Chapter 5
“The Desirable Things of All the Nations Must Come In”
1. What does Haggai 2:7 go on to say about what follows the rocking of the nations, and so what should we not want to do as respects Jehovah’s worship?
IT IS apparent that the outworking of the prophecy of Haggai 2:6 has been going on since Jehovah God the Almighty took over his universal sovereignty in that war-marked year of 1914 C.E. But the prophecy goes on to tell us what will result from the rocking of all the nations, besides the total removal of the man-made system of things on earth. In Haggai 2:7 the Sovereign Lord Jehovah continues on to say: “‘And I will rock all the nations, and the desirable things of all the nations must come in; and I will fill this house with glory,’ Jehovah of armies has said.” In view of this divine promise, showing that Jehovah of armies is pleased to glorify his temple or house of pure worship, who are we that we should despise and downgrade the true worship of Him in these troublous days?
2. How, since 1914 C.E., has Jehovah rocked the nations, and why must there be a final reaction on their part?
2 In faithfully carrying out this prophecy, Jehovah of armies has rocked all the nations. Since 1914 C.E. he has sent his Kingdom ambassadors to notify all the nations of the critical change that has taken place in the universal status quo. The outcome has been just as Jesus Christ predicted in his prophecy on the “conclusion of the system of things”: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:3-14) All the nations are obliged to confess that they have become wrathful against the Kingdom ambassadors. The historic record testifies against the nations. But the being wrathful on the part of the nations is not yet over. In the decisive showdown that is yet ahead, the Kingdom ambassadors will continue to stick to Jehovah’s universal sovereignty and to live up to their God-given message. Therefore, as foretold in God’s prophetic Word, the wrath of all the nations is due to burst forth in a final expression.
3. To what extent will Jehovah rock the nations, and hence what about any religious tolerance by them at present?
3 The hostility of the political nations of earth will be shown to its fullest, and accordingly Jehovah of armies will rock all those nations until they crumble in ruin and are removed forever. Hence any religious tolerance of the nations toward the Kingdom ambassadors at the present is merely temporary. Let no one be deceived by it.
4. Have the nations, as whole political establishments, fulfilled the prophecy of Haggai 2:7, and what proves whether?
4 Before the final outburst of wrath on the part of all the nations and then their violent removal, what are we to expect, according to the prophecy of Haggai 2:7? This: “‘The desirable things of all the nations must come in; and I will fill this house with glory,’ Jehovah of armies has said.” Well, then, what do the historic facts show regarding the fulfillment of this prophecy up until now? They do not show that all the political nations as whole nations, as political establishments, have come into Jehovah’s true temple of worship and have brought with them as voluntary gifts the desirable things of their nations. After all that has happened since 1914 C.E., the nations still do not renounce their own earthly sovereignty and come out in favor of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty. After the end of World War II in 1945 they set up the United Nations as the international organization for world peace and security. To this they tenaciously hold, in desperation, down till this day. That international organization stands in outright opposition to Jehovah’s sovereignty.
5. How have individual citizens within the rocking nations reacted, and with whom have they associated themselves?
5 Yet, what about individual citizens in all the nations that have been going through a strong rocking during which they have been trying to hold themselves together? Well, down till now there have been tens of thousands of individuals who have reacted to the Kingdom preaching in a way different from that of their political governments and that of religious organizations mixed up in politics. They have come to see that there is no happy, peaceful, prosperous future for themselves under such man-made political governments. They have come to see that the only hope of being saved from destruction with the political nations of this system of things is the Messianic kingdom of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. They keenly feel that Satan the Devil is the “god of this system of things” and they do not want to worship that false god by worshiping the political nations. They recognize that all sovereignty rightfully belongs to the Most High God. Hence they have dedicated themselves wholly to the Sovereign Lord Jehovah to worship him at his true house of worship. They have associated themselves with His ambassadors.
6. In beholding such modern-day advocates of Jehovah’s sovereignty and worship, what prophecy of Isaiah are we seeing fulfilled?
6 In beholding such modern-day advocates of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty and worship we are beholding a thrilling fulfillment of that often-quoted prophecy of Isaiah 2:2-4: “It must occur in the final part of the days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it all the nations must stream. And many peoples will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion law will go forth, and the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem. And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”
7. When did this begin to occur, and by what kind of people?
7 Not in the forepart, but in the “final part of the days” of this “time of the end” this international throng has begun to stream to the most highly exalted worship of Jehovah, “the God of Jacob [or, Israel].” Coming as they do from “all the nations,” they are not spiritual Israelites, as the Kingdom ambassadors are.
