Hello everyone,
Still in the “ memorial season” and the usual puzzling question:
“anointed “ or “ not anointed “ ???
Just take a look at what, in mho, I do consider amazing ex.
of this …enigma.
1*** w88 3/1 p. 11 My Life in Jehovah’s Spirit-Directed Organization
( As told by Albert D. Schroeder)
THE first Sunday in June 1934, Alex Jones and I were preaching from door to door in Jersey City, New Jersey. Suddenly, police officers rushed into the apartment house where we were, arrested us, shoved us roughly into a car, and took us off to jail!
Three days later, a judge pronounced us guilty of peddling without a license and sentenced us to ten days in jail. We were taken to the Hudson County Prison, required to undress, go through a sterilizing bath, and put on prison clothes. Then we were marched to a cell.
Here I had time to reflect. I was only 23 and was happy with my life as a full-time minister at Brooklyn Bethel.
We began our pioneer service before we were baptized because at that time it was not clearly understood whether those with the earthly hope needed to be baptized or not. However, after I was baptized in Vandercook Lake, Michigan, July 24, 1932, it became evident that my hope had changed to that of an anointed one, which was confirmed by the ‘witness of the spirit.’—Romans 8:16.
He understood quite “quickly” about his “ heavenly hope”
2*** w88 9/1 p. 20 A Pioneer Partnership for Life ***
In 1913, when I was 17, I traveled to London for a sight-seeing vacation. Happily, this coincided with a visit by Brother Russell to an assembly held at the Kingsway Hall. There I expressed my desire to be baptized. The colporteur sister who worked in Cardiff approached Brother Russell to ask him if he thought I was too young. He asked me how old I was and questioned me to see if I understood the Scriptures and to determine whether I had dedicated my life to Jehovah. As a result, I donned a long black gown and joined the other candidates for immersion at the London Tabernacle. I remember so well the words we sang as we came out of the water:
“Buried with Christ
and raised with him too,
What is there left for me to do?
Simply to cease from
struggling and strife,
Simply to walk in the newness of life.”
Afterward, a brother approached me and said: “You must be the last one of the 144,000 to come in; you only have such a short time left to make your calling and election sure.” Such were the thoughts of many who viewed the approaching year, 1914, with great expectation. For me, though, this proved to be a time of testing as I put up with great opposition at home.
This sister was only 17, and it was a brother who “informed “ her about the “election…”, just
after her baptism! Notice that she makes no comments about the matter.
3*** w89 4/1 p. 29 A Wonderful Career ***
Two Personal Adjustments
When I was baptized in 1930, there was little understanding regarding those who would have everlasting life on earth. So both John and I partook of the emblems at Memorial time, as did everyone then. Even in 1935, when the “great crowd” of Revelation chapter 7 was identified as an earthly class of “sheep,” our thinking was not altered. (Revelation 7:9; John 10:16) Then in 1952, The Watchtower on page 63 (°) published a clarification of the distinction between the earthly hope and the heavenly hope. We came to realize that we did not have the hope of heavenly life, but that our hope was of life on a paradise earth.—Isaiah 11:6-9; Matthew 5:5; Revelation 21:3, 4.
This couple, needed more than 22 years to realize that eventually they had the “ hope of life on a paradise earth.”
What about the …”closing time” for the …” heavenly call “ ???
(°)*** w52 1/15 pp. 63-64 Questions from Readers ***
• How can one determine whether he is of the anointed class, and hence should partake of the Memorial emblems?—E. B., California.
After Pentecost in the first century any who had the spirit of God, as evidenced by his having one or more gifts of the spirit, would have no difficulty deciding whether he was of the anointed class, for that was a time set aside exclusively for begetting heavenly heirs. On this firm foundation he would entertain heavenly hopes. Today the circumstances are altered. One may have dedicated himself to doing God’s will, symbolized that dedication, and demonstrated that he has the spirit of God by doing Jehovah’s will, doing it in the love of God and trying to imitate him and his dear Son; but how would he know that his having the spirit of God was assurance that he was going to heaven? The spirit of God is also on the “other sheep”, and not just on the anointed remnant. So how can we determine the matter today?
It seems from the Scriptures that God was specially taking out the spiritual class up until 1931 , in a general way, and this does have some bearing on the matter. However, it is not conclusive. Since 1931 there are those who have entered the service and who give evidence of being begotten by the spirit and who have their hopes set upon being of the heavenly heirs. So there is evidence of some coming into the heavenly class since 1931; though not on a general scale, but only individuals here and there who are taken in to fill up the places of some who may turn unfaithful.”
So, it seems that after you have inspected the matter of time, the possession of God’s spirit, his dealings with you, then you have to take into consideration, “What are my real, sincere, heartfelt hopes in this matter?” Then you decide your position; no one else can decide for you. Decide whether you have the consuming spiritual aspirations. If so, then follow through with those. That is in your system and you cannot get it out, so act accordingly. Participate in the Memorial emblems. Whereas, if you do not have that hope, if you are divided and uncertain, then it appears that you are of the earthly class, and hence should not partake of the emblems at Memorial time.
(°°) w91 3/15 p. 19 Who Really Have a Heavenly Calling? ***
But what has happened in recent times? Since 1931 the Kingdom message has focused more attention on the “other sheep,” and from 1935 onward God has been drawing “a great crowd” of such sheeplike ones to himself through Christ. (John 10:16; Revelation 7:9)
(°°°)*** w96 8/15 pp. 30-31 Questions From Readers ***
Questions From Readers
The reports for some years show that the number partaking of the Memorial emblems increased slightly. Does this suggest that many new ones are being anointed with holy spirit?
There is good reason to believe that the number of 144,000 anointed Christians was complete decades ago.
.But it seems that in the mid-1930’s, the full number of the 144,000 was basically completed. Thus there began to appear a group of loyal Christians with the earthly hope. Jesus termed such “other sheep,” who unite in worship with the anointed as one approved flock.—John 10:14-16.
(°°°) w99 2/1 Our Treasure in Earthen Vessels ***
Box on page 19]
“No More Additions!”
At a Gilead graduation in 1970, Frederick Franz, then vice-president of the Watch Tower Society, told the students of the possibility that they, who were all of the other sheep with earthly hopes, might baptize someone who might claim to be of the anointed remnant. Could this happen? Well, he explained that John the Baptist was of the other sheep, and he baptized Jesus and some of the apostles. Then he went on to ask whether there still was a call for gathering in more of the remnant. “No, no more additions!” he said. “That call ended way back there in 1931-35! There are no more additions. Who, then, are the few newly associated ones who are partaking of the Memorial emblems? If they are of the remnant, they are replacements! They are, not additions to the ranks of the anointed, but replacements for those who may have fallen away.”
(°°°°) w02 2/1 page 20 § 6 :
“ This “heavenly calling “ began at Pentecost 33 C.E. and, in the main, appears
to have ended in the mid-1930’s (Hebrews 3:1) .”
Please do notice also : ” appears “ … “it seems “…!
Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp