Questions From Readers

● Does the scripture at Isaiah 61:1, 2 constitute the ordination of the “other sheep”?—L. H., U.S.A.

Isaiah 61:1, 2 reads: “The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to those taken captive and the wide opening of the eyes even to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of good will on the part of Jehovah and the day of vengeance on the part of our God; to comfort all the mourning ones.”

Note here that the prophet says that he has been anointed by Jehovah’s spirit. Jesus applied this prophecy to himself but only after he had been anointed by God’s holy spirit at the Jordan at the time of his baptism. (Luke 3:21, 22; 4:17-21) His body members are also anointed with Jehovah’s spirit at the time of their being begotten by Jehovah to be sons of God. They become members of the body of Christ, the Anointed One.—2 Cor. 1:21, 22.

The “great crowd” of “other sheep” mentioned and described at John 10:16 and Revelation 7:9 are not anointed by Jehovah’s spirit even though they do have a measure of his spirit, and hence Isaiah 61:1, 2 does not constitute their ordination to preach. However, they are ordained of Jehovah God to be his ministers and certainly they are not ordained to do something different now from what the spiritual remnant are anointed to do. So they could properly quote Isaiah 61:1, 2 as setting out the work in which they are commissioned to share as ordained ministers.

Jehovah God’s command to all those dedicating themselves to him to preach the “good news of the kingdom” constitutes the terms of the ordination of the “great crowd” of “other sheep.” (Matt. 24:14) The command of God regarding the responsibility to preach is in the Bible for anyone to read, but this commission does not constitute anyone’s ordination until after one has studied God’s Word, gained accurate knowledge, dedicated himself to God, for the doing of his divine will, and then symbolized that dedication by water baptism. Thus the “great crowd” of “other sheep” have their ordination from God by virtue of his command to dedicated Christians to preach the Kingdom good news, and Jehovah also backs them up with his holy spirit, just as his spirit was upon the pre-Christian prophets and witnesses.

● What apparently was the reason for the angel with whom Jacob wrestled to touch “the socket of Jacob’s thigh joint by the sinew of the thigh nerve” so that he limped upon his thigh?—J. K., U.S.A.

The angel’s touching Jacob’s thigh may have been for the reason that Jacob would not be overly exalted over having actually grappled successfully with an angel, wresting a blessing from him. So the angel touched Jacob’s thigh and his “thigh joint got out of place,” causing Jacob to limp ever afterward. (Gen. 32:24, 25, 32) That was something to keep him lowly, to show that this victory was not in his own strength and that the angel had superior power. It would be similar to the “thorn in the flesh” that God did not remove from afflicting Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, that he “might not be overly exalted” because of the supernatural visions and revelations and other spiritual blessings he received from the Lord.—2 Cor. 12:1-7.