The basic premise for this post came from some comments TD made in a thread many months ago. (Read the full thread here : link)
The specific point I wanted to discuss is the 'Great Crowd' theology the WTS puts forth, especially the timeline of events it presents as accurate.
As clearly stated in their publications time and time again the claim is made that the great crowd appeared in the 1930's. Here are some examples:
*** w01 1/15 p. 19 Keep in Step With Jehovah’s Organization ***
12 Prior to the 1930’s, many of God’s people were somewhat uncertain about their hope for future life. Some had thoughts about heavenly life but were fascinated by Bible teachings about a paradise earth. At the Washington, D.C., convention in 1935, it was thrilling to learn that the great multitude, or great crowd, of Revelation chapter 7 is a class with an earthly hope. Since then, the gathering of the great crowd has moved ahead with ever greater momentum. Are we not thankful that the identity of the great crowd is no mystery to us? The reality of people being gathered in great numbers from all nations, tribes, and tongues motivates us to quicken our step as we keep pace with Jehovah’s organization.
Many quotes are like this. They state that the great crowd began to be gathered at this time, but not that it actually existed at this time. Other quotes though are much more specific. This one taken from the Daniel book shows that historical events during the 1930's and 40's had the full participation from the great crowd:
*** dp chap. 10 pp. 178-179 Who Can Stand Against the Prince of Princes? ***
28 As we have noted, during the closing months of World War II, Jehovah’s Witnesses reaffirmed their determination to magnify God’s rulership by serving him as a theocratic organization. It was with this objective that the rearrangement of their work and governing structure was initiated in 1944. In fact, The Watchtower of October 15, 1944, contained an article entitled “Organized for Final Work.” It and other service-oriented articles of the same period indicated that the 2,300 days had ended and that “the holy place” was again in its “right condition.” 29 The enemy’s vicious attempts to desolate and destroy “the holy place” had failed completely. Indeed, the remaining “holy ones” on earth, along with their companions of the “great crowd,” had come off victorious. (Revelation 7:9) And the sanctuary, in its rightful theocratic state, now continues to render sacred service to Jehovah.
this quote follows in the same fashion:
*** re chap. 20 pp. 120-122 A Multitudinous Great Crowd ***
5 The understanding of Revelation 7:9-17 was now about to burst forth in all its sparkling brilliance! (Psalm 97:11) The Watchtower magazine had repeatedly expressed the hope that a convention scheduled for May 30 to June 3, 1935, in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., would be “a real comfort and benefit” to those pictured by Jehonadab. That it proved to be! In a stirring talk on “The Great Multitude,” delivered to about 20,000 conventioners, J. F. Rutherford, president of the Watch Tower Society, gave Scriptural proof that the modern-day other sheep are identical with that great crowd of Revelation 7:9. At the climax of this talk, the speaker asked: “Will all those who have the hope of living forever on the earth please stand?” As a large part of the audience stood up, the president declared: “Behold! The great multitude!” There was a hush, followed by thunderous cheering. How elated was the John class—and also the Jehonadab group! On the following day, 840 new Witnesses were baptized, most of these professing to be of that great crowd.
Many JWs when asked 'When did the great crowd appear' would say something about the 1930's and the events surrounding the 'flashes of light' that took place during this time. They would say this is when the correct understanding was revealed to Jehovah's people. Chapter 20 of the Revelation Climax book is quite descriptive in explaining all of this stuff, using grandiose language to describe the 'thrilling' events.
There is just one problem with all of this, the basic fact that (according to my understanding) one actually has to pass through Armageddon in order to be part of the great crowd. This is what Rutherford taught and present truth of the times comes through in the Revelation book, just one paragraph before the previous quote mentioned:
*** re chap. 20 p. 120 A Multitudinous Great Crowd ***
4 Some years later, in 1931, Vindication, Book One, discussed Ezekiel chapter 9, identifying those persons marked on the forehead for preservation at the world’s end as the sheep of the above parable. Vindication, Book Three, released in 1932, described the upright heart attitude of the non-Israelite man Jehonadab, who joined Israel’s anointed King Jehu in his chariot and went along to see Jehu’s zeal in executing false religionists. (2 Kings 10:15-17) The book commented: “Jehonadab represented or foreshadowed that class of people now on the earth during the time that the Jehu work [of declaring Jehovah’s judgments] is in progress who are of good will, are out of harmony with Satan’s organization, who take their stand on the side of righteousness, and are the ones whom the Lord will preserve during the time of Armageddon, take them through that trouble, and give them everlasting life on the earth. These constitute the ‘sheep’ class.” In 1934 The Watchtower made it clear that these Christians with earthly hopes should make a dedication to Jehovah and be baptized. The light regarding this earthly class was shining ever brighter.—Proverbs 4:18.
