Publication date
11/1/48
Volume
69
Number
21
Publication page
323
The WatchTower
The Marriage in Heaven
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1948/21/1948-21-3.html
A 
N 
N 
O 
U 
N 
C 
I 
N 
G 
JEHOVAH'S 
KINGDOM 
VOL. 
LXIX 
N 
OVE:;\IBER 
1, 
1948 
THE 
MARRIAGE 
IN 
HEAVEN 
No. 
21 
"Let 
us 
rejoice 
and 
be 
exceedin,fJ 
glad, 
and 
let 
us 
gi'l.'e 
the 
glory 
unto 
him: 
for 
the 
marriage 
of 
the 
Lamb 
is 
come, 
and 
his 
t.cife 
hath 
made 
herself 
ready."-Rev. 
19: 
7, 
Am. 
Stan. 
Ver. 
J 
EHOVAH 
has 
prepared 
a 
great 
joy 
for 
heawn 
and 
earth. 
It 
is 
like 
the 
joy 
that 
overflows 
at 
the 
marriage 
of 
a 
dear 
son 
to 
his 
bride. 
X 
0 
creature 
can 
know 
the 
depth 
of 
joy 
that 
Jehovah 
experiences 
when 
he 
unites 
his 
chief 
Son, 
his 
first 
born, 
with 
the 
beloved 
bride 
that 
He 
promised 
and 
provides 
for 
this 
Son. 
Yet 
all 
in 
heaven 
and 
earth 
who 
are 
the 
friends 
of 
God 
and 
of 
the 
marriage 
principals 
will 
rejoice 
at 
the 
delightsome 
eyent 
in 
heaven. 
2 
Jehovah 
God 
is 
himself 
the 
"hu:oband" 
of 
his 
universal 
organization 
of 
faIthful 
creatures. 
In 
Ids 
sacred 
",Vord 
he 
speaks 
of 
her 
as 
his 
"woman". 
Once 
this 
holy 
organization 
,,-as 
like 
a 
wife 
that 
seemed 
unable 
to 
bring 
forth 
the 
son 
desired. 
So 
she 
,vas 
like 
a 
woman 
cast 
off 
from 
motherhood. 
But 
at 
the 
right 
time 
her 
"husband" 
made 
her 
fruitful 
and 
told 
her 
to 
sing 
for 
joy. 
Assuring 
her 
he 
is 
still 
her 
failh­ 
ful 
Spouse, 
God 
said: 
"For 
thy 
:Jlaker 
is 
thy 
hus­ 
band; 
Jehovah 
of 
hosts 
is 
his 
name: 
and 
the 
Holy 
One 
of 
Israel 
is 
thy 
lledeemer; 
the 
God 
of 
the 
whole 
earth 
shall 
he 
be 
called. 
For 
J 
eho,-ah 
lmth 
called 
thee 
as 
a 
wife 
forsaken 
and 
grieved 
in 
spirit, 
even 
a 
wife 
of 
youth, 
when 
she 
is 
cast 
off, 
saitl! 
thy 
God." 
(Isa. 
3-1: 
5, 
G, 
Am. 
Stan. 
Fer.) 
The 
fact 
that 
Jehovah 
is 
her 
":JIaker" 
shows 
she 
is 
His 
creation, 
his 
un 
i­ 
,-ersal 
organization 
of 
loyal 
creatures. 
lIe 
redeemed 
her 
from 
her 
:oeeming 
barren 
state 
when 
he 
brought 
the 
promi~ed 
Son 
for 
his 
purpose 
forth 
from 
her 
midst. 
Her 
name 
is 
"Zion", 
or 
"Jerusalem", 
a 
name 
once 
borne 
by 
a 
typical 
organization 
on 
earth; 
and 
when 
Jehovah 
fructifies 
her 
to 
produce 
the 
long­ 
awaited 
Son 
he 
rejoices 
over 
her 
as 
a 
newly 
married 
man 
exults 
over 
the 
bride 
who 
has 
now 
become 
his 
wife. 
Comfortingly 
Jehovah 
says 
to 
her: 
"No 
more 
shall 
you 
be 
named 
'Forsaken,' 
nor 
your 
land 
be 
named 
'Desolate'; 
but 
you 
shall 
be 
called 
'11y 
delight 
is 
in 
her,' 
and 
your 
land 
'~larried'; 
for 
the 
LOUD 
delights 
in 
you, 
and 
your 
land 
shall 
be 
married. 
