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The little flock, and entering the kingdom The little flock Jehovah’s Witnesses have been wrongly taught by the Watchtower on John 10:16 that there are two flocks that Jesus spoke of. One earthly and one is heavenly. But according to the Bible speaking to the Jews, said “There shall be ONE fold, and ONE shepherd” (John 10:16.) Witnesses are told “The `other sheep' do not need any such rebirth, for their goal is life everlasting in the restored earthly Paradise as subjects of the Kingdom” (Watchtower Feb. 15, 1986, p. 14). “One aspect of that secret involved Jehovah’s selecting a “little flock” of
144,000 humans to be associated with his Son as part of the seed, to reign with
him in heaven.” (Examining the Scriptures Daily 2007 p.117 Nov 28.) However, the Watchtower connects the “little flock” with “144,000” to convince their members they are one and the same, even though these terms do not appear together or are related in the Bible. John 10:16 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” Jesus is speaking of a future tense because he said “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”(Matthew 15:24). This was the flock he was to shepherd when he did his ministry on earth. Lets go back to the beginning of John 10 to understand what Jesus means. John 10:1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep” Notice what Jesus says next in v3-4 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” V.11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” Does he give his life for some sheep or all? Now let’s read John 10:16 about the other sheep. John 10:14-16: “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. “As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” According the Bible both the little flock which the Jehovah’s Witnesses call the 144,000 and the earthly class are all sheep. He laid his life down for ALL the sheep, not just the 144,000. v.16 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” And they are all one flock there is no separation like the Jehovah’s Witnesses have. And all the sheep are to be under “that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb. 13:20-21) Jesus - John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” All the sheep follow him and if they don’t the verse before applies V.26 “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you” Jesus says they will hear My voice; he says also of the other sheep they will hear My voice. So all hear his voice and have him as their shepherd or they are not his. The new covenant is applied to both Jews and Gentiles, who enter the body of Christ by Jesus being their mediator. Jesus reference to other Sheep makes it clear he has a single sheepfold, he is the shepherd of both Jews and Gentiles. The new covenant is applied to both Jews and Gentiles, who enter the body of Christ by Jesus being their mediator. Jesus reference to other Sheep makes it clear he has a single sheepfold, he is the shepherd of both Jews and Gentiles. Any reference by Jesus to a Little flock and to other sheep was not about two different destinations but to two different people groups. Matt 25:31-34 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left” Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Jesus returns and only the sheep enter the kingdom. Who are the sheep? This is crucial to understand whom will enter the kingdom. Notice how they are divided, the sheep are not divided as those who exclusively go to heaven and those who are on earth. But sheep and goats - being saved or unsaved How The Bible says they are wrong. The Jehovah’s Witnesses make a distinction of locations for these two groups. The kingdom of God being on earth, where the 144,000 will not be found, but the great crowd is. The Bible teaches the kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of God. The terms kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven are synonymous. It is seen in the parallel accounts of Mark 4 and Luke 8. Matthew used the term the kingdom of heaven when writing his Gospel to the Jews. (He also used the term the kingdom of God 6 times). These are not two different kingdoms, the terms “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven” are used interchangeably in the gospel accounts and to make them different locales for different people shows how bad the watchtowers interpretation of the Scripture is. (Compare Mt. 3:1-2 - Mark 1:14-15; Matt 13:24 -Mark 4:26; Matt 19:23 - Mark 10:23)John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”V:5 “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Unless you are born again, (meaning spiritually reborn). You will have no part in God's kingdom. If this provision is only for the 144,000 then the great crowd will not have the kingdom! Jesus said you will not see or ENTER the kingdom of God. To do this one MUST personally partake of the new covenant. If this offer is only for the 144,000 then all the Jehovah’s Witnesses of the great crowd today who think they will be in paradise on earth, the kingdom, will not! The Bible does NOT say that only 144,000 people are “born again” 1 Jn. 5:1, says that, “Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been BORN FROM GOD.” “EVERYONE who loves has been born from God” (1 Jn. 4:7) The Watchtower denies the Bible. saying this is for just a few. Neither are the 144,000 the only ones written in the Lambs book of life? Rev.13 tells us if you are not found in the lambs book you will take the mark and serve the beast during the tribulation (which according to the Watchtower had to have begun with the apostles). All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8). There is not much assurance for Jehovah’s Witnesses according to the Bible. They can believe the distortion of Scripture from the Watchtower or believe the Bible and be eternally blessed. Rev. 3:5: “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; what is the great crowd is wearing in chapter 7: 9, 13 (and chapt. 