White stone

To be Jehovah’s witnesses means that the anointed ones have received ‘the white stone with the new name written therein’, and discloses a blessed relationship enjoyed by the remnant with Jehovah and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rev. 2:17; 3:12) By giving his people a new name Jehovah has branded his people so that there can be no mistake as to their identity. These will henceforth stand out separate and distinct from all professed followers of Christ Jesus. Every one who really loves God must be his witness; and to be the witness of Jehovah means to serve the notice of Jehovah upon Christendom of his purpose to destroy her, and also the message declaring Jehovah’s kingdom and the vindication of his holy name.

In view of the above facts, be it resolved that we, heretofore known as International Bible Students, assembled in convention at Detroit, Michigan, on this second day of August, 1931, unanimously adopt and confirm the resolution passed at the Columbus convention, to wit: That henceforth we shall be known as Jehovah’s witnesses, a name which we recognize as coming from Jehovah God, as pointed out in the Scriptures, through his great chief executive officer, Christ Jesus our Lord. — Isa. 43: 10.

Heretofore God’s faithful people have been known by divers names, but the time has come when the mouth of Jehovah gives to his people a new name, that there can be no misunderstanding as to whom they represent. To his faithful witnesses who keep his commandments and bear the testimony of Jesus Christ, Jehovah says: “Ye are my witnesses . . . that I am God.” Therefore the name bestowed upon his faithful ones is “Jehovah’s witnesses”. Often Jehovah has used his devoted people to fulfil certain portions of his prophecies, and then later revealed to them that they have been so used. It was in 1918 that the Lord Jesus began judgment at the temple of God. From that time forward the approved ones were brought into the temple and made the witnesses of Jehovah. It was at that time that the new name was given by Jehovah to his anointed ones, and all those who have been brought into the temple and under the robe of righteousness have received that name, “Jehovah’s witnesses.” It was not until 1931, however, that Jehovah God made known to his people that he had thus named them.

Jesus said to those who had overcome the organization of Satan and taken their stand for Jehovah and wholly and unselfishly devoted themselves henceforth to Jehovah: ‘I will give you a white stone, and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it.’ (Rev. 2:17) The Scriptural argument in support of the resolution at its adoption called attention to the fact that the “white stone” is not given to individuals, but is given to the “faithful and wise servant” class collectively as a class, and is a token of Jehovah’s approval and the designation of such class as his official representatives on earth. (The Watchtower, 1931, page 294) Jehovah honors this servant class by bestowing upon him or it the new name. No individuals are singled out and given a preferential place, but all together the remnant constitute the servant, that is, Jehovah’s witnesses, to declare his name in the earth.

That time is now here and which time began immediately following the coming of Christ Jesus to the temple of Jehovah and the gathering unto himself of his faithful followers. These faithful ones, the remnant, were then brought into the temple, anointed and commissioned as the witnesses of Jehovah, and must act at this very time. These are the ones to whom Christ Jesus the King and chief officer of Jehovah says: “I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city [organization] of my God, . . . and . . . my new name.” (Rev. 3: 12) Thus it is proved that upon the faithful remnant God has placed his name. It is to this same faithful remnant class that Jesus says: “I . . . will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written.” (Rev. 2: 17) It is this same class that Jehovah addresses when he says: “Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall name.”—Isa. 62: 2, A.R.V.

31 The name “Jehovah’s witnesses” applies specifically to God’s anointed ones who have been taken out of the world and made witnesses for Jehovah, and these alone bear the new name. The Jonadab class are of those who ‘hear’ the message of truth and who must say to those in their hearing: “Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17) Those of the Jonadab class must go along with those who are of the antitypical Jehu company, that is, the anointed, and announce the message of the kingdom, even though they are not the anointed witnesses of Jehovah.

The true class take a firm stand against every part of Satan’s organization and declare themselves emphatically on the side of the Lord. Then the Lord, addressing his words to the faithful class, says: “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”—Rev. 2:17. The only other place in the Bible in which the Greek word here translated “white stone” appears is in Acts 26:10, where Paul in effect says: “I gave my voice [vote] against them”; and he gave his vote by means of a stone or pebble, which was a symbol of authority or privilege to vote. Upon the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple of God and finding a class faithful he speaks of such collectively as the “faithful and wise servant”. These are not addressed individually, but as a class. The “white stone” is not given individually, but to the faithful servant class.

The new name is written in the stone, meaning that such is the class receiving God’s vote or approval, and upon whom he confers the great privilege of bearing this name and having a clear understanding of Jehovah and his purposes. There is thereby established a confidential relationship between the faithful class and Jehovah, and these are given the privilege of understanding the purpose of Jehovah and communicating the same to the people. Therefore there is a close correspondency or relation between the “white stone” and the Urim used by the high priest. (Num. 27:21; Neh. 7:65) It is only the priestly class, taken out and approved, that now enjoy the blessed privilege of having an appreciation of the meaning of Jehovah’s name, and of bearing the “new name”, to wit, “Jehovah’s witnesses.”—Isa. 43:10-12; 62: 2; 65: 15.

