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THE GREAT CROWD of Rev.7 and the not so great crowd of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Rev. 7:9-10: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” The Watchtower says the “great multitude” (great crowd) are only found in Jehovah’s Witnesses organization. Where’s the great multitude being SAVED by the anointed Jehovah’s Witnesses TODAY. The Bible says it is a number one no one could number. In Greek the highest number was 10,000 (myriad), this would more than 10,000 times 10,000 that is used by Jude. Where is great multitude saved from the apostles times in accordance to Jehovah’s Witness doctrine? It’s not there; and its not there today either. How is any of this possible then or today if the Bible says they are all sealed in the tribulation Rev. 7! They can't be sealed today, because we are NOT in the tribulation now, nor have we been in history. In fact if they are being sealed from the apostles era the tribulation has been running 2,000 years, which makes no sense Biblically. The Watchtower says, “The other sheep referred to by Jesus in Jn.10 … are the same great crowd of Rev.7:9, 10, 14 and so they have the prospect of surviving the coming great tribulation” (Survival p.73, 80). How is this possible if the 144,000 are not completed. The great crowd comes OUT of the great tribulation because of their preaching. What confusion they are presenting. Another contradiction; how could the 144,000 be from the time of the apostles? The Watchtower originally taught the new covenant is a thing of the future. “The new covenant is a thing of the future” (Watchtower 6/1880 p.110) “The work of the Christ in the inauguration of the new covenant could not begin until the perfecting of his own body, which is the church… and all of his blood has not yet been shed.” (Watchtower 4/1/1909 p.4367) “It should be remembered that we are in him heirs of glory, not under the “new covenant,” which is still future, but in the Abrahamic covenant” (Zion's Watch Tower 1880 Feb. p.72). But they also teach the 144,000 were being sealed from the time of the apostles. But they also teach the 144,000 are the only ones partake of the new covenant. So, which is it? This kind of confusion is not of God. The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this earthly class would be called “The Great Crowd,” they would spend eternity on a new righteous “Paradise Earth” with no hope of ever going to heaven. Other members, part of the little flock totaling 144,000 called the “Little Flock,” anointed Christians with the Holy Spirit could go to heaven. “Consequently, those of the “great crowd” expect to remain on earth forever and to share in bringing it to a Paradise state” (Watchtower 1980 August 15 p.17) So what are they doing in heaven? Here is their big lie” Rev. 19:1 - “After these things I heard what was as a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven.” Same as Rev. 7:9 - “look! a great crowd ... standing before the throne” A great multitude = “the great crowd.” Again, this crowd is only seen after the 144,000 are sealed, which is still in the future. The actual location of the great multitude is of the utmost importance because if they in heaven and not on earth, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach then there whole foundation crumbles to pieces. We will look at it logically and biblically; lets watch it crumble to dust by reading their statements and then the Word of God. The location of the great crowd - “before the throne,” “BEFORE THE LAMB” (Rev. 7:11), and We know the Lamb is in heaven Not on earth, but there are others in Heaven because that same phrase “before the throne” is also found in 7:9 and refers to a great multitude that no man can count, which is a different group from the 144,000! And what is the location of the great crowd? “Before the throne” of God (Revelation 7:9, 15). This is consistent in the book of Revelation, Rev. 1:4 seven spirits that are before God's throne. Rev.4:5 seven lamps of fire are burning before the throne v.6 a glassy sea like crystal is before the throne. In chapter 7 we are introduced to the 144,000 and the great crowd, chapter 7:9 a great crowd, ... standing before the throne and before the Lamb v.11 “And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell upon their faces before the throne and worshiped God” This great crowd comes out of the tribulation from the 144,000 and others preaching the gospel, in other words they are dead and are now in heaven around the throne. Why have they died? They are the numerous ones that come out of the great tribulation by death. Rev. 13:7 “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” Rev. 17:6 “I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” Even though they are killed, laying their lives down for their faith they have eternal life. Rev 12:11: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” That is why they are before the throne of God, in heaven. Rev 