Where did they understood the anointed ones would be before the "great crowd" "revelation"? (page 3)

Village Idiot

Strange. I got my comment triple posted but it doesn't show in my window.

prologos

I have missing post too. ?? may be the anointed are resurrected and reaching into JWN?

Village Idiot

prologos: "I have missing post too."

Double strange, my post actually appears when I go to my personal list of posts.

I'm going to try again.

Village Idiot

From the practically incoherent book The Finished Mystery, a commentary on the Book of Revelation and a compilation of Charles Russell's teachings after he died, page 134*:

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 Levltes into four camps, each located on a different side of the Tabernacle. (Num. 3:15; F128, 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 His praise.

*Note: If you find a PDF of The Finished Mystery use the scripture cited in Revelation as a guide instead of page numbers as the numbers differ in different versions of the book.

Doug Mason

The WTS's history of the "Great Crowd", "Anointed", and so on is complex. I cover this in my Studies at:

http://www.jwstudies.com/The_Great_Crowd_before_1935_and_since.pdf

http://www.jwstudies.com/The_Watch_Tower_Society_Reveals_Itself.pdf

The Studies are searchable, so look for terms such as Jonadabs, Great Crowd, etc.

In 1931, Rutherford applied the term "Jehovah's Witnesses" exclusively to the 144,000 Anointed. It took some 15 years before the term was gradually extended to the Great Crowd.

Up to say the 1930s, the term "Great Crowd" was said to refer to the lost. For example:

The “great multitude” will not survive Armageddon, because they are not of the “church of the firstborn”. … God’s promise is to preserve a remnant, and not a vast multitude. The “great multitude” are appointed to die. The Scriptures also show that the Jonadab class will survive Armageddon.(The Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence, March 15, 1934, page 92)

Such changes should not come as a surprise, as most will remember the recent change in which the "Faithful and Discreet Slave Class" was amended from the 144,000 to the Governing Body.

Doug

Vidiot

Trying to keep track of the evolution of WT theology, frankly, just gives me a headache, now.

pixel

So confusing!

Crazyguy

There was actually a time when Rutherford preached 4 classes. It's also interesting that when Rutherford saw the UN in Israel about the late 1940's is when he came up with the idea of the UN being the beast standing in the Holy place. This is because they still believed that the literal Israel was going to be involved in end time prophecies.

Vidiot

Crazyguy - "...when Rutherford saw the UN in Israel about the late 1940s is when he came up with the idea of the UN being the beast standing in the Holy place. This is because they still believed that the literal Israel was going to be involved in end time prophecies.

And Freddy Franz took that ball and ran for the end zone with it.

Doesn't surprise me.

I'd suspected as much, considering how much cross-pollinization of ideas was occurring between right-wing and apocalyptic groups back then.

Where did they understood the anointed ones would be before the "great crowd" "revelation"?

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