The WTS says there were less than 144,000 Christians that existed prior to 1914 ignoring the fact that millions were martyred for the name of Christ during the centuries. All but 100,000 or so of these were actually Christians. Remember that only anointed Christians that existed prior to 1914.
Let's look at WTS logic regarding these martyrs.
The
Watchtower September 1, 1951, in a wonderful article entitled
“Hated For His Name”(pp518,519) describes the persecution and
martyrdom of steadfast Christians in the first 3 centuries AD.
“By
the year (A.D.) 64 Christianity was prominent throughout much of the
Roman Empire,
including the capital city Rome itself. Their individual
characteristics, form
of worship and steadfast refusal to compromise thereon had made the
Christians sure targets of hostility and ridicule. That year, the
tenth in the reign
of Emperor Nero, Rome was swept by a conflagration so great it is yet
theobject
of poetry and legend....
Diocletian
assumed the crown A.D. 284. At
first he seemed friendly to the Christians, but in the year 303 he
gave in to persuasion
and opened the tenth persecution, probably the most ferocious of all. Suffocation
by smoke, forcible drinking of melted lead, mass drownings and
bumings, breaking
on the rack of men and women alike ran the empire with blood. In
a single month 17,000 were slain. In the province of Egypt alone,
144,000 such professed
Christians died by violence in the course of this persecution, in
addition to
another 700,000 who died as a result of fatigues encountered in
banishment orunder
enforced public works”.
WT 1952 1/15 p. 62
Questions From Readers
According to the article
“Hated for His Name” in the September 1, 1951, Watchtower,
hundreds of thousands of Christians died in the “ten persecutions”
starting in Nero’s time, 144,000 dying in Egypt alone during one of
the persecutions. How can this be harmonized with the Scriptural
limitation of 144,000 placed on the number being in Christ’s body,
and which position was the only one open to Christians during those
centuries?—J.A., Dominican Republic.
The article did not class with
any finality the individuals that died during these persecutions, but
spoke of the results in a general way. Note that a key qualification
was made in the case referred to in the question: “In the province
of Egypt alone, 144,000 such professed Christians died by violence in
the course of this persecution, in addition to another 700,000 who
died as a result of fatigues encountered in banishment or under
enforced public works.” The victims are identified as
“professed Christians”, not Christians in fact. Many of
those persons might have been caught in the wave of
persecution, but may never have actually preached the truth
or followed in Jesus’ footsteps, being only professed Christians.
They knew the world they lived in was rotten and they were listening
to the message of the Christians and willing to die for it even
though not in line for the high calling in Christ Jesus. Many
professed Christians today might be willing to die for their faith,
but still not be Jesus’ footstep followers and meeting the
Scriptural requirements for such.
Rather insulting to those who made
the ultimate sacrifice for staying true to their Christian beliefs I would say.
.
Watchtower
July 1, 1972. Questions
From Readers
Large
numbers of Christians are said to have been put to death during the
Roman persecution in the first few centuries of the Common Era. How,
then, is it possible for thousands in this century to have been
called to become part of the body of Christ composed of only 144,000
persons?—U.S.A.
"There
are historical indications that many Christians were bitterly
persecuted, even killed, in the first few centuries. However, it
should be remembered that, in itself, a martyr’s death did not give
a person merit before Jehovah God nor did it guarantee membership in
the heavenly kingdom. Many persons, even in recent times, have been
willing to die for a cause, religious or otherwise. A person’s
claiming to be a Christian and even dying for his belief does not in
itself mean that he is an approved servant of Jehovah God. As the
apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “If I give all my belongings
to feed others, and if I hand over my body, that I may boast, but do
not have love, I am not profited at all.” (1 Cor. 13:3) It is not
death, but faithfulness to the very death, that determines whether an
individual will receive “the crown of life.”—Rev. 2:10.
Thus
the fact that today there is still a remnant of the 144,000 on earth
would show that down to this twentieth century fewer than 144,000
finished their earthly course in faithfulness.