8, 9. The fulfillment of the prophecy observedly began in what year, and after what events?
8 When did these individuals out of “all the nations” begin to stream up the symbolic “mountain of Jehovah” to worship unitedly at the “house of the God of Jacob”? It was observable after the publication of the two-part article entitled “Great Multitude” in the issues of the Watchtower magazine under date of August 1 and 15, 1935, four years before the outbreak of World War II. The material set out in this article was earlier presented to a general assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses at Washington, D.C., U.S.A., Friday afternoon, May 31, 1935. The speech and the printed article were in explanation of the “great multitude” that was foreseen and foretold in Revelation 7:9, 10, in the following words:
9 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”—Authorized Version Bible of 1611 C.E.
10. Of whom is this unnumbered “great multitude” made up?
10 This unnumbered “great multitude” was distinguished from the spiritual Israelites who were pictured in the preceding five verses (Revelation 7:4-8) and who were to be sealed with the seal of the living God. This international “great multitude” is made up of recent disciples of Christ who are not sealed with God’s seal for association with Jesus Christ as kings and priests in God’s spiritual temple. (Revelation 20:4-6) They are dedicated, baptized disciples of Christ who are not thus sealed but who follow Jesus Christ as the Fine Shepherd. By him they are led to an earthly destiny, to eternal life in a paradise earth under the heavenly kingdom of Jesus Christ and his 144,000 sealed disciples. These unsealed disciples belong to the “other sheep” whom Jesus Christ mentioned in John 10:16, saying: “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.” Every year since 1935 these “other sheep” being gathered in have increased in number to form a “great multitude” indeed.
THE “DESIRABLE THINGS” PRESERVED
11, 12. (a) What must be said as to whether they are things to be desired at Jehovah’s temple of worship? (b) What shows whether they are among the things to be rocked to ruin?
11 Are such dedicated, baptized “other sheep” desirable at the house devoted to pure worship of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah? Most truly, Yes! These are really “the desirable things of all the nations” who, as Jehovah of armies foretold, would come in for worship at his temple. It is not material gifts and financial contributions that Jehovah desires from all the nations. Rather, it is beautiful living worshipers like this numberless “great crowd” from all nations, tribes, peoples and languages. (John 4:23, 24) These are not things that will be rocked and shaken to pieces, destroyed, in the coming “great tribulation” upon the worldwide system of things. Such sheeplike believers in the Lamb Jesus Christ are to be preserved through that destructive tribulation. This is emphasized in the following question and answer:
12 “And in response one of the elders said to me: ‘These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?’ So right away I [John the apostle] said to him: ‘My lord, you are the one that knows.’ And he said to me: ‘These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”—Revelation 7:13, 14.
13, 14. (a) How, then, is the further part of Haggai 2:7 fulfilled, “And I will fill this house with glory”? (b) How was this foretold in Revelation 7:15?
13 It is by the incoming of these “other sheep” who come out of all the nations that Jehovah of armies fulfills the further part of his promise, saying: “And I will fill this house with glory.” (Haggai 2:7) An empty temple, barren of worshipers, would be no glory to Jehovah of armies. But to have his place of worship thronged with worshipers in washed white robes and waving palm branches and crying out: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb,” this would fill Jehovah’s house with glory more than all kinds of material decorations. That His house of worship is thus filled with glory was foretold in the further part of the answer to John’s question:
14 “That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them.”—Revelation 7:15.
15. (a) Where is it, as it were, that this increasing “great crowd” are serving God day and night? (b) Who are they, on earth, who stand in awe at how Jehovah thus fills his temple with glory?
15 Hundreds of thousands of this “great crowd” of “other sheep” are already at the spiritual temple of Jehovah God, who is now enthroned in his universal sovereignty. Day and night they are rendering sacred service to him there by everywhere proclaiming his Messianic kingdom and salvation for all mankind through the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Not being the sealed spiritual Israelites, they are, as it were, in the Court of the Gentiles such as was a part of the temple at Jerusalem in the days of Jesus Christ and his apostles. It is at this great spiritual temple also that a remnant of the spiritual Israelites are today serving as underpriests under the High Priest Jesus Christ. Because of this, the remnant of spiritual Israelites who serve as spiritual underpriests are now having loving association with this increasing “great crowd” of “other sheep” who sincerely join in the pure worship of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. Such underpriests stand in awe at how God has thus filled his temple with glory.
