saith Jehovah thy Redeemer.”—Isa. 54:4-8, AS.

18-20. (a) Of what is the rainbow a token? (b) What assurance is given to Zion and her children?

¹⁸ Following the flood, God stated to Noah his mind concerning sanctity of life and his loving consideration for creatures upon the earth. In this connection he declared the rainbow to be a sign, stating: “I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”—Gen. 9:11-13, 16, AS.

¹⁹ Observe that God stated: “I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature.” Many rainbows are seen by men from their observation point upon the earth. It is said that from an airplane flying high above the clouds, looking toward the earth instead of up from the earth, one may see the rainbow even more in evidence. Thus Jehovah has given a complete assurance to those who believe him. Because of his great vantage point he always can observe the rainbow, which he has constituted a sign and a reminder and a strengthening assurance. God’s covenant word is an assurance, not solely that the earth will not be overflowed with water a second time, but, even more wonderfully, that he will never forsake his wife but will always cherish her and her children. So he says, “For this is as the waters of Noah unto me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving-kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, saith Jehovah that hath mercy on thee.”—Isa. 54:9, 10, AS.

²⁰ Then Jehovah in beautiful phrase speaks further comfort, assurance, and of the spiritual beauties of his precious organization. ’O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will set thy stones in fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones.”—Isa 54 Vss. 11 and 12.

21. What may now be said concerning the children of Zion?

²¹ Jehovah has identified himself as the father, the teacher of his disciple children. Those children claim our attention now. Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition, says that “mother” as a noun “is that which has produced or nurtured anything; a source of birth or origin”. As an adjective “mother” means “bearing the relationship of a mother, as a mother church”. Such a mother is the organization of Jehovah God, as we have seen. It is by association with that organization through the way provided by its Maker that persons may become children of that organization. Those who are the children referred to in the fifty-fourth chapter of Isaiah are worshipers of God among men, and the question arises as to when they are brought forth, within the language of this prophecy.

22. Explain the relationship between the resurrection, “the last day” and Zion’s “barrenness”.

²² Referring again to the occasion on which Jesus quoted from this prophecy we are reminded that he stated that those who came to him at that time he would ‘resurrect in the last day’. (John 6:41-47, NW) The early Christians did not go to heaven at the time they went down into death. They did not experience their resurrection change, but slept in death awaiting God’s due time for their resurrection. As far as they were concerned, God’s organization was without them as children until such time as they would be resurrected. This brings us to a thrilling part of the fulfillment of the prophecy, and it is continued in the following.

Temple Teaching

“Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”—Hab. 2:20, AS.

1. (a) How is the Christian congregation Scripturally identified as a spiritual temple? (b) For the temple to be complete, what is required as to its members?

THE Christian congregation is spoken of as being a spiritual temple, an organization of worship to God’s praise. Peter puts it this way: “You yourselves also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house for the purpose of a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 2:5, NW) The apostle Paul likewise identifies these children of God’s household as a temple building, saying: “You . . . are members of the household of God, and you have been built up upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while Christ Jesus himself is the foundation cornerstone. In union with him the whole building, being harmoniously joined together, is growing into a holy temple for Jehovah. In union with him you, too, are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit.” (Eph. 2:19-22, NW) It is readily seen that for this temple organization to be built up completely, the resurrection of its dead members is required. The resurrection of the body members of Christ Jesus who slept in death would be a building up of the temple by the assembling of members. The apostle Paul was one of these, and to Timothy he said, “I have fought the right fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith. From this time on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me as a reward in that day, yet not only to me, but also to all those who have loved his manifestation.”—2 Tim. 4:7, 8, NW.

2. (a) Give Bible proof as to the form of life in which the members of the temple organization are resurrected. (b) Do all members of Christ’s body undergo a long sleep in death?

² The resurrection of these members of Christ’s body is not as human creatures, but with spiritual bodies so that they are in position to be associated with their head in heaven. Thus we read: “It is sown a physical body, it is raised up a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one. It is even so written: ‘The first man Adam became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. The first man is out of the earth and made of dust; the second man is out of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of