Sir 82, you ought to order "A People For His Name", available at Lulu.com:
http://www.lulu.com/content/340079
It's a great DOCTRINAL history.
Related to what Leolaia mentioned, the WT of March 15th and April 1st 1938 had some "answers" in order to deal with the widespread confusion that had developed over who was anointed and who was in the Great Crowd. This was in preparation for the memorial of that year. BTW, if you look at the partaker numbers for those years there were wild swings going on. Basically the advice given was that those who were in doubt needed to ask themselves two questions:
"WHEN [emphasis mine] did he devote himself without condition unto the Lord, and what what thereafter did God's spirit guide him to see and to appreciate as open for him and his place?" (WT, 4/1/38, p.103)
As "A People For His Name" (1st ed., p. 293) explains, "The former question would generally show one which class he belonged to, for God did not start to gather the earthly class until about 1932. One who dedicated himself to God before then would assuredly be of the heavenly class, the church. One who dedicated himself after that date would probably be of the earthly class, for the heavenly was filled with the predestined number of 144,000 already. The only case this method would not work for was one whom God anointed after 1932 to replace and unfaithful church member. For him, the second question was needed."
It would be interesting to read the 4/1/38 WT referenced here, in light of the recent "new light".
Exciting announcements at service meeting
by truthseeker 61 Replies latest jw friends
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M.J.
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calico
"we goofed, and the calling never ended in 1935 after all. It seems there have been newly anointed ones all along."
Does this mean that younger ones who have claimed to be annointed--but not believed--will now be respected and believed?
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NewYork44M
I would be skeptical of this reputed change until the whole truth comes out.
I agree. I am a little unclear as to why some sort of announcement would come at a service meeting. Was this a rogue elder getting ahead of the chariot?
If true. Are they then going to say that the 144K is just a figurative number?
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Gayle
Of course, if any complain to the WTS, that they always felt they had the 'heavenly calling' but were talked out of it back when, the GB now typically will only say it was the individual's fault & of the 'rank & file.' I think thousands will make the 'switch.'
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truthseeker
The announcement was real, but the elder did not go in depth re: new light on generation. Just told us to watch out for it in the 2008 WT (JW edition)
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Happy Harvester
Maybe this could be a golden opportunity for ex-members to return and "accept" the "new light" and help others get out. Just a thought. Then again, I'm kinda' busy lately, what with all this internet stuff and procrastinating my real job.
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The Last Nephilim
I'm not sure what it all means, but I spoke to a friend of mine from Bethel yesterday and he told me about this "new light" briefly. If I understood him correctly, he was explaining to me that the "generation" referred to in Matthew 24:34 now means the anointed class, and that they will not all be "transferred" to heaven when Armageddon breaks out- some will go through Armageddon with the "other sheep". I may not be grasping all that he told me or he may not be remembering the info, but this is what I gathered from our conversation. I guess we'll see when it's officially announced!
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Gayle
I thought it had been said many years ago that some of the anointed may go into the "new world" after Armageddon. I think sometimes they don't say something for awhile & then when they re-state in come across as new light.
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VM44
More baloney from The Watchtower!
--VM44
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wha happened?
All of this just makes me feel better. For whatever reason this new change of a change of a change of doctrine only made me more sure of my decision to drift. It actually reduced the guilt I was going through.