What you provided AnnOMaly is very helpful, it shows how they where teaching what to believe for a long time as regards these matters. It is totally erroneous to think that just out of the blue the 'great crowd' started rushing into the organization and that this was all organized by the Holy Spirit.
People didn't know what their hope was because of the WTS, not because of a misunderstanding of the scriptures.
Thanks for pulling that out. Now, if only we can get an original copy of that stuff...
Need Help!!!, Jonadab Class...
by drew sagan 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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drew sagan
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AnnOMaly
You're welcome, drew.
I don't want to bombard you with too much - others have given you plenty to go at too. But I must just tell you this. What blows me away is the similarity with some elements of early Gnostic teaching - thinking particularly of Valentinus in the 2nd century. He believed that mankind was divided into 3 groups: -The ‘pneumatics,’ pre-determined, spiritual, enlightened elect Christians who would immediately reach perfection at death;
-The ‘psychics’ who were orthodox or ordinary faithful Christians who didn’t have the advanced spiritual advancement of the elect and tended to work for their salvation – a lesser salvation than the elect;
-The ‘hylics’ who were the materialists, the heathen, soulless and animalistic with no hope of salvation.
There’s some similarity with Manichaeism too – another Gnostic sect. However they mixed in elements of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism with Hellenistic Christianity. They had a two-tier system – the elect and the hearers. The elect were very strict and led ascetic lives. They were full-time missionaries and were successful in propagating their religion. The hearers financed the work of the elect and were allowed to lead a relatively normal life.
Sounds familiar, huh?
w.38 p.104,105
29 That one hope in which all such are called is the
hope of being joint-heirs with Christ Jesus in his
heavenly inheritance. Such a hope means that the consecrated
ones with great pleasure and joy look forward
to and expect in God’s time to receive a heavenly
place with Christ Jesus the King. As Christ Jesus,
the elect servant of Jehovah, when on earth was blind
to everything save the doing of his Father’s will concerning
the kingdom, so likewise those who have the
hope of being with him in that kingdom must be blind
to everything else and refuse to compromise with or
let anything of the Devil’s organization or this world
interfere with the full performance of duty and obligation,
which the Lord lays upon those who are running
for the prize of the high calling,
30 If one has the hope of the high calling and his
expectation is that he will be for ever with Christ.
Jesus in heaven, then he must be dead to everything
earthly ; as it is written : “Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col. 3 : 2,3)
…
33 The Jonadabs, or “other sheep”, are in a different
condition. The Jonadabs have fled to the Lord and
there found refuge. They are still human creatures,
not even justified, because the receiving of life everlasting
depends upon their faithful obedience within
God’s organization and faithfully abiding there until
the wrath of God is passed at Armageddon. It follows,
therefore, that a Jonadab would not have the witness
of the spirit that he is a son of God. The Jonadab
must show his appreciation of the goodness of God by
faithfully obeying the commandments of the Lord,
and continue to seek meekness and righteousness and
to joyfully await the time when he shall be fully
ushered into the flock of the Lord and receive life
everlasting on earth.
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jwfacts
The Great Crowd doctrine was necessary due to the number of people. Prior to 1925 there were already 90000, so Rutherford already knew he needed an explaination as the 144,000 was full considering there were at least 50,000 Jewish Christians in the first century.
*** w60 5/1 p. 282 Part 37: “Your Will Be Done on Earth” ***
This resulted in bringing into the sanctuary many more to be members of this remnant consecrated by Jehovah. This was evident from the increasing attendance at the annual celebrations of the Lord’s evening meal, 32,661 participating in 1922; 42,000 in 1923; 62,696 in 1924; and 90,434 in 1925However, the Great Crowd could have remained in heaven. There was no scriptural reason why Rutherford could say the 144,000 kings are full, the rest of you are the heavenly subjects, as was the initial teaching. I personally feel that to bring them to earth was simply to support his 'narrow salvation' doctrine. According to the book 30 Years a Watchtower Slave Rutherford was about growing his organization. The door to door work enabled this as it bought in huge amounts of money. To grow the number of converts as well he needed a hook for why the readers had to join the Watchtower Society, and that was simply so that they would not perish at Armageddon.
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drew sagan
That quote totally rocks!
Is there anyway we can get the numbers for the memorial attendance during the years from 1926-1935?
If what was said by others on this thread is true, the number of Bible Students (memorial attenders) was going down(?) at this time, thus the reason for thinking the 144,000 was sealed. When more started coming in during the early 30's, they had to make a change.
Just hoping I can get every step of the way covered in quotes from the publications, if I don't then any further discussion with the JW I know will be fruitless. -
Atlantis
Scan of original. Watchtower-1960-May-1-p.282 http://www.badongo.com/pic/280011 Nevada-
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jwfacts
I don't know of any way to get those figures. The Watchtower stopped publishing them for several years, probably to cover up the huge fallout they were experiencing. I think Mathead has been trying to find them but unable.
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M.J.
