atputting away the old personality and put-ting on the new. (Read Ephesians 4:20-24.)When you come to respect a friend, youlikely try to learn from his example andgood qualities. Likewise, you want to learnfrom Christ and imitate him.

14 There is another way you can show thatyou understand what is involved in havingbeen baptized in the name of the Son. God“subjected all things under [Jesus’] feet, andmade him head over all things to the con-gregation.” (Eph.1:22) Thus, you need to re-spect the way Jesus directs those dedicated

12, 13. (a) How should being baptized in thename of the Son affect your reaction if someoneoffends you? (b) As a Christian baptized in Jesus’name, what obligation do you have?14. How can you show that you recognize Jesus’ au-thority as heavenly King?

to Jehovah. Christ is using imperfect hu-mans in the local congregation, particularlythe spiritually older men, the appointed el-ders. The provision of having such men ap-pointed is “with a view to the readjustmentof the holy ones, . . . for the building up ofthe bodyof the Christ.” (Eph. 4:11, 12) Evenif an imperfect human makes a mistake, Je-sus as King of the heavenly Kingdom is abletohandle thematter inhis timeandway.Doyou believe that?

15 Again, some have not yet dedicatedthemselves to Jehovah and been baptized. Ifyou have not, can you see from the abovethat recognizing the Son is the reasonableand appreciative thing for you to do? Beingbaptized in the name of the Son will bringyou in line to receive grand blessings.—ReadJohn 10:9-11.

In the Name of the Holy Spirit16 What does it mean to be baptized in the

name of the holy spirit? As noted earlier,those hearing Peter on the day of Pentecostwere aware of the holy spirit. In fact, theycould see proof right before their eyes that

15. If you are yet to be baptized, what blessings canyou look forward to after baptism?16, 17. What does being baptized in the name ofthe holy spirit mean to you?

Do You Recall?

˙ What does being baptized in thename of the Father involve for you?

˙ What does it mean to be baptizedin the name of the Son?

˙ How can you show that you appre-ciate the significance of getting bap-tized in the name of the Father andthe Son?

˙ What does being baptized in thename of the holy spirit mean?


WHEN Jesus’ followers spoke in tongues

on the dayof Pentecost 33C.E., it was

after they had been baptized with holy spir-

it. They manifested a miraculous gift of the

spirit. (1 Cor.12:4-10) What was the effect of

this gift and the discourse that the apos-

tle Peter gave? Many “were stabbed to the

heart.” At Peter’s urging, they repented and

were baptized. The historical record says:

“Those who embraced his word heartily

1. What baptisms occurred on the dayof Pentecost?

were baptized, and on that day about threethousand souls were added.” (Acts 2:22, 36-41) As Jesus had instructed, they would havebeen baptized in water in the name of theFather, the Son, and the holy spirit.—Matt.28:19.

2 However, is there any difference be-tween being baptized with holy spirit and

2, 3. (a) Explain the difference between beingbaptized with holy spirit and being baptized in thename of the holy spirit. (b) Why is water baptismexpected of all who become true Christians today?

WALK BY SPIRIT AND LIVE UPTO YOUR DEDICATION

“Keep walking by spirit and you will carry out no fleshly desire at all.”—GAL. 5:16.

God continued to use the holy spirit. Peterwas one of those who had been “filled withholy spirit and [who had] started to speakwith different tongues.” (Acts 2:4, 8) The ex-pression “in the name of” need not implythe name of a person. Today, many thingsare done “in the name of the government,”which is not a person. They are done by theauthority of the government. Similarly, onewho is baptized in the nameof theholy spir-it recognizes that the holy spirit is, not a per-son, but Jehovah’s active force. And suchbaptism means that one acknowledges therole the holy spirit plays in God’s purpose.

17 Have you not come to know about theholy spirit through studying the Bible? Forexample, you have come to appreciate thatthe Scriptures were written under the inspi-ration of holy spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16) As youmade spiritual progress, you likely gained adeeper appreciation of the fact that ‘the Fa-

ther in heaven gives holy spirit to those ask-ing him,’ including to you. (Luke 11:13) Youhave probably seen holy spirit working inyour life. On the otherhand, if you are yet tobe baptized in the name of the holy spirit,Jesus’ assurance that the Father gives holyspirit means that you have real blessingsahead as you receive that spirit.

18 It is evident that today, too, Jehovahguides and leads the Christian congregationthrough his spirit. That spirit also helps usindividually in our daily activities. Our hav-ing been baptized in the name of the holyspirit involves recognizing its role in our lifeand gratefully cooperating with that spirit.Some may wonder, though, how we can liveup to a dedicationmade to Jehovahand howthe holy spirit is involved. We will considerthat next.

18. What blessings come to those being baptized inthe name of the holy spirit?

being baptized in the name of the holy spir-it? Yes. Those who are baptized with holyspirit are born again as spirit-begotten sonsof God. (John 3:3) They are anointed to befuture associate kings and underpriests inGod’s heavenly Kingdom, and they are partof the spiritual bodyof Christ. (1 Cor.12:13;Gal. 3:27; Rev. 20:6) So this baptism—beingbaptized with holy spirit—was what Jeho-vah performed when, on the day of Pente-cost and thereafter, he chose individuals tobecome joint heirs with Christ. (Rom. 8:15-17) But what of water baptism in the nameof the holy spirit, something that regularlyoccurs at assemblies and conventions of Je-hovah’s people in our day?

