Congregation Book Study, Week of November 1-7, 2021, Chapter 15, Paragraphs 15-17, Box 15A and Answers.

Congregation Book Study, November 1-7, 2021, Chapter 15, Paragraphs 15-17, Box 15A and Answers.

Congregation Bible Study (30 min.): Rr ch. 15 paras. 15-17 and Box 15A.

15. For what purpose did Jehovah punish Jerusalem?

He did not want to exterminate his people. Rather, he wanted to end the prostitution of Jerusalem. He also wanted to quench the anger he had with her, Jehovah wanted to calm down and not feel provoked by Jerusalem.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

Jehovah punished Jerusalem by saying: "I am going to gather all the lovers you gave pleasure to." And he added: "I am going to hand you over to your lovers." In the end her lovers would destroy her, destroy her beauty and take away her valuable things. The objective that Jehovah had with all this was that his people not be destroyed, he did not want to exterminate his people, rather that way he would end the prostitution of Jerusalem.

What hope did this offer his people?

Jehovah punished Jerusalem so that there would be no more prostitution and he hoped to restore pure worship to his people after the exile.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

Jehovah's punishment of Jerusalem was to give her long-term hope to restore pure worship and put an end to the prostitution that was to end Jehovah's people. Because Jehovah would do all this, because he said: "I myself will remember the covenant that I made with you in the days of your youth."

16, 17. a) Why can't Oholá and Oholibá be prophetic models of Christianity? (See the box “Two Sisters Whores”).

Oholá and Oholibála cannot be models of Christianity because they did not even exist when Jesus acted as the Mediator of the “new covenant” with spiritual Israel. He was never part of the spiritual nation of anointed Christians. Christendom was later born as an apostate and corrupt organization that turned out to be "the weeds."

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

They cannot be prophetic models of Christendom because they hurt Jehovah. Oholá and Oholibá encouraged idolatry in all its forms, including greed and materialism. But thanks to Jehovah's mercy he has restored Pure Worship in these last days and will not let it become defiled again.

b) What practical lessons do we draw from Ezekiel chapters 16 and 23?

In both chapters the idea of ​​prostitution is used. Jerusalem is said to be the younger sister and Samaria the older. Both chapters show that the younger sister followed in the footsteps of the older one and became a prostitute; then she became more wicked and immoral than her sister.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

Jehovah in these two chapters teaches us much about his righteous standards, his sense of justice, and his great mercy. We also find strong messages of condemnation against God's people for their unfaithfulness. In both chapters the idea of ​​prostitution is used a lot.

INFORMATIVE BOX 15A: Two Prostitute Sisters

Two prostitute sisters: Oholá and Oholibá.

In chapter 23 of Ezekiel we find strong messages of condemnation against God's people for their unfaithfulness. This chapter bears many similarities to 16. In both chapters the idea of ​​prostitution is used. Jerusalem is said to be the younger sister and Samaria the older. Both chapters show that the younger sister followed in the footsteps of the older one and became a prostitute; then she became more wicked and immoral than her sister. In chapter 23, Jehovah says the names of the two sisters: Oholah, who is the eldest and represents Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of Israel (made up of ten tribes); and Oholibah, who is the youngest and represents Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom of Judah (Ezek. 23: 1-4). *

The two chapters have other similarities. These are perhaps the most important. At first, women were Jehovah's wives, and then they betray him and become prostitutes. In both cases there is a message of hope. In chapter 23 the hope of forgiveness is not as clear as in chapter 16, but in the two chapters Jehovah promises that he will put an end to the prostitution of his people (Ezek. 16:16, 20, 21, 37, 38, 41, 42; 23: 4, 11, 22, 23, 27, 37).

Do they represent Christianity?

Before, in our publications it was explained that the two sisters, Oholá and Oholibá, were prophetic models of Christianity, specifically of its two main divisions: the Catholic and the Protestant religion. However, after much prayer and further study, some important questions arose: Did Christendom ever become Jehovah's wife in any way? Did she ever make a covenant with him? Of course not! Christianity did not even exist when Jesus acted as the Mediator of the "new covenant" with spiritual Israel. Furthermore, he was never part of the spiritual nation of anointed Christians (Jer. 31:31; Luke 22:20). Christianity was born long after the death of the apostles.

Another fundamental difference is that Jehovah gave the unfaithful cities of Jerusalem and Samaria hope of forgiveness (Ezek. 16:41, 42, 53-55). But does the Bible offer you Christianity-like hope? Of course not! The same future awaits her as the rest of Babylon the Great.

So Oholá and Oholibá are not prophetic models of Christianity. However, their existence reveals something much more important: Jehovah's feelings for those who discredit his holy name and lower his standards of pure worship. Christendom bears much of the blame, because all of its religions claim to represent the God of the Bible. What's more, they assert that Jehovah's own beloved son, Jesus Christ, is their leader. But they contradict themselves by representing Jesus as part of a trinity and by disobeying his clear command to keep separate "from the world" (John 15:19). By its idolatry and its constant contact with politics, Christendom has clearly shown itself to be part of "the great prostitute" (Rev. 17: 1). There is no doubt that the same end awaits him as the rest of the world empire of false religion.