please the Creator. And the effect of all this accurate education is truly amazing! A vast crowd of worshipers of the true God separated as by a great gulf from the confused and warring nations of this system of things, and united in a strong bond of love for Jehovah.

19. What post-Armageddon evidences may we expect of Jehovah’s use of this installed priesthood?

¹⁹ Greater evidences of God’s approval and use of the priesthood under Christ Jesus, now almost all installed, await the new order of things upon earth after Armageddon. At that time the new Jerusalem, the holy city of heavenly priests, with its perfected members ruling in power with their High Priest, will extend its influence to men on the earth to an unprecedented degree. Armageddon survivors and those who later are raised from the dead will still be in need of the protective shield of a holy priesthood, for they will still be imperfect and in need of much help so as to be prepared to meet successfully the final test of their integrity when Satan is “let loose out of his prison” for a short time at the end of the thousand years of Christ’s reign.—Rev. 20:7, 8.

20. How do lovers of God’s truth and righteousness today respond to his signal blessing upon his heavenly priesthood?

²⁰ The response of the people. (Le 9 Vs. 24) “When all the people got to see it, they broke out into shouting and went falling upon their faces.” That culminating evidence of Jehovah’s approval on and presence with the priesthood of Aaron produced a demonstration of great joy mingled with godly fear. Does even the preliminary part of the revelation of Jehovah’s approval upon a more effectual priesthood today produce such a demonstration? It surely does. Look at the great throng of sheeplike persons who have gathered around God’s remnant of spiritual priests, and who, having been enlightened as to his merciful provision for their approach to him, heartily join their voices in shouts of praise to him and with godly fear engage in his worship “with spirit and truth.”—John 4:24.

21. How do modern worshipers at Jehovah’s “true tent” view the presence in their midst of a remnant of Christ’s body of underpriests?

²¹ In this priesthood of Jehovah’s provision they discern “the congregation of the first-born who have been enrolled in the heavens.” All other earthly worshipers of Jehovah rejoice in the fact that, though since 1918 the vast majority of the 144,000 members of Christ’s body of priests have assumed their places that had been reserved for them in the heavens, Jehovah has yet left upon earth a remnant of that holy brotherhood as a nucleus around which men who love God and righteousness may assemble and avail themselves of the expressions of Jehovah’s goodwill. To the great crowd of worshipers out of every nation the presence of that remnant with them gives strong assurance that soon now their hope of relief and deliverance from a wicked system of things is to be realized. This is especially so as they note that each year the numbers of that remnant continue to dwindle. What hope, what expectation, what zeal for active worship this engenders in their hearts!

22. What inspiring vision has been granted to the great crowd of earthly worshipers, and of what does this assure them?

²² Jacob indeed received his encouraging dream-vision of the ladder connecting earth with heaven, with angels ascending and descending upon it. But what a grand vision is today granted to the great crowd of earthly worshipers of Jehovah, as they perceive with the eye of faith the instrumentality that Jehovah will shortly use to extend peace and blessings to them: “The holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” 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.