Chapter Nineteen - Sealing the Israel of God

The Israel of God Today

Interestingly, the first president of the Watchtower Society, Charles T.Russell, recognized the 144,000 to be a literal number of individuals making up a spiritual Israel.  In The New Creation. Volume VI of this Studies in the Scriptures, published in 1904, he wrote:  "We have every reason to believe that the definite, fixed number of the elect [chosen anointed ones] is that several times is that several times stated in Revelation. (7:4: 14:1); namely 144,000 'redeemed from amongst men..' " In Light, Book  One, published in 1030 by the Watchtower Society's second president J.F.Rutherford, it was likewise stated:  "The 144,000 members of the body of Christ are thus in the assembly known and selected   and anointed,  or sealed." Jehovah's Witnesses have consistently  held to the view that literally 144,000 anointed Christians make up spiritual Israel.

Nevertheless, does not natural Israel today merit some special favor?  In the period just prior to the Lord's day, when sincere Bible students were rediscovering many of the basic truths  of God's Word, it was thought that with the ending of the Gentile Times the Jews would again enjoy a privileged standing before God. Thus, C.T. Russell's book The Time Is at Hand (Volume II of Studies in the Scriptures), published in 1889, applied Jeremiah 31:29-34 to the natural Jews, and commented:  "The world is witness to the fact that Israel's punishment under the dominion of the Gentiles  has been continuous since B.C. [607], that it still continues, and that there is no reason to expect their national re-organization sooner than A.D. 1914, the limit of their 'seven times'-2520 years."  It seemed that the Jews would then experience a national restoration, and this prospect apparently brightened in 1917, when the Balfour Declaration pledged British support for making Palestine a national home for the Jews.

Following the first world war, Palestine became a mandated territory under Great Britain, and the way opened for many Jews to return to that land. In 1948 the political State of Israel was brought forth.  Did this not indicate  that the Jews were in line for divine blessings?  For many years, Jehovah's Witnesses believed that this was so.   Thus, in 1925 they published a 128-page book, Comfort for the  Jews. In 1929 they released an attractive 360-page volume, Life, designed to appeal to the Jews  and dealing also with the Bible book of Job. Great efforts were made , especially in New York City, to reach the Jews with this Messianic message, but the Jews  by and large, like their forefathers of the first century, rejected the evidence of the Messiah's presence.

 It was obvious that Jewry, as a people and as a nation, was not the Israel described in Revelation 7:4-8 or other Bible prophecies related to the Lord's Day. Following tradition, the Jews continued to avoid using the divine name.   (Matthew 15:1-3, 7-9)  In discussing Jeremiah 31:31-34, the book Jehovah, published by the Watchtower Society  in 1934, stated conclusively:  "The new covenant has nothing to do  with the natural descendants of Israel and with mankind in general, but . . . is limited to spiritual Israel."  The Bible's restoration prophecies relate neither to the natural Jews nor to political Israel, which is a member of the United Nations and part of the world that Jesus spoke of at John 14:19, 39 and 18:36.  

In 1931 God's slaves on earth had received, with great joy, the name Jehovah's Witnesses.  They could subscribe  wholeheartedly  to the words of Psalm 97:11:  "Light itself has flashed up for the righteous one, and rejoicing even for the ones upright in heart."  They could clearly discern that spiritual Israel alone had been brought into the new covenant.  (Hebrews 9:15; 12:22, 24) Unresponsive natural Israel had not part therein, nor did mankind in general.  This understanding cleared the way for a brilliant flash of divine light, outstanding int eh annals of theocratic history.  This would reveal how abundantly  Jehovah extends his mercy, loving-kindness, and truth to all humans who draw close to him.  (Exodus 34:6; James 4:8)  Yes, others besides the Israel of God would benefit by the angels' holding back the four winds of destruction . Who might these be? Could you be one of them? Let us now see. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty - A Multitudinous Great Crowd 

From the book of Revelation