10. What was the new channel for Jehovah’s revelations?

¹⁰ What was this new channel? Paul identified it to the Ephesians when he wrote that “there might be made known through the congregation the greatly diversified wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose that he formed in connection with the Christ, Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:10, 11) Yes, it was the Christian congregation, born at Pentecost 33 C.E., that was entrusted with the new “things revealed.” As a group, anointed Christians served as “the faithful and discreet slave” appointed to provide spiritual food at the proper time. (Matthew 24:45) Christians were now “stewards of sacred secrets of God.”​—1 Corinthians 4:1.

11, 12. What were some of the wonderful revelations made through this new channel?

¹¹ The central fact of these new “sacred secrets” was that Jesus Christ, the promised Seed, had appeared. (Galatians 3:16) Jesus was “Shiloh,” the one with the right to rule mankind, and Jehovah appointed him King of the Kingdom that would eventually restore Paradise to this earth. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Luke 1:31-33) Jesus was also Jehovah’s appointed High Priest, who gave his untainted, perfect life as a ransom for mankind​—a most marvelous application of the principle of the sacredness of blood. (Hebrews 7:26; 9:26) Henceforth, believing mankind had the hope of regaining that perfect human life that Adam had lost.​—1 John 2:1, 2.

¹² This promised Seed was also a mediator, effecting between his followers and his heavenly Father a new covenant that replaced the old Law covenant. (Hebrews 8:10-13; 9:15) On the basis of this new covenant, the fledgling Christian congregation replaced the nation of fleshly Israel, becoming a spiritual Israel, a spiritual “Abraham’s seed” along with Jesus, and stewards of “the things revealed.” (Galatians 3:29; 6:16; 1 Peter 2:9) Moreover​—something unthinkable to Jews—​Gentiles were invited to become part of that new spiritual Israel! (Romans 2:28, 29) Together, Jewish and non-Jewish spiritual Israelites were commissioned to make disciples of Jesus all around the earth. (Matthew 28:19, 20) Thus, “the things revealed” took on an international aspect.

13. How were these new “things revealed” preserved for future generations?

¹³ In time, these “things revealed” through the Christian congregation were recorded in the 27 books of the Christian Greek Scriptures that completed the canon of the inspired Bible. But once again, embedded in these books were many prophecies regarding Jehovah’s purpose that only many centuries later would be fully understood. Once again, the writers of the Scriptures were in reality ministering to generations as yet unborn.

16. Who have proved to be Jehovah’s modern-day channel?

¹⁶ Jesus said that the Kingdom of God would be taken from the Jews and “given to a nation producing its fruits.” (Matthew 21:43) In the first century, this proved to be the young Christian congregation of spiritual Israel. Today, there is only one group producing fruitage anything like that of the early congregation. These spiritual Israelites are the members of “the faithful and discreet slave” class of Matthew 24:45-47. Like the first Christians, these latter-day Christians have not been afraid to ‘let their light shine.’ (Matthew 5:14-16) Starting in 1919, they courageously undertook the work of preaching the good news of the Kingdom in all the world for a witness. (Matthew 24:14) Since they have produced the fruits of God’s Kingdom, Jehovah has blessed them richly by bringing them up to date in “the greatly diversified wisdom of God.”​—Ephesians 3:10.

17, 18. What progressive understanding has Jehovah made possible through his modern-day channel?

¹⁷ Thus, in 1923 Jesus’ great prophecy about the sheep and the goats was properly understood, and it was discerned that the whole world was under judgment. (Matthew 25:31-46) In 1925 God’s earthly servants became possessors of an accurate understanding of Revelation chapter 12 and discerned exactly what had happened in the marked year of 1914. In 1932 their understanding was deepened still further. Jehovah revealed that the prophecies related to the restoration of the Jews to Jerusalem did not refer to fleshly Israel, which had long since proved unfaithful and been cast off, but rather to spiritual Israel, the Christian congregation. (Romans 2:28, 29) Then, in 1935 a corrected understanding of John’s vision of the “great crowd” in Revelation chapter 7 opened the eyes of anointed ones to the huge gathering work that still lay ahead of them.​—Revelation 7:9-17.

¹⁸ This triggered a surge in the global preaching work, as the gathering of “the things on the earth” finally got under way in earnest. (Ephesians 1:10) In 1939, as war clouds gathered over Europe, the issue of neutrality was made clearer than ever before. In 1950 the “princes” of Isaiah 32:1, 2 were more precisely identified. In 1962 a correct identification of “the superior authorities” and the Christian’s proper relationship to them was also understood more clearly from “the things revealed.” (Romans 13:1, 2) And in 1965 there came a clearer understanding of the earthly resurrection and who might benefit from it.​—John 5:28, 29.

19. How has Jehovah’s “slave” class today proved to be a fitting custodian of the Word of God?

¹⁹ Additionally, the anointed Christian congregation in this 20th century has proved to be a fitting custodian of the Word of God, the written compilation of “the things revealed.” Representative members of this congregation undertook a translation of the Bible into modern English, and, up to today, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures has appeared in 11 languages, with 40,000,000 copies having been printed. The “slave” class of anointed Christians also spearheads international teaching programs and publishes Bible-based textbooks and magazines. It organizes weekly meetings, regular assemblies, and various schools​—all designed to help truth seekers to gain accurate knowledge of “the things revealed.” Truly, “the righteous ones” now “shine as brightly as the sun” in a spiritual sense, proving worthy of their stewardship.​—Matthew 13:43.