19:8), white robes. Rev 7:14 describes those wearing white robes. 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!” Their 144,000 teaching has more holes than Swiss cheese, it is probably the most insidious doctrine found in any of the cults. It is keeping people from a relationship with God. Rev 20:15 “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. So if the new covenant is just for the 144,000, and one only gets into the lambs book of life by the new birth, guess where the rest of the Jehovah’s Witnesses end up? Lets conclude: The “great crowd” are not in the new covenant, they do not have Jesus for a mediator, the “anointed” are their mediators to another mediator to God. The great crowd depends on the “anointed” for salvation. The great crowd does not have a relationship Jehovah, they do not have any hope of everlasting life. The Bible John 6:53-57 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”… “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.” Jesus is speaking of the new covenant, his body broken and the blood shed. A Jehovah’s Witness needs to know if they are not directly and personally part of the new covenant Jesus says they do not abide in him, and they will not be part of the resurrection. No hope of paradise earth. The Bible has two people groups consistently mentioned Jews and Gentiles. The
other sheep that He mentions are redeemed Gentiles, who also are recipients of
the same salvation. Paul described in detail that Gentiles would become united with Jews as one body: one sheepfold under one shepherd. Ephesians 2:11-18 “Therefore keep bearing in mind that formerly YOU were people of the nations as to flesh; “uncircumcision” YOU were called by that which is called “circumcision” made in the flesh with hands- that YOU were at that particular time without Christ, alienated from the state of Israel and strangers to the covenants of the promise, and YOU had no hope and were without God in the world. But now in union with Christ Jesus YOU who were once far off have come to be near by the blood of the Christ. For he is our peace, he who made the two parties one and destroyed the wall in between that fenced them off. By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, that he might create the two peoples in union with himself into one new man and make peace; and that he might fully reconcile both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself. And he came and declared the good news of peace to YOU, the ones far off, and peace to those near, because through him we, both peoples, have the approach to the Father by one spirit.” NWT Eph. 4:4: “One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called.” Gentiles would become part of this one flock that began with believing Jews. God has a body of which Christ is the head, it’s called the church. He does not have an organization, God is not a CEO. He does not treat you as an employee, He wants a relationship with you. To have this relationship one is in need of the Holy Spirit that will give spiritual life, otherwise you are still dead in your sins without him. The Bible teaches that ALL believers have within them the Spirit of God. “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Rom. 8:9) Heb. 9:15: “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” Without Jesus as your Mediator, you're not in the New Covenant! He has to directly be mediating FOR YOU. Not having Christ as your mediator means you are unforgiven of your sins and cannot know Jehovah God. The Watchtower clearly shuts off heaven to their followers. Even the 144,000 do not go because they are going because depend on their works, so they are not in the new covenant of grace. Jesus said Mt.16:16 he says “I will build MY church” His members were called sheep who are part of a flock. Acts 20:28, Paul tells the elders, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.” If Jesus did not purchased you with his blood you are NOT Christians, you not forgiven of your sins. Jesus in Matthew 23:13: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” In the end the apostle Paul’s statement echoes into the kingdom halls “Let God be true and every man be a liar” (Rom.3:4) Test it by the Word of God and let God be true in your life. Questions to ask the Jehovah's Witnesses on the 144,000 The 144,000 - Who are they and where are they? Who is Your mediator-Christ is the mediator of the 144,000 144,000 mediators or One- Refuting the Jehovah's Witness teaching on the 144,000 |
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