3 Water baptism is a step that true Chris-tians undertake in symbol of their un-reserved dedication to Jehovah God. That isso of those who received the heavenly call-ing. But water baptism is also a necessarystep for millions of men and women inmodern times who now have the hope ofliving forever on earth. Regardless of a per-son’s hope, being baptized in water in thename of the Father and of the Son and ofthe holy spirit is a necessary step that onemust take in order to be acceptable to God.All Christians who are thus baptized are ex-pected to “keep walking by spirit.” (ReadGalatians 5:16.) Are you walking by spiritand thus living up to your dedication?

What “Walking by Spirit” Means4 “Walking by spirit” involves accepting

the action of the holy spirit upon you, al-lowing the holy spirit to influence you. Youmight say that it means to be governed bythe holy spirit in your daily activities. Gala-

4. What does “walking by spirit” basically mean?

tians chapter 5 brings out the contrast be-tweenbeingunder the influenceof theholyspirit and that of the flesh.—Read Galatians5:17,18.

5 If you are under the influence of theholy spirit, you seek to refrain from theworks of the flesh. Those include suchthings as “fornication, uncleanness, looseconduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism, en-mities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, con-tentions, divisions, sects, envies, drunkenbouts, revelries.” (Gal. 5:19-21) In a sense,you “put the practices of the body to deathby the spirit.” (Rom. 8:5, 13) It will help toset your mindon the things of the spirit andcooperate with its leadings, rather than letyourself be controlled by fleshly desires.

6 As holy spirit operates upon you, youmanifest godlyqualities, “the fruitageof thespirit.” (Gal. 5:22, 23) You realize, though,that this calls for effort on your part. To il-lustrate: A farmer cultivates the land. Ofcourse, sunshine and water are necessary;without such he cannot expect any harvest.We might compare holy spirit to sunshine.Holy spirit is needed for us to manifest thefruitage of the spirit. Yet, what would be

5. Being under the influence of the holy spirit in-volves refraining from what works?6. Illustrate what is necessary in order to manifestthe fruitage of the spirit.

Cultivating thesoil of your heart

calls for effort


produced without the farmer’s hard work?(Prov.10:4) Yes, howyou cultivate the soil ofyour heart makes a difference in the qualityand quantityof the fruitage of the holy spir-it in you. So ask yourself, ‘Am I permittingholy spirit to produce its fruitage by work-ing along with it?’

7 To obtain a good harvest, farmers alsoneed to water their crops. In order to culti-vate the fruitage of the spirit, you need thewaters of truth found in the Bible and avail-able through the Christian congregation to-day. (Isa. 55:1) You have likely pointed outto many people that the Holy Scriptures area product of holy spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16) Also,the faithful and discreet slave class providesmuch-needed understanding of the purewaters of Bible truth. (Matt. 24:45-47) Theimplication is clear. In order to come underthe influence of the holy spirit, we mustread and meditate onGod’sWord. If you aredoing that, you are imitating the fine exam-ples of the prophets who made “a diligentinquiry and a careful search” of informa-tion that was provided. It is noteworthy thateven the angels have shown deep interest inspiritual truths regarding thepromised Seedand the anointed Christian congregation.—Read 1 Peter 1:10-12.

Influenced by the Spirit—How?8 It is not a matter of simply studying the

Scriptures and meditating. You need to keepasking for Jehovah’s help and guidance. Hecan “do more than superabundantly be-yond all the things we ask or conceive.”(Eph. 3:20; Luke 11:13) How would you an-swer, though, if someone inquired, “Whyshould I continue to ask if God already

7. Why are study and meditation so important ifyou want to cultivate the fruitage of the holy spirit?

8. Why is it vital for you to ask Jehovah for hisspirit?

knows ‘what things I am needing beforeever I ask him’?” (Matt. 6:8) Well, for onething, by praying for holy spirit, you ac-knowledge your reliance on Jehovah. Forexample, if someone came to you for aid,you would do whatever you could to helphim, one reason being that he asked you toassist him, showing trust in you. (CompareProverbs 3:27.) Likewise, Jehovah finds plea-sure in your asking him forhis spirit, and hewill give it to you.—Prov.15:8.

9 You can well appreciate that anotherway to come under the influence of God’sspirit involves our meetings, assemblies,and conventions. Making an effort to be inattendance and paying attention to the pro-gram is very important. Doing so helps youto understand “the deep things of God.”(1 Cor. 2:10) There are also benefits fromregularly making comments. Think backonthe meetings you attended in the last fourweeks. How often did you raise your hand,offering to answer, to make an expression ofyour faith? Do you see room for improve-ment in this area? If you do, resolve whatyouwill do in theweeks ahead. Jehovahwillsee your willingness to participate and will

9. How can attending Christian meetings help youto come under the influence of God’s spirit?


provide his holy spirit, which will help youto get even more out of the meetings you at-tend.

10 Walking by spirit includes respondingto the invitation we read at Revelation 22:17: “The spirit and the bride keep on say-ing: ‘Come!’ And let anyone hearing say:‘Come!’ And let anyone thirsting come; letanyone that wishes take life’s water free.”The spirit, working through the anointedbride class, is extending this invitation re-garding life’swater. If you have accepted thecall to “come!” are you determined to say,“Come!”? What a privilege it is to be able toshare in this lifesaving work!

