serenitynow:
I never heard that as a JW. So Jesus died for the 144,000's sins, that's it? So the rest of humanity is just SOL? What about Jesus being the Greater Adam? Since the first Adam plunged all of mankind into sin, the Greater Adam was supposed to redeem everybody. How and when did the GB change this?
Hope the following helps:
From CT Russell's Question Book - http://www.ctrussell.us/:
RANSOM--Man Christ Jesus. ::Q560:1:: QUESTION (1911-Z)--1--Kindly explain the following text, especially the forepart of it: "The Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all."--'1 Tim. 2:5,6'.
ANSWER--Our Lord gave himself a corresponding price for all--a ransom. The application of this price will be made in due time. It has been, at the present time, appropriated to the Church [aka the 144k], imputatively, on account of their turning from sin and walking in the footsteps of Jesus. The next step in its application will be, not the imputation, but the actual giving of this to the world, bringing them up out of their imperfection, during the thousand years of the Mediatorial reign; bringing them back into that condition in which they shall be in harmony with God, even as Adam was in harmony with him before the fall.
[ ... ]
So, then, the Man Christ Jesus is the Redeemer of the world. But in the interim--as noted above--before the application of his merit shall be made for the world, the testimony is given to a few--as many as have ears to hear and are joint-sacrificers with him. These will be associated with him as Prophet, Priest, Mediator, King and Judge between God and men during the Millennial Kingdom.
From w07 1/1 p. 23 pars. 12-13:
12 On Atonement Day, the high priest slaughtered a young bull, and in the Most Holy, he spattered some of its blood seven times before the cover of the Ark, thus representatively offering the blood before Jehovah. That offering was for the sins of the high priest and "his house," the underpriests and the Levites. Then the high priest took two goats. One he slaughtered as a sin offering "for the people." Some of its blood too was sprinkled before the cover of the Ark in the Most Holy. Afterward, the high priest laid his hands on the head of the second goat and confessed the errors of the sons of Israel. Then he had the goat led off into the wilderness to carry away the nation's sins in a symbolic way.-Leviticus 16:3-16, 21, 22.
13 As those acts foreshadowed, the great High Priest, Jesus, uses the merit of his own lifeblood to provide forgiveness of sins. First, the value of his blood is applied to the "spiritual house" of 144,000 anointed Christians, enabling these to be declared righteous and enjoy a clean standing before Jehovah. (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 6:11) This is foreshadowed by the sacrifice of the bull. Thus the way is opened for them to receive their heavenly inheritance. Second, the value of Jesus' blood is applied in behalf of millions of others who exercise faith in Christ, as shown by the sacrifice of the goat. These will be blessed with everlasting life here on earth, the inheritance that Adam and Eve lost. (Psalm 37:10, 11) On the basis of his shed blood, Jesus carries away the sins of mankind, just as the live goat in a token way carried the sins of Israel off into the wilderness.-Isaiah 53:4, 5.
As you can see, this basic idea, despite some tweaks, goes waaaay back. The ransom sacrifice is applied to all (not just the 144k) but the 'anointed class' benefit from it straight away by having 'righteousness for life' imputed to them, while it's kinda 'provisional' for everyone else. Their faith in Christ's ransom plus their attaching themselves to the 'anointed class' for safety (add in the antitypical 'city of refuge' doctrine) means that they can be 'friends of God' and 'in line for' salvation! The full extent of Christ's ransom will only be applied to them during the 1000 years. Is it all coming back to you now? LOL.