What Is The Purpose Of "The Report" Book? (Ezekiel 21:6, 7)
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2024 11:50 pm
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The purpose of THE "REPORT' Document can best be described in the following words spoken at Ezekiel 21:7 which says:
"And as for you, 0 son of man, sigh with shaking hips. Even with bitterness you should sigh before their eyes. And it must occur that, in case they say to you, `On account of what are you sighing?' you must say, "At a report." `For it will certainly come, and every heart must melt and all hands must drop down and every spirit must become dejected and all knees themselves will drip with water. `Look! It will certainly come and be brought to occur,' is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah." -- New World Translation
The "Report" mentioned above as described by the prophet, is one of distress, turmoil and destruction that fell upon the nation of Israel" by the military force of Babylon, under powerful King Nebuchadnezzar. Included in that destruction was the total obliteration of the magnificent and incomparable temple, constructed by King Solomon, a temple that had been dedicated to the Name of God, "Jehovah." Israel," was to be internationally known as a specially blessed" people who were "called by God's Name. (Numbers 6:27; Deuteronomy 28:10)
Of course, many at this point would object and say:
"Why should anyone today place so much emphasis on the Divine Name, whether it is `Jehovah,' or Yahweh,' or some other pronunciation...why emphasize that Name so much...Really, is God's Name or the fact that ancient Israel was even `called by God's Name' of that much real importance for our day and time?"
Well, the fact of the matter is that Israel itself; was a people dedicated and sanctified to be a people for God's Name. Also, the city of Jerusalem was to be a holy city which was "called by God's Name." (Jeremiah 25:29; Daniel 9:19) And so, the people, the city, and the temple, were all called or identified by God's Name. Israel itself was to be a people for God's Name, just as the Christian congregation became such in later years. (Acts 15:14-17) And the temple of Solomon came to represent the cerc4er of that worship worldwide.
SOLOMON'S TEMPLE AND THE NAME OF GOD
Therefore, when the Babylonian armies, under Nebuchadnezzar, who was now acting as God's "Servant," were allowed to wreck the temple of Solomon, the system of worship of the Jewish nation was brought to its lowest Point. and gave clear indication of the great disfavor that had been incurred by the nation of Israel. (Jeremiah 25:9) This destruction came because God's Name People were not living up to the terms of the agreement in the Mosaic Law Covenant between the nation of Israel," and their God, Jehovah. And again, what was the real purpose of the temple in Solomon's day?
Well, the original purpose of constructing such a temple in the first p^ace was to bring praise to God's Name from distant nations. nations that formerly did not know of "Jehovah," the God of Israel, the God whose name was written down as four Hebrew letters, YHWH. Yes, to bring praise to the Divine Name of God on an international scale! This was the real reason for the temple construction. To prove this point, let's consider the actual words of Solomon when he dedicated the temple at I Kings 8:41-43 which says:
"And also to the to the foreigner, who is no part of your people Israel and who is no part of your people Israel and who actually comes from a distant land by reason of your name (for they shall hear of your great name and of your stretched out arm), and he actually comes and prays toward this house, may you yourself listen from the heavens, your established place of dwelling, and you must do according to all that for which the foreigner calls to you; in order that all the peoples of the earth may get to know YOUR NAME so as to fear the same as your people Israel do, and so as to know that YOUR NAME itself has been called upon this house that I have built." -- New World Translation
And so you can truly see that the construction of the temple and its worship there was intricately connected with honor and praise being given to God's Name. The Temple was `the place where God.s Name resided.' (Deuteronomy 26:1-3) Yes, Israel was a people for His Name, the same as Jehovah's Witnesses today, as a nation, are also a people for God's Name. Of course, this point and other related points having to do with identifying Jehovah's Witnesses as modem-day "Israel," will be further developed, in detail, later in this book.
End of quote from "The Report" Book, written by Donald C. Burney.
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The purpose of THE "REPORT' Document can best be described in the following words spoken at Ezekiel 21:7 which says:
"And as for you, 0 son of man, sigh with shaking hips. Even with bitterness you should sigh before their eyes. And it must occur that, in case they say to you, `On account of what are you sighing?' you must say, "At a report." `For it will certainly come, and every heart must melt and all hands must drop down and every spirit must become dejected and all knees themselves will drip with water. `Look! It will certainly come and be brought to occur,' is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah." -- New World Translation
The "Report" mentioned above as described by the prophet, is one of distress, turmoil and destruction that fell upon the nation of Israel" by the military force of Babylon, under powerful King Nebuchadnezzar. Included in that destruction was the total obliteration of the magnificent and incomparable temple, constructed by King Solomon, a temple that had been dedicated to the Name of God, "Jehovah." Israel," was to be internationally known as a specially blessed" people who were "called by God's Name. (Numbers 6:27; Deuteronomy 28:10)
Of course, many at this point would object and say:
"Why should anyone today place so much emphasis on the Divine Name, whether it is `Jehovah,' or Yahweh,' or some other pronunciation...why emphasize that Name so much...Really, is God's Name or the fact that ancient Israel was even `called by God's Name' of that much real importance for our day and time?"
Well, the fact of the matter is that Israel itself; was a people dedicated and sanctified to be a people for God's Name. Also, the city of Jerusalem was to be a holy city which was "called by God's Name." (Jeremiah 25:29; Daniel 9:19) And so, the people, the city, and the temple, were all called or identified by God's Name. Israel itself was to be a people for God's Name, just as the Christian congregation became such in later years. (Acts 15:14-17) And the temple of Solomon came to represent the cerc4er of that worship worldwide.
SOLOMON'S TEMPLE AND THE NAME OF GOD
Therefore, when the Babylonian armies, under Nebuchadnezzar, who was now acting as God's "Servant," were allowed to wreck the temple of Solomon, the system of worship of the Jewish nation was brought to its lowest Point. and gave clear indication of the great disfavor that had been incurred by the nation of Israel. (Jeremiah 25:9) This destruction came because God's Name People were not living up to the terms of the agreement in the Mosaic Law Covenant between the nation of Israel," and their God, Jehovah. And again, what was the real purpose of the temple in Solomon's day?
Well, the original purpose of constructing such a temple in the first p^ace was to bring praise to God's Name from distant nations. nations that formerly did not know of "Jehovah," the God of Israel, the God whose name was written down as four Hebrew letters, YHWH. Yes, to bring praise to the Divine Name of God on an international scale! This was the real reason for the temple construction. To prove this point, let's consider the actual words of Solomon when he dedicated the temple at I Kings 8:41-43 which says:
"And also to the to the foreigner, who is no part of your people Israel and who is no part of your people Israel and who actually comes from a distant land by reason of your name (for they shall hear of your great name and of your stretched out arm), and he actually comes and prays toward this house, may you yourself listen from the heavens, your established place of dwelling, and you must do according to all that for which the foreigner calls to you; in order that all the peoples of the earth may get to know YOUR NAME so as to fear the same as your people Israel do, and so as to know that YOUR NAME itself has been called upon this house that I have built." -- New World Translation
And so you can truly see that the construction of the temple and its worship there was intricately connected with honor and praise being given to God's Name. The Temple was `the place where God.s Name resided.' (Deuteronomy 26:1-3) Yes, Israel was a people for His Name, the same as Jehovah's Witnesses today, as a nation, are also a people for God's Name. Of course, this point and other related points having to do with identifying Jehovah's Witnesses as modem-day "Israel," will be further developed, in detail, later in this book.
End of quote from "The Report" Book, written by Donald C. Burney.
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