The “Great Crowd”
By Pedward
Click Here for the Watchtower Documents on the 144,000 and the Great Crowd.PDF
In 1935 the Watchtower began to teach that only 144,000 of the Jehovah’s Witnesses would go to Heaven after they die and the remaining class called “The Great Crowd” would inherit paradise earth and live on earth forever after the resurrection by Jesus. Since they say the 144,000 have already been sealed I assume that most Jehovah’s Witnesses alive today are part of the 99% of Jehovah’s Witnesses that feel they are in the Great Crowd that will live on Paradise Earth.
For the Jehovah’s Witnesses, would you please help me out and show me where specifically the Bible says “The Great Crowd will live on earth.” Please read Rev 7:9-15. In verse nine we know right away that the great crowd is in heaven. This is a heavenly scene. The heavenly throne and the Lamb are there. The great crowd is standing before the throne. In verse 11 we see other heavenly creations. There are angels, the elders and the four living creatures. These are always spoken in revelation as heavenly creatures. Notice what they did. They fell before the heavenly throne and worshiped God who was there. Verse 13 presents a powerful question. One of the elders asks, “who are these who are arrayed in white robes, and from where do they come?” That would be a silly question if this was an earthly scene. The reason the elder wanted to know where this great crowd is from, was that they were strangers to the territory. They were strangers to heaven. If this was an earthly seeing the answer to the question might have been New York or California.
In verse 14 we have our answer. These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation. These are earthly tribulations saints, who still go to heaven, but they have to go through the tribulation, because they accepted Christ after the tribulation began. Notice their salvation. Verse 14 says this crowd have washed their robes and whitened them in the blood of the lamb. They didn’t believe an organization for salvation, they accepted Christ.
So does the Watchtower teach a lie that the great crowd will live on earth? Why does the Watchtower society say that the great crowd will live on earth, when Revelation 19:1 says that the great crowd is in heaven? (Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great sound of the great crowd in heaven, saying, hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honor and the power of the lord our God! Interestingly you will find no scripture that says the great crowd will live on the earth. Since 1935, when the alcoholic president of the Watchtower, Judge Rutherford, (who died of cirrhosis of the liver) made the decision that the majority of Jehovah’s witnesses should live on the earth, Jehovah’s witnesses have been living a lie. The Watchtower society has taken salvation through Jesus’ away from the great crowd.
um. . .i was asking for help in approaching a JW in the hopes of getting her out of this cult. . .I’ve received no responses. Am i on my own in this effort? I thought someone here could point me in the right direction?? Please don’t turn a deaf ear to my plea. . .
A comment above challenged where Russel ever claimed himself to be a prophet. He didn’t have to. The governing body of the “Society” did it for him. See the Watchtower May 1, 1922. Deut.18:22 still applies.—Billy
I have spent 40 yrs in the wilderness-raised as a JW, confused, tormented because I couldnt fully embrace their beliefs, teachings and philosophy. I just beleived I was no good and God was going to destroy me because I wasnt in “the Truth” as they like to call it. I went unchurched with no spiritual life and path until just recently and now have found so much revelation by studying God’s word for myself and through the help of pastors and ministers who aided me with real Bible truths. I still have a few doubts-When you are taught from birth there is no Heaven just a cold grave(hell) that will receive you because you do not dedicated and baptized under the JW world view, your life can become pointless and aimless-you are a throw away, worthless and they make no apolology for regulating to that end. Now that the internet is a viable way to research and discuss these issues I feel empowered and enlightened. Honestly I have been to Kingdom Halls on and off for 40 years and there is no growth of any kind, no new information and really no answers concerning the future except the standard beliefs and practices that have never made any sense. If God is so loving and consistent, orderly as they claim why is the mystery of the 144,000 such a math mystery that is harder than Chinese Arithmetic to explain-and if you cant explain it you cant even become one of them. I dont like, infact I hate knocking on strangers doors uninvited to harass them about their faith based beliefs but I like most witness children was forced to do this every free moment of my childhood. It was no less torturous than any other abuse that children can face. And in my home there was no discussion or choice about it. I am so glad to be free finally from their insipid grip and false teachings and know that God really does love us all and accepts us as sinners once we recognize him and his son’s life giving sacrifice for us all-and what is up with their bible translation-that really is a sinister message that they say is the only credible translation of God’s words will and purpose. With all of our lives at stake for salvation and damnation they really should be ashamed and checked on how they indoctrinate people to their strict, robotic, harsh and unloving enviornment. thanks for the information-I will return to listen and learn more about this organization that has most of my family members in a choke hold of religious muck!