The LOST SHEEP and The OTHER SHEEP: Who Are they?
Jesus said, in John 10:16 “other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16 NKJV)
Let us note the cogent points in Jesus statements:
1- I have other Sheep which are not of this fold
2- There will be one flock
3- One Shepherd
The above statement show there were two flocks of sheep and these will become one flock and under one shepherd. Prophet Isaiah identified the natural Jews as a covenant people and a light to the Gentiles. (Isaiah 42:6 NKJV)
However the Watchtower organization teach a different doctrine of two classes of Hope
“Consequently, those of the great crowd expect to remain on earth forever and to share in bringing it to a Paradise state. ” Watchtower 1980 Aug 15 p.17
The Watchtower Society use this Scripture to support the two classes doctrine of Little Flock going to Heaven,while The Great Crowd will live on Earth. Neglecting Jesus statement that “There will be one flock and one shepherd.
The Watchtower other sheep (John 10:7-9, 16) was linked to the great crowd who will form the citizen or subject of God,s Kingdom here on Earth. While the little flock (Luke 12:32) was linked to the Book of Revelation 7:4 with limited number of 144,000.
An invented term was: The Other sheep of great Crowd and little flock of 144,000 was introduced.
The current Watchtower concept of Jesus followers having two hopes is at odds with the Bible teaching of the Other Sheep becoming “one flock.”
The problem we need to solve here is the identity of the lost sheep and the other sheep.
The question is who are the primary or the lost sheep?
Jesus answered this question in Matthew 10:6 These twelve Jesus sent forth, giving them these orders: “Do not go off into the road of the nations, and do not enter into a Sa·mar´i·tan city;
6 but, instead, go continually to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Also Read Mathew 15:24
Who are the primary or lost sheep? The natural Jews.
What is the identity of the other sheep that Jesus must also bring?
Then who are the other sheep in John 10:16?
Let us read Matthew 10:5
Then who are these other sheep?
Acts 15:7-9 God put no difference between the JEWS AND THE GENTILE
Jehovah gave the nations the Holy Spirit like the Jews without distinction.
So the Gentiles and Jews become one flock under One Shepherd.
If the lost sheep are the Jews and the other sheep are the Gentile Nations how many flock would they become ? How Many shepherd would the have? One flock and one shepherd.
Again The Watchtower Society uses Luke 12:32 and joined it to Revelation 14:3
To form the doctrine of “The Little Flock of 144,000″
If you compare the Jews to the rest of the Gentile Nations which one can be called Little Flock in Luke 12:32? The natural Jews.
= One flock.= Under One Shepherd
First Sheep + the Other Sheep = One Flock under One Shepherd
Matthew 15:24 + John 10: 16 = 16b
Luke 12:32
Have no fear Little Flock =because your father has given you the “the Kingdom”.
Apostle Paul asked in
Roman 11:I ask, then, God did not reject his people, did he? Never may that happen! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he first recognized. Why, do YOU not know what the Scripture says in connection with E·li´jah, as he pleads with God against Israel?
Who are the little flocks? When compared to the nations?
Act 15:7 Now when much disputing had taken place, Peter rose and said to them: “Men, brothers, YOU well know that from early days God made the choice among YOU that through my mouth people of the nations should hear the word of the good news and believe; 8 and God, who knows the heart, bore witness by giving them the holy spirit, just as he did to us also.
Xxxxxx
9 And he made no distinction at all between us and them, but purified their hearts by faith.
Xxxxxx
If God sent the little flock of Jews to Heaven and relegate the Other sheep to The Earth would that not be a distinction or discrimination?
Ephesians 4:4 “One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called; “.
How many hope does this Bible ( Ephesians 4:4 ) mentioned? ONE HOPE.
What does the number 144,000 mean? Is it a literal number or a symbolic number?
Revelation 7:1-4 the 9-15
How are these 144,000 described in the Revelation 14:1-4, 17
Where are the 144,000 located? Where are the great crowd located.
(Revelation 19:1)
Another problem will need to understand is whether the 144,000 are not a symbolic number, because Revelation 14 describe them symbolically, such as virgins. Also The tribe of Dan was missing from the 12 tribes of Israel.
