8. (a) What was missing from the inner courtyard of the visionary temple? (b) By what means could priests in the visionary temple cleanse themselves?

⁸ One such benefit is a clean standing before Jehovah. In the visionary temple, the inner courtyard is missing something that was quite prominent in the courtyard of the tabernacle and in Solomon’s temple​—a great basin, later called a sea, for the priests to wash in. (Exodus 30:18-21; 2 Chronicles 4:2-6) What could the priests in Ezekiel’s visionary temple use for cleansing? Why, that miraculous stream flowing through the inner courtyard! Yes, Jehovah would bless them with the means to enjoy a clean, or holy, standing.

9. How can those of the anointed and those of the great crowd have a clean standing today?

⁹ Likewise today, the anointed have been blessed with a clean standing before Jehovah. Jehovah views them as holy, declaring them righteous. (Romans 5:1, 2)

In the restored Israel, Jehovah blessed his people with Scriptural instruction by means of the priesthood. (Ezekiel 44:23) In a comparable way, Jehovah has blessed his people today with ample instruction about his Word of truth, through the “royal priesthood.” (1 Peter 2:9) Knowledge about Jehovah God, about his purposes for mankind, and especially about Jesus Christ and the Messianic Kingdom has flowed in an ever-increasing torrent during these last days. How grand is the deepening flood of spiritual refreshment that we are receiving!​—Daniel 12:4.