Been gone so long can't give chapter and verse, but 1935 was understood to be the cut off date...we had three old time anointed in my KH, with one old brother often referred to as anointed, however the old timers made it clear he was a Jonadab(earthly hope). Even he would quickly tell you:"I ain't going to heaven, I'll be right here". Why he was put on the same level as the other three was always a mystery to me...there was never any malice shown between them, they had all known each other for years...
Any PUBLICATION say that heavens doors were closed in 1935 ???
by run dont walk 31 Replies latest watchtower bible
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rockhound
In Russell's time and up until 1920's it was taught that there were two classes that were going to heaven. The 144,000 and a secondary heavenly class that didn't quite measure up to the faithfulness of the first class. It was taught that this secondary heavenly class was to be the "Great Crowd" in heaven, but would not be in a position of rulership. Russell taught that others who were not Bible Students would live through Armageddon and live on earth in a wonderful paradise.The phrase "Millions now living will never die" was introduced in 1918 and was the carrot to indicate that paradise was to be due back to earth in 1925. Much of mankind would benefit. They would be the Millions now living that would never die. The faithful men of old were to be resurrected in 1925, and Jesus would directly teach these millions of non Bible Students and give them an opportunity to decide for themselves if they wanted to live forever.
After Rutherford's 1925 prophecy came unraveled Rutherford revised his teaching to a much narrower view, that only Jehovahs Witness will be saved.
Then in 1935 a very, very "Big" change took place. Now there was only one group (144,000) that was to go to heaven, and the not quite so faithful secondary heavenly class had heaven's pearly gates officially shut in their faces, and this secondary class now became the "Great Multitude" or "Other Sheep" or "Great Crowd" as we now know them. All those "Millions now living" of non Bible Students or non Jehovahs Witnesses (after the year 1931) were now out in the cold unless they became a Jehovahs Witness prior to the battle of Armageddon. The Two class hope was born.
Most Witnesses today do not realize the huge change of doctrine that took place in 1935. To see more on the "Great Crowd" and what happened in 1995 please follow this thread.
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jwsons
There are two pages I suppose you need to read: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/97270/1.ashx
The ages of current Governing Body members
jwsons -
blondie
1881 END OF THE GENERAL CALLING OF THE ANOINTED (6/89 WT)
(Do you see some of the same words couched around the 1935 end of the "general calling" of the anointed?)
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/htdb0529.htm
Many who have read DAWN VOL. II.-- "The Time is at Hand"--are anxiously inquiring whether they are too late for admittance to the kingdom class: whether the door of opportunity is yet open, or whether it closed when the high calling ceased, in 1881. We answer, Though the "call" has ceased, the "door" is not yet shut. The "call" and the "door" are distinct and separate.
The Scriptures teach that God fore-ordained or predestinated that a fixed, definite number should be selected from among men to constitute the Bride of Christ and be his joint-heir in the great work of bestowing the Millennial blessings upon the world in general. And this is perfectly reasonable.
To secure this number, "many are called" or invited to pass an examination in the school of Christ, to prove their worthiness to be of that select and limited number. Only believers in Christ, only such as recognize him as their Redeemer, are "called" or invited to stand this examination under the promise of that great prize of joint-heirship with Christ; and all such believers were invited, from the day of Pentecost down to the time when enough had been called to complete the fixed number, which God had fore-ordained. Then, of course, the call to that honor and distinction must cease; for God would certainly not mislead any one nor promise "the great salvation" to a single individual more than the predestinated number. None shall have it to say that God invited him to run the race for the prize of the high calling and that after running faithfully he could not receive the reward because too many had been called and the fore-ordained number was more than supplied.
First notice, that the close of the "call" is not the close of the race. Those who have been called, and who have accepted the conditions of the call and promised to "run" faithfully so as to obtain the prize, must be tested. And hence the fact that the general calling of new runners has ended, in no way ends the running of those who were called in time and who had consecrated themselves to the Lord's service before the call ceased.