Romans 2:10-11 “but glory and honor and peace for everyone who works what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek(Nations). For there is no partiality with God.”
Would God not be partial if he requires all his servant to have faith and worship his son
And then reward some in Heaven and reward others on Earth?
(Acts 2:14-42; 8:14-17; 10:24-28, 42-48)
Thus the impartial God, Jehovah, opened to chosen ones of all races the privilege of being Jesus’ spiritual brothers and joint heirs of the Kingdom.” Watchtower 1988 May 15 pp. 13-14
All believers has been granted the right to become God’s children.
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 NKJV)
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. (I John 5:1 NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3:3, 6-7 NKJV)
Did all these scriptures show two classes of people? No.
Rather the Bible teaching was consistent from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible always talk about the seed of the woman who would crush Satan Head and the seed of Satan.
You can either belong to God or You belong to Satan. You can either be God’s Son with the right of joint heirs or be Satan son with the expectation of destruction. Every children of God has equal chances of being selected to rule with Jesus in the New Earth or in the new Heaven.
Simply put you either become God,s adopted children or Satan,s children. Period.
Whatever privilege and underserve Kindness, favor and grace of God belong to you. God has exclusive right to determine the position and location where he wants any of his children to serve. (Act 1:7)
The Watchtower organization divided her members into two. Little flock of 144,000 for Heaven while the Great crowd of other sheep will live in Paradise Earth. However the book of Revelations 19:1 confirm that there was a great crowd in Heaven.
Revelation 19:1 – “After these things I heard what was as a loud voice of a great crowd in HEAVEN. Revelation 7:9 – 12-15 “look! a great crowd … standing before the throne”
Revelation 22:14 – “Happy are those who wash their robes, that the authority [to go] to the trees of life may be theirs and that they may gain entrance into the city by its gates
Where is the temple of God located based on Revelation 11:19.?
Revelation 14:17
All Christians are one body and have only one hope, a heavenly one. Jesus was referring to the time when Gentiles too could join as part of this one flock.
Ephesians 4:4 “One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called; “.
How many hope does this Bible Ephesians 4:4 mentioned?
1 Corinthians 12:13 “For truly by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit.”
How many spirit does Paul mentioned?
John 11:51-52 “This, though, he did not say of his own originality; but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was destined to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that the children of God who are scattered about he might also gather together in one.”
Jesus died for to gather all God,s children in how many?
Jesus gave Peter the” keys of the kingdom” to bring non-Jewish sheep into his flock.
“Furthermore, the apostle Peter was given “the keys of the kingdom of the heavens” so that people of any race could learn about God’s purposes, be “born again” from holy spirit, and become spiritual heirs with Christ. Matthew 16:19; John 3:1-8)
Peter used three symbolic keys. The first was for Jews, the second for Samaritans, and the third for Gentiles.
John 12:12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival, on hearing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. And they began to shout: “Save, we pray you! Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name, even the king of Israel!”
Matthew 23:13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.”
The modern-day Pharisees knows that they can’t make Heavens and they are blocking other from going to Heaven. They teach people to disregard Jesus instructions to eat his flesh and to drink his blood.
Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:51, 54 NKJV)
In summary, the other sheep are the gentile nations. The Bible described them as the great crowd and they will be joined with the little flock of natural Jews to become one flock and one shepherd.
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16 NKJV)
There is no partiality with my Heavenly Father. John 10:16 emphasized One Flock, One Shepherd. Ephesians 4:4 “One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called; “.
It is noteworthy to see that The watchtower Organization engaged in mixing Scripture together like a Chemist do to produce the desired results.
Some of these examples are:
1- Little Flock of 144,000
2-The Great Crowd of other Sheep
3- The Paradise Earth
These words are mixed from one Scripture to another to support the organization doctrine s. They can not be found in the Bible as single word.
You as a Biblical Christians can assist the Jehovah’s Witnesses who came to your house by asking the following questions:
Can you show from the Bible where the following words appear in the Bible as a single word?
1- Little Flock of 144,000
2-The Great Crowd of other Sheep
3- The Paradise Earth.
These will help the witness to know that their organization is not teaching Biblical doctrines.