11 This vital work is now being accom-plished under the guidance of holy spirit.We read how the holy spirit was involved inthe first century in opening up new territo-ries for missionaries. The apostle Paul andhis companions were “forbidden by theholy spirit to speak the word in the districtof Asia”; nor were they permitted to go intoBithynia. We do not know exactly howthe spirit prevented their going into those

10. Walking by spirit involves extending what invi-tation to others?11, 12. How is holy spirit involved in the preachingwork?

places, yet it is clear that the spirit led Paulinto the vast field of Europe. He received avision of a Macedonian man pleading forhelp.—Acts 16:6-10.

12 Today, Jehovah’s spirit is likewise di-recting the worldwide preaching. No mirac-ulous visions are being used to give direc-tion; instead, Jehovah guides the anointedby holy spirit. And the spirit motivatesbrothers and sisters to do all they can inpreaching and teaching. You no doubt havebeen participating in this vital work. Canyou increase your joy in this exciting activ-ity?

13 You can submit to the direction of holyspirit by applying the information providedfor God’s people. Consider young Mihokofrom Japan. As a new pioneer, she felt un-qualified to make return visits; she felt thatshe did not know how to capture the house-holder’s interest. About that time, practicalsuggestionsonhow tomake brief returnvis-its were provided in Our Kingdom Ministry.Then the brochure A Satisfying Life—How toAttain It was published. It proved to be espe-cially useful in the Japanese field. Mihokoapplied the suggestions given on how to usethe brochure, especially on how to makebrief return visits. Soon she was starting Bi-ble studies with those who might previous-ly have declined a study. She says, “I hadso many studies—as many as 12 at onetime—that I had to put some on a waitinglist!” Indeed, when you walk by spirit, ap-plying the direction given to Jehovah’s ser-vants, you can reap bountifully.

Rely on God’s Spirit14 As an ordained minister, you have a

13. How can you submit to the direction of theholy spirit? Illustrate.14, 15. (a) How is it possible for imperfect humansto live up to their dedication? (b) How can you findthe best friends?

Are you influencedby God’s spirit?


ministry to perform. (Rom. 10:14) You maynot feel fully qualified to shoulder such aresponsibility. But, as is the case of theanointed, it is God who qualifies you. (Read2 Corinthians 3:5.) You can live up to yourdedication by doing your best and relyingon God’s spirit.

15 Granted, it is not easy for us imperfecthumans to live up to our dedication to ourperfect God, Jehovah. One complication isthat some with whom you once associatedmay be puzzled at your new way of life andmay ‘speak abusivelyof you.’ (1 Pet. 4:4) Yet,do not overlook the fact that you have sincecultivated new friendships, themost impor-tant being with Jehovah and Jesus Christ.(Read James 2:21-23.) It is also vital to get toknow the brothers and sisters in your localcongregation, part of “the whole associa-tion of brothers” throughout the world.(1 Pet. 2:17; Prov. 17:17) Jehovah throughhis spirit will help you to have friends whowill continue to be a good influenceonyou.

16 Even with helpful friends around youin the congregation, youmay still find it dif-ficult to cope with daily challenges. Whatyouhave to contendwithmay at times leaveyou feeling lost, as if you were in a long tun-nel of problems. That is especially a time foryou to turn to Jehovah, asking for his holyspirit. “When I am weak,” wrote the apostlePaul, “then I am powerful.” (Read 2 Corin-

16. Why can you, like Paul, “take pleasure in weak-nesses”?

thians 4:7-10; 12:10.) Paul knew that God’sspirit can make up for human weaknesses,regardlessof their nature.Thus,God’s activeforce can strengthen you whenever you feelweak and inneed of help. Paulwrote that hecould “take pleasure in weaknesses.” It waswhenhewasweak that he felt holy spirit op-erating on him. You can experience thesame feeling!—Rom.15:13.

17 WeneedGod’s spirit so thatwe can leada life dedicated to him. Think of yourself asthe skipperof a sailboat. Your goal is to serveJehovah forever. Holy spirit is like the windthat you want to catch so as to arrive at yourdestination safe and sound. You do notwant to be carried hither and thither by thespirit of Satan’s world. (1 Cor. 2:12) Youhave to identify, as it were, the right windand catch it. That is the holy spirit. ThroughGod’sWord andhis spirit-directed organiza-tion, holy spirit will move you in the rightdirection.

18 If you have been studying with Jeho-vah’s Witnesses, enjoying spiritual associa-tionwith them, but you have yet to take thevital steps of dedication and baptism, askyourself, ‘Why should I hesitate?’ If you rec-ognize the holy spirit’s role in accomplish-ing Jehovah’s will today and appreciate itsoperation, then take the steps you havelearned to be right. Jehovah will richly blessyou. He will generously provide his holyspirit for you. If you were baptized years ordecades ago, surely you have experiencedthe influence of the holy spirit. You haveseen and felt how God can strengthen youwith his spirit. That can continue to be thecase—yes, into the endless future. Thus, bedetermined to keep on walking by holyspirit.

17. How can holy spirit help you as you move to-ward your destination?18. What is your determination now, and why?

Do You Recall?

˙ What does “walking by spirit” mean?

˙ What can help you to “keep walkingby spirit”?

˙ How can you live up to your dedica-tion?