As 
a 
young 
man 
marries 
a 
maiden, 
so 
shall 
your 
Builder 
marry 
you; 
and 
as 
a 
bridegroom 
rejoices 
over 
his 
bride, 
so 
shall 
your 
God 
rejoice 
over 
you."-Isa. 
62: 
4, 
5, 
An 
Amer. 
TrailS. 
3 
The 
sublime 
words 
of 
prophecy 
just 
quoted 
do 
not 
apply 
to 
some 
human 
organization 
or 
national 
organization, 
for 
centuries 
later 
an 
inspired 
writer 
qnoted 
this 
prophecy 
of 
Isaiah 
and 
applied 
it 
heaven­ 
ward, 
saying: 
"But 
Jerusalem 
which 
is 
above 
is 
free, 
which 
is 
the 
mother 
of 
us 
all. 
For 
it 
is 
written, 
llC:'joice, 
thou 
barren 
that 
barest 
not; 
break 
forth 
and 
cry, 
thou 
that 
travailest 
not: 
for 
the 
desolate 
hath 
many 
more 
children 
than 
she 
which 
hath 
an 
husband. 
~ow 
we, 
brethren, 
as 
Isaac 
was, 
are 
the 
cl1i.ldren 
of 
promise. 
But 
as 
then 
he 
that 
was 
born 
after 
the 
Oesh 
[Ishmael 
by 
name] 
persecuted 
him 
that 
was 
born 
after 
the 
spirit, 
even 
so 
it 
is 
now. 
Kevertheless 
what 
saith 
the 
scripturef 
Cast 
out 
the 
lJondwoman 
and 
her 
son: 
for 
the 
son 
of 
the 
bond­ 
woman 
shall 
not 
be 
heir 
with 
the 
son 
of 
the 
free­ 
'"Yoman. 
So 
then, 
brethren, 
we 
are 
not 
children 
of 
the 
bondwoman, 
but 
of 
the 
free."-Gal. 
4: 
2G-31; 
Isa. 
51: 
1 
j 
Gen. 
21: 
8-10. 
• 
It 
was 
near 
the 
site 
of 
ancient 
Jerusalem 
that 
Abraham, 
God's 
friend, 
proceeded 
to 
offer 
up 
as 
a 
lilunan 
sacrifice 
Isaac, 
his 
loved 
son 
by 
his 
long­ 
barren 
wife 
Sarah. 
(Gen. 
22: 
1-18) 
It 
was 
under 
such 
circumstances 
that 
faithful 
Abraham 
acted 
as 
a 
prophetic 
picture 
of 
Jehovah 
God 
the 
hu::,band, 
and 
Sarah 
the 
freewoman 
served 
as 
a 
picture 
of 
"J 
erusalem 
,vhich 
is 
above". 
Isaac, 
the 
sacrifice, 
was 
used 
as 
a 
picture 
of 
God's 
only 
begotten 
Son, 
Jesus 
Christ, 
whom 
God 
gave 
in 
sacrifice 
for 
the 
ble~sing 
of 
all 
the 
nations 
of 
good-will. 
This 
unselfish 
Son 
of 
God 
is 
the 
great 
antitypical 
Isaac, 
and 
all 
his 
faith­ 
ful 
footstep 
followers 
become 
his 
brothers, 
children 
of 
his 
mother, 
God's 
"woman", 
who 
is 
"Jeru:oalelll 
which 
is 
above" 
and 
which 
is 
free 
of 
all 
earthly 
bondage. 
It 
is 
to 
these 
footstep 
followers, 
hi~ 
Chris­ 
tian 
brethren, 
that 
the 
inspired 
apostle 
writes: 
"N 
ow 
we, 
brothers, 
are 
like 
Isaac, 
children 
born 
in 
fulfil­ 
ment 
of 
the 
promise."-Gal. 
4: 
28, 
An 
Amer. 
Trans. 
5 
In 
due 
time 
Abraham 
arranged 
for 
a 
wife 
to 
be 
bestowed 
upon 
his 
beloved 
son 
Isaac. 
