When does the calling of Christians to a heavenly hope cease?

by whereami 10 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  whereami

  Well here it is folks!!! The WTS new "light" on the subject. Read it & weep.

  5/1/07 QFR- Heavenly Calling Continue Past 1935?

  The Bible does not reveal a precise answer to that question. We do know that the anointing of Jesus' disciples with a view to their heavenly inheritance began in 33 C.E. (Acts 2:1-4) We also know that after the death of the apostles, genuine anointed Christian "wheat" came to "grow together" with counterfeit Christians, "weeds." (Matthew 13:34-30) Then, starting in the late 1800s, anointed Christians were again prominently active. In 1919 "the harvest of the earth," including the gathering of the final ones of the anointed, began to be reaped._ Revelation 14: 15, 16
  
  From the late 1800s until 1931, the main thrust of the preaching work was the gathering of the remaining members of the body of Christ. In 1931 the Bible Students took the Bible-based name Jehovah's Witnesses, and in the November 15, 1933, issue of The Watchtower, the thought was expressed that this unique name was the "denarius" referred to in Jesus' parable recorded at Matthew 20: 1-16. The 12 hours mentioned in the parable were thought to correspond to the 12 years from 1919 to 1931. For many years after that, it was believed that the call to the heavenly Kingdom had ended in 1931 and that those called to be joint heirs with Christ in 1930 and 1931 were "the last" called. (Matthew 20:6-8) However, in 1966 an adjusted undersanding of that parable was presented, and it became clear that it had nothing to do with the end of the calling of the anointed.
  
  In 1935 the "great crowd" of Revelation 7:9-15 was understood to be made up of "other sheep," Christians with an earthly hope, who would appear on the world scene in "the last days" and who as a group would survive Armageddon. (John 10:16; 2 Timothy 3:1; Revelation 21:3, 4) After that year, the thrust of the disciple-making work turned to the gathering in of the great crowd. Hence, especially after 1966 it was believed that the heavenly call ceased in 1935. This seemed to be confirmed when almost all who were baptized after 1935 felt that they had the earthly hope. Thereafter, any called to the heavenly hope were believed to be replacements for anointed Christians who had proved unfaithful.
  
  Without a doubt, if one of the anointed unrepentatnly falls away, Jehovah does call another individual to take his place. (Romans 11:17-22) However, the number of genuine anointed ones who have become unfatihful is likely not large. On the other hand, as time has gone by, some Christians baptized afte 1935 have had witness borne to them that they have the heavenly hope. (Romans 8:16, 17) Thus, it appears that we cannot set a specific date for when the calling of Christians to the heavenly hope ends.
  
  How should a person be viewed who has determined in his heart that he is now anointed and begins to partake of the emblems at the Memorial? He should not be judged. The matter is between him and Jehovah. (Romans 14:12) However, genuine anointed Christian do not demand special attention. They do not believe that their being of the anointed gives them special "insights" beyond what even some experienced members of the great crowd may have. They do not believe that they necessarily have more holy spirit than their companions of the other sheep have; nor do they expect special treatment or claim that their partaking of the emblems places them above the appointed elders in the congregation. They humbly remember that some anointed men in the first century did not qualify to serve as elders or ministerial servants. (1 timothy 3:1-10, 12, 13; Titus 1:5-9; James 3:1) Some anointed Christians were even spiritually weak. (1Thessalonians 5:14) And sisters, although anointed, did not teach in the congregation.--1 Timothy 2:11,12
  
  Hence, anointed Christians along with their other sheep companions strive to stay spiritually strong, cultivating the fruitage of the spirit and working for the peace of the congregation. All Christians, whether anointed or of the other sheep, work hard at preaching the good news and making disciples, under the direction of the Governing Body. Anointed Christians are content to do this for as long as it is God's will that they remain on earth as Jehovah's servants.
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  found-my-way

  They do not believe that their being of the anointed gives them special "insights" beyond what even some experienced members of the great crowd may have. They do not believe that they necessarily have more holy spirit than their companions of the other sheep have; nor do they expect special treatment or claim that their partaking of the emblems places them above the appointed elders in the congregation.

  suuuuuuuure, why dont the rank and file see this as domineering and controlling?
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  fokyc

  This is a parallel thread:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/130668/1.ashx

  Perhaps 'newbie', "Where Am I", should read before posting ?

  fokyc
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  penny2

  Welcome to JWD, whereami. This is a very fast-moving forum and yes, someone else has already started a thread on this topic. I think you'll find the comments interesting.
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  IsaacJS2

  I was always told that we were to obey the anointed Christians. So that is not the case? Has this changed?

