Congregation Bible Study (30 min.): Rr ch. 12 paras. 15-21.
"They will be my people"
15. How are the prophetic words of Ezekiel 37:26, 27 being fulfilled today?
Ezekiel's prophecy implies that many people would feel compelled to give God pure worship together with the anointed ones. Jehovah said of his people: “I will make them many,” and “My tent will be with them” (Ezek. 37:26, 27; footnote). These words remind us of what the Apostle John prophesied some seven hundred years after the time of Ezekiel. Referring to "a great crowd," John wrote: "He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them" (Rev. 7: 9, 15). Today, the anointed and the great crowd make up one nation - Jehovah's people, who enjoy protection under God's tent.
16. What did Zechariah predict about the union of spiritual Israel and Christians with earthly hope?
Zechariah also predicted the union of spiritual Jews and Christians with earthly hope. Speaking of “10 men from all the languages of the nations,” he said: “They will hold on tightly to the tunic of a Jew and say, 'We want to go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'” (Zech. 8 :2. 3). The expression "a Jew" does not refer to a single individual, but to a group of people. The same text clarifies it by using the plural “you”. This group today represents the anointed remnant, the spiritual Jews (Rom. 2:28, 29). The "10 men" represent those with earthly hope. They hold on firmly to the anointed and go with them (Isa. 2: 2, 3; Matt. 25:40). The expressions "will hold on tight" and "go with you" highlight the complete union of the two groups.
17. What words of Jesus reflect the unity we have today?
Perhaps Jesus was thinking of Ezekiel's unification prophecy when he referred to himself as the shepherd of two groups that are under his charge and become "one flock." These two groups are his sheep (the anointed ones) and the “other sheep” (the earthly hope Christians) (John 10:16; Ezek. 34:23; 37:24, 25). This explanation of Jesus and the words of the prophets of the past perfectly reflect the extraordinary unity that we all enjoy today, whatever our hope. In contrast to false religion, which has been divided into countless groups, we live a true miracle: unity.
ILLUSTRATION
A congregation of God's people, in which there is an anointed brother, is listening to a comment made by a girl during the meeting.
Today, the anointed ones and the “other sheep” worship Jehovah together as “one flock”. (See paragraph 17)
"My sanctuary" will be "forever in their midst"
18. According to Ezekiel 37:28, why is it very important for God's people not to be “part of the world”?
The final words of Ezekiel's unifying prophecy highlight something that guarantees that our unity will never be broken (read Ezekiel 37:28). Jehovah's people are united because his sanctuary, his pure worship, is "in their midst." And their sanctuary will remain among them if they remain "sanctified," that is, separated from the world of Satan (1 Cor. 6:11; Rev. 7:14). Jesus placed great importance on not being part of the world. In a heartfelt prayer in which he asked for his disciples, he said: “Holy Father, take care of them […] so that they may be one”. And he added: “They are not part of the world […]. Sanctify them through the truth ”(John 17:11, 16, 17). Notice how Jesus linked these two ideas: "may they be one" and may they not be "part of the world."
19. a) How can we imitate God? b) What important truth about unity did Jesus highlight the night before he died?
This is the only passage in which Jesus uses the expression "Holy Father" to address God. Jehovah is totally pure and upright. He commanded ancient Israel: "You must be holy because I am holy" (Lev. 11:45). Since we imitate God, we want to obey that command in every aspect of our lives (Eph. 5: 1; 1 Pet. 1:14, 15). When referring to human beings, the word translated "holy" means "separate." When Jesus used that term the night before his death, he emphasized that his disciples would always be united if they kept separate from this world that promotes division.
"I ask you [...] to protect them from the Evil One"
20, 21. (a) What strengthens our confidence in Jehovah's protection? b) What is each of us expected to do?
The extraordinary unity seen among Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the earth shows that Jehovah heard this plea from Jesus: “I ask you […] to protect them from the Evil One.” (Read John 17:14, 15). In fact, our confidence in God's leading grows stronger when we see that Satan has not been able to end the unity of God's people. In Ezekiel's prophecy, Jehovah says that the two sticks form one in his hand. So it is Jehovah who has miraculously united his people under his protective hand, far from Satan's grasp.
So what do we have to do? Strive personally to maintain our valuable unit. And is there something special that each of us should do? Yes, keep busy giving pure worship to Jehovah in his spiritual temple. In the next chapters we will analyze what that implies.
PURE WORSHIP AND YOU
What important truth about pure worship does the two-suit prophecy highlight? (Ezek. 37:19).
Ezekiel received further instructions: put the two sticks together so that they become "one stick." The exiles - who were watching Ezequiel impatiently - asked him: "Aren't you going to tell us what these things mean?" He told them that the role-play illustrated what Jehovah was going to do. Speaking of the two sticks, Jehovah declared: “I will make one stick of them; they will form one in my hand ”.
How do we know that this unification prophecy would have its greatest fulfillment after 1914? (Ezek. 37:24).
Jehovah revealed that the unification prophecy would be fully fulfilled after his “servant David,” that is, Jesus, became King. And this happened in 1914 (2 Sam. 7:16; Luke 1:32). By this time, the nation of Israel had already been replaced by spiritual Israel: anointed Christians (Jer. 31:33; Gal. 3:29). After being cast out of heaven, Satan worked even harder to destroy the unity of God's people (Rev. 12: 7-10). For example, after Brother Russell's death in 1916, Satan used brothers who had become apostate to try to divide anointed Christians. But soon after, those apostates left the organization. The Devil also succeeded in having the brothers leading the work imprisoned, but even then he did not end God's people.
What can you personally do to maintain our valuable unit? (1 Pet. 1:14, 15).
Since we imitate God, we want to obey that command in every aspect of our lives. When referring to human beings, the word translated "holy" means "separate." When Jesus used that term the night before his death, he emphasized that his disciples would always be united if they kept separate from this world that promotes division.
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