So, 
too, 
J 
eho­ 
vah 
God 
has 
arranged 
for 
the 
great 
antitypical 
Isaac, 
Christ 
Jesus, 
to 
have 
a 
wife. 
As 
a 
man 
on 
1. 
\\ 
haT 
great 
marl'1age 
joy 
does 
Jeho\ah 
provide 
for 
The 
umyerse? 
3, 
-! 
''"hom 
did 
Abraham, 
Rarah 
and 
Isaac 
typIfy? 
:!, 
110\\ 
doe. 
Jello\ah 
hlm.elf 
hold 
II 
marrIage 
relation.hlp? 
5, 
Q, 
Uow 
'" 
Je;us 
a 
brldegroom'l 
Who 
Is 
his 
bride. 
llDd 
wbo 
Is 
bls 
frleud? 
323 
She WAI'CHIOWER ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH'S KINGDOM Vou. LXTX Novemzer 1, 1948 No. 21 THE MARRIAGE IN HEAVEN “Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and Ict us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb ts come, and his wife hath made herself ready.’”—Rev. 19:7, Am. Stan. Ver. and earth. It is like the joy that overflows at the marriage of a dear son to his bride. No creature ean know the depth of joy that Jehovah experiences when he unites his chief Son, his firstborn, with the beloved bride that He promised and provides for this Son. Yet all in heaven and earth who are the friends of God and of the marriage principals will rejoice at the delightsome event in heaven. ? Jehovah God is himself the “husband” of his universal organization of taithful creatures. In his sacred Word he speaks of her as his “woman”. Once this holy organization was like a wife that seemed unable to bring forth the son desired. So she was like a woman cast off from motherhood. But at the right time her “husband” made her fruitful and told her to sing for joy. Assuring her he is still her faiihful Spouse, God said: “For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. For Jehovah hath called thee as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off, saith thy God.” (Isa. 54:5, 6, Am. Stan. Ver.) The fact that Jehovah is her “Maker” shows she is His creation, his universal organization of loyal creatures. Ile redeemed her from her seeming barren state when he brought the promised Son for his purpose forth from her midst. Her name is “Zion”, or “Jerusalem”, a name once borne by a typical organization on earth; and when Jehovah fructifies her to produce the longawaited Son he rejoices over her as a newly married man exults over the bride who has now become his wife. Comfortingly Jehovah says to her: “No more shall you be named ‘Forsaken,’ nor your land be named ‘Desolate’; but you shall be called ‘My delight is in her,’ and your land ‘Married’; for the Lonp delights in you, and your land shall be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so shall your Builder marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.”—JIsa. 62:4, 5, An Amer. Trans. 1. What great marriage joy does Jehovah provide for the universe? 2. How does Jebovah bimself hold o marriage relationship? J end art has prepared a great joy for heaven *The sublime words of prophecy just quoted do not apply to some human organization or national organization, for centuries later an inspired writer quoted this prophecy of Isaiah and applied it heavenward, saying: “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that barest not; break forth and ery, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh [Ishmael by name] persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the Londwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”—Gal. 4: 26-31; Isa. 54:1; Gen. 21: 8-10. ‘It was near the site of ancient Jerusalem that Abraham, God’s friend, proceeded to offer up as a human saerifice Isaac, his loved son by his longbarren wife Sarah. (Gen. 22:1-18) It was under such circumstances that faithful Abraham acted as a prophetic picture of Jehovah God the husband, and Sarah the freewoman served as a picture of “Jerusalem which is above”. Isaac, the sacrifice, was used as a picture of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, whom God gave in sacrifice for the blessing of all the nations of good-will. This unselfish Son of God is the great antitypical Isaac, and all his faithful footstep followers become his brothers, children of his mother, God’s “woman”, who is “Jerusalem which is above” and which is free of all earthly bondage. It is to these footstep followers, his Christian brethren, that the inspired apostle writes: “Now we, brothers, are like Isaac, children born in fulfilment of the promise.”—Gal. 4: 28, An Amer. Trans. 5In due time Abraham arranged for a wife to be bestowed upon his beloved son Isaac. So, too, Jehovah God has arranged for the great antitypical Isaac, Christ Jesus, to have a wife. As a man on 3, 4 Whom did Abraham, Sarah and Isaac typify? 5, G. low 1s Jesus a bridegroom’? Who ts his bride, and who Is bis friend? 323

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