being pulled away. This was because they had looked to false apostles and were being turned in the wrong direction.—2 Cor. 5:13; 11:16-21; 12:11, 12, 19-21; 13:10.

MINE, MINING

An industry nearly as old as mankind. The Genesis account says that “Tubal-cain, the forger of every sort of tool of copper and iron” lived in pre-Flood days. (Gen. 4:22) Moses, writing about 1513 B.C.E., in describing the river Pishon, mentions the “land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good.” (Gen. 2:11, 12) Whether the gold from Ophir was from underground lodes or was placer mined is not known.—1 Ki. 9:28; Job 28:16.

These metals were probably found to some extent in rather pure forms on or near the surface of the ground. In time, underground or lode mining operations were employed. Shafts were sunk deep along rich ore-bearing veins. About 3,600 years ago Job described how miners had “sunk a shaft far from where people reside.” There “in the gloom and deep shadow” they searched, having swung down and precariously dangled to obtain the desired metals.—Job 28:1-11.

Mining was carried on extensively by the Egyptians at the time of the Exodus; the Israelites, upon leaving Egypt, took metals and precious stones, later used in building the tabernacle. (Ex. 12:35, 36; 35:22; 39:6-14) Egyptian turquoise mines were located on the Sinai Peninsula some fifty miles (80.5 kilometers) from Mount Sinai. Remains of Egyptian mining operations have been found along the E coast of the Red Sea. Ancient mining tools of stone and bronze have been found. For splitting rocks, ancients used both fire and wedges.

Moses described the Promised Land into which the Israelites were about to enter as “a land the stones of which are iron and out of the mountains of which you will mine copper.”—Deut. 8:9; see COPPER; IRON; REFINE, REFINER.

MINIAMIN

(Mi·niʹa·min) [from the right hand].

1. One of the Levites serving under Kore in office of trust for the distribution of the holy contribution among their brothers at priests’ cities in King Hezekiah’s day.—2 Chron. 31:14, 15.

2. One of the priestly paternal houses existing in the time of High Priest Joiakim. (Neh. 12:12, 17) The “Mijamin” of Nehemiah 12:5 may have been its founder.

3. A priest among those with trumpets who participated in the ceremony for the inauguration of Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall in Nehemiah’s day. (Neh. 12:40, 41) He is possibly the priest called “Mijamin” at Nehemiah 10:7.

MINISTER

[Heb., a form of the root verb sha·rathʹ, to minister (in the sense of waiting upon or serving others); Gr., di·aʹko·nos, from di·aʹ, through, and koʹnis, dust, pointing to one who is dusty from running in the service of another. In both Hebrew and Greek the verb or noun forms are applied to both male and female. (2 Sam. 13:17, 18; 1 Ki. 1:4, 15; 2 Cor. 3:6; Rom. 16:1)]. Joshua was Moses’ minister “from his young manhood on.” (Num. 11:28; Josh. 1:1) Elijah’s attendant was called his minister and waiter. (2 Ki. 4:43; 6:15) Kings and princes had their royal attendants or ministers (2 Chron. 22:8; Esther 2:2; 6:3), some of whom waited on the royal tables.—1 Ki. 10:4, 5; 2 Chron. 9:3, 4.

JEHOVAH’S ANGELIC MINISTERS

Jehovah God created the angels in their tens of millions, all of whom he has under his control, and whom he doubtless can call by name, as he does the numberless stars. (Ps. 147:4) These serve him as his ministers, doing his will in the universe. (Ps. 103:20, 21) The psalmist says of Jehovah that he makes “his angels spirits, his ministers a devouring fire.” (Ps. 104:4) They are described as “spirits for public service, sent forth to minister for those who are going to inherit salvation.” (Heb. 1:13, 14) Angels ministered to Jesus Christ in the wilderness, after he had defeated Satan’s attempts to cause him to deviate from obedience to Jehovah (Matt. 4:11); also an angel appeared, strengthening him when he was praying in Gethsemane. (Luke 22:43) In the prophet Daniel’s vision, wherein “someone like a son of man” was given indefinitely lasting rulership over all peoples and languages, millions of angels are shown to be ministering about the throne of the Ancient of Days.—Dan. 7:9-14.

THE TRIBE OF LEVI

After the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, and when the nation was organized under the Law covenant, Jehovah chose the males of the tribe of Levi as his special ministers. (Num. 3:6; 1 Chron. 16:4) Some of them, the family of Aaron, were priests. (Deut. 17:12; 21:5; 1 Ki. 8:11; Jer. 33:21) The Levites had various duties in their ministry, some of them being caretakers of the sanctuary with all its utensils, ministers of the singing, and so forth.—Num. 3:7, 8; 1 Chron. 6:32.

PROPHETS

In addition to using all the males of the tribe of Levi, Jehovah employed others to minister to his people Israel in a special way. These were the prophets, who served only as individually appointed and commissioned by Jehovah. Some of these were also of the priestly line of descent, but many were from other tribes of Israel. (See PROPHET.) They were messengers of Jehovah; they were sent to warn the nation when it deviated from the Law and they sought to turn the kings and the people back to true worship. (2 Chron. 36:15, 16; Jer. 7:25, 26) Their prophecies aided, encouraged and strengthened right-hearted ones, especially during times of spiritual and moral decay, and at times when Israel was threatened by enemies round about.—2 Ki. chap. 7; Isa. 37:21-38.

Their prophecies also pointed to Jesus Christ and the Messianic kingdom. (Rev. 19:10) John the Baptist did an outstanding work, turning “the heart of fathers back toward sons, and the heart of sons back toward fathers” as he prepared the way for Jehovah’s representative, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Mal. 4:5, 6; Matt. 11:13, 14; Luke 1:77-79) Not only to their contemporaries did the prophets minister, for the apostle Peter writes to Christians: “It was revealed to them that, not to themselves, but to you, they were ministering the things that have now been announced to you through those who have declared the good news to you with holy spirit sent forth from heaven. Into these very things angels are desiring to peer.”—1 Pet. 1:10-12.

JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is Jehovah’s chief minister (di·aʹko·nos). He “became a minister of those who are circumcised in behalf of God’s truthfulness, so as to verify the promises He made to their forefathers”; also, “that the nations might glorify God for his mercy.” Therefore, “on him nations will rest their hope.”—Rom. 15:8-12.

Jesus’ appointment was from Jehovah himself. When he presented himself for baptism, “the heavens were opened up,” the account says, “and he [John the baptizer] saw descending like a dove God’s spirit coming upon him [Jesus]. Look! Also, there was a voice from the heavens that said: ‘This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.’” (Matt. 3:16, 17) Jesus had served Jehovah for untold ages in his prehuman existence, but here he entered upon a new ministry. Jesus proved he was indeed God’s minister, serving both God and his fellowmen. Consequently, in the synagogue of his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus was able to take the scroll of Isaiah and read what is now chapter sixty-one, verses 1, 2: “The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has