  In my old congregation, there was an anointed sister some time before I joined the fray. They said she was a HUGE pain in the neck. She would tell the Elders what to do and embarass them in front of the congregation at meetings! (Heh heh) But no one could touch her. I *thought* she was even present when the Elders would have their regular meetings, but that could be my mistake.

  Just wondering.

  IsaacJ
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  greendawn

  Welcome whereami, that article is a typical piece of Governing Body smooth talking and manipulation a study in deceit that is full of historical distortions, half truths and outright lies. There simply wasn't in the early church the kind of hierarchy existing in the WTS today with a very centralised authority and certainly numerous members of the early church had revelations and inspirations, right across the world. The GB want to exclusively control the WTS for the simple reason that it belongs to them being a private and legally secured corporation established by Russell with his own (?) capital. The WTS is a judeo masonic investment, if you didn't put money in it you can have no say in the way it is being run, end of story. That's clearly not what the early church was with COs and DOs reporting back to a central GB.
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  Pahpa

  Isaac,

  We had a similar situation in our old congregation too. There was an elderly "annointed" brother who just wouldn't conform to the rules of the organization. He passed out the literature without cost. He never attended assemblies on the basis that it was "only for the young ones." And he treated the overseers as children. He was forever being counselled by those in charge. But he dismissed them as a teacher would students. However, he was always counted as a partaker at the Memorial.

  I don't know if he would be tolerated now. The elders would probably get him on some trumped up charge like causing dissension among the brothers or undermining Jehovah's organization.
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  Cellist

  Welcome to JWD, whereami.
  
  I wonder how this will tie in with the wild rumour that this may be the last memorial.
  
  Cellist
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  journey-on

  I'm kind of new too WhereamI, but let me also welcome you. Actually, you posted more info from the WT article than the current thread running and I saw something else that intuitively told me the GB may be worried that those partaking of the emblems may actually start causing some "trouble" within the congs. Maybe the "upper management (GB)" is afraid some of these new partakers might begin insinuating that they are "receiving" spiritual guidance from above. After all, many witnesses have wondered why the annointed who are supposed to be a channel of God's directing spirit, are not consulted more often. It has always seemed odd that only a handful of men in New York are considered as the dispensers of spiritual food in due season.

  How should a person be viewed who has determined in his heart that he is now anointed and begins to partake of the emblems at the Memorial? He should not be judged. The matter is between him and Jehovah. (Romans 14:12) However, genuine anointed Christian do notdemand special attention. They do not believe that their being of the anointed gives them special "insights" beyond what even someexperienced members of the great crowd may have. They do not believe that they necessarily have more holy spirit than their companions of the other sheep have; nor do they expect special treatment or claim that their partaking of the emblems places them above the appointed elders in the congregation. They humbly remember that some anointed men in the first century did not qualify to serve as elders or ministerial servants. (1 timothy 3:1-10, 12, 13; Titus 1:5-9; James 3:1) Some anointed Christians were even spiritually weak. (1Thessalonians 5:14) And sisters, although anointed, did not teach in the congregation.--1 Timothy 2:11,12
  
  Hence, anointed Christians along with their other sheep companions strive to stay spiritually strong, cultivating the fruitage of the spirit and working for the peace of the congregation. All Christians, whether anointed or of the other sheep, work hard at preaching the good news and making disciples, under the direction of the Governing Body. Anointed Christians are content to do this for as long as it is God's will that they remain on earth as Jehovah's servants.
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  Seeker4

  Interesting. More covering of their asses, for sure.

  And this downplaying of one's being anointed. Years ago we were taught that reading the NT for an anointed person is like reading a personal letter from God and Christ, and that the Holy Spirit helps them understand it without having to have outside direction from anyone.

  If you really believe you're anointed, and really believe the above paragraph about yourself, you'll get your ass tossed out of the WTS plenty pronto today.

  What a farce this article is, and a watering down of so many earlier teachings.

  I wonder how many will leave over this, and how many others will bend over and take it up the ass, all the time thanking the GB for this "wonderful new light?"

  S4