7:14-15 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.” Even the NWT says this Rev.7:13-15 And in response one of the elders said to me: “These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one that knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them.” If we look carefully it is the great crowd who has washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, which makes them partakers of the New Covenant. They are the ones that serve in heaven; it is the great crowd, not the 144,000. Also, they are martyrs which makes them faithful. It is the GREAT CROWD that is dressed in white and are included in the marriage of the lamb, IN HEAVEN (Rev. 19:7-9). How did they get there? They are only supposed to be on earth. Notice how the white robes are use- for those who have salvation, which comes from having the mediators blood. Rev 4:4 “the twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes” Rev 3:5 says “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments.” Rev 1:5 “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, are clothed in white.” Rev.19:8 they are “arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” If one says they are not dressed in white, it would mean they are not saints, not overcomers and have no righteous acts. And … they are not washed by the blood! The 144,000 are Not in heaven. Rev 7:15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.’ It is the great crowd that is “before the throne.” It says they serve him in his temple night and He dwells among them, this is where “all the angels were standing” v.11. Notice what it also says Rev. 5:9-10 “for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” These are the kings and priests mentioned in Rev.1:6. In contrast to the 144,000 are on earth during the tribulation, the great crowd are identified as the future kings from every tribe, tongue, people and nation (Revelation 5:9-10). The Bible say the great multitude is a number no one could calculate in Rev.7, but we can calculate the amount of Jehovah’s Witnesses today, there are less than 7 million. Another point that should not be overlooked, the great crowd are waving palm branches which has to do with salvation. It is at the Feast of Tabernacles that this is done (Neh.8:15). It was done when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on donkey (Zech.9:9) and they thought he was to be with them to set up the kingdom. “Who and how many are able to enter it [the Kingdom]? The Revelation limits to 144,000 the number that become a part of the Kingdom and stand on heavenly Mount Zion” (Let God Be True, 136). Its not heavenly Mt. Zion, the lamb is standing with the 144,000 on earth because he has come back and ended the tribulation and gathered them together after they served him faithfully through the tribulation. Rev. 19:13-16 “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.” This is Armegeddon the last battle where Jesus puts away all his enemies V.15-16. Saints have nothing to fear from this, only his enemies do! Revelation 7:9 the Great Crowd are in heaven. All of this is connected to the multitude is “crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:10) This same “Great Crowd in heaven,” Rev 19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!” The great crowd has the blood applied to them (not just the 144,000). Because all believers have Jesus as their mediator Rutherford moved the sealing of the 144,000 from Russell’s original date of 1881 to 1931. Made two classes, and change their teaching on who goes to heaven, but also whom the new covenant is for. Today only those in the new covenant go to heaven to be with arch angel Michael who is their Jesus. They wrote of the earthly remnant, “'They recognize that they are not in the new covenant mediated by Jesus Christ, nor part of the 'chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation... To keep in relationship with 'our Savior God,'the 'great crowd 'needs to remain united with the remnant of spiritual Israelites.' (Watchtower, 11/15/1979, p. 27) When Rutherford introduced the concept of the 144,000 going to heaven, the Watchtower limited the new covenant to the 144,000 removing Jesus from being the Mediator of all men as the Bible teaches. Under Watchtower doctrine, the Great Crowd - continue to be of a lower caste. They are not born again; they are not part of the New Covenant nor do not they have Jesus as their mediator; and most of the New Testament does not apply to them. This other class divorces the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses away from Jesus, unable to have salvation and the peace Jesus gives along with the power of the Holy Spirit to live a Christian life. The Mediator of some men The Watchtower has always taken the position in their words that they invite “careful and critical examination of its contents in the light of the Scriptures.”