Does anyone have any quotes from Watchtower material concerning the level of righteous previously and/or currently believed to be granted Great Crowd Members?
Great Crowd Members "declared Righteous" or just "Relatively Righteous"?
by Vanderhoven7 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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runForever
One thing I know they say for sure is that the whole tribulation is stopped only for the anointed 144,000 so they can
be saved in other words the great crowd would just be dead if it weren't for God's favor for the anointed. I know that is in their publications. They get that from Jesus saying 'unless for the chosen ones no flesh would be saved'. But come to think of it what cult doesn't say that really they all do. If it's not God it's aliens that chose them or magic rainbows we're special they're not we will be saved copy paste copy paste.
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Magnum
What I remember is that the great crowd are declared righteous as friends of God, whereas the anointed are declared righteous as sons of God.
See the series of articles in the 12-1-85 Watchtower (pages 3-18). Here is an excerpt:***************** w85 12/1 pp. 15-18 Declared Righteous as a Friend of God **********************
How Abraham Was Accounted Righteous
8 The case of Abraham deserves particular attention. His being declared righteous is mentioned by two writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures, both of whom were writing to first-century Christians who were called to be a part of the 144,000 members of spiritual Israel.—Romans 2:28, 29; 9:6; James 1:1; Revelation 7:4.
9 In his letter to the Romans, Paul argues that those “called to be holy ones” (1:7), both Jews and Gentiles (1:16, 17), are declared righteous “by faith apart from works of law.” (3:28) To substantiate his argument, he opens a long explanation (4:1-22) and quotes Genesis 15:6 in saying: “Abraham exercised faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Then, in the concluding verses of chapter 4, Paul says that Jesus “was delivered up for the sake of our trespasses and was raised up for the sake of declaring us [that is, “the holy ones” (Romans 1:7)] righteous.” “Us” cannot include Abraham, since he died long before Christ’s death and resurrection. Consequently, when, in the following chapters, Paul speaks of those who are to “rule as kings” and of their being declared righteous “for life” with a view to becoming “God’s sons” and “joint heirs with Christ,” he was obviously speaking of something quite different from God’s attributing righteousness to Abraham.—Romans 5:17, 18; 8:14, 17, 28-33.10 James also mentions Abraham as an example to prove that faith must be backed up by godly works. After stating that Abraham was declared righteous, quoting Genesis 15:6, James adds a comment that helps us to see the scope of Abraham’s justification. He writes: “The scripture was fulfilled which says: ‘Abraham put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness,’ and he came to be called ‘Jehovah’s friend.’” (James 2:20-23) Yes, due to his faith, Abraham was declared righteous as a friend of Jehovah, not as a son with the right to perfect human life or to kingship with Christ. Interestingly, in his Synonyms of the Old Testament, Robert Girdlestone wrote concerning Abraham’s righteousness: “This righteousness was not absolute, i.e. such as would commend Abraham to God as a rightful claimant of the inheritance of sonship.”
Jehovah’s Book of Remembrance
11 The credit of relative righteousness to faithful men and women before Christ was a token of the real, or actual, righteousness and perfection associated with everlasting life that they may gain in God’s new earth. In view of their life prospects, they may be viewed as having their names written in a book of remembrance. (Compare Malachi 3:16; Exodus 32:32, 33.) It contains the names of those who are viewed by Jehovah as “righteous ones” who have demonstrated their faith by righteous works, and who are in line to receive everlasting life on earth.—Psalm 69:28; Habakkuk 2:4.
12 However, such names are not yet written in Jehovah’s “book of life.” (Revelation 20:15) When such faithful men and women of the past come back on earth in ‘the resurrection of the righteous,’ they will no doubt accept with faith Jehovah’s provision for life through Christ’s ransom sacrifice. (Acts 24:15) Thus they will become a part of Jesus’ “other sheep,” together with the “great crowd” who will have survived the “great tribulation.” (John 10:16; Revelation 7:9, 14) So doing, they will keep their names in Jehovah’s book of remembrance.Accounted Righteous as Friends for Survival
13 The Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ, is now bringing in “other sheep” that are not of the “little flock” of 144,000 “holy ones” to whom the heavenly Kingdom is given. (Luke 12:32; Daniel 7:18) These “other sheep” listen to the voice of the Fine Shepherd. (John 10:16) They exercise faith in Jehovah and in his Son. They dedicate their lives to Jehovah on the basis of Christ’s ransom sacrifice. They are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit” and recognize the need to cultivate “the fruitage of the spirit.” (Matthew 28:19, 20; Galatians 5:22, 23) Their names are written in Jehovah’s book of remembrance.
