COURTS
who are entirely devoted to him. The heart atti-
tude of each one thus favored by the Most High
God was prophetically declared for Jehovah’s record :
- Q Jehovah, God of hosts, . . . better is a day in thy
courts than a thousand, I choose rather to stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of lawlessness.’’—Ps. 84: 8,10, Roth. In the vision given by Jehovah to his prophet Eze- kiel an outer and an inner court were scen as the state- ly approaches to the magnificent temple. According to the God-given record, Ezekiel followed his guide, taking careful note of his measuremenis. This would indicate that God’s remnant people, whom Ezekiel foreshadowed and who walk humbly, are be- ing careful to follow their guide and are making note of the divine requirements and showing diligence in eomplying with such requirements. At this point let the reader carefully consider the scriptural aecount, Ezekiel 40, verses 17 to 23, show- ing the situation and arrangement of the outer court. The platform of the outer court was seven stcps higher than the ground outside of the temple wall, and this would indicate that those who occupy this outward court would be completely removed from ali things terrestrial. This court was the place where the non-Levitical tribes come to worship Jehovah and where the non-priestly Levites carry on their activi- tics. (See Ezekiel 44: 10-14; 46: 9, 21, 24.) The pricsts were under orders not to appear in their priestly vest- ments in this outer court before the eyes of the peo- ple. ‘‘And when they go forth into the utter [outer, R.V.] court, even into the utter [outer] court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanetify the people with their garments.’’—Ezck. 44:19. The chambers made in the court round about were for the Levites, or non-priests. This would indicate that God has a place for them in his organization. The pavement mentioned in verses seventeen and eighteen (Ezekiel 40) was called ‘‘the lower pave- ment’’. It was seven steps above the outside, but was Jower than the pavement of the inner court, which is utilized by the priesthood. The lower pavement shows the position of the ‘‘great multitude’’, the people per- mitted to come into this outer court. The statement in The Revelation that the ‘‘great multitude’’ ‘wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb’ shows that they are approved by Jehovah by manifesting their abid- ing faith in Christ Jesus’ shed blood at the time the test comes upon them. The ‘‘great multitude’’ will Le in the court of God’s organization, but not high up ‘in the mountain of the Lord’s house’. Agrecable to this it is written, in Revelation 7:15: ‘‘Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and J vie are permits only those to enter his house night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them,”’ The ‘‘great multitude’’, by reason of coercion ex- ercised by unfaithful shepherds, and by reason of fear, is held for a long while in ‘‘prison cells’’ of Satan's organization. Before the Armageddon battle they are released from these prison cells and brought into the ‘outer eourt’’ or place of refreshment and blessings of God’s organization: ‘‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.’’ (Rev. 7: 16, 17) “They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst ; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.’’ (Isa. 49: 9, 10) Those of the ‘‘great multitude” are likened unto sheep brought back into the Lord’s fold. Ezckiel pictures tue faithful anointed company that is shown these things now before they come to pass, and this is for the encouragement of the anointed to continue with zeal and faithfulness in doing their assigned work in connection with carrying food to the ‘‘prisoner’’ class in the present time. Tizekiel’s guide then takes him along the pavement of the outer court toward the south gate, that he mvy observe the measurements there. ‘‘After that he brought me toward the south, and, behold, a gate to- ward the south: and he measured the posts thercof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures.’’ (Ezck. 40:24) Ezekiel stéod on the pavement in the outer court and observed the gate and its measure- menis from the outside of the way leading into the inner court. But Ezekiel did not enter there. (Ezek. 40: 27-31) Then Ezekicl was led by way of the lower pavement to the east gate leading into the inner cout. ‘“And he brought me into the inner court toward the east; and he measured the gate according to these measures, ’’—-Ezek. 40: 32. The inner court was eight steps higher than the “lower pavement’’. (Ezek. 40:31, 34) This was one step more than in the stairway used by the people in ascending from the outside to the lower pavement. This calls attention to the higher or loftier position of God’s priesthood ‘in the mountain of the house of the Lord’ that is established ‘‘in the top of the moun- tains’’, (Isa, 2:2) This position of glory Jehovah gives to none outside of the royal pricsthood, his ‘eleet servant’, (Isa, 42:8) This inner court is the place of the closer position of its oceupants to Jehovah God. This inner court, according to the measurements, is a foursquare court. ‘‘So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare, and the altar that was before the house.”’ 174
