The following is an e-mail message I sent to a friend on this subject. Wannabe Hi Dan! I was wondering just why these ones, dressed in these white robes, happened to come by them. It seemed to me, none that I know of, would even have had the time, or put forth the effort, to get those white robes on. Anyway, I started to do a little digging, and lo, and behold, look what I found. Something that had been right under our noses all the time. This is taken from Revelation 6:9-11 which states: "And when he opened the fifth seal, I SAW UNDERNEATH THE ALTER the souls of those slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the witness work they used to have. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: "Until when Sovereign LORD Holy and True, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?" And A WHITE ROBE was given to each of them; and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the number was filled also of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they also had been." [Matthew 24:9] Their very murders bespeak a tribulation, beyond, even our imaginations. But, as Jesus foretold, it will occur again. Matthew 24:9 "People will deliver you over to tribulation and will kill you"... ... On account of my name." [John 16:33] John was told: "Therefore write down the things you saw, and the things that are, and the things that will take place after these." {Revelation 1:19] Now, consider that these dead ones was told to rest a little while longer would of necessity bring you right over to Revelation 20:11-15 "And I saw a great white throne and the one seated on it. From before him the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened, But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and ha'des gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and ha'des were hurled into the lake of fire. Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire." In verses 13,14 of Chapter 7 the question was raised: "These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from? The reply was: "My Lord, you are the one that knows!" Keep in mind these ones was dead, but it is said: "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Now, with that great unnumbered crowd of resurrected ones in your mind, consider now, these last words: "Salvation we owe to our God who is seated [back on his throne] and to the lamb. who was the one who resurrected all of them. All those dead ones heard the voice of the Son of God and came out. Dan! Can you attach a number to all of those resurrected at that time? Absolutely not! You cannot; it is in point of fact, an unnumbered great crowd, is it not? That no man could ever possibly put a number to. Now, there is your great unnumbered crowd that comes out of the great tribulation, mentioned by the Apostle John, and in this case John was dealing with the things, 'to take place after these.' ... As in, at the end of the Thousand year reign. During the time period Jehovah, 'judges the inhabited earth in righteousness.' [Acts 17:31] [Revelation 14:6,7] But, Jesus Himself never predicted any great unnumbered crowd had he of done that, it would have flown in the face of what he had actually predicted at Matthew 7:13,14 and Luke 13:24 -- Keep in mind, these ones in these white robes had been slaughtered, 'because of the word of God, [all the prophets] [Matthew 23:33,36] and because of the witness work they used to do.' [first century Christian's] [Revelation 12:17] So, if as it says, they had been killed, or slaughtered, how, then, could they come out of the great tribulation that Jesus predicted, while lying in their graves? Would it not take a resurrection in order for them all to come through the great tribulation alive? Do you see now, how badly the Governing Body has messed up the Holy Writings, by teaching such a falsehood as that? Even now, those slaughtered lying underneath the Alter, are still lying under it and will be until they are finally resurrected, and fully accomplished, at the end of the thousand year reign T.T.Y.L. Bill
Dressed in White Robes!
by wannabe 1 Replies latest watchtower bible
-
-
blondie
*** w03 4/1 pp. 26-27 My Share in the Advancement of Global Divine Education ***
Mother and I soon began attending the meetings of the Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known. In September 1926 both Mother and I symbolized our dedication to Jehovah by water immersion at a convention in Glasgow. Each baptismal candidate received a full-length gown with ankle straps to be placed over our regular bathing costumes. At that time this was considered to be suitable attire for such a serious occasion.
*** w87 6/1 p. 20 ‘My Cup Has Been Full’ ***
The next year, 1915, my husband and I were baptized by the Bible Students. Our baptism took place in the summertime at a nearby beach. I donned a long, black robe with high neck and long sleeves, quite different from the bathing suits worn now. Of course, this was not standard beachwear of those days but was specially provided for the baptism.
*** w88 9/1 p. 20 A Pioneer Partnership for Life ***
In 1913, when I was 17, I traveled to London for a sight-seeing vacation. Happily, this coincided with a visit by Brother Russell to an assembly held at the Kingsway Hall. There I expressed my desire to be baptized. The colporteur sister who worked in Cardiff approached Brother Russell to ask him if he thought I was too young. He asked me how old I was and questioned me to see if I understood the Scriptures and to determine whether I had dedicated my life to Jehovah. As a result, I donned a long black gown and joined the other candidates for immersion at the London Tabernacle.