Oldal:Organization-part-I-1938.djvu/14 forrásának megtekintése

<noinclude><pagequality level="1" user="" /></noinclude>COURTS 
who are entirely devoted to him. The heart atti- 
tude of each one thus favored by the Most High 
God was prophetically declared for Jehovah’s record : 
**Q Jehovah, God of hosts, . . . better is a day in thy 
courts than a thousand, I choose rather to stand at the 
threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the 
tents of lawlessness.’’—Ps. 84: 8,10, Roth. 
In the vision given by Jehovah to his prophet Eze- 
kiel an outer and an inner court were scen as the state- 
ly approaches to the magnificent temple. 
According to the God-given record, Ezekiel followed 
his guide, taking careful note of his measuremenis. 
This would indicate that God’s remnant people, whom 
Ezekiel foreshadowed and who walk humbly, are be- 
ing careful to follow their guide and are making note 
of the divine requirements and showing diligence in 
eomplying with such requirements. 
At this point let the reader carefully consider the 
scriptural aecount, Ezekiel 40, verses 17 to 23, show- 
ing the situation and arrangement of the outer court. 
The platform of the outer court was seven stcps 
higher than the ground outside of the temple wall, 
and this would indicate that those who occupy this 
outward court would be completely removed from ali 
things terrestrial. This court was the place where the 
non-Levitical tribes come to worship Jehovah and 
where the non-priestly Levites carry on their activi- 
tics. (See Ezekiel 44: 10-14; 46: 9, 21, 24.) The pricsts 
were under orders not to appear in their priestly vest- 
ments in this outer court before the eyes of the peo- 
ple. ‘‘And when they go forth into the utter [outer, 
R.V.] court, even into the utter [outer] court to the 
people, they shall put off their garments wherein they 
ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and 
they shall put on other garments; and they shall not 
sanetify the people with their garments.’’—Ezck. 
44:19. 
The chambers made in the court round about were 
for the Levites, or non-priests. This would indicate 
that God has a place for them in his organization. 
The pavement mentioned in verses seventeen and 
eighteen (Ezekiel 40) was called ‘‘the lower pave- 
ment’’. It was seven steps above the outside, but was 
Jower than the pavement of the inner court, which is 
utilized by the priesthood. The lower pavement shows 
the position of the ‘‘great multitude’’, the people per- 
mitted to come into this outer court. The statement 
in The Revelation that the ‘‘great multitude’’ ‘wash 
their robes in the blood of the Lamb’ shows that they 
are approved by Jehovah by manifesting their abid- 
ing faith in Christ Jesus’ shed blood at the time the 
test comes upon them. The ‘‘great multitude’’ will Le 
in the court of God’s organization, but not high up 
‘in the mountain of the Lord’s house’. Agrecable to 
this it is written, in Revelation 7:15: ‘‘Therefore are 
they before the throne of God, and serve him day and 
J vie are permits only those to enter his house 
night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne 
shall dwell among them,”’ 
The ‘‘great multitude’’, by reason of coercion ex- 
ercised by unfaithful shepherds, and by reason of fear, 
is held for a long while in ‘‘prison cells’’ of Satan's 
organization. Before the Armageddon battle they are 
released from these prison cells and brought into the 
‘outer eourt’’ or place of refreshment and blessings of 
God’s organization: ‘‘They shall hunger no more, 
neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light 
on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the 
midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead 
them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall 
wipe away all tears from their eyes.’’ (Rev. 7: 16, 17) 
“They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall 
be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst ; 
neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that 
hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the 
springs of water shall he guide them.’’ (Isa. 49: 9, 10) 
Those of the ‘‘great multitude” are likened unto sheep 
brought back into the Lord’s fold. Ezckiel pictures 
tue faithful anointed company that is shown these 
things now before they come to pass, and this is for 
the encouragement of the anointed to continue with 
zeal and faithfulness in doing their assigned work in 
connection with carrying food to the ‘‘prisoner’’ class 
in the present time. 
Tizekiel’s guide then takes him along the pavement 
of the outer court toward the south gate, that he mvy 
observe the measurements there. ‘‘After that he 
brought me toward the south, and, behold, a gate to- 
ward the south: and he measured the posts thercof, 
and the arches thereof, according to these measures.’’ 
(Ezck. 40:24) Ezekiel stéod on the pavement in the 
outer court and observed the gate and its measure- 
menis from the outside of the way leading into the 
inner court. But Ezekiel did not enter there. (Ezek. 
40: 27-31) Then Ezekicl was led by way of the lower 
pavement to the east gate leading into the inner cout. 
‘“And he brought me into the inner court toward the 
east; and he measured the gate according to these 
measures, ’’—-Ezek. 40: 32. 
The inner court was eight steps higher than the 
“lower pavement’’. (Ezek. 40:31, 34) This was one 
step more than in the stairway used by the people in 
ascending from the outside to the lower pavement. 
This calls attention to the higher or loftier position 
of God’s priesthood ‘in the mountain of the house of 
the Lord’ that is established ‘‘in the top of the moun- 
tains’’, (Isa, 2:2) This position of glory Jehovah 
gives to none outside of the royal pricsthood, his ‘eleet 
servant’, (Isa, 42:8) This inner court is the place of 
the closer position of its oceupants to Jehovah God. 
This inner court, according to the measurements, is a 
foursquare court. ‘‘So he measured the court, an 
hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, 
foursquare, and the altar that was before the house.”’ 
174 
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