The Anointed

[Linda]

Yes, Sr. Linda,

And I don't believe this makes them any less valuable to the Lord, by them choosing to have an earthly hope following their calling, instead of accepting the upward call.

Ion

Not of any less value, no more than the rest of mankind in whom the Father loved so much that he sacrificed his only begotten Son, but...

Nevertheless those who have received of a knowledge of the high calling and who have nevertheless declined this offer preferring rather to live upon the earth have in essence "received the grace of God in vain." (2 Cor 6:1) That is to say they have chosen to decline the favor of this invitation to set aside the earthly for the heavenly that they might be where he [our Lord] is), in this they give evidence that they lack the spirit of a sound mind, imagining earthly rewards, pleasures in paradise restored could in anyway come close to the heavenly offering of joint heir-ship with their Lord and immorality.

Among Jehovah's Witnesses if one does not have a heavenly calling their hope is to live on earth. Obviously, if the number 144,000 is a literal number not all Jehovah's Witnesses can have a heavenly calling since there are 7 million Witnesses. The problem arises when one leaves the Witnesses and is taught that all Christians go to heaven. Then the question; are Witnesses Christians or not. If they are Christians they cannot all to heaven, if they are not then there are 7 million people who worship Jehovah, believe in his Son's ransom sacrifice and the Bible but are not Christians.

[bro tom]

Hello Sr Linda.  All Christians do NOT go to heaven.  But let's define the word "Christian".  If by Christian you mean, those who recognize that He is the Son of God, and that his words were true, that might make them followers or friends of Christ , but not joint heirs.  To become a true member of the Church (one who joins Christ as a member of His body), consecration is required... to die to our flesh, submitting our all.  To give up our hope of a physical resurrection, which is the promise of paradise on earth that we know will be given to us all, a result of Christ's ransom.  To claim our spiritual body, dying now to ourselves and our old nature. 

The Jw's have not given up their earthly hope, in fact they hold firmly to it, not responding to a higher calling resulting in spiritual begettal.  Without spiritual begettal, one has no hope of a spiritual resurrection.  However, those JW's who have earthly hopes of paradise, will not be dissapointed.  They will be resurrected to a physical body, and will find great joy as they follow Christ the King.  It is very likely that the JW's will be further ahead on that highway to holiness than most of mankind who are resurrected. 

Bro Tom

[Linda]

Thank you for the reply, Bro. Tom,
 
As I understand it Bible Students believe the only calling today is the heavenly calling. If so, then it is not possible for all JWs to have a heavenly calling since there are 7 million JWs and both Bible Students and JWs teach that the number 144,000 in Revelation is a literal number. It is impossible, then, for the Watchtower to teach all its members to reach out for the heavenly calling. There are, though, almost 11,000 JWs who are reaching out for the heavenly calling.

May I ask you a rhetorical question I've wondered about for some time. Let us suppose that Rutherford never took over the Bible Student faith. And that Br. Russell's Will had been adhered to after his death. And his work of preaching and teaching continued as it was during his life with Watchtower subscriptions being offered along with the Volumes and other books, public talks, conventions etc. It is possible that at some point during the decades that followed, the numbers of Bible Students around the world would have exceeded the 144,000 mark.  Is this a reasonable assumption?  And if that were so, those Bible Students leading the friends would have to find a reason for such an increase. And how would they have explained it? An earthly class would be out of the question because all Bible Students are called to heaven or would there have been a change in that?

I'm not truly asking for an answer because no one alive today would have that answer but it is an interesting thought/question.  I'm no longer a Witness, btw.

 

[bro tom]

Let us suppose that Rutherford never took over the Bible Student faith. And that Br. Russell's Will had been adhered to after his death.... It is possible that at some point during the decades that followed, the numbers of Bible Students around the world would have exceeded the 144,000 mark.  Is this a reasonable assumption?  And if that were so, those Bible Students leading the friends would have to find a reason for such an increase. And how would they have explained it?

Let me say this.  God calls who he calls to the 144,000.  That does not mean that those who are called remain faithful to that call or even submit to the call.  The great increase of the JW in the later years are a result of an earthly call, not a heavenly one.  The increase took place once the GB declared that the call has been shifted to an earthly paradise.  So to suggest that the numbers would be so great if Rutherford had not moved the great company to earth, is not valid.   If he had not, the call would remain the same among those being called to a spiritual resurrection.  You say there are 11,000 with that spiritual calling now.  Out of 7 million, that is about right I would think. 

Bro Tom

[Linda]

Thank you, Br. Tom.

There's an interesting event going on with the Witnesses you may already know about. The number of Memorial Partakers after 1935 continued to drop through the years until about the last decade, or so, of the 20th century. Then the number held steady, hoving around the 8000 mark. This was interesting because it should not have held steady for so long since the older ones would continue to die off. But it did. This would indicate that many of the deaths of the older ones were not showing up in the count because new ones were starting to partake. This took place during a time when the Governing Body was still strongly discouraging new partakers to the point that many felt almost persecuted for doing so.

