by MissingLink 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
My wife was asking me about the Nethinim class at Bethel. I had never heard of this before. She said they were like helpers for the GB.
For anyone who served at bethel, or knows about it - can you explain this to me?
Are they annointed? Are they GB in training? Do they represent the GB? What sort of work do they do?
I never served at Bethel, but I heard about this "helper" class in Watchtower publications. It is a weasely way for the WTS to let the "other sheep" class take over most of the directing work at headquarters.
The correct spelling is Nethinim.
Here is a link to an interesting article by Barbara Anderson on this subject: http://www.freeminds.org/women/GivenOnes.htm
Thanks. Corrected spelling.
Any personall experience of dealing with these people and seeing how they're appointed and what they do?
Since the 2 4/15/92 WT articles and the 1993 yearbook, very little has been written about either the Nethinim or "given ones" which is why surprisingly anyone who became a jw after that might not know about it or have encountered the concept in the publications applied in this way.
But this 2006 mention might have briefly "hinted" at the 1992 WT.
*** w06 2/15 p. 28 par. 11 Walking in the Path of Increasing Light ***The year 1992 saw still another refinement, one that is comparable to what happened after the Israelites and others returned from exile in Babylon. Back at that time, there were not a sufficient number of Levites to care for temple service. So non-Israelite Nethinim were given more to do in helping the Levites. Accordingly, to assist the faithful and discreet slave class in caring for its increasing earthly interests, in 1992 some of the "other sheep" received added service responsibilities. They were appointed as helpers to the Governing Body committees.—John 10:16.
I believe Penton discusses them in his Apocalypse Delayed book.
I haven't dealt with any but I do remember when the article came out. It basically seemed that since the anointed were dying out the GB needed to make up some parallel to explain why the Great Crowd were taking over more responsibility. I wonder if this will be changed now that they have said the Anointed have not yet all been collected, as we are now likely to see an increase in the number of 144,000 again.
The Nethinim remarks were used as the middle 90's Band-Aid fix for the expired anointed appointments due to the 1935 closed door policy that was cancelled last year. Now the Watch Tower owners can all claim to be first choice anointed and the "appointed channel" claim is safe from the passage of time.
We won't hear very much more of the Nethinim group because the idea isn't needed now. Now the "generation" is set, the anointed channel is set, the new corporations are in place, the new buildings are planned, the "millions who would never die" are pretty much dead, and the future looks bright ahead.
Out with the old, in with the new! Remember when they told us there would be a new "system"? I think we're seeing it:-)
I wonder if any of the Nethinim got the axe during this process of streamlining the wt operations.
In regards to the Nethinim, I don't think there were individuals identified as Nethinims. It applied to all those non annointed that are at bethel assisting the governing body.
So it's strictly non-annointed people helping the GB on certain tasks then? If you are annointed and helping the GB - what is that called?
-- Or am I missing the point? --
Are you saying the the nethinim are actually GB members who are not annointed?
Wow Gary. That is a loaded post. I always enjoy your comments.