(Watchtower 8/15/1 1950, p. 263) So since we are invited, lets do this. The Bible teaches there is no intermediary between us and Christ; but, there is ONLY ONE MEDIATOR to the Father. Jesus is our Mediator - He is our High Priest. Without him being your direct mediator your sins cannot be forgiven. The “little flock” The 144,000 are the only ones able to partake of the memorial service (communion), but the “other sheep” only watch it. When they have their memorial service for Christ death, they pass the communion around and no one takes it. “ the 144,000 members of the Israel of God have properly partaken of the emblems during the Memorial of Jesus' death, and only with them did Jesus make his covenant for a Kingdom” (The Watchtower p.31, Feb.1, 1998).Who is the mediator for the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses, the great crowd? Not Jesus! “Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members.” (Worldwide Security Under the “Prince of Peace” pp. 10-11) “Jesus mediatorship operates solely toward those in the new covenant,”(Insight on the Scriptures p.362) If Jesus is only mediator for only the few thousand of the 144,000 remaining on earth, who is mediator for the millions of Jehovah's Witnesses that are not part of the 144,000? NO ONE according to the Bible. THE WHOLE CHURCH TOOK COMMUNION, NOT JUST 144,000. Jesus is the mediator between God and man and gave us the communion as the reminder of His crucifixion. Mt. 26:27-28: Then He (Jesus) took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” 1 Cor 10:16-17 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” Therefore to not take it means one is purposely not considering themselves part of the body, the church. God only has a church , he does not have an organization. Only the 144,000 are permitted to partake: “Since sharing in the bread and wine passed during the Memorial involves all of this, it would obviously be inappropriate for those having an earthly hope to partake. Those with an earthly hope discern that they themselves are not anointed members of the body of Christ, nor are they in the new covenant that Jehovah made with those who will rule with Jesus Christ. Since “the cup” represents the new covenant, only those in the new covenant partake of the emblems. Those looking forward to everlasting life in human perfection on earth under the Kingdom are neither baptized into Jesus' death nor called to rule with him in heaven. Were they to partake of the emblems, it would signify something that is not true with respect to them. Thus, they do not partake, though they do attend the Memorial as respectful observers” (Watchtower 2006 Feb 15 p. 24) This is challenging Jesus words, where he commanded partaking as an acceptance of him proclaiming that he is coming again. The Bible teaches the high priest acted as the mediator for the nation Israel, he would enter the temple once each year. The New Tertament teaches Heb. 9:15: “Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant by means of death” “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (also Heb.12:2; 1 Pt.3:22). This is how one is forgiven of sins, by having Jesus as their mediator, as THEIR sacrifice. Heb. 9:11-12: “by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Chapters 9 and 10 of Hebrews points to His purchasing us from sin through his death. The new covenant is based upon the blood of the sinless Son of God for our sins (Heb. 12:24). Heb. 8:6: “He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” V.13: “In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete.”. The Scripture teaches that sin is paid by blood, specifically Jesus’ death. The blood provides forgiveness, removal of guilt and a restored relationship to God. He is our high priest that has entered once; the new way is through Jesus Christ crucified. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Col. 1:14; Rom. 5:9-11). Without the cleansing of blood one still has a guilty conscience. “having an high priest over the house of God” we can draw near to God and “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:21-22). Without Jesus being our high priest he cannot be our mediator. Without Jesus being your mediator you are not in covenant with God. Heb 9:14 “how much more shall the blood of Christ, …. cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” 1 Cor. 15:3: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” This is the gospel that saves and brings one into the kingdom. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7) The Watchtower says, “Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members. This spiritual nation is like a little flock of Jehovah's sheeplike ones.