by Mary 10 Replies latest watchtower bible
A fellow poster is looking for that WT article where it admitted that the annointed don't have any special insight or something to that effect. I believe it was out around the time that they changed the 'door closing in 1935 is wrong' doctrine. This was I think changed around May 2007.
This poster has been priviledged enough to be told he's getting a threatening visit shepherding call soon, and he wants to be prepared.
Can anyone help find this article?
I believe this was covered in the QFR article of May 1, 2007.
I'm bumping this so that others can help you out.
Sylvia
*** w07 5/1 pp. 30-31 Questions From Readers ***
When does the calling of Christians to a heavenly hope cease?
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 13:24-30) Then, starting in the late 1800’s, 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 1800’s 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 TheWatchtower, 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 understanding 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 unrepentantly 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 unfaithful is likely not large. On the other hand, as time has gone by, some Christians baptized after 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 Christians 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. (1 Thessalonians 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.
*** w07 8/15 p. 19 Do You Remember? ***
When does the calling of Christians to the heavenly hope end?The Bible does not supply a precise answer. That calling began in 33 C.E. and continued into modern times. After 1935 the thrust of the disciple-making work turned to the gathering in of the great crowd. Some who were baptized after 1935 have had witness borne to them by holy spirit that they have the heavenly hope, so we cannot set a specific date for the end of that calling. Truly anointed ones do not have more of God’s spirit, nor do they expect special treatment. Whatever their hope, Christians need to be faithful and keep doing God’s will.—5/1, pages 30-1.
Ah Blondie, you're the greatest.
Thanks hon.
(Credit goes to Blondie)
Thanks Atlantis:
You know, reading that stupid article again just blew my mind. First of all, we know that in 95 CE, 40,000 Christians had been martyred in that year alone. And in the Finished Mystery book (page 29), Charles Russell says that during a 10 year span from 303 CE - 313 CE there were about 860,000 Christians martyred. That's A LOT of Christians. Even giving the WTS the benefit of the doubt here when they claim that by this time, the "great apostasy" had set in, they still claim that the "wheat and weeds" would be "growing together". So even if say, 75% of those martyred during that time were not "true Christians", that would mean that there were still about 215,000 that were "true Christians", they would have been of the "annointed" and thus, the number would have been filled centuries ago.
Even taking it to the more extreme: let's say 90% of those 860,000 were not "true Christians". That would mean that 86,000 of them were. If you add that number to the 40,000 that had been martyred in 95 CE, that right there gives you a total of 126,000. And that's going on the ridiculous idea that there were no true Christians killed inbetween 95CE and the early 4th century, which of course, is an absurd idea. And then when you factor in Acts 21:20 which says "You behold, brother, how many myriadsof believers there are among the Jews."" The same word 'myriads" is used in Jude 14 in the NWT. There is a footnote in the large revised 1984 edition which says. "holy tens of thousands."
So even if the "myraids" equalled only 20,000, right there you've got more than 144,000. You've in fact got 146,000. Plus, that doesn't even include the "3,000 souls" and "5,000 souls" that the bible (I think in Acts) talks about "being added". That would bring it up to a minumum of 154,000 "true Christians" by the time the Council of Nicea began.
I think I'll include this in my package too.
Mary:
Good job Mary! Your numbers wipe the 144,000 clear off the map! And, that is an under-statement! Yes, I would include it!
N.
This article is also in Elsewhere's website.
http://elsewhereishere.com/jw/QFR05012007WT.pdf
And the article in Japanese is in my website.
http://xbbs.knacks.biz/possible01/a453#a456
I really wonder if the changes they've made in the last couple of years about the "annointed", has been paving the way for them to make the number 144,000 "symbolic". That would actually eliminate all the embarassing questions, which they have no answer to and would help explain the increase in the last couple of years.
It wouldn't really have any effect on the "Slave Class", because they never consult the rest of the 'annointed' on anything anyway.................
