by Doug Mason 13 Replies latest jw friends
What was the seismic shift in thinking that Rutherford required when he created the “great multitude” in 1935? When did the “great multitude”, or the “great crowd” as it is now known, become “Jehovah’s witnesses”?
http://www.jwstudies.com/The_Great_Crowd_before_1935_and_since.pdf
Doug
Thanks again for your excellent work Doug.
This, along with your other excellent Papers, has gone into my special file for use in informing JW's, when the opportunity arises.
Hi Phizzy,
To me, these quotations from The Watchtower magazines show them making things up on the run - thought bubbles. It is a pattern that continues to this day, where one thought bubble creates an unintended consequence that has to be patched up, all under the guise of "added light".
Do you have any suggestions where I might go next? As you would gather, I am not interested simply repeating what others have already thoroughly worked on.
Doug
From what I recall reading in the book The Finished Mystery there were originally 4 or maybe 5 'classes'.
There were two heavenly classes, the 144,000 and the Great Multitude. The earthly classes included the non-Bible Students who survived Armageddon and two earthly classes including the resurrected Patriarchs (and Israelites) along with a general earthly resurrection. This was Charles Russell's doctrine. Don't know when it was all changed though but it appears that Joseph Rutherford did all the revision/simplification starting after Russell passed away.
Doug, you can download a pdf of The Finished Mystery and do a word search under "Great Multitude". That should help.
PS, The "Great Multitude" was considered to be an inferior heavenly class compared to the 144,000.
7:9. After this, I beheld, and lo, a great multitude.—When the Apostle tells us in 2 John 8, “Look to yourselves that ye lose not those things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward,” he is teaching that a Heavenly reward may be gained that is not as full as if a course more pleasing to the Heavenly Father is pursued. Instead of teaching that the saved of our race will all be saved to the same thing, the Scriptures show two degrees or kinds of Heavenly salvation, and two degrees or kinds of earthly salvation. In the second chapter of Genesis the stream which went forth from the Garden of Eden was divided into four parts. This is a Scriptural recognition of the fact that from Adam, the original fountain of life, will flow four streams: The Little Flock, who are to sit down with Christ in His Throne; the Great Company, who are to stand before the Throne, having the palms of martyrdom but without the crowns of glory; the Ancient Worthies, the Jewish fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Daniel, etc., who are to be made princes in all the earth; and the world of mankind, who will constitute the subjects of the Kingdom over which the Ancient Worthies will rule. The same lesson is taught in the division of the Levites into four camps, each located on a different side of the Tabernacle. (Num. 3:15; F. 128, 129.) It is also taught in the Apostle's statement in 2 Tim. 2:20, that in God's great House there will ultimately be found four classes of vessels to
178 The Finished Mystery
Thanks Village,
You will note the reference on page 11 of my Study where I cite a passage from a 1918 Watchtower that corroborates you regarding the four classes.
Inasmuch as "Finished Mystery" and the 1918 Watchtower post-date Russell's death, the idea presumably came from Rutherford,
In my Study, I set out the quotations chronologically but I am certain there are others which I did not locate that will joint the dots. Should you find anything, please let me know. If you do not mind, you can always email me (address in all my Studies) in complete confidence.
Doug
One of my favorite absurdities is how the Great Multitude that no man can number is calculated to be over 20 billion.
"Of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.—"As the number of the Bride of Christ is to be 144,000, it would be reasonable to think that each number of this class may have 144,000 to look after, as 144,000x144,000 equals 20,736,600,000 (twenty billions seven hundred and thirty-six millions), evidently just about the right number to be cared for—144,000 would be quite a host for each individual of the Bride class to look after. So we can see the necessity the necessity for the work of the Great Company."—Question Meeting." - The Finished Mystery 1918 edition, page 138.
Very impressive work, Doug
Thanks