Continuing with the genealogy of Jahaziel it is written that he was a descendant of Jeiel, which latter name means “carried away of God”, probably meaning or referring to the sweeping away of the refuge of lies (Isa. 28:17); and he was “the son of Mattaniah”, which name means “gift of Jehovah”, as at Revelation 2:17 it is written: “To him that overcometh will I give ... a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth [before 1931; until after the Lord revealed the new name to his people] saving [first] he [the faithful remnant] that receiveth it”; and is also illustrated or pictured by the Lord’s giving to the workers in the vineyard their wage.—Matt. 20: 8.

he unfaithful whom Christ Jesus classified as the “evil servant” class say, “We are Jews”; but the Lord says they are members of Satan’s organization; and He knows. (Rev. 3:9; 2:9) Jehovah has put his name upon his anointed ones, and therefore the “ten men” who take hold on them means all persons of earth who honestly seek the truth and who will not be misled in determining who is “The Jew”. They will know it is Christ, that is, Christ Jesus and his anointed body members. (Isa. 62:2; 65:15; Rev. 2:17) These persons of good will are now saying to the feet members of Christ, the “Jew”, in the language of the prophecy: ‘We are with you’; meaning we are supporting Jehovah’s witnesses and we are for the kingdom. Today Jehovah’s witnesses, in obedience to his commandments, are taking the lead, and the Jonadab class follow and are thus getting into the Lord’s “chariot” or organization, as Jonadab got into Jehu’s chariot.

The anointed of the Lord had received at the hands of the Most High their "new name” (Isa. 62:2; Rev. 2:17), and now as Jehovah’s duly accredited servants and witnesses they would push forward in the witness work with greater zeal than ever before.

The original name of Joshua was Hoshea or Oshea. (Deut. 32:44, margin) Moses, as the representative of the Lord God, had given Joshua a new name, to wit, “Joshua,” which means “Jehovah the Savior”. (Num. 13:8,16) That “new name” was given to Joshua at the time Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan. The change of name shows that Joshua would magnify and celebrate the name of Jehovah God. Likewise Jehovah’s people, the faithful followers of Jesus Christ, originally known at times as “Bible Students”, received the “new name”, Jehovah’s witnesses, and they must magnify the name of Jehovah God. (Rev. 2:17; Isa. 62:2; 65:15) At Acts 7:45 and at Hebrews 4:8 the name Jesus is used instead of Joshua, Jesus being the name in Greek and Joshua the name in Hebrew. The father of Joshua was named Nun, and that name means “perpetuity”.

“To pollute [or defile] the sanctuary of strength" is to oppose the Theocracy, to reproach the name of the great Theocrat and his King, and to persecute the remnant now on the earth, namely, Jehovah’s witnesses, who represent and proclaim The Theocratic Government. It was in 1931 that the faithful servants of God on the earth learned that the name of Jehovah was called upon the remnant. (Isa. 62:2; 43:10-12; Rev. 2:17) Since then in particular “the king of the north” has attempted to suppress the witness work and to destroy the witnesses who proclaim the name of Jehovah and his Theocratic Government by Christ Jesus, and who tell the people that The Theocracy is the real hope of the world.

Upon this remnant The Most High God has bestowed a “new name”, to wit, “Jehovah’s witnesses,” thus showing them to be a “people for his name”. (Read Isaiah 62:2; Revelation 2:17; and Acts 15:14.) The blood on the door entrances would therefore picture that the new covenant has been inaugurated toward the remnant and that hence they must be faithful to the “new name” which Jehovah has given them, and hence must continue to faithfully bear testimony to his name.

The "new name written" on each stone, is it a new personal, individual name that all others of the group of 144,000 will never learn to know? Will it entitle the pebble holder to a special individual relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ that none of the others in the group of 144,000 will enjoy? Not likely! Rather, this "new name" may stand for a name that is new to them but that will be common to them all but unknown to all other creatures in heaven and earth. So the "new name" written on the "white pebble" may mean sharing together the newly bestowed heavenly name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This harmonizes with the message that he gave to the faithful congregation in Philadelphia, in which he says: "The one that conquers . . . I will write upon him . . . that new name of mine." (Revelation 3:12) And after the seventh angel blows his trumpet and certain tableaus appear, the apostle John says: "I saw, and, look! the Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads." (Revelation 11:15; 14:1) Finally, after the seventh angel pours out his bowl of God's wrath and certain other tableaus follow, John says that he saw the heavenly Lord Jesus Christ riding to the "war of the great day of God the Almighty" at Armageddon, and he notes this feature about him: "Upon his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows but he himself."—Revelation 16:17; 19:11, 12. Since, now, the 144,000 receivers of the "white pebble" with the "new name" written thereon are to be joint heirs with Christ as well as his "wife," the "new name" on the symbolic "white pebble" may mean their sharing in common certain intimate privileges with their heavenly Bridegroom in connection with his own name. But whichever thing it actually is, it is sure to be a 'good name,' one that "is to be chosen rather than abundant riches," and "better than good oil." (Proverbs 22:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1) It is a worthy prize for all of the 144,000 anointed conquerors.