JESUS CHRIST used many illustrations, orparables, to explain different aspects of

the Kingdom.He “spoke to the crowds by il-lustrations. Indeed, without an illustrationhe would not speak to them.” (Matt. 13:34)In illustrations about sowing the seed ofKingdom truth, Jesus emphasized the roleof a person’s heart condition in acceptingthe message, as well as the role that Jehovahplays in causing spiritual growth. (Mark 4:3-9, 26-29) Jesus also illustrated the out-standing growth of Kingdom interests hereon earth even if that growth is not always atfirst discernible. (Matt. 13:31-33) Addition-ally, he highlighted that not all who re-spond to the Kingdom message are neces-sarily suitable subjects of that Kingdom.—Matt.13:47-50.�

2 However, one of Jesus’ illustrations fo-cuses on the gathering of those who willrulewith Jesus in his Kingdom.This is oftencalled the parable of the wheat and theweeds and is recorded in Matthew chap-ter 13.Whereas in another illustration, Jesustells us that the seed that is sown is “theword of the kingdom,” in this illustration,he tells us that the fine seed representssomething different—“the sons of the king-

� For a detailed discussion of these illustrations, seeThe Watchtower, July 15, 2008, pages 12-21.

1. Jesus used illustrations to explain what differentaspects of the Kingdom?

2. In Jesus’ illustration of the wheat and the weeds,what does the fine seed represent?

dom.” (Matt. 13:19, 38) These are not sub-jects of the Kingdom but, rather, “sons,” orheirs, of the Kingdom.—Rom. 8:14-17; readGalatians 4:6, 7.

The Illustration ofthe Wheat and the Weeds

3 This is the illustration: “The kingdom ofthe heavens has become like a man thatsowedfine seed inhis field.Whilemenweresleeping, his enemy came and oversowedweeds in among the wheat, and left. Whenthe blade sprouted and produced fruit, thentheweeds appeared also. So the slaves of thehouseholder cameup and said tohim, ‘Mas-ter, did you not sow fine seed in your field?How, then, does it come to have weeds?’ Hesaid to them, ‘An enemy, a man, did this.’They said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, togo out and collect them?’ He said, ‘No; thatby no chance, while collecting the weeds,you uproot the wheat with them. Let bothgrow together until the harvest; and in theharvest season I will tell the reapers, Firstcollect the weeds and bind them in bun-dles to burn them up, then go to gather-ing the wheat into my storehouse.’ ”—Matt.13:24-30.

4 Who is the man who sowed the fine

3. Explain the problem that faces the man in the il-lustration and how he decides to handle this prob-lem.

4. (a) Who is the man in the illustration?(b) When and how did Jesus start to engage in thesowing of this seed?

“THE RIGHTEOUS ONES WILLSHINE AS BRIGHTLY AS THE SUN”

“At that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sunin the kingdom of their Father.”—MATT. 13:43.


seed in his field? Jesus provides the answerlater when he explains to his disciples: “Thesower of the fine seed is the Son of man.”(Matt. 13:37) Jesus, the “Son of man,” pre-pared the field for planting during the threeand a half years of his earthly ministry.(Matt. 8:20; 25:31; 26:64) Then from Pente-cost 33 C.E. onward, he started to sow thefine seed—“the sons of the kingdom.” Thissowing evidently took place when Jesus,as Jehovah’s representative, began to pourout holy spirit upon the disciples, therebyanointing them as God’s sons.� (Acts 2:33)

� In this parable, the sowing does not represent thework of preaching and disciple making, which wouldbring in new ones who would become anointed Chris-tians. Regarding the fine seed that is sown in the field,Jesus said: “These are [not “will become”] the sons ofthe kingdom.” The sowing refers to the anointing ofthese sons of the Kingdom in the world field.

The fine seed developed into mature wheat.So the objective in sowing the fine seed waseventually to gather the full number ofthose who would become joint heirs and

rulers with Jesus in his Kingdom.5 Who is the enemy, and who are the

weeds? Jesus tells us that the enemy “is theDevil.” Theweeds are described as “the sonsof thewicked one.” (Matt.13:25, 38, 39) In a

literal sense, the weeds that Jesus referred towere probably the bearded darnel. This poi-sonous plant closely resembles wheat in its

early stages before it reaches maturity. Whata fitting picture of imitation Christians,those who claim to be sons of the Kingdom

but do not produce genuine fruitage! These

5. Who is the enemy in the illustration, and whoare pictured by the weeds?

Pentecost 33 C.E. marked the start of sowing the fine seed


hypocritical Christians who claim to be fol-lowers of Christ are really part of the “seed”of Satan the Devil.—Gen. 3:15.

6 When did these weedlike Christians ap-pear? “While men were sleeping,” says Je-sus. (Matt. 13:25) When was this? We findthe answer in the apostle Paul’swords to theEphesian elders: “I know that after my goingaway oppressive wolves will enter in amongyou and will not treat the flock with tender-ness, and from among you yourselves menwill rise and speak twisted things to drawaway the disciples after themselves.” (Acts20:29, 30) Hewenton to admonish those el-ders to keep awake spiritually. After theapostles, who acted as “a restraint” againstthe apostasy, began falling asleep in death,manyChristians fell asleep spiritually. (Read2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6-8.) That is when thegreat apostasy started.

7 Jesus did not say that the wheat wouldbecome weeds but that weeds were sownamong the wheat. So this illustration doesnot portray genuine Christians who fallaway from the truth. Rather, it points to adeliberate effort on the part of Satan to cor-rupt the Christian congregation by intro-ducing wicked people into it. By the timethat the last apostle, John, was old, thisapostasy was clearly evident.—2 Pet. 2:1-3;1 John 2:18.

