Continuing with our review of what we have leaned thus far in this study on who the Great Company is and if the Jehovah’s Witnesses fit the bill, we move on to point number,
7) As was stated in our previous post, we have a class here of consecrated individuals (spirit begotten) all of whom the Scriptures designate as “virgins”, pure ones. These virgins are divided into two classes the “wise” and the “foolish”, the foolish unfortunately felling to abide in their Lord have thus felled to produce the proper fruits of the spirit, this no doubt due to the fact that they lacked sufficient “oil” in their vessels, (i.e., the holy spirit or holy disposition in them, Matt 25:8).
Remember the Holy Spirit, the holy anointing oil comes to us by means of our association in the body of Christ as was pictured in the type the holy anointing oil was pour upon the head of the High Priest and then ran down his body even unto the skirts of his garments (Psa 133:2), thus representing how all the members of Christ’s body are to be partakers of the same anointing after their head. “The anointing which you have received of him abides in you.” (1 John 2:27)
“The anointing oil was poured only upon the head of the High Priest. The under-priests were not anointed individually. They were recognized as members of the high priest’s body, and received their anointing only in him as their head, hence also the antitypical priest are merely partakers of the Spirit of Christ, and only those who are in Christ Jesus are partakers of the anointing which seal’s all those who will be recognized as the heirs of God’s promises, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ their Lord.” Eph 1:13, 14; 4:30 (T 37)
“Without me you can do nothing”, you cannot accomplish anything, you cannot bear the proper fruit (John 15:5), you cannot overcome. Apart from the vine drawing its sap, the Holy Spirit your efforts will be in vain. "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even your faith," (1 John 5:4) faith in me. “Abide in Me and I in you”
As to the outcome of such the Scriptures hold out two possibilities, they will either procure the necessary “oil” in and through the lessons learned through necessary experiences (fire, great tribulation, trouble, and trial) or they will be destroyed by that fire, suffering second death.
And now the first of our last two questions,
Many are called few are chosen, and fewer still are called, chosen and proved faithful, what does this imply?
“Many are called”, as there is but the one calling open at this present time, we must therefore conclude that the “many” called are in reference to those who have received the call. As for being “chosen” (Greek: elected) that is up to the Father alone as to whether or not he accepts ones consecration. Although we know that God would never call any who were not fully capable of making their calling and election sure nevertheless many are not chosen (elected) simply because they lack the necessary character traits prerequisite to the calling, namely humility, honesty, meekness, these qualities insure that one would be receptive of any necessary corrections whether in word or deed (for we are all in need of correction) that the Lord deemed necessary to conform us into the image of his dear Son, our Lord and Master, and so "Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble, hath God chosen (elected)" (1 Cor 1:26) but rather has he chosen the base things, the lowly, the meek and humble who are well aware of their deficiencies and short comings.
And even though we may be counted as among the many who have received the call and subsequently been chosen, i.e., elected, this does not in itself ensure that we are of the class who are to be "with the Lamb;" for they that are with him are called, chosen, AND faithful," (Rev 17:14) that is they have made their calling and election sure. “It is not sufficient that we should be chosen and accepted of the Lord to a membership in the elect Church--we must stand testing to prove our worthiness of that position.” NS372:2
So, what have we learn thus far in this study?
Well we have a rather large group of individuals who have all presented (consecrated) themselves before the Lord in sacrifice, who have all received the spirit of adoption (the anointing), who have all been begotten again to a new nature (a spirit nature) thus forfeiting all claims to any earthly inheritance, we have likewise found that of these “many” individuals who were “called” only a “few” of them, a “little flock” are “proved faithful”, thus only a small percentage of these individual’s will become priest, the vast majority of these a (“great company”) failing to make their calling and election sure having missed the prize for which they were called will be relegated to a servant class of the priest even as the typical Levites served the priesthood.
Since they have all been begotten to a new nature, a spirit nature they will not dwell here on earth amongst the rest of mankind, but rather as the Lord has promised “In My Father’s house are many MANSIONS (many dwellings or plains of existence) …” one will be appointed for these, (though on a much lower plain than the “little flock” of over-comers) The thought is, based on the Scriptures, specifically the teachings of Ezekiel’s Temple which is a picture of the kingdom once fully established is that they will reside on a similar plain of existence as that of the angels.
Thus, in conclusion (that is in respects to what we have learn thus far) our JW friends’ assumption that they are the “Great Company” is baseless, un-scriptural it is merely the vein imaginings of men in an effort to promote a certain religious class or organization of individuals.
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isa 8:20)
In our next post we will examine the final fact which we believe proves that our JW friends are not the great company they suppose, a great company or “bundle” (Matt 13:30) yes, but not THE great company mention in Rev 7.
