w74 5/1 pg. 281. (my comments 'boxed')
Questions From Readers
? What evidence is there that those spoken of at John 10:16 as “other
sheep” are persons who will live on earth in God’s new order?—Italy.
The identity of the “other sheep” can be determined by considering the
context in the light of other scriptures.
Jesus Christ said: “I am the fine shepherd, and I know my sheep and my
sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and
I surrender my soul in behalf of the sheep. And I have other sheep,
which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will
listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one
shepherd.”—John 10:14-16.
These words reveal that Jesus views as his “sheep” only those who know
his voice, that is, who recognize his authority over them as their
shepherd. This makes it clear that the fold of “sheep” that Jesus
contrasted with the “other sheep” could not have been the nation of
Israel, for only a small remnant of that nation recognized Jesus
Christ as their shepherd. Who, then, were the “sheep” of the fold that
would form “one flock” with the “other sheep”? Would they be the
Jewish disciples, whereas the “other sheep” would be the Gentiles who,
in time, were accepted as anointed Christians? Though commentators of
Christendom often present this explanation, it does not harmonize with
other scriptures.
A good straw man argument because instead of disproving Christendom's claims that the little flock are "Jewish Christians", they instead disprove that the little flock is the Jewish nation as a whole (which no one ever claimed it was)
Back in the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, all who accepted him as
their shepherd came in line for membership in the heavenly kingdom.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Have no fear, little flock, because your
Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) At other
times Jesus Christ referred to this “little flock” of disciples as his
“brothers.” (Matt. 12:49; Mark 3:34; Luke 8:21; John 20:17) When, in
time, Gentiles were accepted by God, anointed with his holy spirit and
called to heavenly life, they also were “joint heirs with Christ,” his
“brothers.” (Gal. 3:27-29; Rom. 8:17) Logically, then, the “other
sheep” would be persons who are not his “brothers” but who are brought
into close association with them.
Faulty logic. A (disciples) are called B (little flock). A are called C (brothers). D (gentiles) are called C. Therefore D must also be A. That is like saying "Group A are Americans. Group A are called Humans. Russians are called Humans. Therefore Russians must also be Americans." The "logical" conclusion is based on that faulty logic.
The words of Jesus Christ regarding his coming in Kingdom glory
confirm this. We read:
“When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with
him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. And all the nations
will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from
another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he
will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have
been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the founding of the world. For I became hungry and you gave me
something to eat; I got thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I
was a stranger and you received me hospitably; naked, and you clothed
me. I fell sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came
to me.’ Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ‘Lord,
when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you
something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and receive you
hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in
prison and go to you?’ And in reply the king will say to them, ‘Truly
I say to you, To the extent that you did it to one of the least of
these my brothers, you did it to me.’”—Matt. 25:31-40.
The “sheep” here mentioned are revealed to be different from Christ’s
brothers. Yet, like Christ’s brothers, they recognize him as their
“Lord” or shepherd. Both being submissive to him, both groups form
just one flock. The sheep here mentioned cooperate fully with Christ’s
brothers, giving active support to them. But how do they differ from
Christ’s brothers?
Ignores the reasonable interpretation that brothers could be judged by how they treat their other brothers, thus drawing an unsubstantiated conclusion.
What the King Jesus Christ said to them helps us to understand that
two distinct classes are involved. His words to the “sheep” were:
“Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world.”
(Matt. 25:34) That is different from what is said of Christ’s
“brothers.” The membership for the heavenly kingdom that these
“brothers” were to inherit was foreknown before the “founding of the
world,” that is, before the world of mankind came into being through
the birth of children to the first human pair, Adam and Eve. The
apostle Paul, writing to fellow Christians, states: “[God] chose us in
union with [Christ] before the founding of the world.”—Eph. 1:4, 5.
The difference in the time element regarding the foreordination of the
reward definitely points to two different destinies.
contradicts the Watchtower teaching that if Adam and Eve hadn't sinned, all humans would live on the earth (Why would God choose brothers to go to heaven before the founding of the world if they were all going to live on the earth?).
The rest of the article is based on assuming the material presented above is true. Also tosses in the word 'evidently'
Concerning the
inheritance of Jesus’ “brothers,” the apostle Peter wrote: “Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his
great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and
undefiled and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for
you.” (1 Pet. 1:3, 4) That heavenly inheritance involves rulership,
for Revelation 5:10 says: “[Christ] made them to be a kingdom and
priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.”
But over whom will Christ’s “brothers” rule? Over mankind on earth.
This is in agreement with Revelation 21:3, 4.
Not being Christ’s brothers, the “other sheep” are evidently in line
for the blessings of an earth free from sorrow and death. That will be
their reward under the rulership of Jesus Christ and his joint heirs.
It is for this reason that they are spoken of as ‘inheriting the
kingdom prepared for them from the founding of the world.’ The
original Greek word for kingdom not only means a government but can
also refer to “reign” or “being ruled by a kingdom.” Thus, the “other
sheep” inherit the state of being ruled by the King Jesus Christ and
his associate kings, his “brothers.” As soon as there began to be born
to Adam and Eve children who would have an opportunity to come under
Kingdom rule, God’s promise regarding such rule took effect. In this
sense, the “kingdom,” that is, the state of being ruled by the
kingdom, was prepared for humankind “from the founding of the world.”
The testimony of the Bible as a whole thus points to the “other sheep”
as persons who will gain life on earth under the rule of God’s kingdom
by Christ, whether of the “great crowd” of “tribulation” survivors or
of the resurrected dead ones of mankind.—Acts 24:15.