“Let Both Grow TogetherUntil the Harvest”

8 The Master’s slaves inform him of theproblem and ask: “Do you want us, then, togo out and collect [the weeds]?” (Matt. 13:

6. When did the weeds start to appear, and howwere men “sleeping” at the time?7. Did some of the wheat turn into weeds? Explain.8, 9. (a) Why would the Master’s instructions tohis slaves have made sense to Jesus’ listeners? (b) Inthe fulfillment, how did the wheat and the weedsgrow together?

27, 28) His answer may seem surprising. Hetells them to allow the wheat and the weedsto grow together until the time of the har-vest. That command would make sense toJesus’ disciples. They would realize just howdifficult it is to distinguish wheat from dar-nel weed. Those with some agricultural ex-perience would also realize that the beard-ed darnel’s root system usually intertwineswith that of the wheat.� No wonder theMaster instructs them towait!

9 In a similar way, down through the cen-turies, the various sects of Christendomhave produced a bumper crop of weeds—first among the Roman Catholic and Or-thodox churches and later among the nu-merous Protestant groups that sprang up. Atthe same time, a few seeds of the genu-ine wheat were sown in the world field.The householder in the illustration wait-ed patiently during the extended growingtime until the relatively shorter harvesttimewould arrive.

The Long-Anticipated Harvesttime10 Jesus tells us: “The harvest is a conclu-

sion of a system of things, and the reapersare angels.” (Matt. 13:39) During the lastdays of this wicked system of things, a sepa-rating takes place—the sons of the Kingdomare to be gathered and separated from anyweedlike ones. Regarding this, the apostlePeter tells us: “It is the appointed time forthe judgment to start with the house ofGod. Now if it starts first with us, what willthe end be of those who are not obedient tothe good news of God?”—1 Pet. 4:17.

� The roots of the bearded darnel become so inter-twined with the roots of the wheat that to uproot thembefore harvest would result in a loss of wheat.—See In-sight on the Scriptures, Volume 1, page 1178.

10, 11. (a) When is the time for the harvest?(b) How is the symbolic wheat being brought intoJehovah’s storehouse?


11 Shortly after the beginning of the lastdays, or the “conclusion of a system ofthings,” the judgment started for thosewhoclaimed to be genuine Christians—whethertheywere actually “sons of the kingdom”or“sons of the wicked one.” “First” Babylonthe Great fell, and “then” the sons of theKingdomwere gathered together at the startof the harvest. (Matt. 13:30) But how is thesymbolic wheat now being brought into Je-hovah’s storehouse? These harvested oneswere either brought into the restored Chris-tian congregation, where they have God’sfavor and protection, or they received theirheavenly reward.

12 How long does the judgment last? Jesusreferred to the harvest as a “season,” so itcontinues over a period of time. (Rev. 14:15,16) The judgment of the individual mem-bers of the anointed continues throughoutthe time of the end. It will last until they arefinally sealed.—Rev. 7:1-4.

13 Who will be collected out from the

12. For how long does the harvest continue?13. In what way do the weeds cause stumbling, andhow are they doing lawlessness?

Kingdom, andhowdo theycause stumblingand do lawlessness? (Matt. 13:41) The weed-like clergy of Christendom have misled mil-lions for centuries. They have done thisby means of God-dishonoring teachings,“things that cause stumbling,” such as thedoctrine of eternal punishment in hellfireand the confusing and mysterious Trinity.Many religious leaders have set a bad ex-ample for their flocks by their adulterousfriendship with this world and in some cas-es by their flagrant immoral conduct. (Jas.4:4) Additionally, Christendom has becomeincreasingly tolerant of immorality amongits members. (Read Jude 4.) Despite all ofthis, they continue to maintain an outwardshowof piety and godliness.How happy thesons of the Kingdom are to be separatedfrom such weedlike influences and corruptteachings that cause stumbling!

14 How do the weedlike ones weep andgnash their teeth? (Matt. 13:42) “The sonsof the wicked one” are tormented by thefact that “the sons of the kingdom”have ex-posed the spiritually poisonous conditionof these weedlike ones. They also bemoanthe diminishing support they receive fromtheir church members, as well as their lossof control over the laity.—Read Isaiah 65:13,14.

15 In what sense are the weeds collectedand burned with fire? (Matt. 13:40) This re-fers to the final outcome for the weeds.Their being thrown symbolically into thefiery furnace indicates that they are headedfor eternal destruction. (Rev. 20:14; 21:8)The imitation, weedlike Christians, the im-postors, will be eradicated during the “greattribulation.”—Matt. 24:21.

14. Howdo theweedlike ones weep and gnash theirteeth?15. In what sense are the weedlike ones burnedwith fire?

Do You Remember?

In Jesus’ illustration of the wheat andthe weeds, what do these parts of theillustration mean?