16. (a) With a view to preserving them through the “great tribulation,” what does Jehovah do? (b) What does the Lamblike Shepherd do for them?
16 With a view to preserving the “great crowd” of sheeplike worshipers through the coming “great tribulation,” it is promised: “And the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them.” That they will not be rocked to destruction and removed from the earth is assured to them in the further words about this “great crowd” at Jehovah’s spiritual temple: “They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down upon them nor any scorching heat [in divine displeasure], because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”—Revelation 7:15-17.
17. (a) Has anything like this occurred at Jehovah’s spiritual temple before? (b) How is worship of Him at his temple assured to Him forevermore?
17 Never before has such a marvelous thing as this taken place at the spiritual temple of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. Never before has it been filled with glory by the coming in of so many “desirable things” out of all the nations. The worship of Jehovah at his spiritual temple is assured to Him forevermore. When the present rocking and shaking of all nations, yes, of the symbolic heavens, earth, sea and dry ground, reaches its grand climax in the “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon and then the abyssing of Satan, his spiritual temple in which he thrones will remain unshaken. His worshipers there will enjoy loving protection under His tent and will be preserved for his sacred service for all time to come.
THE GREATER GLORY OF THE LATER HOUSE
18. What is the thing of greatest value that the “desirable things of all the nations” can give to the Creator, and why?
18 The thing of greatest value that the “desirable things of all the nations” can give to the great Creator is their pure worship of Him as their God. The religious systems of Christendom and of Jewry and of other dominant religions have filled their houses of worship with gold and silver and other material treasures of high earthly value. But such material wealth is not what the one living and true God desires from his worshipers. He is the Owner of all material things by reason of his being the Creator.
19. (a) Can we enrich God by material gifts? (b) Why did the temple builders back in Haggai’s day not need to worry about expenses?
19 Nobody can enrich God the Creator by bringing such material valuables into a building dedicated to some kind of religion. One’s giving to the Creator what is already the Creator’s does not enrich him, although it may make the priests of the different religions richer. So in filling Jehovah’s house with glory such material things are not the required things. As Haggai’s prophecy goes on to say: “‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies.” (Haggai 2:8) Back there in Haggai’s day, in 520 B.C.E., did the temple builders at Jerusalem need to worry about expenses? No! Not with such a rich God.
20. How would the Creator see to it that all needed expenses were provided, and why did the builders not need to be discouraged at the unpromising look of things at the start?
20 Back there, Jehovah of armies as Creator was the Owner of all the material things that the temple builders needed. He could be depended upon to provide all financial backing that was needed to start and finish the rebuilding of the temple of his worship. He could see to it also that, by His spirit, certain possessors of material riches would make contributions toward the rebuilding work. The fact that he promised to fill the proposed new house of worship with glory was a divine guarantee that the rebuilding of the house could be started in full confidence. It would be completed and to it worshipers would come. The unpromising look of things at the start was therefore no reason for the temple builders to become discouraged. Jehovah would not encourage them to start something that they would be obliged later on to leave uncompleted. The richest person in all the living universe was behind them!
21. Of what statement published in Zion’s Watch Tower does that remind us?
21 This reminds us of the statement printed in the second issue of the Watch Tower magazine under date of August, 1879, page 2, under the heading “Do You Want ‘Zion’s Watch Tower’?”
Do not suppose these remarks to be an appeal for money. No. “Zion’s Watch Tower” has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: “All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,” fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication.
That was published in the then 6,000 copies of the magazine.
22. Why did the temple builders need extraordinary faith, and what was the outlook that they needed to have?
22 When undertaking to rebuild Jehovah’s temple at Jerusalem, Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua the son of Jehozadak and the rest of the Israelites needed to exercise extraordinary faith in God, especially as the official ban of the Persian Empire was still in effect upon rebuilding Jehovah’s house of worship. Besides that, the builders needed to fight off discouragement because the humble beginning of the work appeared like nothing when compared with the former glorious temple built by King Solomon. They needed to have Jehovah’s outlook to encourage them onward. So Jehovah used his prophet Haggai to reveal what the divine outlook was, in these words: “‘Greater will the glory of this later house become than that of the former,’ Jehovah of armies has said. ‘And in this place I shall give peace,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies.”—Haggai 2:9.
