by garybuss 67 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I got this message from a forum member.
I think you may be confusing the WTS' understanding of the "sheep" of Matthew Chapter 25 (who have not yet been separated from the "goats") and the "other sheep" of John chapter 10. The two groups are not (i.e. no longer) considered synonymous.
What am I missing? are there three classes of sheep? Or what?
My question has been this: If the great crowd doesn't die, but lives through the great tribulation, and there are two groups of sheep, the little flock of sheep (spiritual Jews), and the other sheep (spiritual Gentiles), who are separated from the goats after the great tribulation, who are the Witnesses who die now but are not anointed (little flock)?
They can't be members of the great crowd who will not die, because they're dead. And they can't be the other sheep, because they aren't separated from the goats or judged until after the great tribulation. Who are they?
Jesus judges AFTER he returns, but now the Society says Jesus did not return (even invisibly), and he did a partial judging and only judged the little flock and then quit, but the little flock is still being added to today, so that implies that Jesus' judging is still in progress and there has not been a pause in that judging.
So then, who is the third flock of sheep? Is there one? Who are the other sheep the Society is referring to in the recent Watchtower study articles? They can't be the sheep who are associating with the goats, because they aren't separated (judged) yet.
That the sheep need to be separated from the goats implies a LACK of separation leading up to the judgment. So, we have sheep associating (mixed in) with the goats. That doesn't seem to agree with a separating work going on now. It implies that there is a mixing going on now, not a separation.
That's also read about in the parable of the wheat and the weeds being harvested together and then separated. According to the Society's type and anti-type hypothesis, that would also imply an association, not a separation.
What am I missing? Anybody?
There are 3 comings of Jesus. One in the first century, one in 1914, and a future one. Add that into the equation.
The truth is that none of their theology makes sense. You aren't supposed to think about it so much...... Just believe the facts they tell you and don't try to put them into logical order.... lol
What am I missing? Anybody?
A publisher's card only offers two choices for a member. They check the box for (1) Anointed or (2) Other Sheep.
There are no other groups, except those that are not in either (1) or (2). The anointed are the little flock.
The Great Crowd is supposed to be those that survive the Great Tribulation. So there is no great crowd today, but
since the early days they keep applying that to (2) other sheep. This is to raise their hopes of never dying because
Armageddon is around the next corner.
The points you raise about the mixing of sheep and goats now, we aren't supposed to overanalyze the new light since
1995 on all of this. It will be clear when we look back after the Great Tribulation. Same with the judging of the little flock
taking place in 1918-1919, being completed in 1935, but now it's not. Don't overanalyze that. Just wait on Jehovah and it
will all be clear. You act as if the doctrines don't make sense.
So, what do ya think about the message I got about the three classes of sheep? The Matthew Chapter 25 sheep and the John chapter 10 sheep being different from each other and different from the little flock?
You wrote: "You act as if the doctrines don't make sense."
Hahaha!! Silly me!
The truth is that none of their theology makes sense. You aren't supposed to think about it so much...... Just believe the facts they tell you and don't try to put them into logical order.... lol
Exactly. It always bugged me with the group and watchtower studies we were expected to answer directly from the book. Don't say it in your own words, just sit there and read what the book says. Always wondered why we had to prepare ahead, it's so easy to find the 'answers', then everyone pats themselves on the back on how they've 'made the truth their own' and 'oh how I've learned'. Idiots.
Interesting question(s) Gary. This is a subject which interests me as I consider myself to be one of "the other goats" Ezra 6:17
Clam - bringing 2 classes of goat into the equation.
The whole sheep/Shepard thing is overdone in the bible. Sounds like your friend is mixing up the parables.
a) Jesus has a flock of sheep like ones. The little flock (anointed) and the other sheep (R&F)
b) The preaching work is likened to separating the sheep from the goats
Two different parables, though it sounds like your friend is combining them into one.
By his definition it would look like this:
1) Little flock
2) Other sheep already separated
3) Other sheep still in the goats
While it's a logical assumption, it's not official WT doctrine of three sheep class that I am aware of.
Clam, Two classes of goats huh? Interesting, lol! Little flock and the other goats . . . I like it!
Paralipomenon, You and I both remember it the same. I thought I missed something. By the way, do you ever remember the Society writing that the other sheep are the same as the great crowd by use of a scripture that doesn't require logic and reason to make the tie?