And the fact that you may only recently have come to a clear knowledge of the exceeding great and precious promises of the things which God hath in reservation for them that love him, does not prove that you were not called and accepted as a runner for this great prize long before you understood clearly how great and grand the prize is to be. In fact, not one who accepts the "call" is able at first to comprehend fully either the roughness and narrowness of the way, or the grandeur of the prize to be attained at its farther end. The clearness of our comprehension of the promises comes to us as the power of God working in us to strengthen us and enable us to overcome present obstacles, difficulties and trials. The exceeding great and precious promises are unfolded to us gradually, as we prove faithful and go on, in order that by these --by the strength and courage which they infuse--we might be enabled to so run as to obtain the promised prize.--2 Pet. 1:4.
The class to receive the prize is not only called and chosen (accepted), but also faithful. And though the general "call" has ceased, it is evident that the testing of the faithfulness of the called ones is not yet finished. The faithful are being marked, sealed, and separated from those who are unfaithful to their covenant of self-sacrifice; the wise virgins are being separated from the foolish ones, whose folly consists in supposing that they can run for and win the world's prizes of honor, wealth, etc., and at the same time run faithfully the race for the great prize, of glory, honor and immortality,--the very conditions of which render such a course impossible.
When all the faithful "wise" virgins have been proved so, and have entered in to the joys of the Lord, the "door" of opportunity to become of that class will close, and no more will enter. When all the "wise" have entered in, the number predestinated will be complete; and then the Master will rise up and shut the door. (Luke 13:24,25; Matt. 25:10.) Our Lord himself tells us that then many will begin to see matters differently--to see what privileges and opportunities for sacrifice they once enjoyed and missed. But when they shall seek and knock, the Master will tell them, I do not recognize you as my Bride--she is complete and I have but one. But thank God, other Scriptures show that the foolish virgins, though thus rejected from the high calling for which their conduct, when on trial, will have proved them unworthy, will nevertheless be granted a lesser favor and will be known in a humbler capacity in the Lord's household. [R1113 : page 3]
Before the door shuts, therefore, before the full number of the faithful is finished, let each strive to make his calling and selection sure; and to this end let us permit the Lord, by these precious promises and these explanatory and illustrative parables, to work in us to will and to do his good pleasure.
But some will say, I am certain that I am not one of those called before the general "call" ceased in 1881, because I then was not only wholly ignorant of the deep things of God's promises, but more, I was wholly a stranger to God, and even an enemy of his, far from any covenant with him to do him service, and far from any such desires. But recently I came to know God at all, recently I took Christ's yoke upon me to learn of him, and still more recently I learned of the privilege of suffering with Christ now, in self-denial in his service, and that such joint-sacrificers are by and by to be made joint-inheritors with him in the glorious work of the Millennium. And now, after seeing these glories, and after admiring those precious things, and after setting myself to run this race for this wonderful prize, must I conclude that it is not open to me, because enough to fill the number had already been called? I would not think to change the divine arrangement, or to ask that another be added, beyond the limit determined by divine wisdom, but I shall feel keenly my misfortune.
To such we answer (briefly here, more fully in DAWN Vol. III. now in preparation): Run on, dear brothers and sisters, your case is not so dark as it seems to you. Remember that if all who had accepted the call when it closed should prove faithful to their covenant, there would be none too many, but just enough. Remember, too, that your observation, as well as the Scriptures, indicates that of the "many" who accept the call "few" will be chosen, because but few prove faithful to their covenant when on trial. As one after another some of the "called" ones prove unfaithful, their places of labor and their crowns of reward are transferred to others. One of these places of labor and one of these crowns of reward may be transferred to you, and your name may be written on the scroll of life as a probationary member of the Bride of Christ, instead of one blotted out therefrom as unworthy.--See, Rev. 3:5; Heb. 12:23.
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blondie
*** Sent Items ***
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w01 5/15 p. 15 ‘Behold! The Great Crowd!’ ***Their identifying themselves with the great crowd of other sheep indicated that by 1935 the calling of the 144,000 anointed Christians was virtually complete.—Revelation 7:4
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w95 2/15 p. 19 "Have No Fear, Little Flock" ***. Jehovah has established a limited number, 144,000, to make up the little flock, and he has been gathering it since Pentecost 33 C.E. Logically, the calling of the little flock would draw to a close when the number was nearing completion, and the evidence is that the general gathering of these specially blessed ones ended in 1935.
