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| 1 Thus saith Jehovah: Keep ye judgment and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. |
And do justice – "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne." (Psa. 89:14) T124
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| 2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that holdeth fast to it; that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. |
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| 3 And let not the son of the alien, that hath joined himself to Jehovah, speak saying, Jehovah hath entirely separated me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree; |
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| 4 for thus saith Jehovah: Unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast to my covenant, |
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| 5 even unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. |
A name better – The name given is made to refer to position or of official relationship, so that the position is meant when the word "name" is used. R48:2*
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| 6 Also the sons of the alien, that join themselves to Jehovah, to minister unto him and to love the name of Jehovah, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and holdeth fast to my covenant; |
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| 7 even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar: for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. |
My house – The Temple then was merely a figure of a greater Temple, the Church, which is now in preparation. CR420:1; R5713:2
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16) R5713:2
House of prayer – The glorified Church, symbolized by the Temple with its Shekinah glory, will be the house of prayer for all nations. R5713:6; CR457:2
Men will approach God through the glorified Church, in which his presence will be manifested, and his mercy will be available to all. R5714:1
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| 8 The Lord Jehovah, who gathereth the outcasts of Israel, saith: Yet will I gather others to him, with those of his that are gathered. |
Outcasts of Israel – The publicans and sinners who heard the Gospel message gladly, but whom the Scribes and Pharisees rejected. R5004:6
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| 9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, all ye beasts in the forest. |
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| 10 His watchmen are all of them blind, they are without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs that cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber: |
His watchmen – The clergy of today. R330:4, R717:3
Blind – Of mental perception. R718:3
Because they hold the traditions of men, they cannot see the great prize of our calling. R330:5
Describing the last, or Laodicean, stage of the Gospel house. R717:3, R718:4
Are all ignorant – Of the character and purposes of God. R718:3
"Lo, they have rejected the Word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer. 8:9) C157
Failing to recognize, and therefore rejecting, the spiritual King now present. C179
Dumb dogs – D-- D--s. F287[F287]
They cannot bark – Cannot speak faithfully for the Master. R718:3
They refuse to awaken the household under their care to a knowledge of Present Truth. R2674:5
Ministerial etiquette intimidating and sealing the lips of any disposed to lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their sins and dangers. R2106:1
Sleeping – Dreaming or talking in their sleep. F287
Lying down – Lazy. F287
Loving to slumber – Loving ease. F287; HG712:6*
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| 11 and the dogs are greedy, they know not to be satisfied, and these are shepherds that know not how to discern: they all turn to their own way, every one for his gain, even to the last of them: |
They are shepherds – Ministers who outwardly pose as God's servants but in reality are hypocrites. SM134:1
Hireling shepherds, "Whose own the sheep are not." (John 10:12) D62; HG715:6
To their own way – Or ism; turned away to fables and science, falsely so-called. R718:3
Welfare, self-interest. F287, R330:4
For his gain – High-sounding titles and lucrative church appointments. R718:3, R3959:4; D61
"The priests thereof teach for hire." (Micah 3:11) F287
From his quarter – His denomination or sect. C179; D61; F287; R3449:3, R3748:2; HG715:3
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| 12 Come, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. |
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