“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees (Doctors of the Law then, now days referred to as Doctors of Divinity), you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven (the spiritual or heavenly phase of the kingdom) in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” Matt 23:13

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge (the truth on the way entry into the heavenly phase of the kingdom is to be obtained), you did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in (i.e., those who were attempting to enter in), you hindered (confused, misled, and deceived through your own ignorance of the way).” Luke 11:52

See our blog post entitled, “The Only Way” to learn the true way to entry into the heavenly phase of the kingdom.

Who is the Great Company or Great Crowd as our Jehovah’s Witness friends like to refer to them and where do they come from?

In this study we are going to take a closer look at whom precisely the Great Company class consists of, and whence they originate and determine for ourselves if our Witness friends fit the bill.

I believe that by answering a few key questions we can clear this matter up, that is we can clear things up for those who are willing to reason things out for themselves, others will simply “wrestle” with the scriptures as they always have and continue to deceive themselves despite any evidences to the contrary.

So back to our question, in order to properly determine who and where the Great Company come from, we need to turn to the Scriptures and find the “key” which the Lord has provided to answer our questions, this key is found in the Leviticus types, more specifically those dealing with the Tabernacle. The Apostle assures us that the law governing the Tabernacle and its various sacrifices, ceremonies, and etc. were a “shadow (a type) of the good things to come” (Heb 8:5; 10:1 Col 2:17) “– as if to say the substance or reality (the antitype) which was still yet future (i.e., the “better sacrifices” Heb 9:23) were casting their shadow backward being pictured in the Tabernacle types.

The word “Shadow” implies dimness and transitoriness; but it also implies a measure of resemblance between one thing and another.”

“In fact, the whole nation of Israel, as well as its laws and its religious services and ceremonies, was typical, a type. This being true, our understanding of the plan and work of salvation now in progress, as well as their future development, cannot fail to be greatly enlightened by a careful study of those “shadows” which the Israelite’s, for our edification, were caused to repeat year by year continually until the Gospel age introduced their anti-types—the realities.” T11

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year.” (Heb 10:1-3)

The truths contained in these types and shadows are hidden from the majority of the professing church (including our JW friends) as they have cast off the teachings of the Tabernacle with its so-called bloody sacrificial services and ceremonies; these are now esteemed by most professing Christians as part of the barbaric past. Many being too quick to quote the latter half of our Hebrew text (Heb 10:1) along with the next two verses (Heb 10:2, 3) and conclude that there is no benefit now in studying the Tabernacle types. But alas this is as the Prophet foretold it would be, viz., ‘The sun (the Gospel light) shall be darkened and the moon (the Mosaic Law, the Law and the Prophets) shall be turned into blood.’ (Acts 2:20)

Not only does this total disregard for a study of the Tabernacle its services and ceremonies present a great lost to the individual Christian, but it seems to fly directly in face of the Lord’s admonishment that, “ALL scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim 3:17

How can one be thoroughly equipped, thoroughly instructed in doctrine if they fail to take heed to “the whole counsel of God”? (Acts 20:27)

All scripture means, ALL SCRIPTURE, the whole of God’s testimony all that is written, both the words of the old as well as the new testaments, all the recorded cannon. Remember that many of the things, which took place in the past as well as many of the utterances of the prophets, were not for themselves, but rather for our benefit, i.e., the Church’s benefit (1 Pet 1:10-12). The things, which happened unto them, were for an example that is they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. 1 Cor 10:11

The truth is that the Old Testament is a great treasure house in which God has locked up and sealed items of great interest and value, and that the New Testament is the KEY by which we gain access to them, so you see those who disregard the Old Testament, its teaching’s and prophecies as being merely in reference to the old order, the Jewish age, do themselves a great disadvantage, depriving themselves of valuable information pertinent to the strengthening of their faith and if they be so called the making of their calling and election sure.

As for ourselves let us disregard the foolish counsel of men and harken to the Lord to see what he has locked up in His great treasure house.

Continued with next post.