The great multitude

They will be granted a blessing, however, but an inferior position, which will correspond to that of the Levites of old, who were not priests, but of the priestly tribe, servants to their brethren the priesthood.

No one could get into the great company class unless he first had an opportunity of being of the body of Christ.

They are still there. These we understand were pictured by the scapegoat, and constitute the great company class. In the type the high priest confessed over the scapegoat all the iniquities of Israel; and Israel here surely must represent the ecclesiastical system, which has become a world religion. This indicates that the scapegoat must share in the iniquities that come upon the system.

It is also true that many who will be of the great company class, and doubtless the greater majority, are prisoners and will not heed the message to come out from Babylon.

The office of the “great multitude” seems to mean that they have some intermediate work between the peoples of earth and The Christ, that of making the offerings of the people ready to be received by Christ, who in turn would offer them to Jehovah.

This shows that the “great multitude” cannot be recipients of the divine nature at the resurrection. The divine nature would be too intimate a privilege for them. Their course of action while on the earth is not wholly towards Jehovah, and they will not be given the “most holy” privileges in heaven. That which will doubtless cause members of the “great multitude” to weep tears of bitterness is the fact that they have brought reproach upon the name of Jehovah and have failed to have any part in the vindication of his name.

At the present time they are “prisoners of hope” because they still hope to be with the Lord. (Rom. 8: 24) This hope is expressed by the “great multitude” when they pray the prayer that is set forth by the psalmist: “Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name.’’

This blessed multitude will never go to heaven, but will inhabit the earth in peace and happiness, being regenerated unto human perfection.

That means that such “other sheep” which will make up such “great multitude” of persons of good-will toward Jehovah and his King will also come from among the natural Jews as well as from other peoples.

Thus the “great multitude” is definitely identified as being composed of persons of good-will toward Jehovah God and as the “other sheep” of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ.

The “great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues” next seen could not be of the heavenly class, for that would swell the number far beyond the foreordained 144,000.

Since 1935 one class has been decreasing in numbers on earth, while the other class has been increasing until today there are hundreds of thousands of the “great crowd” rejoicing in the hope of life on earth, while the others now number but some thousands.

Yet the “great crowd” of worshipers of Jehovah out of all nations, peoples, tribes and tongues may attend as observers.

Thus Jesus Christ as King and Commander must gather together these other sheep into a flocklike society, not in heaven but on earth.

Right now, before Armageddon, we thus behold the spectacle of a “new earth” crowd of inhabitants rapidly growing amidst a dying corrupt old world. What is the hope of this “great crowd” of sheeplike persons that come “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues” to associate with the New World society? Their hope is to live in the new world and to enjoy everlasting life on earth. They expect to survive Armageddon along with the remnant of God’s spiritual nation.

This "great crowd" is a separate and distinct group from the 144,000 spiritual Israelites, for the members of the "great crowd" come from outside the twelve tribes of the sons of spiritual Israel.

Thus all those other creatures worship the same God as the "great crowd" on earth does. They render to Him glory, thanksgiving and honor, and they confess that He is the divine Source of all blessing, wisdom, power and strength.

Neither is it said of those of the "great crowd" that "they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years." (Revelation 20:6) Hence those of the "great crowd" are not a priestly class. Why or how is it, then, that they are seen rendering sacred service "day and night in his temple"?

Revelation 7:9-17 speaks of these as coming "out of the great tribulation." Compared with the number who make up the remnant of God's "chosen ones," these baptized, dedicated Christians with an earthly hope are a "great crowd." No man today knows how many will be in this "great crowd" by the time of the "great tribulation." As to their flesh, they come out of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues.

In the spring of the year 1935 it was revealed to the anointed remnant that a numberless "great crowd" of these "other sheep" was to be taken out from this system of things before the outbreak of the "great tribulation" upon Christendom.

This beautiful vision presents the international "great crowd" as serving Jehovah in his temple, that is, in the earthly courtyards reserved for those who are not spiritual Israelites, as it were in the "courtyard of the Gentiles."

That numberless "great crowd" is not a part of the numbered 144,000 spiritual Israelites. They are not sealed in their foreheads with the "seal of the living God." They are not envisioned as standing on the heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb of God. They are not spoken of as being "bought from among mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb."

Throughout the earth a "great crowd" of God-fearing people are determined that the name shall stay alive and meaningful, even though they themselves are not spiritual Israelites.

During this "conclusion of the system of things," notably since the year 1935 C.E., this "great crowd" has been assembled and unified despite national, racial and tribal extractions.

