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The following is taken from Questions from Readers p.31 of the My 1, 2002 Watchtower. It is the WT response to the question: "When John saw the "great crowd" rendering sacred service in Jehovah's temple, in which part of the temple were they doing this?"
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"It is reasonable to say that the great crod worships Jehovah in one of the earthly courtyards of his great spiritual temple, specifically the one that corresponds with the outer coutyard of Solomon's temple.
"In times past, it has been said that the great crowd is in a spiritual equivalent r antitype, of the Court of the Gentiles that existed in Jesus' day. However, further research has evealed at least five resons why this is not so. First, not all the features of Herod's temple have an antitype in Jehovah's great spiritual temple. For example, Herod's temple had a Court of the Women and a Court of Israel. Both men and women could enter the Court of Women, but only men were allowed into the Court of Israel. In the earthly courtyards of Jehovah's great spiritual temple, men and women are not separated in their worship. (Galatians 3:28,29) Hence, there is no equivalent of the Court of the Women and the Court of Israel in the spiitual temple.
"Second, there was no Court of the Gentiles in the divinely provided archtectural plans of Solomon's temple or Ezekiel's visionary temple; now was there one in the temple rebuilt by Zerubbabel. Hence, there is no reason to suggest that a Court of the Gentiles needs to play a part in Jehovah's great spiritual temple arrangement for worship, especially when the following is considered.
"Third, the Court of the Gentiles was built by the Edomite King Herod to glorify himself and to curry favour with Rome. Herod set about renovating Zerubbabel's temple perhaps in 18 or 17 BCE. The Anchor Bible Dictonary explains: "The classical tastes of the imperial power to the West [Rome]......mandated a temple larger than those of comparable eastern cities." However, the dimensions of the temple proper were already establshed. The dictionary explains: "While the Temple itself would have to have the same dimensions as its predecessors [Solomon's and Zerubbabel's], the Temple Mount was not restricted in its potential size." Hence, Herod expnded the temple area by adding on what in modern times has been called the Court of the Gentiles. Why would a construction with such a background have an antitype in Jehovah's spiritual temple arrangement?
Fourth, almost anyone - he blind, the lame, and uncircumcised Gentiles, could enter the Court of the Gentiles (Matthew 21:14, 15) True, the Court served a purpose for many uncircumcised Gentiles who wished to make offerings to God. And it was there that Jesus sometimes addressed the crowds andtwice expelled the money changers and merchants, saying that they had dishonored the house of his Father. (Matthew 21:12,13; John 2:14-16) Still, the Jewish Encyclopedia says: "This outer court was, strictly speaking, not a part of the Temple. Its soil was not sacred, and it might be entered by any one."
Fifth, th Greek word (hi.e.ron') translated "temple" that is used with reference to the Court of the Gentiles "refers to the entire complex, rather than specifically to the Temple bulding itself," say A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, by Barclay M Newman and Philip C. Stine. In contrast, the Greek word (naos') translated "temple" in John's vision of the great crowd is more specific. In the context of the Jerusalem temple, it usually refers to the Holy of Holies, the temple building, or the temple precincts. It is sometime rendered "sanctuary." - Matthew 27:5, 51; Luke 1:9, 21; John 2:20.
Members of the great crowd exercise faith in Jesus'ransom sacrifice. They are spiritually clean, hving "washed their robe and made them white in th blood of the Lamb." Hence, they are declared righteous with a view to becoming friends of God and of surviving the great tribulation. (James 2:23, 25) In many ways, they are like proselytes in Israel who submitted to the Law covenant and worshipped along with the Israelites.
"Of course, these proselytes did not serve in the inner courtyard, where the priests performed their duties. And members of the great crowd are not in the inner courtyard of Jehovah's great spiritual temple, which courtyard represents the condition of perfect, righteous human sonship of the members of Jehovah's "holy priesthood" while they are on earth. (1 Peter 2:5) But as the heavenly elder said to John, the great crowd really is in the temple, not outside the temple area in a kind of spiritual Court of the Gentiles. What a privilege that is! And how it highlights the need for ach one to maintain spiritual and moral purity at all times!
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Your thoughts on this "new light" would be appreciated.