In doing some research on the "Great Crowd" or "Great Multitude", I found some interesting Watchtower articles that brought to the fore a very thought provoking question for all Jehovahs Witneses. Please follow the paper trail.
The Watchtower of May 15,1995,p.20
18 In 1935 a bright flash of light revealed that the great crowd mentioned at Revelation 7:9-17 was not a secondary heavenly class. It had been thought that the ones mentioned in those verses were some of the anointed who had not been fully faithful and so were standing before the throne instead of sitting on thrones reigning as kings and priests with Jesus Christ. But there simply is no such thing as being partially faithful. One is either faithful or unfaithful. 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.
Please note: Watchtower identifies the "Great Crowd" the SAME as the "the sheep" of Matthew 25:31-46, and the "other sheep" of John 10:16
To sum up, the
"Great Crowd"="the sheep"="other sheep" (ALL THE SAME GROUP)
The Watchtower of Feb.15, 1995,p.8 enlightens us still further
2 Despite the latest advances of medical science, death still rules as king even today. While this is no surprise, some may have been somewhat disappointed when they finally came face-to-face with this longtime enemy. Why? Well, back in the 1920’s, the Watch Tower Society proclaimed the message "Millions now living will never die." Who would these millions be? The "sheep" spoken of in Jesus’ remarks about the sheep and the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) These sheeplike ones were prophesied to appear during the time of the end, and their hope would be everlasting life on a paradise earth. As time went by, God’s people gained a better understanding of the position of these "sheep" in Jehovah’s purposes. It was realized that these obedient ones were to be distinguished from the stubborn "goats," and after the destruction of the latter ones, the sheep would inherit the earthly realm of the Kingdom that had been prepared for them.
Please note: the "Millions now living will never die" are the SAME "sheep" spoken of at Matthew 25:31-46
To sum up, the
"Great Crowd"or "Great Multitude"="the sheep"="other sheep"="Millions now living will never die" (ALL THE SAME GROUP)
The Watchtower 1985, March 1,p.14 adds to this list:
8 However, would Jehovah "shine forth" only in behalf of the anointed ones of the ‘little flock of Kingdom heirs’? (Luke 12:32) No, for the years 1931 through 1938 proved to be a grand period of further enlightenment, as The Watch Tower began to focus clearly on another group. The study article in its issue of September 1, 1931, was entitled "MAN WITH THE WRITER’S INKHORN," this being based on Ezekiel 9:1-11. After identifying the ‘writer’ as the anointed remnant, The Watch Tower made this comment:
9 "The commandment is given to put a ‘mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry, for all the abominations that be done in the midst’ of Christendom. . . . The Lord tells of a class of persons whom he will ‘deliver in a time of trouble and keep alive and bless upon the earth.’ (Ps. 41:1, 2) This must be the class of persons that are often described as ‘the millions now living that will never die’." Today, it is thrilling actually to see millions of these being marked for preservation, as they put on the true Christian personality, in a dedicated relationship to Jehovah through Christ Jesus.—Genesis 22:15-18; Zephaniah 2:1-3; Ephesians 4:24.
Please note: The "millions being marked for preservation" are the SAME as the "Millions now living that will never die"
To sum up:
the "Great Crowd"or "Great Multitude"="the sheep"="other sheep"="Millions now living will never die"="millions being marked for preservation" (ALL THE SAME GROUP )
The Revelation,It's Grand Climax at Hand book p.120 par.4
4 Some years later, in 1931, Vindication, Book One, discussed Ezekiel chapter 9, identifying those persons marked on the forehead for preservation at the world’s end as the sheep of the above parable. Vindication, Book Three, released in 1932, described the upright heart attitude of the non-Israelite man Jehonadab, who joined Israel’s anointed King Jehu in his chariot and went along to see Jehu’s zeal in executing false religionists. (2 Kings 10:15-17) The book commented: "Jehonadab represented or foreshadowed that class of people now on the earth during the time that the Jehu work [of declaring Jehovah’s judgments] is in progress who are of good will, are out of harmony with Satan’s organization, who take their stand on the side of righteousness, and are the ones whom the Lord will preserve during the time of Armageddon, take them through that trouble, and give them everlasting life on the earth. These constitute the ‘sheep’ class." In 1934 The Watchtower made it clear that these Christians with earthly hopes should make a dedication to Jehovah and be baptized. The light regarding this earthly class was shining ever brighter.—Proverbs 4:18.
