If the big change at the AGM meeting is dropping the literal 144,000...

by slimboyfat 88 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  slimboyfat

  The best conjecture seems to be that the GB are going to drop the literal 144,000 teaching, especially in view of the December Watchtower that pointedly does not mention the 144,000 number.

  If they are dropping the literal 144,000 number, but still claim that only a small number are anointed, and can partake, and that only a few are left on earth, then it is fair to ask what has really changed? Nothing! They are simply clearing up the embarrassing situation that there were obviously more than 144,000 "anointed" believers from 36 AD until now, and that the number of partakers has been increasing in recent years.

  We should be clear what they are not doing in that case.

  They are not abolishing the two tier believer system.

  They are not saying everyone can partake at the memorial.

  They are not dropping their embarrassingly inept exegesis of the "other sheep" scripture as referring to second class believers rather than gentile believers (as almost every Bible scholar would interpret the verse).

  They are not dropping their use of the "little flock" scripture out of context.

  They are presumably not apologising for insisting for decades that all other Christian believers were wrong to view the 144,000 as a figurative number.

  They are not diminishing the authority of the Governing Body over the rank and file, which has already been disentangled from the teaching on the anointed by making the "faithful and discreet slave" refer solely to the GB rather than anointed Christians generally.

  In other words nothing significant has actually changed. Abolishing the literal 144,000 teaching could have been taken as an opportunity for the Watchtower to abandon their two tier scheme of salvation and their draconian authority structure. Instead they have, in line with practice over the past couple of decades, only changed doctrine in reaction to events (in this case increasing numbers of partakers), and only to the least degree possible while maintaining their overall dogma.

  In short it is a small scale adjustment in reaction to events on the part of small minded reactionaries who lack imagination to see the bigger picture.

  But it will no doubt be presented as wonderfull "flash of light" and the faithful JWs will on the whole lap it up.
• 

  Apognophos

  Thanks for the speculative pre-emptive clarification If this does happen, I think we'll have to bump this thread a few times for some folks on JWN who misunderstand the new light. At least, based on how I've seen past new light misunderstood ("You mean the F&DS aren't appointed yet? Then why do the rank and file have to listen to them?").
• 

  LostGeneration

  Why does everyone think they are dropping 144k. From the latest WT, page 25 --

  One is the hope of reigning with

  Christ in heaven, the hope entertained

  by a relatively small number of Christ’s

  followers, such as the faithful apostles.

  (Luke 12:32; 22:19, 20; Rev. 14:1) The

  other hope is for most Christians loyally

  serving God in our time. They have

  the prospect of living forever on earth in

  a restored paradise. Then God’s will is

  to be done on earth as in heaven, something

  for which Christians have long

  prayed. (Matt. 6:10)
• 

  LostGeneration

  They have no need to drop it. All they are going to do now is stop reporting the number of partakers now that GB=FDS. Then all of us dirty apostates won't have a number to point at and laugh when it goes up year after year.
• 

  Sapphy

  Whatever the 'adjustment' is, I do hope it's as big as everyone is hoping. However, it's more than likely it will be a damp squib. I just get the feeling that GB 2.0 want their historic 'Cedar Point, Ohio' moment.
• 

  breakfast of champions

  Why drop it?

  Provides a lot of "hoopla" at very little expense.
• 

  Apognophos

  Maybe because it's hard to convince Bible studies to swallow the teaching? I'd argue it's the most baseless assertion in WT teaching -- 1914 has World War I in its favor, the blood teaching has scriptures about avoiding blood... but 144,000 is literal "just because".
• 

  steve2

  SBF - wow - I do admire the clarity of your arguments! If only such calm logic and reason prevailed in the organization.

  Just as explicit reference to 1914 "disappeared" without official comment from the inside cover of the Awake! in the 1990s, so the emphasis on 144,000 might simply be faded out.

  In my opinion to explicitly tamper with this "hallmark" Watchtower doctrine risks waking up the sleepy rank and file.

  While I agree there are all sorts of compelling but disturbing arguments for dropping the literal interpretation, my guess is this is one belief that is more helpfully slowly "faded" rather than rooted out. Of course, if I am wrong, my infallibility fails me...again.
• 

  sir82

  I have no idea if that is what they are planning.

  But the timing of the WT studies leading up to this meeting is certainly suggestive.

  We will have had 4 weeks of studies, building up to the "grand climax" that the "faithful and discreet slave" is 9 guys, not 11,000 guys.

  If they were ever going to do it, now would be the time.

  It would certainly stick a knife in the back of the "new anointed", who are a source of constant concern & embarrassment to Bethel.

  That group is 99% marginalized with the July 15 WT.

  If the GB comes out and says "not only are you guys (the anointed) not as elite as us, you're not even that special - there might be 144,000 of you, or there might be a couple million of you - meh, who cares?", that would complete the job.
• 

  slimboyfat

  I don't think they would want to change this doctirne. The problem is their hand has effectively been forced by events. With the number of anointed increasing every year, and the cumulative number of anointed in modern times getting ever higher, it simply becomes less credible every year that there are only 144,000 anointed. They may feel there is simply no alternative to dropping the literal 144,000 teaching at this point.

  It should be noted that practically every other significant change in recent years has similarly been forced and is in reaction to events.

  Dropping charging for the literature = forced by tax laws

  Allowing fractions of blood = forced by medical advances and associated legal challenges

  Changing the generation teaching = forced by time running out as 80 years had elapsed since 1914 in 1995

  Stopping food at the conventions = again forced by tax laws

  Separating the GB from the directors = forced to protect the GB from legal liability

  Dropping 1935 as the cut off date for the anointed = forced by the fact that no pre-1935 anointed were left, even on the GB itself

  Dropping the Book Study in people's homes = forced to avoid liability for abuse in homes during these meetings

  And now dropping the literal 144,000 = forced by the increasing numbers of partakers threatening to bring the modern count above the 144,000 number

  That's just a few examples that show the GB make up policy and doctrine purely in reaction to events these days. I am sure that's not an exhaustive list.