23. As regards the ‘glory of the later house being greater than that of the former one,’ what must we remember with regard to Jehovah’s true temple?
23 Toward understanding those prophetic words, we must remember that Jehovah’s spiritual temple has as its Holy of Holies the holy residential place of Jehovah God in the invisible heavens and that this spiritual temple of His was not destroyed by the Babylonian armies in the year 607 B.C.E., when all of Jerusalem was laid desolate. Only the typical representation of it on earth was destroyed. The real spiritual temple of Jehovah was yet to come into existence and would not need to be rebuilt. So this then future spiritual temple has endured till today and the final and complete fulfillment of Jehovah’s prophecy in our day applies to that one spiritual temple of the one living and true God.
24. In Haggai’s day, what was the “later house” and what was the “former” one, and how did the glory of the one become greater than that of the other?
24 Back there in Haggai’s time, more than 2,490 years ago, a new and second temple at Jerusalem needed to be constructed. It would be the “later house,” whereas the destroyed Solomon’s temple was the “former” temple. Both those houses were “the typical representations of the things in the heavens.” (Hebrews 9:23) According to Jehovah’s assurance in Haggai 2:9, the glory of the temple built under the supervision of Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua at Jerusalem was to be greater than that of King Solomon’s temple. How did this come to be true? For one thing, it continued in use longer, from 515 B.C.E. to 70 C.E., or for 584 years, whereas Solomon’s temple stood for 420 years. So the “later house” lasted till Messiah’s coming, and he himself taught there. Furthermore, in the year 17 B.C.E. King Herod the Great of the Roman Province of Judea began the gradual rebuilding of Zerubbabel’s temple, expending much money upon it and making it have a magnificence that rivaled that of Solomon’s temple. But what would count more with God is appreciation of His house by worshipers.
25. What did the greater glory of the “later house” mean in the way of worshipers at the temple?
25 Doubtless, then, more worshipers flocked to Jehovah’s rebuilt house of worship at Jerusalem than in the case of Solomon’s temple. Especially so over a longer period of time. Also, since the temple was rebuilt more than ninety years after the dispersion of the Jews to many parts of the earth as exiles and fugitives, the worshipers came from more widespread parts of the earth than in the case of the former temple. On the day of Pentecost of 33 C.E. there were natural Jews and proselytes there at Herod’s temple in Jerusalem from Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, which is toward Cyrene, Rome, Crete, Arabia, as well as from Judea. (Acts 2:1-11) In this way the later house had a greater religious patronage and hence a greater glory, in the typical fulfillment of the prophecy.
26. What glory did Jehovah’s spiritual temple get from its typical representations built by men on earth?
26 How, though, is Jehovah’s prophecy fulfilled with respect to the spiritual temple, which is only one indestructible temple, never having a rebuilding or replacement? In this way: During the time that those material temples as built by Solomon, Zerubbabel and Herod were standing, Jehovah’s real spiritual temple was having attention called to it by those typical representations of it upon the earth at Jerusalem. Even the visionary temple as miraculously seen by the prophet Ezekiel in the year 593 B.C.E. typically called attention to Jehovah’s spiritual temple. (Ezekiel 40:1 to 47:2) Such mundane, earthly temples, though awe-inspiring to the human beholder, could never give the worshipers therein full discernment of the indescribable glory of Jehovah’s true, spiritual temple. This typing of the realities continued on until Jesus the Son of God was baptized in water and anointed with Jehovah’s spirit in 29 C.E. to be the promised Christ or Messiah.—Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:29-34.
27. How, in 29 C.E., did Jehovah’s true temple begin to have more than a typical representation of it on earth?
27 From that event onward Jehovah’s spiritual temple began to have more than just a typical representation of itself at Jerusalem. From then on it actually took on reality, by Jesus’ being anointed with God’s spirit to be a “high priest according to the manner of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:20; Psalm 110:4) Jesus Christ was brought into the spiritual condition as pictured by the first compartment or Holy of the temple, where the golden lampstand, the table of loaves of presentation and the golden incense altar were located. Also, he had come into the condition pictured by the temple courtyard for the priests, where the copper altar was located, and he had approached God’s altar equivalent for presenting his perfect human body as an atoning sacrifice for the “sin of the world.” So the antitypical Day of Atonement with respect to the real, spiritual temple of Jehovah had begun. (Hebrews 8:1 to 10:10) This procedure went on for three and a half years, till 33 C.E.