7) As was stated in our previous post, we have a class here of consecrated individuals (spirit begotten) all of whom the Scriptures designate as “virgins”, pure ones. These virgins are divided into two classes the “wise” and the “foolish”, the foolish unfortunately felling to abide in their Lord have thus felled to produce the proper fruits of the spirit, this no doubt due to the fact that they lacked sufficient “oil” in their vessels, (i.e., the holy spirit or holy disposition in them, Matt 25:8).
Remember the Holy Spirit, the holy anointing oil comes to us by means of our association in the body of Christ as was pictured in the type the holy anointing oil was pour upon the head of the High Priest and then ran down his body even unto the skirts of his garments (Psa 133:2), thus representing how all the members of Christ’s body are to be partakers of the same anointing after their head. “The anointing which you have received of him abides in you.” (1 John 2:27)
“The anointing oil was poured only upon the head of the High Priest. The under-priests were not anointed individually. They were recognized as members of the high priest’s body, and received their anointing only in him as their head, hence also the antitypical priest are merely partakers of the Spirit of Christ, and only those who are in Christ Jesus are partakers of the anointing which seal’s all those who will be recognized as the heirs of God’s promises, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ their Lord.” Eph 1:13, 14; 4:30 (T 37)
“Without me you can do nothing”, you cannot accomplish anything, you cannot bear the proper fruit (John 15:5), you cannot overcome. Apart from the vine drawing its sap, the Holy Spirit your efforts will be in vain. "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even your faith," (1 John 5:4) faith in me. “Abide in Me and I in you”
As to the outcome of such the Scriptures hold out two possibilities, they will either procure the necessary “oil” in and through the lessons learned through necessary experiences (fire, great tribulation, trouble, and trial) or they will be destroyed by that fire, suffering second death.
And now the first of our last two questions,
Many are called few are chosen, and fewer still are called, chosen and proved faithful, what does this imply?
“Many are called”, as there is but the one calling open at this present time, we must therefore conclude that the “many” called are in reference to those who have received the call. As for being “chosen” (Greek: elected) that is up to the Father alone as to whether or not he accepts ones consecration. Although we know that God would never call any who were not fully capable of making their calling and election sure nevertheless many are not chosen (elected) simply because they lack the necessary character traits prerequisite to the calling, namely humility, honesty, meekness, these qualities insure that one would be receptive of any necessary corrections whether in word or deed (for we are all in need of correction) that the Lord deemed necessary to conform us into the image of his dear Son, our Lord and Master, and so "Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble, hath God chosen (elected)" (1 Cor 1:26) but rather has he chosen the base things, the lowly, the meek and humble who are well aware of their deficiencies and short comings.
And even though we may be counted as among the many who have received the call and subsequently been chosen, i.e., elected, this does not in itself ensure that we are of the class who are to be "with the Lamb;" for they that are with him are called, chosen, AND faithful," (Rev 17:14) that is they have made their calling and election sure. “It is not sufficient that we should be chosen and accepted of the Lord to a membership in the elect Church--we must stand testing to prove our worthiness of that position.” NS372:2
So, what have we learn thus far in this study?
Well we have a rather large group of individuals who have all presented (consecrated) themselves before the Lord in sacrifice, who have all received the spirit of adoption (the anointing), who have all been begotten again to a new nature (a spirit nature) thus forfeiting all claims to any earthly inheritance, we have likewise found that of these “many” individuals who were “called” only a “few” of them, a “little flock” are “proved faithful”, thus only a small percentage of these individual’s will become priest, the vast majority of these a (“great company”) failing to make their calling and election sure having missed the prize for which they were called will be relegated to a servant class of the priest even as the typical Levites served the priesthood.
Since they have all been begotten to a new nature, a spirit nature they will not dwell here on earth amongst the rest of mankind, but rather as the Lord has promised “In My Father’s house are many MANSIONS (many dwellings or plains of existence) …” one will be appointed for these, (though on a much lower plain than the “little flock” of over-comers) The thought is, based on the Scriptures, specifically the teachings of Ezekiel’s Temple which is a picture of the kingdom once fully established is that they will reside on a similar plain of existence as that of the angels.
Thus, in conclusion (that is in respects to what we have learn thus far) our JW friends’ assumption that they are the “Great Company” is baseless, un-scriptural it is merely the vein imaginings of men in an effort to promote a certain religious class or organization of individuals.
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isa 8:20)
In our next post we will examine the final fact which we believe proves that our JW friends are not the great company they suppose, a great company or “bundle” (Matt 13:30) yes, but not THE great company mention in Rev 7.
