On another related note, the anointed count was the other carrot. It was taught for decades that there would be anointed left on earth when the GT came. The dwindling number(ha!) of anointed, in print, was a visual countdown clock for the r&f. We knew that the 80 year generation - combined with the remaining number of anointed - pointed to the closeness of armageddon. Now, the new generation change means nothing to the r&f. The same also holds true to the anointed count. If the number increases(highly likely that it will), that will only serve to visually indicate to the r&f that armageddon is further off than before. Why would it indicate this? Because it has been so ingrained in the r&f that the anointed numbers would decrease the closer we got to armageddon. Why would you decrease employee morale even further by publishing numbers that would only help to disenfranchise more employees? This is why I feel that the number will simply go away. I'll gladly eat my words at the next 'fest if they continue to publish the number.
Good point! But actually the WTS has had this wrong anyway. The parable of the vineyard workers clearly shows that ALL the workers are invited into the kingdom. Only it is a surprive for the third-hour through 11th-hour workers that they get the penny too. Basically a half hour is 3-1/2 years (42 months) so an hour is 7 years. The workers work for 11 hours, or 77 years from 1914 to 1991. The 3rd hour workers are distinguished 21 years after 1914, which is 1935, when the official "other shee" were recognized. But based on this, everybody who is faithful would be invited into the kingdom heavenly class once the messiah arrives. Therefore, an immediate surge in the anointed is what actually happens! This will be news to the first-hour workers who are not told about this, nor understand this. That's why they murmur and are shocked that all the workers get the same invitation to heaven. BUT, technically, the new anointed wouldn't openly identify themselves by partaking since they are the ones who know Christ arrived in 1992 and the memorial only celebrates his absence until he returns. So for the most part, the newly anointed ones, the true number would remain invisible. Even so an INCREASE rather than a decrease after 1991 among the witnesses is what should be expected. The WTS is clueless as to what is happening.
Case in point how clearly wrong their understanding of the vineyard workers is. They assign themselves as the 11th-hour workers because they are "new" on the scene compared to Christendom and Catholicism. Thus they claim the 1st-hour workers represent Christendom. Problem is ALL the workers get the penny, including the 1st-hour workers! They may murmur and they may not get more as they wanted, but they still get their penny: "Take your money and go!" They still were faithful doing their work. Plus, if the 11th-hour workers represent the anointed with JWs, then that suggests none of the other workers would get the penny, right? Because the penny represents heavenly life? Well, what about the third, sixth and ninth-hour workers who get the penny? Who are THEY? See? It makes no sense. The true understanding is that the "other sheep" from among witnesses, those who are paying attention and who are faithful, are all invited into the kingdom but it's a last-minute surprise, to them as well as to the older anointed ones who are faithful. Jehovah does not reveal this to them until it's time for them to get "paid"/sealed.
Further, don't forget the total number of seats is 1,440,000. The 144K represent just the Jews who make up the 10% root of all the anointed.
JCanon