HEAVENLY TEMPLE GLORIFIED
28. How and when did Jesus Christ pass the barrier that was illustrated by the temple’s inner curtain, and for what purpose?
28 On Nisan 14 of the year 33 C.E., Jesus Christ as a spiritual high priest completed his sacrifice on earth, his dead body of flesh being entombed. On the third day therefrom, on Nisan 16, 33 C.E., he was resurrected from the dead as a spirit person, thus passing beyond the barrier that was pictured by the temple veil between the Holy and the Most Holy, namely, his flesh. Thus he was able to enter into the real Most Holy, into the presence of Jehovah God in heaven itself, there as high priest to present the value of his human sacrifice and make atonement for humankind.—Hebrews 9:23-28; 6:19, 20; 10:19, 20.
29. How was a glory imparted to Jehovah’s true temple by Jesus Christ’s appearance in God’s presence?
29 When this Jesus Christ entered into the real Most Holy of God, this imparted a glory to Jehovah’s real spiritual temple that it had never had before. For, look! now in His most holy presence there stood His everlasting High Priest, raised “in glory,” immortal, invested with the “power of an indestructible life”!—1 Corinthians 15:42-57; Hebrews 7:15-24.
30. When were others ushered into the condition pictured by the Holy of the temple, and how many will finally pass beyond the barrier pictured by the inner curtain?
30 On the festival day of Pentecost, Sivan 6, 33 C.E., the glorified Jesus Christ was used by Jehovah God to pour out the holy spirit upon his faithful disciples. (Acts 2:1-38) By this means they became spirit-begotten children of God and were anointed to be spiritual underpriests of the High Priest Jesus Christ. (John 3:3, 5; 2 Corinthians 1:21; 1 John 2:20-27; 3:1, 2; 1 Peter 2:9) In accord with this they were brought into the priestly spiritual condition pictured by the Holy of the temple at Jerusalem to enjoy the light of the antitypical golden lampstand and the table of the loaves of presentation and to offer up the incense of prayer on the golden incense altar. (Hebrews 9:1, 2; Luke 1:8-12, 21, 22) The congregation of spiritual Israelites will finally number 144,000 spiritual underpriests, and at their resurrection from the dead they will be raised up each with a spiritual body, “in glory,” clothed upon with immortality, after Christ’s kingdom is established.—Romans 6:5; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5.
31. How will this add to the glory of Jehovah’s spiritual temple?
31 By thus participating in the “first resurrection,” they will be ushered into the heavenly Most Holy; and “they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.” (Revelation 7:4-8; 14:1, 3; 20:4-6) By Jehovah’s granting these faithful spiritual Israelites such a glorious entrance into the Most Holy of his own presence, he will add a further glory to his spiritual temple such as it did not have before while the material temple of Zerubbabel as renovated by Herod was functioning on earth as a type.
32. What was the case of the outer courtyards of those typical man-made temples at Jerusalem, and till when?
32 In the days of those typical temples at Jerusalem their courtyards, outside the courtyard of the priests, were crowded with worshipers coming from far and near. (Psalm 84:1, 2, 10; Luke 1:21) Since the year 70 C.E. the throngs of worshipers stream up no more to the courtyards of Jehovah’s house of worship at Jerusalem, for the typical material temple for divine worship has vanished forever. (John 4:20-24; Acts 21:26-28; Matthew 24:1, 2; Luke 21:5-7, 20-24) The glory of the typical temples made with men’s hands has faded for all time, for now we are no longer living in the time of the shadows of good things to come. We are living in the days of the glorious realities that are enduring. (Colossians 2:16, 17; Hebrews 10:1-4, 10) But what of the courtyards of the true temple?
33. With regard to Jehovah’s spiritual temple, what are we in this time of rocking led to ask about the “desirable things of all the nations”?
33 Speaking of his real spiritual temple, Jehovah of armies used his prophet Haggai to foretell the coming in of the “desirable things of all the nations” into his house of worship. This would be at a time when the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land would be rocked. We are now nearing the spectacular climax of that time of universal commotion. It is now timely to ask, Have those desirable things actually come in from all the nations before these are rocked to pieces and removed? Yes!
