therefore this is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, has said: ‘There will not be cut off from Jonadab the son of Rechab a man to stand before me always.’”’”

19. (a) What was Jonadab’s attitude toward Baal worship? (b) Of whom do the names Jonadab (Jehonadab) and Jaazaniah take note, and what position did they take toward wine?

¹⁹ Thus Jonadab the son of Rechab, although not an Israelite, would not fail to have a descendant to stand approved in Jehovah’s presence here on earth forever.

20. Although we have no direct Biblical evidence, of what may we be sure about the Rechabites when Jerusalem was destroyed, and after that?

²⁰ Jehovah respected the faithfulness of those Rechabites and promised that they would not be wiped out during the coming destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. We can be sure that the Rechabites were not then cut off from Jehovah’s presence, for he respected his word of promise just as much as those Rechabites respected their vow with regard to wine. There may be historical evidence of their survival in the person of a Malchijah the son of Rechab, who repaired a gate of Jerusalem in the days of Governor Nehemiah. (Neh. 3:14) Whether any Rechabites survived till the days of Jesus Christ and became his disciples is not recorded in Jehovah’s Word. But it would have been most appropriate!