Has anyone posted this Question From Readers, or actually Question From Headquarters? The Witnesses that I have mentioned it to act as if they know nothing about it and as usual think there is not really any change being made, just further clarification.
Lets take full advantage of the 1935 WT blunder.
by yesidid 16 Replies latest jw friends
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Gregor
My father was at the '35 convention in Washington DC with his brothers, parents, cousins etc. They traveled from Oklahoma with a homemade caravan. I heard the story many times about how they all accepted that they were of the "Jonadab" class, not the annointed. If I recall correctly they said there was a dramatic moment when Rutherford had the Jonadab class stand up during the program. Anyone have more on this?
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yesidid
i got this forwarded to me from a jw...........so this is the new light they are referring to?
Yes Purps,
Except there's no new light in it. Just old light that's been retracted.
Atlantis, Sorry I forgot to thank you for the scan. So thanks - and - you're just amazing.
yesidid
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Atlantis
yesidid:
Thank you yesidid!
Nevada-
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Undecided
My mother and dad were at the 1935 convention where this anouncement was made. Apparently I was conceived at this assembly as I was born nine months later in 1936, so I was there also I guess.
Ken P.
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Leolaia
Actually, in 1935 Rutherford did not teach that the number of spirit-begotten Christians became complete in 1935. He taught that the "door" to the kingdom of heaven was "shut" in 1926, but that this "shutting" was not for the elect but those "foolish virgins" who were cast off from "God's organization".
*** w35 10/15 p. 312 Virgins ***
The ‘wise virgin’ company was "caught [away] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air". (1 Thess. 4: 17) The feast, beginning in 1922, later reached that state of blessedness spoken of by the prophet, to wit, "Blessed is he that waiteth; and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days [the year 1926]." (Dan. 12: 12) "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Rev. 19: 9) This text marks the time of the anointing, when the wise ones received from Jehovah the "new name", and when they became the designated witnesses of Jehovah.
The text of the parable says that when they went in to the marriage feast, "the door was shut." The shutting of the door does not mean that no more would be admitted to the temple, but does mean that none of the disapproved can enter and therefore to all such the door is shut. No creature on earth is qualified to say that the door to the temple is now shut so completely that none can ever be admitted. After the time of the fulfillment of the parable as stated in verse ten, those pictured by Ruth and Esther were brought in, and certainly they must be approved before they can enter through the gates into the temple... The Lord’s kingdom organization has "twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels". (Rev. 21: 12) The shutting completely of the gate or entrance to the kingdom is a secret of the Lord, revealed to no man, and surely as long as there is any danger of one’s being ousted from the temple the way must be open for some other approved one to enter.
Thus it should be clear that it was not taught in 1935 that the door to heaven was shut to others. The new teaching was that the "great multitude" was the burgeoning new class of "Jonadabs" among the JWs, and that there must be a whole new work of bringing them into the organization "from all nations of the earth". I think the first step towards changing this view took place in 1938 in preparation of the Memorial; apparently, confusion had been rife in the 1936 and 1937 Memorials on who really should partake, and whether a person who partook for years was really a member of the "great multitude".
*** w38 4/1 pp. 102-103 His Flock ***
Is there Scriptural proof that the time for the exercise of spiritual discernment is here and that the adoption of the spiritual or royal sons is about over or is no longer the general work of the Lord? Yes; and it is the fact that the prophecies and the types relating thereto, to the other sheep, the Jonadabs, the great multitude, are being revealed by the Lord to his people and understood by them. The spiritual remnant, according to the known and proved rule of action by which Jehovah discloses his prophecies, are now understanding; and that rule is that such understanding would not be given unless the prophecy or the types were fulfilled or beginning to be fulfilled or were in course of fulfillment. Therefore the disclosing of the fulfillment of the prophecies, and the meaning thereof, is proof that the time for the adoption of the spiritual or royal sons is about over and is no longer the general work of the Lord. In 1918, when the Lord came to the temple, the announcement was made, "Millions now living will never die," and the spiritual sons did not then understand that such relates to the "great multitude" class. At that time their understanding was that the great multitude was a spirit class, and in that conclusion they were not correct. The opening to them of the understanding in regard to the Jonadabs, or great multitude, ‘men of good will toward God,’ must be proof marking the time that the gathering of the "other sheep" had begun or is beginning....
It was in 1935 that the Lord revealed to his people the identification of the class thus marked, and disclosing them, that such constituted the great multitude. (See The Watchtower August 1,15, 1935.) This proves that the Lord was beginning to gather the class or company other than those who were spirit-begotten, which earthly class would not and could not have the witness of the spirit. (Rom. 3: 16-17) .... It reasonably follows, therefore, that the majority gathered by the Lord to himself since 1931, and particularly since 1935, would be and are of the earthly class or great multitude, which “other sheep” would not have the witness of the holy spirit, which is given to the spiritual sons, (Rom. 8 : 16,17) That would not necessarily mean that after such dates there would be none spirit begotten. If one who was once in line for the kingdom becomes unfaithful and falls out or is cleared out (Matt. 13: 41,42), then surely the Lord would bring in another one to fill that vacated place in the body of Christ. (Matt. 22: 1-14)
This is almost exactly the view that the Society held thereafter until 2007. Interestingly, Rutherford developed this teaching to avert a social crisis in the JWs, an identity crisis of sorts, that flared up at the Memorial in the absence of clear criteria on who was considered a member of the 144,000 and who was considered a member of the "other sheep". That identity crisis was only possible in the 1930s when the majority of JWs were still "anointed". The ad hoc teaching that Rutherford came up with is a relic of that bygone era, as these days only a tiny minority of those in the "organization" are professed members of the 144,000. Rather, the problem today is that those holding most senior leadership positions in the organization can no longer fit into the criteria that Rutherford set way back in 1938.
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Lady Lee
I have found that when confronted with this argument that some JWs will say that meekly remaining loyal to the org. is a test of our faith even when they later realize a teaching is wrong
there is always a WTS-provided loophole
