Chapter Twenty/A Multitudinous Great Crowd - Continue

 Worldly commentators have interpreted this great crowd to be fleshly non-Jews converted to Christianity or to be heaven- bound Christian martyrs. Even the Bible Students in the past regarded them as a secondary heavenly class, as noted in 1986 in Volume I of Studies in the Scriptures, The Divine Plan of the Ages: "They lose the prize of the throne and the divine nature, but will finally reach birth as spirit beings of an order lower than the divine nature. Though these are truly consecrated, they are overcome by the worldly spirit to such an extent that they fail to render their lives in sacrifice." and as late as 1930, the thought was expressed in Light, Book One: "Those who make up this great crowd fail to respond to the invitation to become the zealous witness for the Lord."  They were described as a self-righteous group that had a knowledge of the truth but did little about preaching it,. They were to go to heaven as a secondary class that would not share in reigning with Christ.

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Chapter Twenty/A Multitudinous Great Crowd

 Having described the sealing of the 144,000, John goes on to report one of the most exciting revelations in all Scripture. His heart must have leaped with joy as he reported it, saying: "After these things I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands." (Revelation 7:9) Yes, the holding back of the four winds allows for the salvation of another group besides the 144,000 members of spiritual Israel a multitudinous great crowd." - REVELATION 7:1. 

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Chapter Nineteen/Sealing the Israel of God -The Israel of God Today - Conclusion

 In 1931 God's slaves on earth had received, with great joy, the name Jehovah's Witnesses. They could subscribe whole heartedly 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 no part therein, nor did mankind in general. This understanding cleared the way for a brilliant flash of divine light, outstanding in the 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 angel' holding back the four winds of destruction. Who would these be? Could you be one of them? Let us now see. 

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Chapter Nineteen/Sealing the Israel of God - The Israel of God Today -Continue

 Following the first world war, Palestine became a mandated territory under Great Britain, 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 book, 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. Happily, a few individuals responded, but the Jews by and large, like their forefathers of the first century, rejected the evidence of 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.  (Matthew15:1-3, 7-9) In discussing Jeremiah 31:31-34, the book Jehovah, published by the Watch Tower Society in 1934, stated conclusively: The covenant has nothing to do with natural descendants of Israel and with mankind in general, but . . . is limited to a 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 a part of the world that Jesus spoke of at John14:19, 30 and 18:36.

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Chapter Nineteen/Sealing the Israel of God - The Israel of God Today

 Interestingly, the first president of the Watch Tower 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 his Studies in the Scriptures, published in 1904, he wrote: "We have every reason to believe that the definite number of the elect [chosen anointed ones] is that several times stated in Revelation (7:4; 14:1); namely, 144,000 'redeemed from amongst men.'" In Light, Book one, published in 1930 by the Watch Tower Society's second president, J. F. Rutherford, it was likewise stated: "The 144,000 members of the body of Christ are thus in that assembly shown as selected an anointed, or sealed." Jehovah's Witnesses have constantly 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 nation restoration, and this prospect apparently brightened in 1917, when the Balfour Declaration pledged British support for making Palestine a national home for Jews. 

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Chapter Nineteen/Sealing the Israel of God - How Many Are Sealed? - Conclusion

 The Christian congregation is "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." (1 Peter 2:9) Replacing natural Israel as God's Nation, it becomes a new Israel that is "really Israel.' " (Romans 9:6-8; Matthew 21:43) For this reason, it was quite proper for Jesus' half brother James to address his pastoral letter "to the twelve tribes that are scattered about, that is, to the worldwide congregation of anointed Christians that in time would number 144, 000. - JAMES 1:1. 

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Chapter Nineteen/Sealing the Israel of God -How Many Are Sealed? - Continue

 Could this not be a reference to literal, fleshly Israel? No, for Revelation 7:4-8 diverges from the usual tribe listing. (Numbers 1:17, 47) Obviously, the listing here is not for the purpose of identifying fleshly Jews by their tribes but to show a similar organizational structure for spiritual Israel. This is balanced.  There are to be exactly 144,000 members of this new nation-12,000 from each of 12 tribes. No tribe in this Israel of God is exclusively royal or priestly. The whole nation is to rule as kings, and the whole nation is to serve as priests. - GALATIANS 6:16; REVELATION 20:4, 6.

Although the natural Jews and Jewish proselytes were given the first opportunity to be chosen for spiritual Israel, only a minority of that nation responded. Jehovah therefore extended the invitation to the Gentiles. (John 1:10-13; Acts 2:4, 7-11; Roman 11:7) As in the case of the Ephesians, who previously had been "alienated from the state of Israel," now non-Jews could sealed with God's spirit and become part of the congregation of anointed Christians. (Ephesians 2:11-13, 3:5, 6; Acts 15:14) It is appropriate, then, for the 24 elders to sing before the Lamb: "With your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth." - REVELATION 5:9, 10. 

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Chapter NIneteen/Sealing the Israel of God - How Many Are Sealed?

 Jesus said to those in line for this sealing: ""Have no fear little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32) Other scriptures, such as Revelation 6:11 and Romans 11:25, indicate that the number of this flock is indeed limited and, in fact, predetermined.  John's next words confirm this: "And I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of ever tribe of the sons of Israel: Out of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed: out of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed." -REVELTION 7:4-8. 

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Chapter Nineteen/Sealing of Israel of God - The Sealing of God's Slaves - Conclusion

 "Provided we suffer together"-what does this mean? In order to receive the crown of life, anointed Christians must endure, faithful even to death. (Revelation 2:10) It is not a matter of 'once saved, always saved.' (Matthew 10:22; Luke 12:34) Rather, they are admonished: "Do your utmost to make the calling and choosing of you sure for yourselves." Like the apostle Paul, ultimately they must be able to say: "I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith." (2 Peter 1:10, 11; 2 Timothy 4:7, 8) So here on earth the testing and shifting of the remaining spirit-begotten sons of God must go on until Jesus and his accompanying angels will have firmly implanted the seal in the forehead of all these, identifying them conclusively, irrevocably, as tried and faithful "slaves of our God." That seal then becomes a permanent mark. Evidently, when the four winds of tribulation are unleashed, all of spiritual Israel will have been sealed in finality, even though a few will still be alive in the flesh. (Matthew 24:13; Revelation 19:7) The entire membership will be complete! -ROMANS 11:25, 26. 

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Chapter Nineteen/Sealing of Israel of God -The Sealing of God's Slaves - Continue

 What is this sealing, and who are these slaves of God? The sealing began at Pentecost 33 C.E. when the first Jewish Christians were anointed with holy spirit. Later, God proceeded to call out and anoint "people of the nations."(Romans 3:29; Acts 2:1-4, 14, 32, 33; 15:14) The apostle Paul wrote about the anointed Christians' having a guarantee that they "belong to Christ" and added that God "has also put his seal upon us and has given us the token of what is to come, that is, the spirit, in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1:21, 22; compare Revelation 14:1) Thus, when these slaves are adopted as God's spiritual sons, they receive a token in advance of their heavenly inheritance-a seal, or pledge. (2 Corinthians 5:1, 5; Ephesians 1:10, 11) They can then say: "The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children. If then, we are children, we are also heirs; heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together." - ROMANS 8:15-17. 

Next time: Chapter Nineteen/Sealing of Israel of God - The Sealing of God's Slaves - Conclusion

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