*** w04 3/1 p. 12 pars. 18-19 A "Slave" Who Is Both Faithful and Discreet ***Yes, when the Master arrived, he found his faithful slave conscientiously feeding the domestics as well as preaching the good news. Greater responsibilities now awaited that slave. Jesus said: "Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings." (Matthew 24:47) Jesus did this in 1919, after the slave had passed through a period of testing. Why, though, did "the faithful and discreet slave" receive greater responsibilities? Because the Master had received an increase in his belongings. Jesus was given the kingship in 1914.
19
What are the belongings over which the newly crowned Master appointed his faithful slave? All the spiritual things that belong to Him here on earth. For example, two decades after Christ’s enthronement in 1914, "a great crowd" of "other sheep" was identified. (Revelation 7:9; John 10:16) These were, not anointed members of "the Israel of God," but sincere men and women with an earthly hope, who loved Jehovah and who wanted to serve him just as the anointed did. In effect, they said to "the faithful and discreet slave": "We will go with you people, for we have heard that God is with you people." (Zechariah 8:23) These newly baptized Christians partook of the same rich spiritual food as the anointed domestics, and the two classes have shared this spiritual table ever since. What a blessing this has been for members of the "great crowd"!
*** wt (Worship the Only True God Book) 2002 chap. 14 pp. 130-131 pars. 7-8 How Does Jehovah Direct His Organization? ***
7
Shortly before his death, Jesus told his disciples about "the faithful and discreet slave" that he as Master would entrust with special responsibility. That "slave" would be on hand when the Lord departed for heaven and would still be working hard at Christ’s invisible return in Kingdom power. Such a description could hardly fit one individual, but it does fit Christ’s anointed congregation. Having purchased it with his blood, Jesus referred to it as his "slave." He commissioned its members to make disciples and to feed them progressively, giving them "their [spiritual] food at the proper time."—Matthew 24:45-47; 28:19; Isaiah 43:10; Luke 12:42; 1 Peter 4:10.
8
Since the slave class was loyally doing the Master’s work at his invisible return in 1914, there is evidence that it was entrusted with enlarged responsibilities in 1919. The years since then have been the time for a global witness to the Kingdom, and a great crowd of worshipers of Jehovah is being gathered with a view to their preservation through the great tribulation. (Matthew 24:14, 21, 22; Revelation 7:9, 10) These too need spiritual food, and it is served to them by the slave class. To please Jehovah, we therefore need to accept the instruction he provides through this channel and to act in harmony with it.
*** w97 5/15 p. 15 par. 1 Theocratic Administration in the Christian Era ***After the first century C.E., the gathering slowed down as genuine Christians (called "wheat" by Jesus) were overgrown by apostate "weeds" sown by Satan. But as "the time of the end" approached, the true Israel of God came back into human view and in 1919 was appointed over all Jesus’ belongings.—Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; 24:45-47; Daniel 12:4.
*** w83 9/15 pp. 19-20 par. 19 "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism" ***"One body" is the Christian congregation, of which Jesus is the "head." (Ephesians 1:22, 23) The individual anointed members of this united congregation would all receive the same spiritual food. To that end, their "master" appointed a collective "faithful steward" class, the body of anointed Christians on the earth since Pentecost 33 C.E. Since the "master" found the remaining ones of this body faithfully and discreetly giving out "food supplies" when he arrived for inspection in 1919, he appointed them "over all his belongings." (Luke 12:42-44) The facts show that since 1919 this "steward" has faithfully cared for these "belongings."
*** w71 12/15 p. 750 par. 10 Theocratic Organization with Which to Move Forward Now ***The facts of modern history show that in the year 1919 he revived these much afflicted disciples and gathered them together in a united body. Then he appointed them as his "slave" class "over all his belongings," that is, over all his royal interests at the earth. (Rev. 11:7-12)
