Truth Seeker - Little Flock Other Sheep

Jesus' Fold - his two groups of sheep

Page Index:

NT's Testimony
Revelation's Testimony
OT's Testimony

Intro

What two groups of sheep are we talking about? In Luke 12:32, Jesus mentions a Little Flock that he gives the kingdom to:

32Fear not, little flock, for it has been the good pleasure of your Father to give you the kingdom. (Darby)

Then in John 10:16, Jesus says that he has sheep that are not of this fold, but that the two are going to become one flock.

16And I have other sheep* which are not of this fold: those also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one flock, one shepherd. (Darby)
(* my comment: The resemblance of this verse to one below in Isaiah 56:8 is not a matter of coincidence. Jesus teachings stayed true to what previously was revealed in the OT through the prophets)

A. When examining the whole text in John 10, it is not apparent who Jesus refers to. There is a claim by some that the first fold are the natural born Jews who accepted Christ, and the other sheep, the other fold, then refers to the Gentiles that became Christians later on.

B. Another possibility that other people claim is that the first fold are the Saints and the Other Sheep are the non-Saints. This through the harmony of the scriptures below is what I believe.

Jesus gives us no clue in this text at all as to the identity of the two folds of sheep. That is probably by purpose, so that the truth would be a matter of hard study!

The thing is that it can be demonstrated by the Bible that 99% of Jesus' teachings may be found in the OT. This means that we can to a very high degree of probability determine who Jesus most likely referred to. After all, scriptural harmony is a certainty, and in this, it must be assumed to exist as it does in all other areas.

NT's testimony

Take note* that here the assumption is that the other sheep is an earthly class of Christians. This is not to be dogmatic established now, it is simply so you can read this with the idea that later, I'll try to establish more certainly who this group is.

On page four of the page (link to), the following is written:

How does the Little Flock coincide with the Other Sheep?

Matt 24:29,31 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the one extremity of the heavens to the other extremity of them. (Darby)

From that scripture, we know with certainty that there shall be Saints at the end of the Great Tribulation.

Right after Jesus' death, at Pentecost, the Helper was poured out on the apostles and disciples begetting a New Creation, the Born Again, the Saints (2 Cor 5:17), the chosen ones. The scriptures give the impression that for some time the ingathering was restricted to the Born Again. This is reinforced when three and a half years later, the gentile Cornelius was commanded to be baptized by Peter because the Holy Spirit had been imparted to Cornelius. (Acts, from chapter 10 to the end of 12)

However, by the time Paul writes his letters, the implication is that the ingathering of both groups, the Saints and the Other Sheep, is being conducted simultaneously!

This point has its basis in the following scriptures:

2 Cor 9:12

a. because the ministry of this public service is not only to supply abundantly the wants of the holy ones but also to be rich with many expressions of thanks to God. (NW)

b. because the ministration of this service not only is supplying the wants of the saints, but is also abounding through many thanksgivings to God (YLT)

A. In 2nd Corinthians, the congregation is contributing to supply the wants of the Holy Ones, the Saints. The fact that the gathering is specifically done for the express purpose of helping Saints is a good indication that non-Saints, Other Sheep also exist. If everybody is a Holy One the wording seems redundant.

1 Corinthians 15:29 Otherwise, what will they do who are being baptized for the purpose of [being] dead ones? If the dead are not to be raised up at all, why are they also being baptized for the purpose of [being] such? (NW)

B. The ones being baptized specifically for the purpose of dying are no other than Saints since they have to die before receiving the heavenly resurrection! For this reason, these Saints stand here contrasted by Paul against the ones not receiving that baptism! Otherwise, the statement is nonsense, and the contrast that Paul so eloquently makes fizzles and dies!

Philippians 3:14,15 I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus. 15 Let us, then, as many of us as are mature, be of this mental attitude; and if YOU are mentally inclined otherwise in any respect, God will reveal the above [attitude] to YOU. (NW)

Ephesians 1:18 having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. (ASV)

Serious Bible students know that only two kinds of hope exist for Christians. The heavenly calling for the Saints who shall become king-priests, joint-heirs with Christ, and the earthly hope for the Other Sheep and those who will become Other Sheep or die. It is an undeniable fact that Paul is telling the Ephesians to examine their hearts' eyes so as to understand which hope each individual has. The exact same sentiment is expressed in a different manner by Paul to the Philippians.

C. From this we can conclude that without a doubt there existed both Saints and Other Sheep in those two congregations at Paul's time!

1 Corinthians 1:2

to the congregation of God that is in Corinth, to YOU who have been sanctified in union with Christ Jesus, called to be holy ones, together with all who everywhere are calling upon the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: (NW)

To the church of God that is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in every place of theirs and ours. (DRC)

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. (DCR)

Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus, who are at Colossa

D. Admittedly, in the last scripture, it is debatable if the wording refers to one or to two groups. However, the wording of first Corinthians and Ephesians does not contain this ambiguity. It is crystal clear that these refer to two groups.

