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Workers in the VineyardThe Watchtower—1989 | August 15
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The householder, or owner of the vineyard, is Jehovah God, and the vineyard is the nation of Israel. The workers in the vineyard are persons brought into the Law covenant; they are specifically those Jews living in the days of the apostles. It is only with the full-day workers that a wage agreement is made. The wage is a denarius for the day’s work. Since “the third hour” is 9:00 a.m., those called at the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 11th hours work, respectively, only 9, 6, 3, and 1 hours.
The 12-hour, or full-day, workers represent the Jewish leaders who have been occupied continually in religious service. They are unlike Jesus’ disciples, who have, for most of their lives, been employed in fishing or other secular occupations. Not until the fall of 29 C.E. did the “householder” send Jesus Christ to gather these to be his disciples. They thus became “the last,” or the 11th-hour vineyard workers.
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Workers in the VineyardThe Watchtower—1989 | August 15
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The receiving of the denarius occurred, not at Jesus’ death, but at Pentecost 33 C.E., when Christ, the “man in charge,” poured out holy spirit on his disciples. These disciples of Jesus were like “the last,” or the 11th-hour, workers.
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Workers in the VineyardThe Watchtower—1989 | August 15
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Is that first-century fulfillment the only fulfillment of Jesus’ illustration? No, the clergy of Christendom in this 20th century have, by reason of their positions and responsibilities, been “first” to be hired for work in God’s symbolic vineyard. They considered dedicated preachers associated with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society to be “the last” ones to have any valid assignment in God’s service. But it is, in fact, these very ones whom the clergy despised who received the denarius—the honor of serving as anointed ambassadors of God’s heavenly Kingdom. Matthew 19:30–20:16.
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