The number of partakers continued to slowly increase until in 2007 the Society changed and removed the 1935 block to new partakers. Since then the number continues to increase to almost 11,000 in 2010. What the removal of the 1935 barrier will hold for the future remains to be seen.

As a side note, I knew several old Witnesses who had been Bible Students in the 1920's and 30's and when the earthly hope was presented to them they changed their hope feeling that that was truly in their heart and not the heavenly hope. Interesting times we have lived in and continue to live in.

[bro tom]

The number of partakers continued to slowly increase until in 2007 the Society changed and removed the 1935 block to new partakers. Since then the number continues to increase to almost 11,000 in 2010. What the removal of the 1935 barrier will hold for the future remains to be seen.

Once the GB is represented by mostly younger men, I would expect that they will close the door again.  This removal of the 1935 block was necessary to explain why the GB was dying out.  Thank you for your input Sr Linda.

[Linda]

The number of partakers continued to slowly increase until in 2007 the Society changed and removed the 1935 block to new partakers. Since then the number continues to increase to almost 11,000 in 2010. What the removal of the 1935 barrier will hold for the future remains to be seen.

Once the GB is represented by mostly younger men, I would expect that they will close the door again.  This removal of the 1935 block was necessary to explain why the GB was dying out.  Thank you for your input Sr Linda.

The 2007 change was made with the majority of the GB already being younger men. The average age now is in the 50's and early 60's. So it had nothing to do with the GB dying out.

[bro tom]

The number of partakers continued to slowly increase until in 2007 the Society changed and removed the 1935 block to new partakers. Since then the number continues to increase to almost 11,000 in 2010. What the removal of the 1935 barrier will hold for the future remains to be seen.

Once the GB is represented by mostly younger men, I would expect that they will close the door again.  This removal of the 1935 block was necessary to explain why the GB was dying out.  Thank you for your input Sr Linda.

The 2007 change was made with the majority of the GB already being younger men. The average age now is in the 50's and early 60's. So it had nothing to do with the GB dying out.

 
How could the GB have younger men in 2007 if the door closed in 1935? That would make the youngest 72 years old.  They must have let the door open from time to time as needed.  Smile
 

[Linda]

That Brother Tom is an excellent question.

For years the Society had written that the door was closed, the number complete, and that if new ones did partake it was due to replacements. Replacements would be needed to take the place of those among the anointed who failed their calling. (Br. Russell said something similar at one time.)

I wondered when I was still associated with the Witnesses how it was that Jehovah would call the full number before a certain date 1881 or 1935 knowing that the end would come many years later and that anointed brothers would be needed many years later?

The fact is that anointed have continued to be called since 1935 (and 1881) and the Society's thinking on the matter was wrong. Thus the change. So yes, there were anointed men in the mid 1990's and early 21st century ready to step in. Just as there are still anointed men and women today among the Bible Students.

[serene searcher]

i think not all who think they are of the heavenly call are actualy going to be,
so dosnt matter how many think they are going to be of that group cos what there minds misslead them to beleive dosnt become so,
yes we should all hope in that call but dosnt mean we gona get it so wether the numbers are above 144000 or go in to the millions dosnt matter cos its up to jesus whos goingto be called to that possition.i class myself as an earthly hope, but only cos im humble and dont thin k im of that class,and would much rather some one more decerving went instead of me,but if i was of that calling great id not say no.but im not going to put myself on any pedestal and think im above everyone and more special as to be one of the anointed.
and thats not cos i want an earthly hope,il have what ever im given, infact im so sad with the world that id not care if i dont have either aslong as it comes for everyone else and its all done and dusted.and theres no suffering any longer, so even if jws stayed bible students and thought they all had the heavenly hope dont matter as no matter what not all going to get it and either way its all good in the end,

[Linda]

I agree, Serene Searcher.

[RR]

How could the GB have younger men in 2007 if the door closed in 1935? That would make the youngest 72 years old.  They must have let the door open from time to time as needed.  Smile

Well that's exactly what they did Br. Tom. When I was a JW, 1935 was the year the door was shut and God was focusing on his great compant of other sheep. 1935 was a doctrine. A few years ago, in a "Question from Readers" section they stated that 1935 was a tradition not founded on scriptures (duh!, I knew that). So 1935 was tossed out, leaving way for a new group of anointed ones. The current GB weren't even born in 1935.

RR

[balaji]

Gb  means

[balaji]

Gb  means

[Linda]

RR,

I would add that the current members of the Governing Body were all appointed before the 2007 change on 1935.


Balaji,

GB means Governing Body.