Expert: Brenda Martin - 7/26/2006

Question
8,750 out of 144,000 alive today, so how old would they be? How did jehovah witness came to the conclusion that 144,000 was completed in 1935 and what biblical verses supports this teaching? By the way how did the tribe of Levi and Joseph came into existence?
R/Luis
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Followup To

Question -
Brenda,
 In reference to the 144,000 anointed.
How many are there left that is still alive today? And when did the 144,000 anointed completed and fullfilled the number of 144,000?

Answer -
"144,000 (12,000 FROM EACH TRIBE OF ISRAEL)"

Yes, but not literal Israel--, Rev. 7:4: “I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.”

(But in the verses that follow, mention is made of “the tribe of Levi” and “the tribe of Joseph.” These were not included in lists of the 12 tribes of natural Israel.

Interestingly, while it is said that people would be “sealed out of every tribe,” the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are not mentioned. [Compare Numbers 1:4-16.]

Reference must here be made to the spiritual Israel of God, to those whom Revelation 14:1-3 shows will share with Christ in his heavenly Kingdom.)

"144,000 ANOINTED. HOW MANY ARE THERE LEFT THAT IS STILL ALIVE TODAY?"

8,570 partook of the bread and wine in 2004

"WHEN DID THE 144,000 ANOINTED COMPLETED AND FULLFILLED THE NUMBER OF 144,000?"

Evidently, the gathering of these was virtually complete by 1935. Then “a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-17) began to be collected in.

Increasing numbers (at that time) of those who heeded the message and who showed zeal in the witness work came to profess an interest in living forever on the Paradise earth. They had no desire to go to heaven. That was not their calling. They were no part of the little flock but rather of the other sheep. (Luke 12:32; John 10:16) Their being identified in 1935 as the great crowd of other sheep was an indication that the choosing of the 144,000 was then about complete.

Brenda


Answer
8,750 OUT OF 144,000 ALIVE TODAY, SO HOW OLD WOULD THEY BE?

All of them are elderly.

HOW DID JEHOVAH WITNESS CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT 144,000 WAS COMPLETED IN 1935 AND WHAT BIBLICAL VERSES SUPPORTS THIS TEACHING?

In 1923, Jehovah’s servants discerned that “the sheep” of Jesus’ parable found at Matthew 25:31-46 and the “other sheep” to which he referred as recorded at John 10:16 are people who would have the opportunity to live forever on earth. In 1931 those described at Ezekiel 9:1-11 as being marked in their foreheads were also seen to be those with the earthly hope. Then in 1935 it was learned that the great crowd form part of the other sheep class Jesus spoke about.

The available records show that for many years most Memorial attenders partook of the emblems. But within 25 years after 1935, the attendance at the annual Memorial of Christ’s death soared to over one hundred times the number of those who were partaking.

HOW DID THE TRIBE OF LEVI AND JOSEPH CAME INTO EXISTENCE?

In ancient fleshly Israel, the priests and the Levites who served under them at Jehovah’s temple were taken exclusively from the tribe of Levi. This is not the case with the 144,000 who “will be priests of God and of the Christ.” According to Revelation 7:4-8, only 12,000 of these are taken from the tribe of Levi. The 132,000 others will be taken from the other 11 tribes named. This proves that the 12 tribes there named are not the same as the 12 tribes of fleshly Israel.—1 Cor. 10:18.

The names of these twelve tribes differ from the list of names of the original twelve tribes of natural Israel, as given in Genesis 49:3-28. Rightly so, for Revelation 7:4-8 presents the names of the tribes of spiritual Israel.

The tribal arrangement in Israel was based on descent from the 12 sons of Jacob. (Ge 29:32–30:24; 35:16-18) These “twelve family heads produced “the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Ge 49:1-28; Ac 7:8) However, Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh the older and Ephraim the younger, and said: “Ephraim and Manasseh will become mine like [his actual sons] Reuben and Simeon.” (Ge 48:5, 13-20)

When the various tribes received their land inheritance in the Promised Land (Jos 13-19), there was no “tribe” of Joseph. Instead, “the sons of Joseph,” Manasseh and Ephraim, were counted as distinct tribes in Israel.

As Jehovah had arranged, though, this did not increase the tribes of Israel receiving an inheritance to 13, because the Levites got no land inheritance. Jehovah had chosen “the tribe of Levi” (Nu 1:49) in place of the firstborn of the other tribes to minister at the sanctuary. (Ex 13:1, 2; Nu 3:6-13, 41; De 10:8, 9; 18:1; Consequently, there were 12 non-Levite tribes in Israel.—Jos 3:12, 13; Jg 19:29;

Brenda