Since 1935, the Watchtower had been categorically teaching (for over 6 decades) that the heavenly calling of the 144,000 anointed Christians had ceased in 1935. This teaching was especially significant to older JWs (especially those who spent much of their lives serving the Watchtower as pioneers, elders, missionaries, bethelites, etc.) because many of these would eventually turn their attention to the aging Governing Body members and feel a sense of relief knowing that the end was drawing ever so near. In other words, as more Governing Body members (who were born before 1935) passed away, the closer they would get to their long-awaited reward of surviving Armageddon and living on Paradise Earth where they would finally hug grass-eating lions near a waterfall while marveling at snow-peaked mountains in the distance. It was pretty much a given… No more GB members born before 1935 = Paradise.
But as the 90’s came to a close, the Watchtower was forced to start putting the brakes on this “1935” doctrine as they lost Frederick Franz, George Gangas, John Booth and William Loyd Barry between 1992 and 1999. What were they to do with only 8 remaining members who were born before 1935? Press on, of course.
In fact, I remember 1999 all too well as the year of much expectation since the Watchtower (March 1, 1984 page 19 paragraph 12) indicated that Armageddon would arrive much sooner than the turn of the century. This was followed by two re-affirming articles in the May 15, 1984 Watchtower. But what were they to do with less than a year remaining before the year 2000 (hence, Armageddon)? Press on, of course.
Needless to say, Y2K came and went uneventfully and many were left scratching their heads. But the Governing Body decided to stick with their “1935 Heavenly Gate Closure” doctrine as they still had plenty of members on the GB who were born before that year. In fact, the Watchtower May 15, 2001 page 15 was yet another reminder that they fully intended to stick with this doctrine for as long as they deemed necessary. However, with the deaths of 6 more Governing Body members between 2001 and 2007 (Klein, Swingle, Henschel, Sydlic, Schroeder and Barber), they simply could not hold on to this lie any longer without looking like fools. So, in 2007, with only 2 members on the body born before 1935 (John Barr & Theodore Jaracz, both dying 3 years later), they were finally forced to quietly do away with this false doctrine in a “Questions from Readers” article of the May 1, 2007 Watchtower. As expected, however, the rank and file were mostly oblivious to this situation and simply accepted it as “New Light” from Jehovah.
So, after 71 years, the Watchtower was forced to “re-open” the Heavenly Gates in 2007 for any other delusional JWs who may eventually feel that they are part of a special class of Christians. And all of this was possible thanks to Proverbs 4:18 (their universal “get-out-of-embarrassment-free” card). That being said, I firmly believe that the next major change they will be forced to make is with regards to the number 144,000 being only a symbolic number. This along with the “overlapping generations” teaching should buy the Watchtower at least 50 more years which is plenty of time to brainstorm a new self-preservation strategy while re-grouping in their brand new facilities in upstate New York.