Yes, that composite Bride of Christ made up of its 144,000 members will be fully identified with and subject to its Head and Husband, Christ Jesus, in his divinely given work of rehabilitation of deserving humans.—Rev. 21:2.

23. The composition of the heavenly priesthood furnishes life seekers with what comforting thoughts?

²³ How heartwarming to know that the high and holy God of heaven has taken into account the weaknesses and the needs and the limitations of his erring human creatures, in that he has provided “as high priest, not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,” but one who will have perfect insight into all our problems! (Heb. 4:15) Likewise serving under him will be a body of heavenly priests who have also personally experienced all the handicaps and troubles of humankind, and who will therefore also know how to train and help people with patience and love.

24. (a) What future service will be faithfully cared for by the heavenly priesthood, bringing great joy to survivors of Armageddon? (b) How is this indicated at Revelation 21:3, 4?

²⁴ God’s perfect knowledge of the workings of the human mind and His recognition of our love for those who have been separated from us by death are seen in his kind purpose to bring forth from their graves a multitude of persons who will receive opportunity for life. They, too, must bring the evidences of their devotion to God’s righteousness unto the “true tent,” and they, too, must submit to training and direction by the royal priesthood under Christ. During the thousand years of Christ’s restorative reign steps will be taken progressively to remove all causes for tears and pain, for “the holy city,” Jehovah’s loving provision for the reconciliation of repentant humans with Himself, will be operating effectually with the High Priest Jesus Christ. This is what the apostle John describes for our benefit: “With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: ‘Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be any more. The former things have passed away.’”—Rev. 21:3, 4.

25. How should those future happy prospects and present favors affect our worship of Jehovah now?

²⁵ With this happy prospect of near approach unto Jehovah, the holy God, how grateful we should be to that great Provider of every good and perfect present! During the remaining time before the end of this doomed system of things, let us use our time wisely and pleasingly to Jehovah. Let us each one take hold of the opportunities now to gain blessings from him through our association with the remnant of Christ’s underpriests yet on earth. Our associating with and accepting the lead from them in matters of true worship will be laying for ourselves a fine foundation for post-Armageddon works looking to Jehovah’s final approval.

He Made the Bones Too

● In commenting on his own marvelous creations, Jehovah called Job’s attention to the hippopotamus, saying that its bones are like “wrought-iron rods” and “tubes of copper.” (Job 40:18) Just as marvelous is the miniature stapes or stirrup bone in the human ear. It measures only 2.6 to 3.4 millimeters (0.10 to 0.17 of an inch) in length, and it weighs only 2.0 to 4.3 milligrams (0.03 to 0.065 of a grain). The God who made the massive leg bones of the hippopotamus made the tiny stapes too.