The book of Revelation is quite clear that this group of people came out of the great tribulation:
(Revelation 7:13-14) 13 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?” 14 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.
And even more is described later in the chapter under the heading "The Great Crowd Makes Its Appearance".
So did the great crowd really appear in the 1930's if those alive then who claimed to be of this class do not live through the great tribulation? How can people who are part of the 'great crowd' not pass through the great tribulation? It seems to me that eventually there will come a point when there will no longer be any original members of the group that claimed to be of the great crowd. So the question remains, if they are no longer part of this group now, where they ever???
I have been unable to locate anything in the publications that gives an answer to this. It seems that the WTS treats the Great Crowd like that of the 'Generation' of 1914. It tends to view the Great Crowd as an organic group that is ever growing, but not limited to the individuals who are a part of it. This would mean that they (those of the 1930's) where possibly part of the great crowd while they where alive, but then they 'passed the torch' on to the next generation. When they died they missed out on being part of the great crowd, but had a part in it. I'm not saying this is the way the WTS teaches it, instead this seems to be the way the doctrine is implied in their literature.
So to me it seems that the WTS has built up a very loose fitting and expandable idea of what the Great Crowd is. Because of this most JWs simply believe that it is the group of active JWs on earth at any time past the 1930s. But this gives problems to the fact that the great crowd comes out of the great tribulation.
But here is the real kicker. I have heard JWs say that you are not part of the great crowd if you die before Armageddon, but I have not been able to find this in the literature. I think this may have been one of those random CO facts that gets spread around.
If this is the way JWs really do view the great crowd then that means that the end must come (according to their theology) before those people from the 1930's all die away. It's like the generation doctrine all over again. Since a specific quality of the great crowd is surviving Armageddon, and the great crowd appeared in the 1930's then those people have to be here for the end. Any deviation from this brings is a sea of contradictions and problems. That is why it seems the WTS has taken no position on the matter (as far as I can tell). Since it no longer wants to push any date related teachings it is simply letting this go unanswered. They simply treat it as if this hard to follow back asswards explanation doesn't exists and instead give the JWs some really general material that stays miles away from the issues at hand.
The last point to consider is that this actually means there are more than two classes of christians according to their theology. This would include:
1. Those who died before Christ and will be resurrected in the future
2. Those anointed who died after Christ and went to heaven 1914 and beyond
3. Those who died after Christ with no knowledge of Jehovah's Purposes and will be resurrected in the future (can be mixed with group 1, but not really)
4. Those of the other sheep (Great Crowd) that died before the Great Tribulation (again, could be with group 1 & 2, but are also kind of in a group of their own)
5. The Great Crowd that lives through the Great Tribulation.
To show that the WTS kind of makes it seems like group 3 actually is a little different , look at this quote:
*** w95 2/15 p. 12 There Will Be a Resurrection of the Righteous ***
15 That resurrection is described at Revelation chapter 20, verse 13, in these words: “The sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds.” Thus, during Jehovah’s great thousand-year Judgment Day, all those in God’s memory will be resurrected—both the righteous and the unrighteous. (Acts 17:31) How much better, though, it will be for the righteous! They have already lived lives of faith. They already have a close relationship with Jehovah and confidence in the outworking of his purposes. Righteous witnesses from before the Christian Era will awaken from death eager to learn how the promises of Jehovah regarding the Seed were fulfilled. (1 Peter 1:10-12) Those of the other sheep whom Jehovah views as righteous in our day will come forth from the grave eager to behold the Paradise earth that they spoke about when they declared the good news in this system of things. What a joyful time that will be!
So what do you think? Have I made a mistake in these assumptions, or is this a gaping hole in their theology? Any quotes and research you have done that can add to this would be much appreciated!
-Drew