Here's a little of the background for this doctrine, as presented in A People For His Name by Timothy White, pp 285-288:
The changing trends seem well summed up by a prominent colporteur of the the time, W.B. Fowler, who said in 1933, "It begins to look as though the persistent proclamation of the kingdom message by the faithful remnant, during the past ten years particularly,
is commencing to have its effect." During the time of dwindling numbers Rutherford had not been shaken. "Everything that can be shaken out of the kingdom is being shaken," he explained. His notion of "the remnant" showed that numbers would decline until a few only were remaining faithful. Hence the sudden increase around 1932 prompted a new train of thought. It caused him to keep his eyes open for a possible explanation as he studied the Bible. He found the explanation while seeking for the antitype of the history of King Jehu. Jehu, who was thought to picture Christ and the church, went on a vigorous campaign against Baal worship similar to Rutherford's active though nonviolent battle against Christendom. Jehu had been anointed for the job by a representative of Elisha who, as we have learned, was thought to picture Rutherford's followers after 1919. This consideration placed the fulfillment of the drama at some time be-tween 1919 and the battle of Armageddon. In the course of his campaign Jehu met a certain Jehonadab, and the following scene took place; "And he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot." (II Kings 10:15) Jehonadab was not a natural descendant of Jacob, the patriarch of Israel, but was a descendant of a proselyte to the faith. The fact that he was not a natural Israelite led Rutherford to think he might represent a class who were not church members. The only class of people that fitted the story were those who were expected to survive Armageddon and live on earth in the new world.Rutherford had, of course, found mentions of this class in the Bible before 1932. He had called them the "millions now living who will never die.” But this mention of them in the story of Jehu added a feature not found in the other references. Jehonadab was shown associating himself with Jehu, the church. He got into his chariot, and a chariot symbolizes an organization. Could this mean that the earthly class were to get into God's organization, the Watchtower Society? The Judge thought so. This new view was a surprising reversal, Russell had said that the work the church would engage in after the harvest closed would be preaching to those not spirit-begotten and who would survive the time of trouble and live on earth through the Millennium. He spoke of this twice. [Volume VI, p. 157 and W 9/1/15, pp. 268, 269, Reprints, p. 6761] Accordingly, wliile Rutherford was in jail, the Executive Cornmittee had encouraged the Bible Students to engage in "a work in behalf of the “modern worthies”. P. S. L. Johnson, too, following Russell's cue, declared that all who had not been spirit-begotten and sealed before l916, but were tentatively justified, were "youthful worthies". Like the "ancient worthies," Abraham, Noah, etc., they would live on earth throughout the Millennium.
Although this work had begun among the Society adherents in 1918, Rutherford, after his release from jail, squelched it. He wrote an article "Worthies-Ancient and Modem” to The Watchtower of January 15th, 1920 [p.24], in which he concludes:
It does not seem reasonable to conclude that the Lord at this time is developing any class aside from the little flock [those 144,000 who attain heavenly kingship-T.W.] and the great company [secondary spiritual class-T.W.] And these must be completed before he begins development of another class, and after their glorification the first ones to be dealt with will be regathered Israel.
This later development, however, seemed to show that he did not really beIieve this conclusion. Rutherford's interpretation of the Jehu picture was confirmed by later Bible study. One confirmation was provided by his discussion of the provision for cities of refuge under the Jewish law. One who committed manslaughter, and who was therefore in danger of being killed by the next-of-kin of the dead person, could, under the law of Moses, flee to one of these six cities and have a trial supervised by the priest. If it was found that the homicide was intentional he was abandoned to the avenger. If it was accidental he could remain alive, but was restricted to the city until the death of the priest. These cities, said Rutherford, pictured God's organization, the Watch Tower Society. [W 8/1/34, p. 228.] The unintentionaI manslayer was the same class as Jehonadab. All people had either directly or indirectly been manslayers, for they had supported wars. The blood avenger was Christ, who would slay all not in the city of refuge at the battle of Armageddon. The people of good will learn that they are technically murderers, and flee to the Watch Tower Society to avoid being slain. As in the Jehonadab drama, faith is not the only thing needed. Physical presence in the organization is also required. They must remain there until the church, the priestly class of today, dies off the earth. [W 8/15/34, p. 246]
This picture had another sidelight. If one who is safe in the city of refuge leaves it, he is liable to be killed by the avenger. Applying this provision to the modem-day antitype, Rutherford commented :
If after receiving these good things from the hand of the Lord any man is found exercising too much personal liberty, that is to say, not. keeping within the bounds of Jehovah's merciful provision for him at the present time, . . . he loses the protection that Jehovah has provided for him. [Ibid., p.245]
This statement shows that for the earthly class (that is, 99% of Jehovah's witnesses today,) salvation is dependent upon sticking within the organization. However much faith, good works and love one has, it will be fruitless if one does not belong to the Watch Tower Society.
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M.J.
Another exerpt, from page 293:
But come Memorial time and confusion was rife [over who was 'anointed' and who was not--M.J.]. Finally Rutherford, too, began to "worry," and the result was an answer in The Watchtower of March 15th and April Ist, 1938, in preparation for the Memorial of that year. The inquirers were to ask themselves two questions: "When did he devote himself without condition unto the Lord, and what thereafter did God's spirit guide him to see and to appreciate as open for him and his place? [W 4/1/38, p.103] The former question would generally show one which class he belonged to, for God did not start to gather the earthly class until about 1932. One who dedicated himself to God before then would assuredly be of the heavenly class, the church. One who dedicated himself after that date would probably be of the earthly class, for the heavenly was filled with the predestined number of 144,000 already. The only case this method would not work for was one whom God anointed after 1932 to replace an unfaithful church member. For him, the second question was needed, Basing his wording on Romans 8:16, Rutherford said, "If he is called to the heavenly calling he will see and appreciate it, and therefore have the witness of the spirit that he is a prospective heir with Christ Jesus. . . . If one does not have the witness of the spirit, that of itself is strong and persuasive evidence that he is not of the spiritual class, but he is of the earthly class if he has devoted himself to God."[W 4/1/38, p.103]
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garybuss
The phrase to look up is "great multitude". Look in the Watchtower . . . all of 1935.
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blondie
I might note that that "great multitude" class were not invited to the memorial until 1938 and that only anointed men were appointed as elders for quite some time after that.