Please note: the "Jehonadab" are the SAME as the "sheep"
To sum up: the "Great Crowd"or "Great Multitude"= "the sheep"="other sheep"="Millions now living will never die"="Millions being marked for preservation"="Jehonadabs" (ALL THE SAME GROUP )
The Watchtower of March 1,1985 p.14 Rutherford pretty well summed it all up:
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.
(ALL THESE CLASSES ARE THE SAME GROUP WITH DIFFERENT NAMES)
As you can see from the following, the Society thought they had it right:
Watchtower 1986,May 15,p.14
17 Thus, in 1923 Jesus’ great prophecy about the sheep and the goats was properly understood, and it was discerned that the whole world was under judgment. (Matthew 25:31-46)
Watchtower 1938,Feb 1,p.35
"The Lord revealed to his people the meaning of the parable of the sheep and the goats, showing how the 'sheep' only would be spared by Jehovah when his wrath is expressed at Armageddon. All this information came not from or by man, but by the Lord God..."
Then along came the Watchtower of 1995, Oct 15,p.18 par.22-26 and completely devastated all of the above, along with all the rest of the interpretations on this subject for the pryer 60 years.
22 Does this parable apply when Jesus sat down in kingly power in 1914, as we have long understood? Well, Matthew 25:34 does speak of him as King, so the parable logically finds application since Jesus became King in 1914. But what judging did he do soon thereafter? It was not a judging of "all the nations." Rather, he turned his attention to those claiming to make up "the house of God." (1 Peter 4:17) In line with Malachi 3:1-3, Jesus, as Jehovah’s messenger, judicially inspected the anointed Christians remaining on earth. It was also time for judicial sentence on Christendom, who falsely claimed to be "the house of God." (Revelation 17:1, 2; 18:4-8) Yet nothing indicates that at that time, or for that matter since, Jesus sat to judge people of all the nations finally as sheep or goats.
23 If we analyze Jesus’ activity in the parable, we observe him finally judging all the nations. The parable does not show that such judging would continue over an extended period of many years, as if every person dying during these past decades were judged worthy of everlasting death or everlasting life. It seems that the majority who have died in recent decades have gone to mankind’s common grave. (Revelation 6:8; 20:13) The parable, though, depicts the time when Jesus judges the people of "all the nations" who are then alive and facing the execution of his judicial sentence.
24 In other words, the
parable points to the future when the Son of man will come in his glory. He will sit down to judge people then living. His judgment will be based on what they have manifested themselves to be. At that time "the distinction between a righteous one and a wicked one" will have been clearly established. (Malachi 3:18) The actual pronouncing and executing of judgment will be carried out in a limited time. Jesus will render just decisions based on what has become evident about individuals.—See also 2 Corinthians 5:10.25 This means, then, that Jesus’ ‘sitting down on his glorious throne’ for judgment, mentioned at Matthew 25:31, applies to the future point when this powerful King will sit down to pronounce and execute judgment on the nations. Yes, the judgment scene that involves Jesus at Matthew 25:31-33, 46 is comparable to the scene in Daniel chapter 7, where the reigning King, the Ancient of Days, sat down to carry out his role as Judge.
26 Understanding the parable of the sheep and the goats in this way indicates that the rendering of judgment on the sheep and the goats is future. It will take place after "the tribulation" mentioned at Matthew 24:29, 30 breaks out and the Son of man ‘arrives in his glory.’ (Compare Mark 13:24-26.) Then, with the entire wicked system at its end, Jesus will hold court and render and execute judgment.—John 5:30; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.
27 This clarifies our understanding of the timing of Jesus’ parable, which shows when the sheep and the goats will be judged. But how does it affect us who are zealously preaching the Kingdom good news? (Matthew 24:14) Does it make our work less significant, or does it bring a greater weight of responsibility? Let us see in the next article how we are affected.
This issue of the Watchtower in 1995 completely pulled the foundation out from under their house of interpretations about the sheep, Great Crowd, Millions never dying,Millions being marked in the forehead, Jehonadab class, and every other class that is tied to the "sheep" that have NOT been identified or separated in the past, present, but according to this article in 1995 will be a future event.
The Big Question is, If the Great Crowd,Great Multitude, sheep, other sheep, Millions that never die, Millions who are marked, Jehonadabs, are (ALL DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THE SAME GROUP) as shown above, and the SHEEP have NOT been indentified, or separated,or judged, then How can any Jehovah's Witness say they have a scriptural foundation to be a part of any of the many groups mentioned that are the SAME thing as the SHEEP? Think about it!!!
ROCKHOUND