I found the following quote from w85 3/1 12-17:
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12 These flashes of prophetic light prepared the ground for the historic discourse on ?The Great Multitude,? given May 31, 1935, by the president of the Watch Tower Society, J. F. Rutherford, at the Washington, D.C., convention of Jehovah?s Witnesses. What a revelation of divine truth that was! Presented at that time was conclusive proof identifying the ?great crowd? of Revelation 7:9 with the Lord?s ?other sheep? of John 10:16, with the Jehonadab class, with those marked in the forehead for survival, with the millions now living who will never die, and with ?the sheep? that are separated from ?the goats? and will inherit everlasting life in the earthly realm of God?s Kingdom. All of this was covered in The Watchtower, August 1 and 15, 1935.
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I have never seen any "proof"; I guess my beliefs were simply based on what I had been told.
Anyone know what this proof is? Better still anyone got the text of the 1935 Watchtowers refered to above?
Eyeslice
Great Crowd Proof?
by eyeslice 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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eyeslice
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blondie
Hi eyeslice, perhaps the WTS feels God guided JFR in the same way mentioned here in regarding the name Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931:
Proclaimers Book chap. 11 pp. 151-152 How We Came to Be Known as Jehovah?s Witnesses
But then, in 1931, we embraced the truly distinctive name Jehovah?s Witnesses. Author Chandler W. Sterling refers to this as "the greatest stroke of genius" on the part of J. F. Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society. As that writer viewed the matter, this was a clever move that not only provided an official name for the group but also made it easy for them to interpret all the Biblical references to "witness" and "witnessing" as applying specifically to Jehovah?s Witnesses. In contrast, A. H. Macmillan, an administrative associate of three presidents of the Watch Tower Society, said concerning that announcement by Brother Rutherford: "There is no doubt in my mind?not then nor now?that the Lord guided him in that, and that is the name Jehovah wants us to bear, and we?re very happy and very glad to have it." Which viewpoint do the facts support? Was the name ?a stroke of genius? on the part of Brother Rutherford, or was it the result of divine providence?
Blondie
(Faith on the March by AH Macmillan is online. I'm not sure if this quote is in it but you might find this of historical interest)
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TD
Besides being long-winded, the two articles were a study in circular reasoning and special pleading. There's probably nothing that would strike a critical observer today as "proof." For what it's worth though, I've quoted some of the material below:
The Watchtower and Herald of Christ?s Presence August 15, 1935, The Great Multitude Part 2
Paragraphs 15 & 16:
To ?come out of the great tribulation? (R.V.) not alone means to survive that trouble as ?flesh that shall be saved? (Matt. 24:22), but primarily means that the great multitude come out from Satan?s organization and take their stand on the side of Jehovah during the period of time that elapses from stopping the World War until the day of Armageddon, that is to say, during the time that the ?days should be shortened?, and during which time period this gospel of the kingdom is preached.
What is the purpose of shortening those days of tribulation? The Lord answers: ?for the elect?s sake those days shall be shortened.? During that period of time the elect have a work to do as witnesses for Jehovah and under his commandment, and at least a part of that work is the marking of the great multitude in their foreheads, as commanded by Jehovah. (Ezek. 9:4) that means that Jehovah?s witnesses must proclaim the message of truth and thus give an intellectual understanding of the truth to those of the great multitude class, which class ?flee into the mountains?, taking their place and stand in the city of refuge. (matt. 24:16; Num.; 35:6) This is ?immediately after the tribulation of those days? (Matt. 24:29), that is to say, the first part of the tribulation, from 1914 to 1918. The great multitude will also survive Armageddon, because God?s promise to those who seek meekness and righteousness is that they may be hid in that time. (Zeph. 2:3) All these scriptures negative (sic) the thought that the tribulation is for the purpose of developing or perfecting this class of God?s people. The great tribulation is the execution of Jehovah?s judgments against Satan?s organization, and is not for the purpose of developing anyone.
Paragraph 21 (partial)
Now we see a company that exactly fits the description given in Revelation seven concerning the great multitude. During the past few years, and within the time when ?this gospel of the kingdom is preached as a witness?, there have come forward great numbers (and they are still coming) who confess the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Jehovah as their god, whom they worship in spirit and in truth and joyfully serve. These are otherwise called ?the Jonadabs?. These are being baptized in symbol, thus testifying that they have consecrated themselves to do the will of God and have taken their stand on the side of Jehovah and serve him and his King; thus they have cleaned up and are now ?arrayed in white robes?. Thus the great multitude is definitely indentified, not as a spirit-begotten class whose hopes are for a place in heaven, but as a class trusting in the Lord, and who hope for everlasting life as a gift from Jehovah god through Christ Jesus our Lord. These continue to ?seek meekness and righteousness? and have the promise of Jehovah that they may be hid during the greatest part of the tribulation that is, at Armageddon. (Zeph. 2:3)
Paragraph 24:
Revelation 8:15 really is the key to the identification of the great multitude. In error we have heretofore taken a position that the great multitude is a spirit-begotten class, the members of which have been negligent of their privileges and decline to participate in the service of the Lord, and yet look forward to the or expect Jehovah to bless them by reason of their deathbed repentance. But this description is Revelation of the great multitude is that ?they are before the throne of god, and publicly serve him? (Diaglott); ?and are rendering divine service unto him.? (Rotherham) Heretofore they have, like others in the world, ignorantly ?worshipped and served the creature more that the Creator?. (Rom. 1:24) but now they see and understand and obey the words of Jesus, the Lamb of God, saying to them: ?Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve?; which words apply to all creature whom Jehovah approves. ?Matt 4:10
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eyeslice
The reason I raised this subject is I re-read the gospel of John at the same time as reading William Barclay's commentary on it.
It struck me that the simplest explanation regarding the comment about "other sheep" is that Jesus was referring to the gentiles who would eventually become Christians. Surely, this is what John himself must have had in mind when he penned those words. I then got to thinking that if these two flocks become ?one?, then their treatment and eventual destiny would be exactly the same. The society?s teaching of ?one? flock but two classes does not make sense in the context of the whole of John chapter 10.
The problem I have with the ?proof?, is that the Society regularly refers to the ?great crowd of other sheep?, an expression not found in the Bible and cites John 10:16 and Revelation 7:9 together as if there is an obvious cross-reference.