This is a MUST read: The following is taken from the January 15, 1952 Watchtower, Pages 63 and 64. It is the most cmpassionate, kind, and detailed article I ever found on the topic of how JWs know they are anointed. The article even encourages JWs to consider'partaking of the emblems' at the memorial. It is the 'final article' that gave me the 'courage' to openly declare my hope as one of the anointed. I will insert my own comments in Blue Bold where I want to highlight certain issues. Other emphasis of the Watchtower text will be in ALL CAPS and/or Bold Black. The original article contained no such emphasis except for “quote” marks when using certain 'unique' JW terminology. Here is the entire article as it appeared in 1952:
How can one determine whether he is of the anointed class, and hence should partake of the Memorial emblems? E.B., California.
After Pentecost in the first century any who had the spirit of God, as evidenced by his having one or more gifts of the spirit, would have no difficulty deciding whether he was of the anointed class, for that was a time set aside exclusively for begetting heavenly heirs. On this firm foundation he would entertain heavenly hopes. Today the circumstances are altered. One may have dedicated himself to doing God’s will, symbolized that dedication, and demonstrated that he has the spirit of God by doing Jehovah’s will, doing it in the love of God and trying to imitate him and his dear Son; but how would he know
that his having the spirit of God was assurance that he was going to heaven?
The spirit of God is also on the “other sheep”, and not just on the anointed remnant. So how can we determine the matter today?
[Notice two important issues in their opening statements: 1) The determination is upon the individual, and 2) both classes have the SAME spirit of God. This flies in the face of Bible verses that say ALL who have this spirit are Sons of God and have this same hope.]
It seems from the Scriptures that God was specially taking out the spiritual class up until 1931, in a general way, and this does have some bearing on the matter. [Notice that they only use the year 1931 for the general call to heaven, and not 1935 as they do today.] However, it is not conclusive. Since 1931 there are those who have entered the service and who give evidence of being begotten by the spirit who have their hopes set upon being heavenly heirs. So there is evidence of some coming into the heavenly class since 1931; though not on a general scale, but only individuals here and there who are taken in to fill up the places of some who may turn unfaithful.
You would have to examine yourself on this basis: “Have I dedicated my life to God through Jesus Christ to do his will forevermore? Do I have the spirit of God? Is God dealing with me? Yes, I have the evidence that God is dealing with me; he is using me in his service. He is providing for me. He is giving me a place in connection with his organization, and I am realizing many blessings, and am growing in the understanding of his Word. I have all of these indications that I have his spirit, and I am trying to act as a real Christian and follower of Christ Jesus would in displaying the spirit of the Lord in that way.” This examination with the above-outlined results would indicate one had the spirit of the Lord, whether of the anointed class or of the “other sheep”.
Then, what is the thing that draws the line of demarcation between the two classes and puts you either on the side of the “great crowd” or puts you on the side of the anointed remnant? As you examine yourself YOU have to determnine what your hope is, because Gos is dealing with you and is CULTIVATING in you some sort of a hope.
Notice that the hope is CULTIVATED, thus suggesting a growth process, and NOT some instantaneous electrified zapping.]
In Romans chapter 8 Paul discusses how “the spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children” called to be joint heirs with Christ in the heavenly kingdom, and adds: “For we are saved in this hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for when a man sees a thing, does he hope for it?” - Rom. 8:16, 24, NW.
So, you see that you have to be saved in a certain hope. Now God deals with you and he must by his dealings with you and his revelations of truth to you CULTIVATE in you some hope. If he cultivates in you the hope of going to heaven, that becomes a firm confidence of yours, and you are just swallowed up in that hope, so that you are talking as one who has the hope of going to heaven, you are counting on that, you are thinking that, you offer your prayers to God in expression of that hope. You are setting that as your goal. It permeates your whole being. You cannot get it out of your system. It is the hope that engrosses you. Then it must be that God has aroused that hope and caused it to come to life in you, for it is NOT a natural hope for earthly man to entertain.
If you are one of the Jonadabs [Other Sheep, not of the anointed] or one of the “great crowd” of good-will persons you will not be consumed by this heavenly hope. Some of the Jonadabs are very prominent in the Lord’s work and have an important part in it, but they do not have that hope when you talk to them. Their desires and hopes gravitate to the earthly things. They talk about the beautiful forests, how they would love to be a forester at the present time and have that as their continual surroundings, and they like to mingle with animals and have dominion
over them, and also the birds of the air and fish of the sea and everything that creeps over the face of the earth.
[Note: Anointed JWs also like animals, birds, fish, and forests, but the thought here was that these things do not consume them or hold their interests. Heavenly things, spiritual things, being with God are their prime concern.]
That is what they love, and they are looking forward to enjoying those things. Oh, they understand their Bible. They have a very advanced comprehension of the doctrines and truths of the Bible. But when you talk to them, that is the way they express themselves. They have no desire for the heavenly things at all. They do not want to be like an angel, or even see God face to face, beholding him in his supernal glory. That would be wonderful, they admit, more
so than any possible earthly blessings; but they just do not have such desires or hopes in them.
So, it seems that after you have inspected the matter of time, the possession of God’s spirit, his dealings with you, then you have to take into consideration, “What are my real, sincere, heartfelt hopes in this matter?” Then you decide your position; no one else can decide for you. Decide whether you have the consuming spiritual aspirations. If so, then follow through with those. That is in your system and you cannot get it out, so act accordingly. PARTICIPATE IN THE MEMORIAL EMBLEMS. Whereas, if you do not have that hope, if you are divided and uncertain, then it appears that you are of the earthly class, and hence should not partake of the emblems at Memorial time.
Note: I have no doubt that if ALL JWs read this article today, that many thousands or tens of thousands, and I would not be at all surprised if even several hundred thousand would openly profess to be anointed.
JWs who come onto this forum and try to say that they are of the JW anointed class, and know they are such because they were ZAPPED by some electrifying or sensational force, and that is how they know they are anointed, simply defy the position and teaching of their own organization. They defy the above material from their Governing Body, maybe written by someone like Fred Franz who was never a baptized JW. In my opinion, they are trying in their own way to perpetuate the mystic surrounding the anointed, because they want to be special.
Were I still a JW Elder today, and some JW tried to say they were anointed via some supernatural event where they were Zapped, I would be highly suspicious of them. And I have no doubt that some Elders would consider them apostate.
- Amazing