˙ The fine seed

˙ The man who sowed the seed

˙ The sowing of the seed

˙ The enemy

˙ The weeds

˙ The harvest season

˙ The storehouse

˙ The weeping and gnashing of teeth

˙ The fiery furnace


They “Will Shineas Brightly as the Sun”16 At what time do the

wheatlike ones “shine asbrightly as the sun”? (Matt.13:43) Concerning the cleans-ing of God’s temple, Malachiprophesied: “ ‘Suddenly therewill come to His temple thetrue Lord, whom you peopleare seeking, and the messen-ger of the covenant in whomyou are delighting. Look! Hewill certainly come,’ Jehovahof armies has said. ‘But whowill be putting up with the day of his com-ing, and who will be the one standing whenheappears? Forhewill be like thefire of a re-finer and like the lye of laundrymen.Andhemust sit as a refiner and cleanser of silverand must cleanse the sons of Levi; and hemust clarify them like gold and like silver,and they will certainly become to Jehovahpeople presenting a gift offering in righ-teousness.’ ”—Mal. 3:1-3.

17 In modern times, this prophecy evi-dently started to be fulfilled in 1918 whenJehovah, along with “the messenger of thecovenant,” Jesus Christ, inspected the spiri-tual temple. Malachi tells us what happensonce this cleansing is completed: “You peo-ple will again certainly see the distinctionbetween a righteous one and a wicked one,between one serving God and one who hasnot served him.” (Mal. 3:18) The surge in ac-tivity on the part of the reinvigorated trueChristians points to that period as the be-ginning of the harvesttime.

18 The prophet Daniel spoke of our day

16, 17. What did Malachi prophesy concerningGod’s temple, and how did this start to be fulfilled?

18. What did Daniel prophesy would happen in ourday?

when he foretold: “The oneshaving insight will shine likethe brightness of the expanse;and those who are bringingthe many to righteousness,like the stars to time indefinite,even forever.” (Dan. 12:3)Who are these ones who shineso brightly? Why, none otherthan anointed Christians, thegenuine wheat that Jesus re-

ferred to in his illustration of the wheat andthe weeds! The ‘collecting out’ of the weed-like imitationChristianshas been clearly rec-ognized by an ever-increasing great crowdof sheeplike ones. In attaching themselvesto the remnant of spiritual Israel, these pro-spective subjects of the Kingdom likewise lettheir light shine in this bedarkened world.—Zech. 8:23;Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15.

19 Today, “the sons of the kingdom” ea-gerly await their glorious, heavenly reward.(Rom. 8:18, 19; 1 Cor. 15:53; Phil. 1:21-24) Until that time, though, they must re-main faithful, continuing to shine brightly,standing out as different from “the sons ofthe wicked one.” (Matt. 13:38; Rev. 2:10)How happy we all can be that we have hadthe privilege of seeing the results of thissymbolic ‘collecting out’ of the weeds inour time!

20 But what is the relationship betweenthese sons of the Kingdom and the ever-expanding great crowd of those who hopeto live forever on earth as subjects of theKingdom? The next article will answer thisquestion.

19, 20. What do “the sons of the kingdom” eager-ly await, and what will we discuss in the next article?

The symbolic wheat isnow being brought intoJehovah’s storehouse


JEHOVAH loved Abraham, so He showedloyal love to Abraham’s descendants. For

over 15 centuries, he viewed the nation ofIsrael, which descended from Abraham, ashis chosen people, his “special property.”(Read Deuteronomy 7:6.) Did that mean thatJehovah totally disregarded people of oth-er nations? No. During that time, non-Israelites who desired to worship Jehovahwere allowed to attach themselves to hisspecial nation. These converts, or prose-lytes, were viewed as part of the nation.They were to be treated as brothers. (Lev. 19:33, 34) And they were required to obey all ofJehovah’s laws.—Lev. 24:22.

2 However, Jesus made this startling dec-laration to the Jews of his day: “The king-dom of God will be taken from you andbe given to a nation producing its fruits.”(Matt. 21:43) Who would make up this newnation, and how are we today affected bythis change?

The New Nation3 The apostle Peter clearly identified this

new nation. He wrote the following to hisfellow Christians: “You are ‘a chosen race, aroyal priesthood, a holy nation, a people forspecial possession, that you should declareabroad the excellencies’ of the one that

1. How did Jehovah deal with Abraham’s descen-dants, and why does this not mean that he totallydisregarded all other people?

2. What startling declaration did Jesus make, lead-ing to what questions?

3, 4. (a) How did the apostle Peter identify thenew nation? (b) Who make up this new nation?

called you out of darkness into his wonder-ful light.” (1 Pet. 2:9) As foretold, naturalJewswho accepted Jesus as theMessiahwerethe first members of that new nation. (Dan.9:27a; Matt. 10:6) Later, many non-Israeliteswere also included in this nation, for Peterwenton to say: “Youwereoncenot a people,but are now God’s people.”—1 Pet. 2:10.

4 To whom was Peter here speaking? Inthe beginning of his letter, he says: “[God]gave us a new birth to a living hope throughthe resurrection of Jesus Christ from thedead, to an incorruptible and undefiled andunfading inheritance. It is reserved in theheavens for you.” (1 Pet. 1:3, 4) So this newnation is made up of anointed Christians,who have the heavenly hope. They are “theIsrael of God.” (Gal. 6:16) In a vision, theapostle John saw that these spiritual Isra-elites number 144,000. They are “boughtfrom among mankind as firstfruits to Godand to the Lamb” to serve as “priests” and to“rule as kings with [Jesus] for the thousandyears.”—Rev. 5:10; 7:4; 14:1, 4; 20:6; Jas.1:18.

Are Others Also Included?5 Clearly, then, the phrase “Israel of God”

at Galatians 6:16 refers exclusively toanointed Christians. However, are there in-stances when Jehovah uses the nation of Is-rael as a picture, or illustration, that in-cludes Christians other than the anointed?The answer can be found in these words ofJesus to his faithful apostles: “I make a cove-

5. (a) Towhom does the expression “Israel of God”refer? (b) Why is the term “Israel” not always limit-ed in its meaning?

ONE FLOCK, ONE SHEPHERD“You who have followed me will also yourselves sit upon twelve thrones,

judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”—MATT. 19:28.

nant with you, just as my Father has made acovenant with me, for a kingdom, that youmay eat and drink at my table in my king-dom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelvetribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30) This willtake place during “the re-creation,” or timeof regeneration, during Christ’s MillennialRule.—Read Matthew 19:28; ftn.

6 The 144,000 will serve as heavenlykings, priests, and judges during the Thou-sandYearReign. (Rev. 20:4) Whomwill theyjudge, and over whom will they rule? AtMatthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30, we are toldthat they will judge “the twelve tribes of Is-rael.” Whom do “the twelve tribes of Israel”picture in this context? They represent allthose with an earthly hope—those who putfaith in Jesus’ sacrifice but are not includedin the royal priestly class. (The tribe of Leviwas not included in the listing of the 12tribes of natural Israel.) Those pictured inthis context by the 12 tribes of Israel are theones who will gain spiritual benefits fromthe priestly services of the 144,000. Thesenonpriestly beneficiaries are also God’s peo-ple, and he loves and accepts them. It is ap-propriate that they are likened to his peopleof ancient times.

7 Fittingly, after the apostle John saw the144,000 spiritual Israelites beingpermanently sealed before thegreat tribulation,he also observeda numberless “great crowd,” whocome “out of all nations.” (Rev.7:9) These will survive the greattribulation into Christ’s Millenni-al Reign. There they will be joinedby billions of resurrected ones.(John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:13) All of

6, 7. To whom does the expression“the twelve tribes of Israel” refer inthe context of Matthew 19:28 and Luke22:30?

these will make up the symbolic “twelvetribes of Israel,” who will be judged by Jesusand his 144,000 corulers.—Acts 17:31; 24:15;Rev. 20:12.

8 This relationship between the 144,000and the rest of mankind was foreshadowedin the events of the annual Atonement Day.(Lev. 16:6-10) The high priest was required,first of all, to sacrifice a bull as a sin offering“in behalf of himself and his house.” Thus,Jesus’ sacrifice is applied first to his house-hold of underpriests, those who will servewith him in heaven. Also on the ancientAtonement Day, two goats were providedfor the sins of the other Israelites. In thissetting, where the priestly tribe picturesthe 144,000, the rest of Israel pictures allthose with an earthly hope. This applica-tion shows that the term “the twelve tribesof Israel” at Matthew 19:28 refers, not to Je-sus’ spirit-begotten underpriests, but to allothers who put faith in Jesus’ sacrifice.�

� Similarly, the anointed are primarily spoken of as“the congregation.” (Heb. 12:23) However, the word“congregation” can have another meaning, referring toall Christians, no matter what hope they have.—See TheWatchtower, April 15, 2007, pages 21-23.

8. Howdo the events of the annual Atonement Dayforeshadow the relationship between the 144,000and the rest of mankind?

Many are now serving along withthe Israel of God

373,430

1,483,430

4,017,213

7,313,173

1950 1970 1990 2009


9 Consider another example. The prophetEzekiel was given an extensive vision of Je-hovah’s temple. (Ezek., chaps. 40-48) In thatvisionary setting, the priests worked in thetemple, providing instruction and receivingJehovah’s counsel and correction. (Ezek.44:23-31) In the same setting, members ofthe various tribes came toworship and offersacrifices. (Ezek. 45:16, 17) In this context,then, the priests picture the anointed, whileIsraelites from the nonpriestly tribes picturethose with an earthly hope. The vision em-phasizes that the two groups work togetherharmoniously, with the priestly class takingthe lead inpureworship.

10 Jesus spoke of “other sheep,” whowould not be of the same “fold” as the “lit-tle flock” of his anointed followers. (John10:16; Luke 12:32) He said: “Those also Imust bring, and they will listen to my voice,and they will become one flock, one shep-

9. Whom do the priests in Ezekiel’s temple visionrepresent, and whom do the nonpriestly Israelitesrepresent?10, 11. (a) What faith-strengthening fulfillment ofJesus’ words have we seen? (b) What question arisesabout the other sheep?

herd.” How faith-strengthening it has beento see the fulfillment of those words! Twogroups of people have been joined together—the small group of anointed ones and thegreat crowd of other sheep. (Read Zechariah8:23.) Although theother sheepdonot sym-bolically serve in the inner courtyard of thespiritual temple, they do serve in the outercourtyard of that temple.

11 But if Jehovah sometimes uses the non-priestly members of ancient Israel to picturethese other sheep, should those with anearthly hope also partake of the Memorialemblems? We will now consider the answerto this question.

The New Covenant12 Jehovah foretold a new arrangement

forhis peoplewhenhe said: “This is the cov-enant that I shall conclude with the houseof Israel after those days. . . . I will put mylaw within them, and in their heart I shallwrite it. And I will become their God, andthey themselves will become my people.”(Jer. 31:31-33) By means of this new cove-nant, Jehovah’s promise to Abraham wasto have a glorious and lasting fulfillment.