—Romans 9:6; Revelation 7:4” (Worldwide Security Under the “Prince of Peace” pp.10-11, 1986) Here the Watchtower denies the Bible in no uncertain terms. To not be in the New covenant means you have no mediator, because God himself said there is only one – Christ Jesus. Then you are NOT forgiven of your sins, not matter what kind of spin the Watchtower gives you. The Watchtower in a case of honesty states “Jehovah provided Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice to take away sins. This is a specific provision of the “new covenant.” (Watchtower 1980 November 1 p.31) But the great crowd is not in the new covenant, which means their sins are not taken away. “… Jesus mediatorship operates solely toward those in the new covenant” (Insight on the Scriptures p.362).NWT 1Tim.2:5-6 whose will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all” Between God and men (mankind), a ransom for all (or some?) The Watchtower changes 1 Tim.2:5 “What then is Christ's role in this program of salvation? Paul proceeds to say: 'There is one God, and one mediator between God and men [not, all men], a man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all.'- 1 Tim. 2:5, 6.' (Watchtower, 11/15/ 1979, p. 26) How can this be possible if the Watchtower teaches that Christ is not man in heaven but a spirit creature. How is an invisible spirit a man? It says a man is mediating for the 144,000? To be a mediator one must be a high priest, all priests were taken from men.In the Watchtower 'Questions from Readers the question is asked, “Is Jesus the 'mediator' only for anointed Christians? Their answer ... “At a time when God was selecting those to be taken into that new covenant, the apostle Paul wrote that Christ was the “One mediator between God and men.' (1 Tim. 2:5) Reasonably Paul was here using the word 'mediator” in the same way he did the other five times, which occurred before the writing of 1 Timothy 2:5, referring to those then being taken into the new covenant for which Christ is “mediator.' So in this strict Biblical sense Jesus is the “mediator” only for anointed Christians. The new covenant will terminate with the glorification of the remnant who are today in that covenant mediated by Christ. “This great crowd” of “other sheep” that is forming today is not in the new covenant. However by their associating with the little flock of those yet in that covenant they come under benefits that flow from that new covenant.” (Watchtower, 4/1/79, p. 31) “Clearly, then, the new covenant is not a loose arrangement open to all
mankind. It is a carefully arranged legal provision involving God and anointed
Christians.” All the people that lived in history and believed in Jesus does not matter to the watchtower, He was not their mediator unless they were part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses 144,000. They make this clear, “To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it” (Watchtower Feb. 15, 1983, p. 12). This means all the believers who lived before the Watchtower society was formed are now excluded. Who do these people think they are to judge believers, people they have never known? On the Great crowd “They recognize that they are not in the new covenant mediated by Jesus Christ, nor part of the 'chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation ... To keep in relationship with 'our Savior God, 'the 'great crowd 'needs to remain united with the remnant of spiritual Israelites' (Watchtower, 11/15/79, p. 27) The Watchtower’s current teaching is that there are “Only a limited number are born again. The great crowd does not need to be born again. Their life is earthly, not heavenly” (Watchtower 4/1/1988 p.4). They believe that the 144,000 have Jesus as their mediator while the earthly class has the 144,000 as their mediator to Jesus. That is twice removed in my counting. “What a blessing it will be to the inhabitants of earth as these heavenly priests apply to them the benefits of Christ's ransom sacrifice, healing them spiritually, mentally and physically until they reach perfection!—Revelation 21:2-4” (The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life 1968,p. 77) In other words there is a trickle down effect in the new covenant. There is the one mediator for a group of 144,000 and they are like mediators for the great crowd. The Bible does not teach to have relationship with the 144,000 for you to be right with God. Jesus said He is the way, not anyone else. So the earthly class does not have the blood applied to their lives by the one mediator, therefore Christ is not their personal mediator. 144,000 cannot mediate, for God has given this function to the eternal high priest. There is only one. The Watchtower has demoted Jesus from his current ministry of mediatorship to their members. As Israel has the Levitical priesthood for their mediator, the believer in Christ is to have Jesus a priest according to Melchizedek order (Heb.7:11), he is priest forever (Heb.5:6,10; 7:17). Heb 7:25 “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” But they stop them from coming to God through him, He is reserved for the 144,000 ONLY. How can this new covenant be applied to 144,000 when they are not 144,000 yet? according to their own numbers there may be 134,000, or 132,000 how does any of this make sense from the Bible? It doesn’t. Pt.5 The little flock, and entering the kingdom
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