Question for Jehovah's Witnesses?

Question

According to the Watchtower Organization, what happened in 1935?

Answer 1

The answer concerning the great crowd was found.
"At the Washington, D.C., convention in 1935, it was thrilling to learn that the great multitude, or great crowd, of Revelation chapter 7 is a class with an earthly hope. Since then, the gathering of the great crowd has moved ahead with ever greater momentum. Are we not thankful that the identity of the great crowd is no mystery to us? The reality of people being gathered in great numbers from all nations, tribes, and tongues motivates us to quicken our step as we keep pace with Jehovah’s organization."

Answer 2

The year 1935 was a great year for Jehovah’s Witnesses. A couple of major things happened that has a major impact still in 2007.

Beginning with our April 1, 1935 issue of The Watchtower, there was an announcement made: “Again, The Watchtower reminds its readers that a convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Jonadabs will be held at Washington, D.C., beginning May 30 and ending June 3, 1935.” The Jonadabs eagerly awaited the convention. Who were the Jonadabs? Read on…

The “great multitude,” foretold in Revelation 7:9-17 (King James Version), was the subject of a talk Brother Rutherford delivered on the second afternoon of the convention. In that discourse he explained that the great multitude was made up of the modern-day Jonadabs and that these Jonadabs had to show the same degree of faithfulness to Jehovah as the anointed (or the 144,000 that will be going to heaven to rule as King with Christ Jesus). Well, the audience was excited! At the speaker’s request, the Jonadabs arose. “There was at first a hush,” recalled Mildred Cobb, who had been baptized in the summer of 1908, “then a gladsome cry, and the cheering was loud and long.”

This flash of Bible understanding had a profound effect upon the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “With enthusiasm running high,” remarked Sadie Carpenter, a full-time preacher for over 60 years, “we went back to our territories to search for these sheeplike people who were yet to be gathered.” Later the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses for 1936 reported: “This revelation stirred the brethren and stimulated them to renewed activities, and everywhere throughout the earth come the reports exhibiting joy in the fact that the remnant now have the privilege of carrying the message to the great multitude, and these together working to the honor of the Lord’s name.” To help them in this work, the book Riches, published in 1936, contained an extensive discussion of the prospects held out in the Scriptures for the great multitude.

At last, the dedicated, baptized members of the great multitude were finding their proper place alongside the anointed in advertising God’s Kingdom! The “great multitude” is identified as an earthly class (or the great crowd spoken of at Revelation 7:9); 840 persons are baptized at this convention; greater emphasis is progressively given to hope of eternal life on a paradise earth for faithful servants of God now living.

Also, many are not aware that in that year 1935 that our meeting place for the first time was called the Kingdom Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii. That name is used on all of our buildings to this very day. “Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Isn’t that amazing!

At that time the Jonadabs were not considered to be “Jehovah’s witnesses.” (See The Watchtower, August 15, 1934, page 249.) However, a few years later, The Watchtower of July 1, 1942, stated: “These ‘other sheep’ [Jonadabs] become witnesses for Him, on the same wise that the faithful men before Christ’s death, from John the Baptist all the way back to Abel, were the never-quitting witnesses for Jehovah.”

Instead of being called Jonadabs, we are now called “the great crowd” or the “other sheep” that will be a limitless number of those serving the true God by faith and by works. Those with the heavenly hope are a select few (144,000) and have already been sealed (Revelation chapter 7). No more than this amount is selected. The rest (great crowd) have the earthly hope.

In 2007, we still go to our District Conventions, which are only three days. In those conventions, we are receiving information regarding subjects that perhaps were unclear to us. We receive new releases (publications) that help us better understand the information that Jehovah has provided for us. In 1935, the theme for the convention pertained to the great crowd (the Jonadabs). In 2007, our District Convention theme is “Follow the Christ.” I go this weekend and I am sure those in attendance will learn a lot about Jesus Christ. There is a new release somewhere within those 3 days. I am really looking forward to it.

If Jehovah God were to give us all the information at one time, it would overwhelm us and choke us. Therefore, Jehovah provides us with information in his due time. This shows that the light is shining brighter and brighter, giving us the proper understanding we needed to have both then and now. To illustrate: A child loves to ask lots of questions. The parent has to choose which of those questions to answer so as not to overwhelm his or her child. Similarly, Jehovah progressively provides us with information that will no doubt benefit us.

Answer 3

A convention?