Cherish Your Privilege to Worship in Jehovah’s Spiritual Temple Flashcards
The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom (Study)—OCTOBER 2023 One of the deeper teachings in God’s Word is about Jehovah’s great spiritual temple. What is that temple? This article explores the details found in the Bible book of Hebrews regarding this temple. May this study enhance your appreciation for the privilege you have to worship Jehovah.
What is an angel saying, and what does that mean for us?
“Fear God and give him glory . . . Worship the One who made the heaven and the earth.” (Rev. 14:6, 7) An angel is saying that we should worship Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth. This means that we have the precious opportunity to worship him in his great spiritual temple!
What is Jehovah’s spiritual temple? (See also the box “What It Is Not.”)
Jehovah’s arrangement for offering acceptable worship based on Jesus’ ransom sacrifice.
Paul explained this arrangement in the letter that he wrote to the first-century Hebrew Christians living in Judea.
What concerns did Paul have about the Hebrew Christians in Judea, and how did he help them?
- Jewish Christians may have been facing ridicule from their former religious leaders since they had no impressive temple to go to for worship, no physical altar on which to make sacrifices to God, and no priests to minister to them.
- Some of them were still holding on to the Mosaic Law.
Paul went on to teach some deeper truths. He reminded his fellow Christians of “a better hope” based on Jesus’ sacrifice that could truly help them draw “near to God.”—Heb. 7:18, 19.
What do we need to understand from the Bible book of Hebrews, and why?
The features of the Jewish religion were only “a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Christ.” (Col. 2:17) We need to compare the shadow with the reality. Then we can better understand the spiritual temple and how it involves us.
This “tent of meeting” was the central place for the Israelites to approach God and offer their sacrifices and their worship. (Ex. 29:43-46)
The ancient pattern.
THE TABERNACLE
When did the spiritual temple become a reality?
The spiritual temple came into existence in 29 C.E., when Jesus was baptized, anointed with holy spirit, and began serving as Jehovah’s great high priest. (Heb. 4:14)
The Christian reality.
THE HIGH PRIEST
According to Hebrews 7:23-27, what sharp contrast is there between Israel’s high priests and the great High Priest, Jesus Christ?
Under the ancient pattern, “many had to become priests in succession because death prevented them from continuing as such.” And as imperfect men, those high priests had to offer sacrifices for their own sins.
Under the Christian reality, “because [Jesus] continues alive forever, his priesthood has no successors.” Also Jesus is “undefiled, separated from the sinners” and “he does not need to offer up sacrifices daily” for his own sins.
THE ALTARS AND THE SACRIFICES
What did the sacrifices on the copper altar point to?
They pointed to the one sacrifice of Jesus that would fully redeem humankind.
The ancient pattern.
THE ALTARS AND THE SACRIFICES
On what altar did Jesus offer himself as a sacrifice? (Hebrews 10:5-7, 10)
Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice on a figurative altar that represented God’s will for him.
The Christian reality.
THE HOLY AND THE MOST HOLY
Who could enter each room of the tabernacle?
THE HOLY AND THE MOST HOLY
What do the Holy and the Most Holy of the tabernacle represent in the Christian reality?
The Holy of the tabernacle represents the spirit-begotten condition of the anointed while on earth. (Rom. 8:15-17)
The Most Holy of the tabernacle represents heaven, where Jehovah dwells.
THE HOLY AND THE MOST HOLY
According to Hebrews 9:12, 24-26, what makes Jehovah’s spiritual temple arrangement superior?
The high priest in Israel entered a man-made Most Holy with the blood of animal sacrifices, but Jesus entered “into heaven itself,” the holiest place of all, to appear before Jehovah. There he presented the value of his perfect human life in our behalf “to do away with sin through the sacrifice of himself.” Jesus’ sacrifice is the ultimate sacrifice that wipes sin out forever.
THE COURTYARDS
Who served in the courtyard of the tabernacle?
The priests served in the courtyard of the tabernacle, where they performed their duties and offered sacrifices to Jehovah. (Exodus 30:17-20; 40:6-8)
THE COURTYARDS
Who serve in each of the courtyards of the spiritual temple?
OUR PRIVILEGE TO WORSHIP JEHOVAH
What sacrifices are we privileged to offer to Jehovah?
We are privileged to “always offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that make public declaration to his name”, and to use our time, energy, and resources to further the interests of God’s Kingdom. (Hebrews 13:15)