14 These “other sheep” gathered in this time of the end will make up the “great crowd” whom the apostle John saw in vision, after he had seen the 144,000 members of spiritual Israel. (Revelation 7:4, 9) He described the “great crowd” as having “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Verse 14) Because of their faith in the Lamb’s shed blood, a degree of righteousness is credited to them. This was depicted by their symbolic white robes. They have a clean standing before Jehovah, and “that is why” he allows them to ‘render him sacred service day and night in his temple.’ (Verse 15) Still, each day they must confess their sins to Jehovah and ask for forgiveness through Jesus Christ.—1 John 1:9–2:2.
15 That the “other sheep” are God’s friends and even now have a relatively righteous standing before him is also made clear in Jesus’ prophecy on ‘the sign of his presence,’ which includes the illustration of the sheep and the goats. Because the “sheep” do good to the remnant of Christ’s 144,000 “brothers” still on earth, they are blessed by Jesus’ Father and are called “righteous ones.” Like Abraham, they are accounted, or declared, righteous as friends of God. Their righteous standing will also mean survival for them when the “goats” depart into “everlasting cutting-off.” (Matthew 24:3–25:46) They will “come out of the great tribulation” that will mark the end of the present wicked system of things.—Revelation 7:14.Brought Up to Perfection
16 The “great crowd,” who survive the “great tribulation,” are not already declared righteous for life. We can see this from the fact that the chapter that mentions them goes on to say: “The Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life.” (Revelation 7:17) So, even though God previously counted them as righteous compared to mankind in general and as his friends, they need additional help, or steps to be taken, so that they can be declared righteous for life.
17 During the Millennium, the enthroned Lamb, Christ Jesus, together with his 144,000 associate kings and priests, will apply a program of spiritual and physical “curing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:1, 2) Such “nations” will be made up of the survivors of the great tribulation, any children born to them after Har–Magedon, and those who come back in the “resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) All who put faith in Christ’s blood and accomplish appropriate “deeds” will eventually have their names written in “the book of life.”—Revelation 20:11-15.
18 By the end of Christ’s Millennial Reign, those of earth’s inhabitants who have shown that they accept Christ’s ransom and will live by Jehovah’s standards will have been raised to perfection. (Revelation 20:5) They will be as Adam was before he sinned. Like him, they will be tested as to their obedience.“Glorious Freedom” as “Children of God”
19 Immediately after the Millennium, Christ will hand over to his Father a perfect human race. (1 Corinthians 15:28) “Satan will be let loose” for a decisive test of mankind. (Revelation 20:7, 8) The names of any who fail under test will not be “found written in the book of life.” They will symbolically be “hurled into the lake of fire,” which “means the second death.”—Revelation 20:15; 21:8.
20 Those who prove loyal to Jehovah will have their names indelibly written in the “book of life,” as being perfect in integrity and worthy of the right to everlasting life on earth. Jehovah himself will then declare them righteous in the complete sense. (Romans 8:33) They will have been justified to life eternal. God will adopt them as his earthly sons, and they will enter into the promised “glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20, 21) Peace and harmony will have been restored to the universe. Reconciliation with God will be complete for “things upon the earth” and “things in the heavens.” (Colossians 1:20) Jehovah’s merciful arrangement of justification will have served its purpose. To the question, “Are you right with God?” every creature in heaven and on earth will be able to answer yes and add: “To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.”—Revelation 5:13.
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Listener
W06 2/15
18. What are some truths clarified in the 1980’s?
18 In the years that followed, the path of the righteous ones continued to get brighter and brighter. In 1985 light was shed upon what it means to be declared righteous “for life” and righteous as a friend of God. (Romans 5:18; James 2:23)
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prologos
runForever: "They get that from Jesus saying 'unless for the chosen ones no flesh would be saved'. But come to think of it ---
prologos: come to think of it, the anointed flesh does not have to be saved, it's toast, will not survive Armageddon, even the pre-Armageddon judgement. ---gone with the rapture. It is the earthly CHOSEN ONES of Isaiah 65:22 that Jesus must have had in mind.. or Rutherford when he said "Millions now living will never die", because, according to wt doctrine,
only the "chosen ones" for earthly life will never die, all others, goats, Governing Body members, other partakers, will all die, their flesh need not be protected.
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Vanderhoven7
Magnum,
Thanks for the quote showing their unbiblical distinction.
There was another one I remember seeing that spoke of the Great Crowd members only attaining righteousness at the close of the millennium.
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Vidiot
What about "semi-righteous"? Or "quasi-righteous"?