And the fact that those “other sheep” would become “one flock” with the remnant of those “ministers of a new covenant” would indicate something grand. What? This: Before being glorified in the heavenly Kingdom, the remnant would personally associate with the “other sheep” on earth. In this way the remnant of the spiritual seed of Abraham would begin to be a blessing to all the families and nations before “the war of the great day of God the Almighty” at Armageddon and before the start of the Millennium.​—Galatians 3:29; Revelation 16:14, 16.

8. When did the Fine Shepherd turn his attention to those outside the new covenant, and what preliminary step have these “other sheep” taken?

⁸ This has actually proved to be the case, particularly since 1935. Since then, millions of those “other sheep” have associated with the tens of thousands of congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the globe and have dedicated themselves to the Supreme Shepherd, Jehovah God. They have thus been admitted into the “one flock” of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

10. Who today are benefiting from the ministry of the new covenant as rendered by the eight writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures?

¹⁰ Today, both the remnant of the “little flock” and the increasing “great crowd” of the Fine Shepherd’s “other sheep” are benefiting from the ministry of others who went before them, such as the apostle Paul. In carrying out his ministry of the new covenant faithfully until his death in Rome some time before Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 C.E., Paul was inspired to write 14 of the 27 books of the Christian Greek Scriptures. How thankful the anointed remnant and the “great crowd” of the “other sheep” can be that faithful men of the first century, such as the apostle Paul and the seven other writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures, carried out their ministry of the new covenant to the finish of their earthly lives! And in our time, millions of the “other sheep” are already benefiting from the ministry of the new covenant, as rendered by the anointed remnant under the Mediator, Jesus Christ. The “Prince of Peace” has now turned his attention to these dear “other sheep,” whose numbers have grown rapidly.

Extending the Invitation: “Come!”

12. According to Revelation 22:17, what invitation is the “bride” class extending, and to whom?

¹² How loving is the service rendered by those ministers of the new covenant! For instance, in Revelation 22:17 we read: “The spirit and the bride keep on saying: ‘Come!’ And let anyone hearing say: ‘Come!’ And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.” The “bride” class, along with Jehovah’s active force, or spirit, is extending that invitation to those who are outside the new covenant. The invitation is extended, not to those now dead in the memorial tombs who are to be blessed with a resurrection from the dead, but to people now living, who are in danger of destruction at Armageddon but who have hearing ears.

13. (a) Has the invitation extended by the “bride” class been in vain? Explain. (b) What are those who have already accepted the invitation doing in obedience to Revelation 22:17? (c) What must be the case with regard to the time left for extending the invitation?

¹³ Not in vain has this loving invitation been extended worldwide especially since 1935. Over three million have already responded to the gracious invitation to come and drink. As those who have appreciatively heard, they are obediently saying to still many other millions athirst for endless life on a paradise earth, “Come!” But the time for extending this gracious invitation to the “other sheep” is limited. After more than a half century of being extended, the time remaining for it should now be very short, as God’s war at Armageddon looms ominously over “this generation” of mankind.​—Matthew 24:34.

14. For what should we be giving Jehovah thanks and praise?

¹⁴ So, now, thanks to Jehovah that he has provided the capable Mediator who is successfully accomplishing the purpose of the new covenant in producing a people, 144,000 strong, for His name! Praise, too, to Jehovah that his Mediator as a Fine Shepherd is already bringing increasing millions of “other sheep” into the “one flock,” where they have already entered into the early benefits flowing to mankind from the new covenant!

1, 2. (a) With whom may the millions of beneficiaries of the operation of the new covenant be compared today? (b) What did the terms of the new covenant say?

MILLIONS of people all around the earth have already received grand benefits from the operation of the new covenant, even though they are not in it. They are like the non-Israelite residents who lived in Israel during the days when the Mosaic Law covenant was still in force. (Exodus 20:10) How has this been the case with such increasing millions of beneficiaries who are associated with the remnant of spiritual Israelites today?

² In the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34, the One laying down the terms of the new covenant said: “I will put my law within them, and in their heart I shall write it. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people.”

3. (a) In what form was the law of the old Mosaic covenant given to Israel? (b) Before the Christian Greek Scriptures began to be written, where did God have the laws of the new covenant written?

³ In the case of the Law covenant, Jehovah God, by means of the prophet Moses as mediator, gave to natural Israel “the handwritten document . . . , which consisted of decrees.” (Colossians 2:14) What, though, about the law of the new covenant? Its Mediator was not to inscribe it on stone, or to write it in a manuscript. Its Mediator left behind no writings of his own. We ascertain what is the law of the new covenant from the inspired Christian Greek Scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:16) But even before those Greek Scriptures began to be written, from about 41 C.E., Jehovah God began writing his law of the new covenant. When? On the day of Pentecost, 33 C.E. Where? Exactly where he had long before promised to write it: “I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I shall write them.”​—Hebrews 8:10.

4. God’s writing his laws upon the heart and putting them in the mind of his servants would have what good effects?

⁴ Being inscribed upon the heart, those laws would be less likely to cease being loved by those who obeyed them. If those laws were put “in their mind,” they would be less likely to forget them. Hence, the keepers of those laws say, in the words of Psalm 119:97: “How I do love your law! All day long it is my concern.” From their most inward being, they set their affections upon Jehovah’s laws as given through his Mediator, Jesus Christ. Thus, with the right motivation, they determine to keep those precious laws. This applies both to the “little flock” in the new covenant and to the “great crowd” of “other sheep” who are, not in the new covenant, but under it.​—Compare 1 John 5:3; John 14:15.