—Read Genesis 22:18.13 Jesus referred to this new

covenant on the night beforehis death when he said: “Thiscup means the new covenantby virtue of my blood, whichis to bepouredout inyourbe-half.” (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25) Are all Christians includ-ed in this new covenant? No.Some, like the apostles who

12. What new arrangement did Je-hovah foretell?13, 14. (a) Who are participantsin the new covenant? (b) Who arebeneficiaries, and how do they ‘layhold’ of this new covenant?


drank of that cup that evening, are partici-pants in the new covenant.� Jesus made an-other covenant with them to rule togetherwith him in his Kingdom. (Luke 22:28-30)They will share with Jesus in his Kingdom.—Luke 22:15,16.

14 Whatof thosewhowill live onearthun-der his Kingdom? They are beneficiaries ofthenewcovenant. (Gal. 3:8, 9) Althoughnotparticipants, they ‘lay hold’ of this covenantby submitting to its requirements, just aswas foretold by the prophet Isaiah: “The for-eigners that have joined themselves to Jeho-vah to minister to him and to love the nameof Jehovah, in order to become servants tohim, all those keeping the sabbath in ordernot to profane it and laying hold of mycove-nant, I will also bring them to my holymountain and make them rejoice inside myhouse of prayer.” Jehovah then says: “Formyown house will be called even a house ofprayer for all the peoples.”—Isa. 56:6, 7.

Who Should Partake?15 Those in the new covenant “have bold-

ness for the way of entry into the holyplace.” (Read Hebrews 10:15-20.) These arethe ones who are “to receive a kingdom thatcannot be shaken.” (Heb. 12:28) So, then,only those who will be kings and priests inheaven with Jesus Christ should drink fromthe “cup” that represents the new covenant.These participants in the new covenant arethe ones promised in marriage to the Lamb.(2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 21:2, 9) All others who at-tend the annual Memorial are respectful ob-servers,whodonotpartakeof the emblems.

� Jesus is the Mediator of that covenant, not a partic-ipant. As the Mediator, he evidently did not partake ofthe emblems.

15, 16. (a) To what does the apostle Paul link thenewcovenant? (b) Why should those with an earth-ly hope not partake of the Memorial emblems?

16 Paul also helps us to understand thatthose with an earthly hope do not par-take of the Memorial emblems. He said toanointed Christians: “For as often as you eatthis loaf and drink this cup, you keep pro-claiming the death of the Lord, until he ar-rives.” (1Cor.11:26)Whendoes theLord ‘ar-rive’? When he comes to take the last ofhis anointed bride class to their heavenlyhome. (John 14:2, 3) Clearly, the annualobservance of the Lord’s Evening Meal isnot to continue endlessly. “The remainingones” of the woman’s seed yet on earth willcontinue to partake of this meal until all ofthem have received their heavenly reward.(Rev. 12:17) If, though, those who will liveforever on earth were entitled to partake ofthe emblems, then this Memorial mealwould need to continue forever.

“They Will Actually Become My People”17 Jehovah foretold theunityof his people

in thesewords: “I will concludewith them acovenant of peace; an indefinitely lastingcovenant is what there will come to be withthem. And I will place them and multiplythem and place my sanctuary in the midstof them to time indefinite. And my taberna-clewill actually prove to be over them, and I

17, 18. How has the prophecy recorded at Ezekiel37:26, 27 been fulfilled?

Do You Remember?

˙ Who are “the twelve tribes of Israel”that the 144,000 will judge?

˙ What is the relationship of theanointed and of the other sheep tothe new covenant?

˙ Should all Christians partake of theMemorial emblems?

˙ What unity was foretold for our day?


shall certainly become their God, and theythemselves will become my people.”—Ezek.37:26, 27.

18 All of God’s people are privileged tobenefit from the fulfillment of this marvel-ous promise, this covenant for Christianpeace. Yes, Jehovah has guaranteed peacefor all of his obedient servants. The fruit-age of his spirit is evident among them.His sanctuary, here picturing pure Christianworship, is among them. They have trulybecome his people, for they have aban-doned all forms of idolatry and have madeJehovah the only God whom they worship.

19 How thrilling it has been towitness thisunifying of two groups in our time! Al-though the ever-growing great crowddonothave the heavenly hope, they are proud to

19, 20. Who are included in those whom Jehovahcalls “my people,” and what does the new covenantmake possible?

be associated with those who do. They haveattached themselves to the Israel of God. Bydoing this, they are included among thosewhom Jehovah calls “my people.” In themwe find the fulfillment of this prophecy:“Manynationswill certainly become joinedto Jehovah in that day, and they will actuallybecome my people; and I will reside in themidst of you.”—Zech. 2:11; 8:21; read Isaiah65:22; Revelation 21:3, 4.

20 By means of the new covenant, Jeho-vahhasmade all of this possible.Millions ofspiritual foreigners have become part of Je-hovah’s favored nation. (Mic. 4:1-5) Theyare determined to continue to lay hold ofthat covenant by accepting its provisionsand obeying its requirements. (Isa. 56:6, 7)In so doing, along with the Israel of God,they enjoy the rich blessings of continuedpeace. May that be your blessed lot—nowand for all time to come!

wt 5 9 2010 study baptized in the name of part a

Spiritual

annual atonement

great tribulation

ne seed

apostle paul

christian

heavenly reward

holy spir

bearded darnel