34. How, then, have the courtyards of Jehovah’s spiritual temple been filled with a glory that they never had before?
34 Hundreds of thousands of them have “come in,” in the form of dedicated, baptized disciples of Jesus Christ. These he has brought in as his “other sheep” and made them to be “one flock” with the still surviving remnant of his spiritual underpriests at the courtyards of Jehovah’s temple. (John 10:16; Revelation 7:9, 10) As this unnumbered “great crowd” orderly render sacred service in the courtyards of Jehovah and ascribe their salvation to their enthroned God and to his Lamb, they are a sight that glorifies the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. They fill, not the churches and cathedrals of Christendom and the synagogues of Jewry, but the courtyards of Jehovah’s true spiritual temple with a glory that it has not had before. In very truth it has already come about that “the latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former.” (Haggai 2:9, RS) “The new glory of this Temple is going to surpass the old, says Yahweh Sabaoth.” (Je) “The future glory of this house shall be greater than the first.”—By.
PEACE AMID THE ROCKING
35, 36. (a) With what comforting words did Jehovah close his second prophecy through Haggai? (b) Was Jerusalem’s temple disposed of peacefully, and where does peace on earth obtain today?
35 Jehovah closed his second prophecy through Haggai with these consoling words: “‘And in this place I shall give peace,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies.”—Haggai 2:9.
36 In the year 70 C.E. the passing away of Jerusalem and the temple that had been built by Zerubbabel and renovated by King Herod was not peaceful, but occurred amidst a most horrible time of tribulation. (Matthew 24:1-22) But the real spiritual temple of Jehovah is a place of abiding peace. With regard to the correct carrying on of the meetings of true Christians at that spiritual house of worship, it is written: “God is a God, not of disorder, but of peace. . . . let all things take place decently and by arrangement.” (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40) This rule of conduct is observed at the meetings of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses, so that the spirit of peace does prevail among them.—Galatians 5:22, 23.
37. Despite all the rocking round about, how is peace given in the courtyards of Jehovah’s house as regards the remnant and “great crowd”?
37 Whereas Jehovah of armies rocks the symbolic heavens, earth, sea and dry ground, he gives peace in the earthly courtyards of his spiritual temple. The anointed remnant of His spiritual underpriests attend strictly to their duties at His house of worship and keep free from all embroilment in the controversies and conflicts of this world. The “great crowd” of the “other sheep” that has streamed up to the “mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob,” have figuratively done what Isaiah 2:2-4 foretold about them. They have beaten their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They learn carnal warfare no more. In the approaching “war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Har–Magedon, they will not lift up a hand in any violence against God’s enemies. They will let it be His war to fight, confident in His glorious victory. (Revelation 16:14-16; 2 Chronicles 20:15) By this course they manifest God’s spirit and display the “wisdom from above.”—James 3:17.
38. What prospect, once held before the frustrated temple builders in Haggai’s day, does the remnant of spiritual Israelites see being fulfilled world wide today, and what admonition is given to them?
38 How grand is the peace that Jehovah’s Christian witnesses enjoy today at his spiritual house of worship! How gladdening to the eyes it is for us to see the glory of Jehovah filling his spiritual temple as the “desirable things of all the nations” continue coming in! Long ago the prospect of such an amazing thing was held before the hearts and minds of the once frustrated builders of a new temple at Jerusalem by Jehovah’s prophet Haggai. Today we are actually beholding the wondrous fulfillment of Haggai’s prophecy in these days when all the nations are being rocked, and this should spur on the anointed remnant of spiritual Israelites in their sacred service to Jehovah God at his spiritual house of worship. To this remnant the inspired exhortation applies for them not to forfeit the undeserved kindness of Jehovah as did the unappreciative Esau: “Wherefore, seeing that we are to receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us continue to have undeserved kindness, through which we may acceptably render God sacred service with godly fear and awe. For our God is also a consuming fire.”—Hebrews 12:16, 17, 28, 29.
[Diagram on page 85]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
TEMPLE REBUILT BY HEROD
(Ground Plan)
Tyropean Valley
Kidron Valley
Mt. of Olives to the east
Colonnades
Royal Colonnade
Solomon’s Colonnade
North Colonnade
Court of the Gentiles
Outer Court
Stone Barrier
Court of Women
Court of Israel
Court of Priests
Temple
City Wall
City Wall
Beautiful Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
1. Most Holy
2. Holy
3. Altar of Burnt Offering
4. Molten Sea
5. Inner Gate of Temple