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Quotes on the great crowd from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society

by | Feb 7, 2017 | Jehovah's Witnesses, World Religions

The Great Crowd is the group of Jehovah’s Witnesses who are not of the hundred 44,000. They do not go to heaven. They will stay here on earth. They are also known as Other Sheep, Earthly Class, Great Multitude.

The following quotes are arranged so that you can copy and paste the entire paragraph. The goal is to provide you with information so that when discussing things with Jehovah’s Witnesses and other people, you can document the various false teachings of the Jehovah’s Witness organization which is also known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

  1. The Great Crowd remains on earth, does not go to heaven
    1. If the “great crowd” are persons who gain salvation and remain on earth, how could they be said to be ‘standing before God’s throne and before the Lamb’? (Re 7:9) The position of ‘standing’ is sometimes used in the Bible to indicate the holding of a favored or approved position in the eyes of the one in whose presence the individual or group stands.” (Insight-1 p. 997 Great Crowd)
    2. “At Revelation 7:9, the great crowd is not seen as being in heaven. Their “standing before the throne” of God does not require them to be in heaven. They are simply in the sight of God. (Psalm 11:4) The fact that the great crowd, “which no man was able to number,” is not a heavenly class is shown by comparing its unspecified number with what is written at Revelation 7:4-8 and Revelation 14:1-4. There the number taken from the earth to heaven is revealed to be 144,000.” (Worship God, chap. 13 p. 121 par. 3, A Great Crowd Before Jehovah’s Throne)
    3. “At a general convention of Jehovah’s witnesses in Washington, D.C., the understanding of the “great crowd” as pictured in Revelation chapter seven was clarified. In an address on “The Great Multitude” the then president of the Watch Tower Society explained that these were not a heavenly class, as described in the first eight verses of this chapter, but, rather, were persons to whom God extends the hope of everlasting life on a paradise earth.” (Watchtower 10/15/1972, p. 638 Are You a Supporter of Divine Rulership?)
  2. The Great Crowd survives the Great Tribulation
    1. “In 1935 we came to understand that the “great crowd” was not a secondary heavenly class. We learned that it instead represents a class that survives the great tribulation and has the opportunity of living forever in Paradise on earth.” (Watchtower, 10/1/1997, p. 23 Grateful for a Long Life in Jehovah’s Service)
    2. “We also know that since the general call of the heavenly class ended, millions have become true Christians. These too are rightly termed “other sheep,” since they are not part of the “little flock.” Rather, the other sheep today look forward to living right on into an earthly paradise.” (Watchtower 4/15/1995, p. 31 Questions From Readers)
  3. The Great Crowd is numberless
    1. “So it was seen that this prophecy referred to the numberless great crowd from all nations who are now being gathered and whose hopes are earthly. They are “the sheep” of Matthew 25:31-46 and the “other sheep” of John 10:16.” (Watchtower 5/15/1995, p. 20 par. 18 Part 1—Flashes of Light—Great and Small)
  4. The Great Crowd does not take communion
    1. “During the next few years several in our congregation became uneasy as to our proper place in Jehovah’s arrangement. How happy we were when, in 1935, the light brightened so as to show us who make up the “great crowd” mentioned in Revelation 7:9-17. They were not a secondary heavenly class and so would not partake of the emblematic wine and unleavened bread at the annual Memorial of Christ’s death. It was such a relief to be able to look forward with confidence to living on a paradise earth forever, as part of “the meek” ones that Jesus said would inherit the earth, his “other sheep.” (Watchtower 12/1/1984, p. 30 My Lifetime of Changes for Jehovah)
    2. “Not being in the new covenant and therefore not having the hope of living in heaven, these other sheep do not partake of the Memorial emblems but attend as respectful observers.” (Watchtower 1/15/2009, p. 29 par. 16 Jehovah’s Servant—“Pierced for Our Transgression”)
  5. The Great Crowd is also called the Other Sheep
    1. “Jesus spoke of “other sheep,” who would not be of the same “fold” as the “little flock” of his anointed followers. (John 10:16; Luke 12:32) He said: “Those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.” How faith-strengthening it has been to see the fulfillment of those words! Two groups of people have been joined together—the small group of anointed ones and the great crowd of other sheep.” (Watchtower 3/15/2010, 3/15 p. 26 par. 10 One Flock, One Shepherd)
    2. “Moreover, since the growing great crowd of other sheep are viewed by God as righteous, they can hope to survive the destruction of this system of things at the great tribulation.” (Watchtower 1/15/2008, p. 25 par. 4 Counted Worthy to Be Guided to Fountains of Waters of Life)
  6. The Other Sheep do not become sons of God until the end of the thousand years.
    1. “Jesus’ “other sheep” will not become sons of God until the end of the thousand years. However, since they have dedicated themselves to God, they can properly address God as “Father” and can rightly be considered members of Jehovah’s family of worshippers.” (Watchtower 1/15/2010, p. 5 Why Dedicate Yourself to Jehovah?)
    2. “What about those who are of the “other sheep”? (John 10:16) Although they have not yet been adopted as God’s children, they can appropriately call one another brother and sister because they form one united worldwide Christian family. (Watchtower 10/15/2010, p. 17 par. 9 Do You Take the Lead in Honoring Fellow Believers?)
  7. The Other Sheep are not in the new covenant
    1. Not being in the new covenant and therefore not having the hope of living in heaven, these other sheep do not partake of the Memorial emblems but attend as respectful observers.” (Watchtower 1/15/2009, p. 29 par. 16 Jehovah’s Servant—“Pierced for Our Transgression”)
  8. The Other Sheep will be subjected to the 144,000
    1. “The distinction between true and false Christians became ever more apparent after World War I, so much so that it has contributed to the second part of “the harvest of the earth”—the ingathering of the other sheep. These are not “the sons of the kingdom” but, rather, “a great crowd” of willing subjects of that Kingdom. They are harvested from among all “peoples, national groups and languages.” They submit to the Messianic Kingdom, made up of Christ Jesus and the 144,000 “holy ones” who will be associated with him in that heavenly government.” (Watchtower 9/15/2010, p. 27 par. 7 Our Active Leader Today)
  9. The Other Sheep support the Anointed Class
    1. “As “unpaid laborers,” the other sheep willingly and wholeheartedly expend their strength and their resources in support of the worldwide preaching work that Christ assigned to his anointed followers on earth.”  (Watchtower 1/15/2008, p. 26 par. 6 Counted Worthy to Be Guided to Fountains of Waters of Life)
    2. The other sheep rejoice with their anointed brothers. They are determined to support them. As friends of God today, they are motivated to do their utmost in God’s service.” (Watchtower 1/15/2008, p. 28 par. 18 Counted Worthy to Be Guided to Fountains of Waters of Life)
  10. The Other Sheep number in the millions
    1. “Then, acting as the Greater Cyrus, Christ delivered the remnant of his anointed brothers on earth from the grip of “Babylon the Great.” (Rev. 18:2; Isa. 44:28) He has headed a worldwide preaching work that has resulted in the ingathering of “the remaining ones” of his spiritual brothers and then of millions of “other sheep,” the loyal companions of the “little flock.” (Watchtower 1/15/2009, p. 25 par. 16 Look! Jehovah’s Approved Servant)

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