Hello everyone,
a fter having read part of the 2003 WTBS Inc.'s yearly report,
I couldn't help to come to the conclusion that the 'anointed
remnant' do show over a time period extending many decades ... all the signs of the 'Methuselah' syndrome' i.e.
an extraordinary, exceptional longevity, far beyond the average, ordinary human creature . (Gen. 5:27)
Contemporary English Version CEV
".... 27 and died at the age of nine hundred sixty-nine. "
To be more clear I have no alternative but to dig out a
Watchtower 's article published , very recently, in the year 2000.
*** w00 1/15 p. 12 ?Keep on the Watch? ***
12 Note that Peter also said: ?The end of all things has drawn close.? How close? There is no way for humans to pinpoint the exact day and hour. (Matthew 24:36) But there is a difference between indulging in speculation, which the Bible does not encourage, and keeping in expectation of the end, which it does encourage. (Compare 2 Timothy 4:3, 4; Titus 3:9.) What is one way that we can keep in expectation of the end? It is by paying close attention to the evidence that the end is near. Let us therefore review six lines of evidence proving that we are living in the last days of this ungodly world."
Already the alarm tune...bu even worst when I go to page 13, paragraph 18th , to see the sixth line of evidence?
"Sixth, the number of genuine anointed disciples of Christ is dwindling, though some will evidently still be on earth when the great tribulation begins.
Most of the remnant are quite elderly, and over the years the number of those who are truly anointed has been getting smaller. Yet, referring to the great tribulation , Jesus stated:" Unless those days were cut short , no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short."(Matthew 24:21,22) Evidently , then, some of Christ's "chosen ones" will still be on earth when the great tribulation begins.*
*In the parable of the sheep and the goats. This standard for judgement would be meaningless if at the time of judgement, all of Christ's brothers had long since left the earthly scene.- Matthew 25:31-46
With the above statement in mind, I?ll make some calculations, using the WTBS Inc's figures.
*By selecting the difference in the number of 'anointed remnant'
in a given 10 years period we do have this:
1940 (a.r.27,620 ) 1950 (a.r. 22,723) diff. - 4,897
1950 (a.r. 22,723) 1960 (a.r. 13,911) diff. - 8,812
1961 (a.r. 13,284) 1971 (a.r. 10,384) diff. - 2,900
1972 (a.r. 10,350) 1982 (a.r. 9,601) diff. - 749
1983 (a.r. 9,529 ) 1993 (a.r. 8,693) diff. - 836
1994 (a.r. 8,617 ) 2003 (a.r. 8,565) diff. - 52
In few words for the first 31 years' period - from 1940 until 1971, we have a difference of 17,236 anointed remnant '...who have fallen asleep in death..." and for the second period of 31 years - from 1972 to 2003, we have
a difference of 1,785 anointed remnant ' ...who have fallen asleep in death..." .
Which it means that , as the years go by, the number of anointed remnant who
"...falls asleep in death" decreases or if you prefer...they live much, much longer!
So if the above trend were to continue, we could expect a very small number of
'...anointed remnant' ...falling asleep in death, in the next 10 years.
Furthermore the above quoted Watchtower, stated, quite clearly :
"Evidently , then, some of Christ's "chosen ones"
will still be on earth when the great tribulation begins.."
What does it mean, then "... some of Christ's "chosen ones"?
How many...1,000, 2,000, 3,000, ...?
And how long , by the actual yearly rate , will it take to reach...that
unspoecified number?
Because even by doubling the last 10 years' rate, at 104/year it will take
82.35 years ... for all the 'anointed remnant ' to fall asleep in death.
Or even by trebling the last 10 years rate , at 156/year, it will take
54.90 years...for all the ' anointed remnant ' to fall asleep in death.
Of course the mighty WTBS Inc. wrote:
"....the number of genuine anointed disciples of Christ.."
and also :
" the number of those who are truly anointed ..."
I'm sure that this 'wording ' was deliberate with the aim to cast serious doubts over the claims of the 8,661 'anointed remnant'
who partook of the emblems at the Memorial in the year 2000.
Yet the WTBS Inc. still wrote, concerning the "anointed " that:
"... .the number of genuine anointed disciples of Christ is dwindling,..."
and :
" Most of the remnant are quite elderly, and over the years the number of those who are truly anointed has been getting smaller. "
So, my final question is:
*The so called ??sixth line of evidence.. ?,...is it really an evidence?
I do hope that you've enjoyed the ...ride.
Greetings, J.C. MacHislopp
" Augescunt aliae gentes, aliae minuuntur; inque brevi spatio mutantur
saecia animantum et quasi cursores vitae lampada tradunt."
(Lucretius, De Rerum Natura)
