Intro: A large number, maybe majority, of JWs misunderstand the Watchtower theology on this topic, have a fuzzy idea of how JWs who claim to be Anointed know they are such, and ex-JWs often wonder what former JW Anointed believe and feel after leaving the Watchtower religion. Since I have not been on line for many months, save a couple of minor posts, I thought a short 3-Part series might prove interesting to new ex-JWs and others.
PART 1: Watchtower theological evolution of the "Anointed."
The Bible provides many labels for Christians: Children of God, Brothers of Christ, Kings, Rulers with Christ, Priests, Teachers, Evangelizers, The Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the Church, and many more. Traditionally, "anointing" is one of these many labels, and like the other labels, characterizes merely one aspect of how Christians may see themselves in relationship to God, Christ, and one another in the family of God.
Traditional Christianity: With the exception of some few religions, mainstream Christianity applies Anointing to ALL Christians, and is not a 'major' feature, nor an elevation to some special ranking status among fellow believers. As a Roman Catholic I became "anointed" with my fellow classmates when I received "Confirmation" by the Bishop when he placed a slight smear of Holy Oil on my head. Other than a religious ritual and right of passage within the Catholic Church, I gave it no other special thought. My Protestant friends never mentioned anointing, and I rarely heard the term when listening to TV sermons. Anointing for traditional Christians simply makes on a child of God, and is automatic when one has faith in Jesus Christ. It happens regardless of whether one is baptized.
Russellism and Anointing: Charles Russell did not teach a two-hope doctrine. He taught a two-class doctrine where the limited number of 144,000 would be the Bride of Christ, the Anointed, and that the Great Company or Multitude (Great Crowd today) would be an unlimited number who would accompany the 144,000 into heaven as bridesmaids. Therefore, the common belief among many non-JWs that the Watchtower taught that only 144,000 would go to heaven was not correct during the life of Charles Russell. Nevertheless, Charles did 'elevate' the 144,000 and began a process that allowed for a theological evolution of this group to a special status among the Bible Students and later the post-Russellite group known as Jehovah's Witnesses. Charles also taught the resurrection of the Anointed beginning in 1878, and the completion of this class for the full number of 144,000 by 1881. While being part of the 144,000 was something special to the Bible Students, it was not as definitive because most Bible Students claimed this hope. So, the Great Crowd was not a 'major' theological focus as it became later on.
Rutherfordism and Anointing: By 1931, when the name Jehovah's Witnesses was selected, Joseph F. Rutherford also declared a new teaching that the Great Company was not really a secondary heavenly class, but part of those who would inherit eternal human life and live on the earth forever, never going to heaven or seeing God. Therefore, it was declared again that the close of the heavenly calling ended by 1931 (previously 1881), and only a few replacements would be brought into that group should one among them die unfaithful to their calling. This date was changed again for a second time in the late 1950s to 1935. (See my article on the 1952 Watchtower - http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/7411/1.ashx)
Rutherford, perhaps more than anyone, caused the JW Anointed group to shrink, in a self-fulfilling prophesy, by drawing this earth-heaven distinction, and by focusing his theological efforts to promote the earthly hope among JWs ... this new trend became a very entrenched tradition so that not only did the JW Anointed group decline, but it became gradually unpopular to claim such a hope ... unpopular because fear of divine retribution was threatened for any who falsely claimed this hope. A mystique was developed that something extra special, divine, even spooky happens when a JW is truly anointed ... and only the anointed secretly know they are such. Their future role as King-priests ruling a real Kingdom of God and Christ, and current status of caring for all of the Master's belongings on earth, elevated the JW Anointed, especially those with good position in the organization to a lofty condition that made the rank-n-file feel a sense of quiet awe.
Today, the average JW feels a sense of scorn toward young new anointed JWs. In their view, these new JW Anointed must be self-exalting kooks, or on drugs, or must not understand the great truths of the Bible ... save the older JW Anointed, who have been JWs a long time, and are either Regular Pioneering or serving as Elders or higher positions. YET, in a strange convoluted turn of events, since the mid-1970s, the decline of JW Anointed has leveled off and in some years even gone up. The Watchtower Society has tried to play this down, even indirectly suggesting through unwritten rumors that these new JW Anointed might be Apostates among them. Yet, nothing seems to work ... even the unfriendly, and frankly unkind, Watchtower articles on the subject in recent decades has done little to stop this 'anointed' trend. Even the newer arrangements of allowing some non-Anointed to sit in on some GB meetings, or promising the non-Anointed great earthly political rewards of sharing in rulership seems to make any difference.
So, how do those Anointed JWs really know (believe) they are such? And what is life like for them in the JW congregations? More importantly, those of us who professed spirit-anointing while JWs, how do we feel today now that we have left the organization? Can DF’d or DA’d JW Anointed be reinstated, and if so, do they remain Anointed? Do ex-JW Anointed still claim some “special” status, or hold to some special relationship with Jehovah or Christ? Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3.