As for the point regarding whether or not this may be clearing the way for a non-literal interpretation of the 144,000...It is interesting to note that GREG STAFFORD back in 2002 made a few suggestions in his book, Three Dissertations on the Teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses on pp. 47-48. Who knows, the WTS may be following one of these suggestions here.:
Jehovah's Witnesses currently teach that the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7 and 14 is a limited group numbered exactly to 144,000. These will share heavenly life with Christ as kings and priests (Revelation 5:9-10). I happen to accept this teaching, and have argued in support of it numerous times (see Jehovah's Witnesses Defended, 2d ed., pages 527-540). But if someone were to suggest during a congregation meeting (or even amongst a much smaller group of Witnesses elsewhere) that it is possible that the number 144,000 is symbolic for a group whose precise number is not known, even though it is still a limited group that will reign with Christ over the earth, it would not be received well at all. Yet, it is possible, in that we are dealing with the highly symbolic book of Revelation where numbers often have a non-literal meaning.
Furthermore, the suggested view would ultimately strengthen the Witnesses' position on this issue. It would eliminate an argument against the current interpretation, an interpretation which suggests that there have not been more than 144,000 faithful anointed Christians since Pentecost 33 CE to the present. Finally, it would not change the basic teaching that there is a heavenly and an earthly class. One view simply says the number given for the heavenly group (144,000) is symbolic of another predetermined number known only to God, while the "great crowd" is not predetermined in terms of a set number of members. But the reaction such a suggestion would receive in the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses today calls to mind what was written in the third issue of Zion's Watchtower, back in 1879:
Extreme views are held by many on all these and many other points. The seeming opposites are often but different parts of the same great truth. An extremist takes one side of a truth, will not look at any other. He defends himself with the Scriptures, and calls hard names and anathematizes all who cannot see as he does, or who see from the other side ["Keep Balanced," Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence, September, 1879, reprint page 29].
Of course, one could also argue that Jehovah through Jesus concurrently chose members of the anointed and persons who would be brought to life in the resurrection of the "righteous" during the millennial reign of Christ (Acts 24: 15), and so while there might have been more than 144,000 faithful Christians not all were selected for the same divine purpose.Additionally, one could suggest that the "heavenly calling" (Hebrews 3:1) occurred for a brief period during the first century up until the death of the last apostle, and then began again, according to the Witnesses' view, in 1918 with the selection of the early Bible Students after Christ's enthronement as King in 1914.
The point of the above scenario is to illustrate that if one were to suggest the possibility of a slightly different approach to a doctrine, in this case the uncertain number represented by 144,000, but remain essentially true to the heart of the teaching, it would still be unacceptable in a congregational setting. It might be possible, of course, to speculate in private with a few persons, though even this seems to be unlikely in view of the warning against "harboring private ideas" about what the Bible teaches as quoted earlier from the August 1, 2001, Watchtower. Still, this particular issue concerning the 144,000 seems so minor and ultimately suggests a view that ends up adding strength to the overall position that one cannot help but wonder why there would be such a cold reaction to it, in most (but not all) situations within the organization.