Based on the witness of many (scriptures), not merely two as demanded by Holy Scripture, the proof that both groups of Saints and of Other Sheep have been collected simultaneously since Paul's time is undeniable!

Revelation's Testimony

Revelation manifests two groups consistently (that are saved).

Rev 5:10, 10and made them to our God kings and priests; and they shall reign over the earth. (Darby)

Rev 20:6, Blessed and holy he who has part in the first resurrection: over these the second death has no power; but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign* with him a thousand years. (Darby) (*my comment: reign over what? The earth!)

Rev 7:9, After these things I saw, and lo, a great crowd, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands. . . 14And I said to him, My lord, *thou* knowest. And he said to me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Darby)

The two groups manifested here are the (1) Saints who are to be kings and priest – the group of people that shall govern earth and have heavenly resurrections; next, the (2) multi-national, surviving Great Crowd and those later resurrected (not elaborated here, but included in Rev) and their possible children born later make up the second group that Jesus mentioned.

The Great Crowd of Other Sheep survives the Great Tribulation coming upon all the earth and is therefore on earth and not in heaven. The fact that they survive it means they are not dead and that they are not resurrected but attain eternal life on earth without dying.

The OT's testimony

Isaiah has many such scriptures demonstrating two groups and their relationsship. One such is the following:

Isaiah 66:20,21, And they shall bring all your brethren out of all the nations as an oblation unto Jehovah, upon horses, and in chariots, and in covered waggons, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain, to Jerusalem, saith Jehovah, as the children of Israel bring an oblation in a clean vessel into the house of Jehovah. 21And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith Jehovah. (Darby)

The above demonstrates the priestly class and the layman's as shown in the NT – this harmonizes with the teaching of the Little Flock being the priest-king class that Jesus said would inherit the kingdom, and with the Other Sheep defined as the class of people who live on earth, the laymen, non-priests.

In Isaiah 61:5-7, we see that these priests shall inherit their own land – shown to be heaven in the NT. Two classes are shown to exist.

Isaiah 61:5 5Then shall strangers stay and feed your flocks,—And, the sons of the foreigner, shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6But, ye, the priests of Yahweh, shall be called, The attendants of our God, shall ye be named,—The riches of the nations, shall ye eat, And in their glory, shall ye boast yourselves. 7Instead of your shame,—double! and Instead of disgrace, they shall shout in triumph over their portion,—Therefore in their own land, shall they possess double, Joy age-abiding, shall be theirs. (Rotherham)

This next scripture is nearly equal to what Jesus said. The resemblance in verse eight makes it nigh 100% certain that this is what Jesus referred to and where he got the teaching from.

Isaiah 56:6-7, And, as for the sons of the foreigner—Who have joined themselves unto Yahweh To wait upon him, and To love the name of Yahweh, To become his for servants,—Every one who keepeth the sabbath, lest he profane it. And who, layeth firm hold on my covenant, 7Surely I will bring them into my holy mountain And make them joyful in my house of prayer, Their ascending-offerings and their sacrifices, being accepted upon mine altar,—For, my house, a house of prayer, shall be called, for all the peoples! 8Declareth My Lord, Yahweh, Who is gathering the outcasts of Israel:—Yet, others, will I gather unto him Besides his own gathered ones. (Rotherham)

Above it is demonstrated that among these Saintly priests of God strangers will be counted, Gentiles. It also demonstrates that Other Sheep shall be gathered, namely, the righteous nations that shall live on earth. The harmony between the scriptures is too big to ignore.

In Daniel and Zephaniah the existence of the group of Saints and the layman group is also clearly demonstrated.

Daniel 7: (ASV)
13I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
27And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Zephaniah 3:2014Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. . . . for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, saith Jehovah. (ASV)

Zechariah 2:10,11, Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Jehovah. 11And many nations shall join themselves to Jehovah in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts has sent me unto thee. 12And Jehovah shall inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. 13Be silent, all flesh, before Jehovah; for he is waked up out of his holy habitation. (ASV)

Clearly, the Saints here are shown in Daniel as they appear in Revelation, as kings over the earth. The righteous people of earth, the Great Crowd that survived, and all the rest that are either born or resurrected make up the group of the Other Sheep. Those that do not submit to Christ's reign among those resurrected with a resurrection of judgment and do not obey Christ shall perish forever.

In Zephaniah, in Zechariah and in other places, we see how the daughter of Zion, the Saints, are differentiated from the layman class. Therefore there can be little doubt of the harmony of the Holy Inspired word on this. It would be out of line for Jesus to imply any other usage than what the previous inspired word demonstrates to be the case.

However, in the light of the above, it would seem to harmonize with all of the scriptures if the Little Flock is defined as the king-priests of God, the Saints, that inherit the kingdom while the Other Sheep clearly harmonize with the righteous nations that shall live on earth of which some shall survive as the Great Crowd.