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w67 11/15 p. 694 Orders for Worldwide Fishing ***Apparently, by the years 1931-1935 all symbolic fish suitable for the kingdom of the heavens had been caught to complete the foreordained number of 144,000 joint heirs of Christ. (Matt. 22:10, 11)
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w70 6/15 p. 383 Questions from Readers ***Does this mean that, since about 1935, those already resurrected to heaven together with the spirit-begotten remnant yet on earth have made full the number of 144,000? Yes, that is the conclusion to which the evidence points. The general call for such ones has ceased to go out
*** re chap. 20 p. 125 A Multitudinous Great Crowd ***
Their being identified in 1935 as the great crowd of other sheep was an indication that the choosing of the 144,000 was then about complete.
*** w95 4/15 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***
We also know that since the general call of the heavenly class ended, millions have become true Christians
*** w73 12/1 p. 733 Jehovah Brings ‘Sealing’ of His Chosen Ones to a Close ***
At this late date in the outworking of Jehovah’s purposes toward the Christian congregation, it is clear that the emphasis is not on the general call of disciples to the heavenly inheritance
*** w70 6/15 p. 383 Questions from Readers ***
Does this mean that, since about 1935, those already resurrected to heaven together with the spirit-begotten remnant yet on earth have made full the number of 144,000? Yes, that is the conclusion to which the evidence points. The general call for such ones has ceased to go out.
*** g73 5/8 p. 7 Do You Hope to Go to Heaven When You Die? ***
The facts indicate that the general call or invitation by God for the heavenly prize has ceased, the full number having been called and chosen.
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AK - Jeff
I think that Brooklyn could just change the date of the closed door doctrine to 1981 - stating that they missed the date by 100 years with the 1881 date.
They did basically the same thing with the 6000 year idea. Orginal date was 1874 if memory serves - later moved to 1975. Not a witness eye blinked. By dong the same under 'new light' think how long they could drag the 144,000 fantasy into the future.
Jeff
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TopHat
As with all things of such speculative nature, they are not be settled at all by lectures and conjectures. Now when a prophecy times out and really goes bad, that is different: for example, when 2014 is behind us the 'generation scheme' would really go to RIP status for even the worst diehard holdouts. Mustang
2014?? I have heard 2014 mentioned on this board on many threads but have not actually read anything in the WT publications about the end times being 2014....Have I missed something? Of course I have been out of the Borg for 7 years. Can you please explain?
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freydi
THE 144,000 FROM THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/96705/1.ashx
"The 144,000 are mentioned in just two passages in Revelation: the vision-audition in 7:1-8 and the vision in 14:1-5. The first text is followed by a vision of a "great multitude which no man could number" (7:9-17), and the mention of both groups together forms a literary diptych: First of all, note the scene here. The 144,000 are on earth. These are individuals who need protective sealing and until they are all sealed, the angels "whose duty was to devastate land and sea" had to wait before unleashing their fury on the earth. The 144,000 would not need protection (further evidence will be considered below that the sealing is protective) unless they were in actual peril on the earth."
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stillajwexelder
2014?? I have heard 2014 mentioned on this board on many threads but have not actually read anything in the WT publications about the end times being 2014....Have I missed something? Of course I have been out of the Borg for 7 years. Can you please explain?
Phsycological really - 1914 + 100 years is the max life span of 99.9995 % of the population - forget the fact that for years the TWS said it would be people who had an understanding of what happened in 1914 - in other words could not be babies and definitely not those born in 1914.
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mustang
"Psychological really" is a good way to put it.
But there are a variety of reasons; probably the "round number" syndrome covers most of them. I have heard (not around a KH personally) that the "generation doctrine" was retired or excused away in the mid-90's. That gave ~80 years after 1914. But just make it a 100 years, even, to weed out any "diehard holdouts".
As someone once said, while JW's appear to have gotten out of the "chrono predictus" species mode, it is "hard to teach an old dog new tricks; they'll be back".
Who knows what "new and improved chronology" they would hatch up if they get past being "gun shy"?
Mustang