Quite in keeping with this, the "great crowd," as foretold in Revelation 7:9-17, began forming in 1935 and associating themselves with the last members of the spirit-begotten bride class.

Members of this "great crowd" are to be preserved alive through the coming "great tribulation," yes, through the "war of the great day of God the Almighty" at Har-Magedon and will enter into a new order on a cleansed earth under the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and his 144,000 "called" ones.

Revelation, chapter 7, which deals with both the 144,000 spiritual Israelites and the "great crowd," shows that only the 144,000 are marked "in their foreheads" with that "seal" as being "the slaves of our God."

The modern-day "vast mixed company" of companions of the remnant of spiritual Israelites were pictured by the numberless "great crowd" that the apostle John saw rejoicing at Jehovah's spiritual temple.

Yes, they were identified as being the same as the "other sheep" mentioned in Jesus' parable of the Fine Shepherd.

We thus understand Revelation 7:14-17 to apply to persons who now take their stand on God's side, accept Christ's blood and survive when the present system of things ends in the "great tribulation."

Previously, John had seen in vision the heavenly group "bought for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation." (Revelation 5:9, 10) The great crowd have a similar origin but a different destiny. Unlike the Israel of God, their number is not predetermined. No man can tell in advance how many there will be. Their robes are washed white in the blood of the Lamb, symbolizing that they have a righteous standing before Jehovah by virtue of their faith in Jesus' sacrifice.

The "great crowd," who survive the "great tribulation," are not yet declared righteous for life—that is, as worthy of the right to everlasting life on earth.

These symbolic waters mean more than waters in the sense of understanding Bible truth; they mean all of God's provisions through Jesus Christ that begin even now to set the great crowd on the path to attaining to everlasting perfect life in happiness.

They still need to survive “the great tribulation” and be ‘guided to fountains of waters of life,’ for Revelation 20:5 shows that such ones will become fully alive, having perfect human life, by the end of the Thousand Year Reign of Christ.

They will be God's own people, the millions of the great crowd together with any anointed ones who may still be remaining on earth.

From all over the earth, "a great crowd" of millions now throng the precincts of Jehovah's spiritual temple as his worshipers.

The great crowd will inherit the blessings of peace here on earth during the happy Millennial Reign by Jehovah's King, Jesus Christ.

As they serve in the earthly courtyard of Jehovah's great spiritual temple, those who make up the great crowd endeavor to share regularly and consistently in the field ministry.

Today, almost five million members of the great crowd are living under the active leadership of the heavenly King Jesus Christ.

Also, the great crowd of foreigners cherish God's great undeserved kindness in granting them an earthly hope of everlasting life in Paradise.

Also, the great crowd of foreigners cherish God's great undeserved kindness in granting them an earthly hope of everlasting life in Paradise. Some of these foreigners, like the Nethinim of old, have been given privileges of oversight in assisting the holy priesthood.* (Isaiah 61:5) From among these Jesus appoints "princes in all the earth."—Psalm 45:16. 8 While they will never enter the antitypical Holy, the great crowd of foreigners learn valuable lessons from its furnishings.

For the other sheep, being declared righteous as God's friends allows them to embrace the hope of everlasting life in a paradise earth—either by surviving Armageddon as part of the great crowd or through the 'resurrection of the righteous.'

Jehovah's Witnesses make up this global society walking in God's paths. They include a growing "great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues." (Revelation 7:9) This great crowd is now made up of millions of people.

Then came the "foreigners," the great crowd, who loyally minister to their anointed brothers, following their lead in preaching the good news.

First, a "little flock" numbering 144,000 has been gathered—anointed Christians of both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds who are "the Israel of God" and have the hope of ruling with Jesus in his heavenly Kingdom. (Luke 12: 32; Galatians 6:16; Revelation 14:1) Second, in the last days, "a great crowd" of "other sheep" have manifested themselves. These have the hope of living forever on a paradise earth.

The point is that those responding and actively supporting the remnant of Christ's brothers are thereby now giving evidence that will provide a basis for them to be placed on Jesus' right hand when, in the near future, he sits down on his throne to render judgment.

Since 1935, Jehovah’s Witnesses have thus understood that the great crowd of John’s vision is made up of a group of faithful Christians who have the prospect of living forever on earth.

The apostle John saw them “standing before the throne,” in what corresponds on earth to the outer courtyard, where “they are rendering [God] sacred service day and night in his temple.”