Why did Jesus address his followers as a Little Flock?
It is pretty well common knowledge today, that the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society's teaching is, that this 'little Flock' referred to by Jesus, was the entire 144,000 selected from this earth, by Jehovah, for offices as King Priests; to rule with the Christ for the Thousand year period. [Revelation 5:9,10;20:4]
Now logically, is 144,000 a little flock? Now anyone who is able to reason logically, and sensibly, 144,000 is quite a large number to be reffered to as a 'Little Flock.' To me, at least, that sounds a little silly, to say the least.
One needs only to delve deeply into this subject to learn, the Watchtowers interpretation of this scripture is seriously flawed; and I will go on to show exactly why that is.
The scripture in question is worded thusly: "Have no fear, little Flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom." [Luke 12:32]
It is interesting to note, that when the Christ instituted the memorial of his death, only the Twelve Apostles were with him in that room; none other of the heavenly calling was present with him at that time. Proof of that is found in these following three scriptures: [Matthew 26:20-28] [Mark 14:17-25] [Luke 22:14-30]
Now, was you to have read those three scriptures through from beginning to end, you will see I have backed up what I have stated with scriptural proof, that cannot be argued.
Getting to the reason for calling them a little flock; it should be considered that only the Twelve Apostles was referred to as 12 foundation Stones, with the Christ the head of the corner. So they were the foundation of Jehovah's new spiritual building, and none of the other of the heavenly calling were any part of that foundation; it took only the Twelve to form it.
Paul gives us a description of this new spiritual building in the following words: "Certainly, therefore, you are no longer strangers and alien residents, but you are fellow citizens of the Holy Ones and are members of the household of God , and you have been built up upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while Christ Jesus himself is the foundation cornerstone. In union with him you, too, are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by Spirit." [Ephesians 2:19-22] So, from that we see, that it was only the Twelve Apostles that Jesus referred to as a little flock, as it says about other members of the heavenly calling; 'you too have been built upon the foundation of the Apostles, and prophets... together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit.' They was too, 'members of the household of God.' [Ephesians 2:19-22
This is why Paul could say the following, about the heavenly calling: "What! Do you not know that the body of you people is the [Temple] of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? Also you do not belong to yourselves, for you were bought with a price. By all means, glorify God in the body of you people." [1 Corinthians 6:19; 3:16,17] "Do you not know that you people are God's Temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the Temple of God, God will destroy him; for the Temple of God is Holy,
which Temple you people are."
So, one needs to walk very cautiously while around these true people of God; being very careful in the way that you may speak to them, or treat them, because Jehovah is watching over these ones very carefully; and will not take kindly any cruel treatment that might be dealt them. [Matthew 25:31-46]
Something that Religious Cristendom, nor the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society is aware of, is, that none of them should partake of the emblems in celebration of the memorial of the death of Christ; that celebration was meant only for the 12 Apostles; we will remember that only the Twelve were in the room when Christ instituted the memorial of his death; the covenant was made only with them; they was the ones who would, 'eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on Thrones judging the Twelve tribes of Israel.' [Luke 22:28-30]
Paul made that very clear, because certain ones was partaking of the emblems, but not approving themselves after scrutiny, then after doing that, and realizing they was not of the foundation, as the Twelve, they were not supposed to partake of that celebration. Notice what Paul told them, and remember he was talking to those of the heavenly calling, when he said: "Consequently whoever eats the loaf or drinks the cup of the lord unworthily will be guilty respecting the body and the blood of the lord. First let a man approve himself after scrutiny, and thus let him eat of the loaf and drink of the cup. For he that eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment against himself if he does not discern the body. That is why many among you are weak and sickly, and quite a few are sleeping in death. But if we would discern what we ourselves are, we would not be judged "... [1 Corinthians 11:28-31]
They obviously, were not discerning, that they was not one of the twelve foundation stones; because only those of the Twelve could approve themselves after scrutiny, and most certainly they could partake of the emblems without being judged, after doing that; the reason being, they was the ones with the Christ when he instituted the memorial of his death; who was clearly told by the Christ: "However, you are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant WITH YOU, just as my Father has made a covenant with me for a kingdom that YOU [the little flock] may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel." [Luke 22:28-30]
One might wonder, since there was only 'one body,' what was there to discern before eating and drinking? [Ephesians 4:4-6] They was all of the heavenly calling; so what was it they had to discern? That was the simple fact, that they was not all foundation stones; not of the little flock; with their names written in the heavens in a very special way. Note these next words: "The wall of the City also had Twelve Foundation Stones, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb." [Revelation 21:14]
So, the little flock that Jesus referred to was not the entire 144,000; it was merely his Twelve Apostles, and I feel it safe to say, everyone will agree that Twelves is a small number as opposed to 144,000. Or, if you will, A Little Flock!"
One other scripture that is a bone of contention are Jesus words at John 10:16 where we find Jesus telling us this: "And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; [not of the little flock]those also I must bring, and they wlll listen to my voice, they will become one flock, [under] the one shepherd." [John 10:16] You will notice, Jesus never said, that there would be two flocks under the one shepherd, one earthly, one heavenly; Jesus was drawing a line of demarcation between the Twelve Apostles, the foundation stones, and all the other members of the heavenly calling; who was not of that fold, not foundation stones. Now, did it really take a rocket scientist to figure that one out?
