Congregation Bible Study (30 min.): rr chap. 19 paras. 16-21 and Box 19B.
What the vision will mean in Paradise
16, 17. (a) In what way will the waters of life increase in Paradise?
These waters of life will not only bring us spiritual benefits but also physical ones. Jehovah will make faithful people benefit from Jesus' ransom to an even higher level until they reach perfection.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In the sense that these waters of life will not only bring us spiritual benefits but also physical ones, because Jehovah will make faithful people benefit from the rescue of Jesus to an even greater level until they reach perfection.
The symbolic river will become, so to speak, much broader and its waters will increase, since it will not only bring us spiritual benefits, but also physical ones.
b) What benefits will that river of blessings bring us in Paradise?
We will not get sick, therefore, medicines, hospitals and doctors will not be necessary. These waters of life will cause a great crowd to rise after the great tribulation.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The first blessings that river will bring will be impressive but will seem like a mere trickle compared to everything that will come later, the flow of that river will increase to meet even greater needs.
For example, we will no longer get sick, so medicines, hospitals and doctors will not be necessary.
We will reach perfection, we will be free from disease and many faithful will enter paradise after Armageddon.
ILLUSTRATION:
Young and healthy people working and enjoying themselves in Paradise. In the background is a river.
In Paradise, the river of blessings will restore everyone to health and youth. (See paragraph 17).
18. In what sense will the “river of water of life” become a mighty torrent during the Millennium?
In the sense that thanks to the Kingdom of God, millions of people who have died will be resurrected and will have the opportunity to live forever in paradise.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
As Isaiah 26:19 says the earth will let those who are powerless in death live again, so Jehovah will make a multitude of people who have been dead for a long time live again and they can have the opportunity to live forever in paradise .
Well, in the sense that thanks to the Kingdom of God, millions of people who have died will be resurrected and will have the opportunity to live forever in the terrestrial paradise.
Millions, billions will be resurrected, and they will have the opportunity to live forever in Paradise, countless multitudes of people will live again.
19. (a) What will Jehovah continue to give us in Paradise, and how do we know?
We will have the opportunity to decide whether we want to obey Jehovah and his righteous rules and live eternally in paradise or not. There will be people who will decide to reject this blessing and we know this because in Isaiah 65:20 it says that "the sinner will be cursed", which shows us that there will be people who will not be faithful to Jehovah and will sin.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In paradise, Jehovah will continue to give us spiritual instructions, and we know this because the Bible says that new scrolls will be opened, that is, new information, new advice.
So the refreshing waters from Jehovah will also bring new information and more spiritual instructions.
(b) In what sense will there be some in Paradise who will “remain salty”?
Just as in Ezekiel's vision there were lifeless places that were still salty, in paradise there will be fools who will not want to drink the water of life and after the Millennium they will side with Satan and the result of this will be eternal death.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Just as in Ezekiel's vision there were lifeless places that were still salty, in paradise there will be fools who will not want to drink the water of life and after the Millennium they will side with Satan and the result of this will be eternal death.
Some will reject that blessing and decide to disobey Jehovah, perhaps the muddy ponds of Ezekiel's vision come to mind, those lifeless places that remained salty and all who reject Jehovah's righteous standards will have eternal death.
20. What system that Jehovah will set in motion in the Millennium reminds us of the trees in Ezekiel's vision?
As we see in Revelation 20:6, the 144,000 will be priests of Jehovah and of Jesus, and just as the trees in Ezekiel's vision had healing leaves, the function of the 144,000 will be to apply the benefits of Christ's ransom and help all beings. faithful humans to achieve perfection.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Good, the 144,000 anointed ones will be priests of Jehovah and of Jesus and like the trees in Ezekiel's vision that had healing leaves, the function of the 144,000 will be to apply the benefits of Christ's ransom and help all faithful human beings to reach The perfection.
Jehovah wants us to live forever, in Paradise the benefits will not only be spiritual, but also physical. In heaven, Jesus and the 144,000 will be kings during the Millennium. And, in their role as priests, they will apply the benefits of Christ's ransom and help faithful human beings to attain perfection.
INFORMATION BOX 19B
A trickle of water becomes a mighty river!
Ezekiel follows the course of the trickle of water that comes out of Jehovah's sanctuary and that, in just a couple of kilometers, miraculously turns into a mighty river. On the banks of the river, the prophet sees leafy trees that give food and heal. What does all this represent?
A trickle of water coming out of the sanctuary of Jehovah and becoming a mighty river. Some signs indicate the depth of the river: 1,000 cubits, at ankle height; 2,000 cubits, at knee height; 3,000 cubits, at hip height; 4,000 cubits, impossible to cross on foot.
