A few months ago,I stumbled across a scripture in Isaiah that makes me think that the "great crowd" is a HEAVENLY class. Incidently,the original thought of the WTS was that it was a heavenly class! An examination of the following scriptures,leads me to believe that the G.C. is a heavenly class that existed in the first century,but NOT today! The following is an exerpt from a letter that Im had written to someone on the subject;
. The 1st scripture is from Isa.49:8-10 and it reads,as follows; 8" This is what Jehovah has said: "In a time of goodwill I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I kept safeguarding you that I might give you as a covenant for the people, to rehabilitate the land, to bring about the repossessing of the desolated hereditary possessions, 9 to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out!’ to those who are in the darkness, ‘Reveal yourselves!’ By the ways they will pasture, and on all beaten paths their pasturing will be. 10 They will not go hungry, neither will they go thirsty, nor will parching heat or sun strike them. For the One who is having pity upon them will lead them, and by the springs of water he will conduct them."
You have probably have noticed that vs.10 is very similar to Rev.7:16,which reads,16 "They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down upon them nor any scorching heat, 17 because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes." Not only are the expressions in both scriptures identical,but also the order in which they follow one another are the same. I can only conclude that Revelation is a quotation from Isaiah and is referring to the same group of people.
If we look again at Isa.49:8 and cross reference this scripture,we will note that Paul quoted this scripture in 2 Cor.6:2. Here is how it reads in the NWT;
2 "For he says: "In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you." Look! Now is the especially acceptable time. Look! Now is the day of salvation." Paul applied this scripture to the anointed members of the 1st century Corinthian congregation,which was composed mainly,if not entirely, of Gentiles. He also pinpointed the time of application as being "now",ie during their days,which was in the 50's decade of the first century. When we look again at verses 8-10 in Isaiah,we will note that these verses seem to be speaking of the SAME group of people. Conclusion: If verse 8 had a fulfillment to Gentiles in the 1st century,so also does verse 10.I am leaning to the thought that the great crowd in Revelation 7,must be a heavenly class,like we already discussed on the phone; but,also that it was a class in the 1st century only,and therefore is not a heavenly class today or even in the future.
Just some "food for thought" for those who like to analyse the scriptures.