When a Religious Organization, such as the Watchtower Society, establishes a 130 year record of failed predictions and false prophecies, while telling us that they are Jehovah's Spirit directed organization; is it any wonder they do not understand the words of Jesus? Because , quite clearly they do not!
I should add in summary, how long they was to celebrate the memorial of the death of Christ; Paul tells us: "For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the lord until he arrives." The disciples of Christ had asked him: "What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the system of things?" Those words of course are a dual prophecy, on the one hand, they were looking to the end of the Jewish system of things, on the other, it has application also to the complete end of our own system of things. But they were to continue taking the emblems until the Christ arrived at the end of their system of things; which occured in 70AD when general Titus leading the roman Army attacked the City of Jerusalem as foretold by Jesus; tearing up ten miles of forest land to build a wall of pointed stakes all around the city of Jerusalem. {1 Corinthians 10:11] He slaughtered one million Jews who had failed to heed the words of Jesus when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by encamped Armies to flee that city. [Luke 19:41-44; 21:20-24]
The Roman General, Cestius Gallus, in 66 AD made a thrust up to the Temple wall but was driven back by the Jews manning the wall; Gallus losing 6,000 of his Troops in the retreat. That gave the Jews inside the Walls of Jerusalem the opportunity to flee into the mountains, as Jesus had warned them; those that failed to heed the warning given by Jesus paid with their lives when the Roman General, Titus attacked Jerusalem four years later, in 70AD tearing up ten miles of forest land to build that wall of pointed stakes foretold by Jesus; distressing them from every side. When Titus was through, one million Jews was put to the sword, and not a stone was left upon a stone of the Jewish Temple; exactly as Jesus had prophesied, it all came true. As it will on our system of things!
Now we know, that Jesus never came as Jehovah's authorized reigning King in the first century; that event was reserved for the complete end of our system of things; the way that he did come though was being Jehovah's appointed judge, and prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem, and having it all come true just exactly as Jesus had prophesied, in that manner he had come, or arrived. Recall they was to partake of the emblems until he arrived, at the conclusion of the Jewish system of things; notice the words of Paul respecting that: "Now these things went on befalling them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the system of things has arrived." [ 1Corinthians 10:11] So the time for the judgment of the house of God to begin; as mentioned by the Apostle Peter: "For it is the appointed time for the judgment to start with the house of God. Now if it starts first with us, what will the end be of those who are not obedient to the good news of God."] and if the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, where will the unGodly [Man] and the sinner make a showing?" [1Peter 4:17]
Concerning the Judging as done by the Christ, we read: "For the Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son." So the judgment passed on the Israelite Nation, came at the arrival of the Christ, at the conclusion of the Jewish System of things, that arrival shown by the fulfillment of all the words of Jesus against the Nation of Israel. [John 5:22]
Bringing it down to our own day, we know the chosen ones would be on this earth, because they were mentioned by Jesus when he gave the composite sign of his coming, at Matthew 24:24.
The Apostle John in his Revelation mentions the final calling, choosing, and sealing, of a remnant of the seed of the heavenly woman, sealed just prior to the outbreak of the great tribulation, so, very probably none of them even knew they was of the heavenly calling, up to that point in time, and in, that, the great tribulation had to be cut short to save their lives, none of them would have ever observed the memorial of the death of Christ, not themselves belonging to any organized religion on this earth; in the sense that they themselves was organized as an organization that belonged to Jehovah. They would know that Jehovah's Organization is now a heavenly organization, with the Christ directing all of its affairs by means of the Holy Spirit now in his hands ever since his ascension; from the heavenly spirit realn. [Acts 2:33] It's true they might have been seated in the pews of Babylon the great, the empire of false religion, but Jehovah would draw them out of there to his Son, so that they could gain free approach to him through his son. [John 14:6;6:44] [Revelation 18:4] [Revelation 7:1-4;12:17] [Matthew 24:21,22]
But only being sealed for heavenly life, just prior to the outbreak of the great tribulation, how much would they have known about taking those emblems? Very probably, some, who may have applied themselves vigourously at study of God's word, would very probably have known enough not to touch those emblems, realizing that they themselves was not part of the foundation stones, not of the little flock. so not wanting to receive judgment to themselves would never have touched those emblems, as did, and does, religious christendom, on a regular basis, and the governing body of the watchtower society, once every year. Some would know better than to do that. Others may have come along more slowly at taking in knowledge, but Jesus in control of the true teaching instrument, the holy spirit, would be sure to enlighten them on the taking of the emblems, so that they too would refrain from taking such a course as that, in time.
Religious Christendom, as Well as the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses and their followers, have been without knowing it, eating and drinking judgment against themselves, by taking the emblems meant only for the little flock of Jesus followers; the twelve foundation stones of God's new building; none of them being of that particular body of believers. A heavy price will be exacted for that presumptuos action, when the due time comes, and, it will surely come! Make no mistake about that!
Writer: William James Parker
e-mail - [email protected]