WTS keeps number of memorial partakers secret

by headmath 15 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  headmath

  The WTS at times prefers to not publish the memorial partaker numbers for certain years. The WTS knows what the actual numbers are as can be seen in this quote from the "Babylon (booboolon) the great has fallen " book

  Quote

  The number of these increased, as was disclosed by reports on the annual celebration of the Lord’s evening meal on Nisan 14, until between 1931 and 1935. Then the annual celebration of the Lord’s evening meal showed a steadily decreasing number of "sons of the kingdom" who partook of the unleavened bread and red wine at the Lord’s supper.

  End quote

  Quite clearly, the WTS admits to knowing the partaker numbers for the years 1930,31,32,33, and 34 but they have never published them. I give anyone a case of beer if they can prove me wrong here. Some bogus numbers were published for the year 1935 so this looks like a coverup.

  If that were not bad enough!

  The WTS published the memorial attendance numbers for the years 1922,23,24,25,26 but did not publish the partaker numbers for those same years. Why is that? The answer is the WTS was trying to hide the fact that the memorial attendance of 90,434 consisted primarily of non-partakers That is why the attendance had dropped to 17,380(source unknown) in 1928. The persons who lusted after Rutherfords 1925 prediction ALL fell away in a 2 year period . How funny is that!
• 

  heathen

  They also try to hide the fact that they did not identify the GC in 1935 just because people were not partaking . The GC are the ones that exit the world during the tribulation they are not the ones that get resurrected . The WTBTS made up it's own dogma on them being resurrected throughout the millenial reign .
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  BluesBrother

  I have no access to old yearbooks which one would expect to provide the info. I only have this quote from Proclaimers 717 . In 1935 Memorial attendance 63146 and partakers 52565 . What is wrong with that?

  they also say on that page

  Before 1932 available figures for memorial attendance are often incomplete . At times only groups of 15,20,30 or more were being included in the totals published. Interestingly, most years for which any figures are available show that at least some of the attenders were not partakers. By 1933 the difference was about 300
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  blondie

  Rutherford was still have trouble controlling the congregations because the elders were elected and selected by the congregation up until 1938.

  ***

  w02 7/1 pp. 16-17 Jehovah’s Glory Shines on His People ***

  However, in many congregations that arrangement did not work out so well because some elective elders did not fully support the evangelizing work. Hence, in 1932, congregations were instructed to discontinue the electing of elders and deacons. Instead, they were to elect men to serve on a service committee along with the service director. That was like "copper" instead of "wood"—a big improvement!

  In 1938, congregations around the world resolved to accept an improved arrangement, one that was more in harmony with Scriptural precedent. Congregation administration was entrusted to a company servant and other servants, all appointed under the oversight of the faithful and discreet slave. No more elections!
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  AK - Jeff

  Memorial partakers fell drastically in the years mentioned 1935 thru 1941. The reason is not a coverup but a change in doctrine that they don't wish to elaborate on too much. Identification of the two class doctrine [GC and 144000] beat the [asserted] non-annointed into subjection as tens of thousands began to accept it and quit partaking.

  IMO this was a result of the obvious timing of matters under Rutherford. He saw that soon the number of partakers would exceed 144000 and then it would be too late to institute the control he craved over the masses. In ordr to beat them into subjection to the 'Theocracy' he had to get his design into operation quickly or forever lose the 144000 figure to expansion. Thus loss of control.

  Just business with him. I am sure the figures are out there. In fact I did an extensive study on this at one time [before my other computer died with the information] and I had seen all the years from 35 to 41 in print somewhere. As BB suggested it would be in the old yearbooks.

  Jeff
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  AK - Jeff

  We understand that this heavenly calling continued down through the centuries, though during the so-called Dark Ages, there may have been times when the number of anointed ones were very few. With the reestablishment of true Christianity near the end of the last century, more were called and chosen. But it seems that in the mid-1930’s, the full number of the 144,000 was basically completed. Thus there began to appear a group of loyal Christians with the earthly hope. Jesus termed such "other sheep," who unite in worship with the anointed as one approved flock.—John 10:14-16.

  The facts over the decades reflect both the completion of the calling of the anointed and Jehovah’s blessing on the growing "great crowd," who hope to survive "the great tribulation." (Revelation 7:9, 14) For example, at the Memorial celebration in 1935, attended by 63,146, those partaking of the emblems in evidence of their profession to be anointed numbered 52,465. Thirty years later, or in 1965, the attendance was 1,933,089, while the partakers decreased to 11,550. Moving 30 years closer, in 1995 the attendance jumped to 13,147,201, but only 8,645 partook of the bread and the wine. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) Clearly, as the decades passed, the number of those professing to be of the remnant greatly decreased—some 52,400 in 1935; 11,500 in 1965; 8,600 in 1995. However, those with earthly hopes have been blessed, and their number has increased abundantly. Watchtower 8-15-96 Page 31

  They had to 'prove' that the end was getting closer with the partakers falling off - otherwise the 1914 Generation was a mute doctrine. It proved to be anyway.

  Jeff
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  james_woods

  Yes it did, Jeff.

  This also brings up the question of whether the society will have to stop reporting the numbers in the future - that 8000 odd count is starting to kind of smell, isn't it?
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  blondie

  GaryBuss has all the YBs in his library...of course, I can't volunteer his time.

  Blondie
• 

  Leolaia

  I had a post on this not too long ago. The whole doctrine came into being because Rutherford created the "Remnant" teaching to explain why so many Bible Students had left after 1925. He taught that the number of spirit-begotten elect would continue to decrease until Armageddon, as through winnowing the chaff from the wheat. But then unexpectedly the number began to increase again in the early 1930s (probably thanks to the Great Depression), and droves of new people were coming into Rutherford's group. But how to accommodate these people theologically? Was Rutherford's Remnant teaching wrong? No. He accommodated them by creating a new group (the "Jonadabs") who get into the "chariot" (e.g. the organization), though they would have an earthly destiny. This was already accomplished in the early 1930s. However, Rutherford saw their potential in streamlining some other teachings. Because those dwelling on the earth after Armageddon were now Jonadabs who get into the organization for salvation, he can now change the Russellite belief about Armageddon to one that pictures it as an all-out annihilation of non-JWs. This made it better fit with Rutherford's teaching about "Satan's Organization" being everything beyond the JWs. He also did not like the character development of the Russell days and many elders still stressed this over preaching, and the teaching that the "great multitude" in Revelation is a secondary spiritual class played into these Russellite teachings. Rutherford solved both problems at a stroke in 1935 by identifying the "great multitude" with the Jonadabs -- thereby eliminating the secondary spiritual class and by insisting that if this group is indeed going to be a multitude, the JWs had better get out and preach non-stop in order to gather this "great multitude" in the short time remaining.
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  james_woods

  Leolai, pardon the ignorance - (you seem to have some authority on this subject) but -

  Don't a lot of the mainstream evangelicals associate the 144,000 with the special status of martyrs within the church?

  And, how does that nonsense of Daniel and the other Judges of old getting brought back to earth in the 20s and 30s fit in?