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WHERE WATCHTOWER STATEMENTS SAY CHRIST IS NOT THE
COVENANT MEDIATOR (SAVIOR) FOR "THE GREAT CROWD" For all
to see, Watchtower magazine articles have stated several times that the vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses (“The
Great Crowd”) do not have Jesus Christ as mediator of the new covenant, that only a literal 144,000 (“The Little
Flock”) do. They add that although without Christ as their direct savior, the Great Crowd will get
indirect benefits during the Millennium.
Watchtower, February 15, 1991, page 18 paragraph 11 "You Were Bought With a Price"
“Nevertheless, in a preliminary way, the great crowd have already "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14) Christ does not act as Mediator of the new covenant toward them, yet they benefit from this covenant through the work of God’s Kingdom. Christ still acts toward them, however, as High Priest, through whom Jehovah can and does apply the ransom to the extent of their now being declared righteous as God’s friends. (Compare James 2:23.) During the Millennium, they will gradually "be set free from enslavement to corruption [until finally they] have the glorious freedom of the children of God."—Romans 8:21.
September 15, 1989, page 30, 31 “Do You Remember?”
In this text, Paul uses the Greek word me?si′tes for “mediator,” which term has a legal significance, so he is not using this word in the broad sense common in many languages. Hence, Paul is not saying that Jesus is Mediator between God and all mankind. Rather, he is referring to Christ as legal Mediator of the new covenant, which laid the basis for Christ’s anointed followers to share with him in his heavenly Kingdom. (2 Corinthians 5:1, 5; Ephesians 1:13, 14; Hebrews 8:7-13)” Watchtower April 1, 1979 p.31 Questions from Readers “Is Jesus the ‘mediator’ only for anointed Christians?”
“Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members.” This spiritual nation is like a little flock of Jehovah's sheeplike ones.—Romans 9:6; Revelation 7:4.
8 Hence, the ransom sacrifice is fundamental to the new covenant, of which Jesus is the Mediator. Paul wrote: "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all-this is what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times." (1 Timothy 2:5, 6) Those words especially apply to the 144,000, with whom the new covenant is made.
11 Nevertheless, in a preliminary way, the great crowd have already "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14) Christ does not act as Mediator of the new covenant toward them, yet they benefit from this covenant through the work of God's Kingdom. |
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