A03.01.83.htm

(Cont. from Page 25/12/82).

MOUNT ZION.

"But you have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, in general assembly, and the congregation of the first-born who have been enrolled in the heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones who have been made perfect, and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and the blood of sprinkling, which speaks in a better way than Abel's blood." (Heb 12:22-24).

WARRING AGAINST MOUNT ZION.
Besides the hordes of nations that war against the "Mount Zion" of God through the activities of the political "wild beast" and through the "harlot daughters" of the original "Babylon", (i.e. the world empires of politics and false religion), there are other forms of warring. Celebrators of Christmas, for example, are proven members of both the "wild beast" and "harlot daughters" of "Babylon". But what about those that are not members of these powers over the people, and who perhaps even oppose them? Such ones should then ask themselves: Do they actively assist those whose spiritual lives are being made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant for a kingdom of 144,000 underpriests as an integral part of "Mount Zion", or do they make things "tight" for them? (Isaiah 29:7).

MAKING THINGS "TIGHT" FOR THOSE OF
"MOUNT ZION" AND "AR'I.EL" (Spiritual "Jerusalem").
Like their brother Jesus Christ, those whose spirits are being made perfect are similarly being made so through sufferings. People can only approach God by the offering of spiritual sacrifices according to accurate knowledge of the ways of doing so. These ways are made known to them through anointed members of Zion's "repurchased" ones. (Jer 31:33,34. Heb 8:10,11). To oppose the spirit development of such ones and their sanctifying work is a direct method of warring against Zion. (Matt 25:41-46). Although God foresaw that Zion's earthly members would be those ostracised from their spiritual "land", but return from a "wilderness" condition, His woes are prophesied against those responsible: Apostates!^t (Isaiah 29:1-13. 33:14. 32:14-17) (Rev 12:14).

It is written: "These are the things he says who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens so that no one will shut, and shuts so that no one opens". (Rev 3:7). This "key" of knowledge was given to the Firstborn Son of God (one of many sons of David's lineage), namely The Christ Jesus. As "mediator of a new covenant" he was given spiritual authority to commence the ingathering of 144,000 anointed Kingdom heirs as a spiritual house for God. (1 Peter 2:4,5). To "open" and to "shut" indicates a defined gathering period.

Apostates^t "leaving the holy covenant" waged war against "Mount Zion". (Dan 11:30-32). After coming to know the Will of God, JWs published apostate teachings in their many books and 'Watchtowers' ("siege towers") to lay siege to faithful covenant members, twisting^● the fundamental meanings of God's Word to make things "tight" for His anointed sons. (Isaiah 29:7,8). But these apostates are destined to be cut off, just as it is written: "…because the tyrant must reach his end, and the bragger must come to his finish, and all those keeping alert to do harm must be cut off, those bringing a man into sin by his word, and those who lay bait even for the one reproving in the gate, and those who push aside the righteous one with empty arguments." (Isaiah 29:20,21).

^tAPOSTASY: Abandonment of religious faith, vows, principles, or party. (Aposta: withdraw).
●TWIST: Peculiar tendency of mind, character, etc (freq. derogatory). (Oxford Dictionary)

3/1/83.