Congregation Bible Study (30 min.): rr chap. 21 paras. 13-18.
The people enter to worship God and support the city
13. What different services are provided by the persons mentioned by Jehovah?
Let us now return to the time of Ezekiel to discover more details about the vision of the distribution of land. In the vision, Jehovah mentions people who are rendering different services. The priests “the servants of the sanctuary” had to offer sacrifices and draw near to Jehovah to serve him. And the Levites “the servants of the temple” had to fulfill “the service of the temple and all the things” that were to be done there (Ezek. 44:14-16; 45:4, 5). In the vision there are also people working near the city. Who are they?
14. What do people who work near the city make us think of?
Those who work near the city come "from all the tribes of Israel" and are there to lend their support. His task is to cultivate the land so that his crops serve "as food for the workers of the city" (Ez eq. 48:18, 19). Doesn't this make us think about the opportunities we have now? All the inhabitants of the spirit paradise today have the opportunity to support the work of the anointed brothers of Christ and that of the members of the “great crowd” who have been appointed by Jehovah to give guidance and direction (Rev. 7:9 , 10). One of the most important ways we support them is by willingly obeying the instructions of the faithful slave.
15, 16. (a) What other detail of Ezekiel's vision offers us a lesson? b) What activities do we have the opportunity to participate in?
And there is yet another detail in Ezekiel's vision from which we can learn a lesson related to our service. What is it about? Jehovah says that there are members of the 12 non-Levite tribes who work in two places: in the courtyard of the temple and in the pasture fields of the city. And what is done in those places? In the courtyard of Jehovah's temple, all the tribes enter “to worship him” offering sacrifices to him (Ezek. 46:9, 24). In the fields surrounding the city there are people from all tribes who come to support the city by cultivating their land. What can we learn from those workers?
Today, members of the great crowd have the opportunity to participate in activities similar to those that take place in Ezekiel's vision. On the one hand, they worship Jehovah "in his temple" by offering sacrifices of praise (Rev. 7:9-15). They do this when they preach and when they express their faith by participating in Christian gatherings and singing at them. For them, worshiping Jehovah is their primary responsibility (1 Chron. 16:29). And, on the other hand, there are many of God's people who support Jehovah's organization in many other ways. For example, they assist in the construction and maintenance of Kingdom Halls and branches, as well as in many other projects of Jehovah's organization. Others support these works with their donations. By supporting the organization in this way, it is as if they are cultivating the land “for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). They carry out this work with enthusiasm and joy because they know that “these sacrifices are very pleasing” to Jehovah (Heb. 13:16). Are we all making the most of these opportunities?
ILLUSTRATION:
People carrying grain and tending flocks outside a city gate called "Jehovah Is There."
What lessons do we learn from the various activities around the temple and the city? (See paragraphs 14 to 16).
“There is a new heaven and a new earth that we look forward to”
17. a) What larger-scale fulfillment will this vision have in the future? b) Who will benefit from the work of the earthly administration during the Millennium?
Will the contribution vision see larger-scale compliance in the future? Of course. Think about it: Ezekiel saw that the land called “the holy contribution”, where “the sanctuary of the Lord” was, was the center of the country (Ezek. 48:10). This assures us that no matter where we live on earth after Armageddon, Jehovah will be with us (Rev. 21:3). During the Millennium, the terrestrial administration, that is, the people who will be chosen on Earth to take care of the people of God, will exercise its influence over the entire planet, guiding and directing with kindness all of us who are part of the "new earth", or the new human society (2 Pet. 3:13).
18. (a) Why can we be sure that earthly administration will be in step with God's government? b) What firm guarantee does the name of the city give us?
This earthly administration, represented in the vision as a city, will continue in total harmony with the government of God. Why can we say so? In the Bible it is clearly seen that this city on Earth, with its 12 gates, is a reflection of the New Jerusalem, a city in heaven that also has 12 gates and is made up of the 144,000 who will rule with Christ ( Rev. 21:2, 12, 21-27). This indicates that the terrestrial administration will be in tune with all the decisions issued by the Kingdom of God from heaven and will ensure that they are put into practice. So the name of the city “Jehovah Is There” guarantees all of us that pure worship will forever remain in Paradise and prosper. What a magnificent future awaits us!
PURE WORSHIP AND YOU
How does vision help us prioritize our contribution to Jehovah?
The order of importance in the distribution of the land undoubtedly taught the exiles a great lesson: the worship of Jehovah had to come first in their lives. For us, spiritual activities such as studying God's Word, attending meetings, and participating in the preaching work are also a priority. If we imitate Jehovah and set the right priorities, our daily lives will revolve around worshiping him.
How do you support the work of the faithful slave?
This group gives spiritual food to their fellow worshipers of Jehovah on time. We depend on this faithful slave to obtain our "ration of food in due time." We have to support it by obeying the faithful slave, who is the Governing body that guides Christians all over the world.
What do you consider to be your main responsibility?
To attend the meetings and participate in the preaching, we have to be faithful and help out in the congregation.
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