The river that brings blessings
PAST: Jehovah showered blessings on returning exiles as they helped restore pure temple worship
PRESENT: Pure worship is restored in 1919, opening the way for God's faithful servants to receive an outpouring of spiritual blessings like never before
FUTURE: After Armageddon, the blessings that flow from Jehovah will be both spiritual and physical
water that gives life
PAST: Because Jehovah generously blessed his obedient people, they enjoyed spiritual prosperity, even as the population increased
PRESENT: In the spiritual paradise that we enjoy today, the ever-increasing flow from Jehovah has brought life and spiritual blessings to an ever-increasing number of people
FUTURE: Millions and millions of resurrected ones will join those who survive Armageddon, and Jehovah will give many blessings to all
Trees that feed and heal
PAST: In a spiritual sense, Jehovah fed his faithful people when they returned to their land and restored it; he also healed them from the spiritual sickness they had suffered from for so long
PRESENT: Many people are benefiting from a great supply of spiritual food that counteracts the disease and hunger that this world suffers in a spiritual sense
FUTURE: Christ and the 144,000 who will rule with him will help all obedient humanity to attain perfection and enjoy health and energy forever
21. (a) How does it feel to visualize the river in Ezekiel's vision? (See the box “A trickle of water becomes a mighty river!”).
It fills us with peace and hope knowing the magnificent future that awaits us and it impresses us to think that Jehovah described this impressive scene thousands of years ago and since then he has been trying that the greatest number of people can be part of that scene.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
By visualizing this river of vision we are filled with peace and hope
Visualizing this river undoubtedly fills us with peace and hope knowing the magnificent future that awaits us and it is also impressive to know that since Jehovah described this scene he has been trying to get as many people as possible to be part of that scene.
And as the box explains, this flow is gradually opening or widening, for example, we see that in the past Jehovah was pouring out blessings on the exiles who returned to their land as they contributed to restoring pure worship in the temple, in the present in 1919 pure worship is restored, and this opens the way for the faithful servants of God to receive an enormous flow of spiritual blessings and in the future after Armageddon, the blessings that come from Jehovah will be both spiritual and physical.
b) What will we study next?
We may be wondering what if we will be in paradise so we will study why the last part of Ezekiel's prophecy gives us confidence that we may be there.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We may be wondering if we will be in paradise so we will study why the last part of Ezekiel's prophecy gives us confidence that it is possible for us to be there.
God has been patiently inviting humanity to be a part of paradise, to see the greater fulfillment of those promises. Do you see yourself there? You may be wondering if you will really be in Paradise. The last part of this prophecy from Ezekiel gives us confidence that this is possible.
PURE WORSHIP AND YOU
How was Ezekiel's vision of the river fulfilled in the past?
The priests returned to give spiritual guidance to the exiles and sacrifices were offered again in the temple, which made the people sure that their sins would be forgiven and they were clean again as if they had washed with the pure water of the vision.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, the priests returned to give spiritual guidance to the exiles and offered sacrifices again in the temple, which made the people sure that their sins would be forgiven and they were clean again as if they had been washed with pure water of vision.
Ezekiel saw that such a river flowed from the temple. So the vision must have led God's people to the conclusion that Jehovah would pour out spiritual blessings on them, as long as they continued to support pure worship.
The priests would again give them spiritual guidance. And, since sacrifices would also be offered again in the temple, the people would once again have the assurance that their sins would be forgiven. So they would be clean again, as if they had been washed with the pure water that came from the temple.
How is that vision being fulfilled in the present?
We are healthy and well nourished spiritually and the sacrifice of Jesus causes our sins to be forgiven.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
As in Ezekiel's vision, the flow of pure water of truth has grown very fast to satisfy the ever-increasing spiritual thirst.
We are spiritually healthy and well fed, and in the spiritual paradise that we enjoy today, the ever-increasing flow from Jehovah has brought life and spiritual blessings to an ever-increasing number of people.
The most important blessing of all is the sacrifice of Christ. This sacrifice has the power to cleanse us, that is, it makes it possible for our sins to be forgiven. Furthermore, the pure teachings of the Word of God are compared to water that purifies and gives life.
By 1919 there were only a few thousand of Jehovah's servants, and they were very happy to receive the spiritual food they needed. Since then, the people of God have not stopped increasing; today it is made up of more than eight million people. And do the truly pure waters still flow? Of course! We can say that we have an avalanche of information on spiritual matters.
What greater fulfillment will the vision of the river have during the Millennial Reign of Christ?
Just as the trees in Ezekiel's vision had healing leaves, the function of the 144,000 as priests will be to apply the benefits of Christ's ransom and help all faithful human beings to attain perfection.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
After Armageddon the blessings will be even greater, for example, millions and millions of resurrected ones will join those who survive Armageddon, and Christ and the 144,000 who will rule with him will help all obedient humanity to reach perfection.
In Paradise, the symbolic river will become, so to speak, much broader, since it will not only bring us spiritual benefits, but also physical ones. During the Thousand Year Reign of Jesus, the Kingdom of God will make it possible for faithful people to benefit from the ransom to an even greater degree, until they gradually reach perfection. Goodbye to diseases and medications! There will be no more hospitals or doctors or health insurance. The waters of life will reach the millions of survivors of Armageddon, "a great crowd" that will emerge after "the great tribulation."
In heaven, Jesus and the 144,000 will be kings during the Millennium. And, in their role as priests, they will apply the benefits of Christ's ransom and help faithful human beings to attain perfection. The vision of trees bearing nourishing fruit and healing leaves resembles a beautiful prophecy that the apostle John wrote.
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