153 Fishes

In John 21: 1-11 a still more restricted viewpoint is given; for here it was not "a great multitude of fishes"; nevertheless, they "were no longer able to draw it [the net], from [because of] the multitude of [the, so the Greek] fishes" (see Diaglott). Only "the very elect," the Little Flock (very small in number compared to the Great Company or to the world of mankind, but yet by itself rather large in number—144,000), is here indicated. The Little Flock was full and complete in its final membership by the Fall of 1914, the end of the 40-year Harvest reaping period (for proofs see E 5, pp. 143-177; P '37, pp. 182-192). Then the plowman—the Time of Trouble—began to overtake the reaper (Amos 9: 13), and it did so fully by the Spring of 1916, when the sealing of the 144,000 in their foreheads was finished (Rev. 7: 1-4; E 5, pp. 147-150), though many of them remained on earth for years thereafter. But by Oct. 1914 God had begotten by His Spirit the full number of those who He knew would finally make up "the fishes," the "many brethren" predestinated "to be conformed to the image of his Son [as members of His Body] " (Rom. 8: 29; Eph. 1: 5). Accordingly, in the Fall of 1914 the door of entrance into the High Calling closed—the net was full, they "were no longer able to draw it"—no more of "the fishes," those who would be of the Little Flock, were to be caught, and therefore no more Spirit-begettals were to be made for Gospel-Age purposes.

PT. 1964 Page, 42-C2