Change of doctrine - when did this happen?

by FingersCrossed 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  FingersCrossed

  I received this article from a friend:

  Watchtower Changes Concerning the Anointed 144,000

  There has been a major change concerning the 144,000 (the anointed) and for many years the anointed has played a major role in the teachings of the Watchtower (WT). The 144,000 is the most crucial teaching to the Witnesses; however, the teaching on this belief has changed over the past few years. It divides people into two classes, the heavenly class (144,000) and earthly class (great crowd) and the 144,000 becomes the foundation for the whole organization and how they relate to their members.

  For many decades the JWs have kept track of who the anointed are by those who partake of the bread and wine (emblems) at their yearly memorial service. This has been important event for the JWs because it signifies that the end of days is drawing nearer. How? As the decades have passed the number of JWs who claimed to be of the 144,000 anointed and who partook of the emblems were subtracted from the number 144,000. So, in the passed the numbers decreased yearly of those who claimed to be of the anointed; therefore, showing the end of days drawing near.

  However, over the past few years instead of the number of those taking the emblems decreasing it has increased in number of those partaking of the bread and wine. This has caused the WT to once again change their view on this very important teaching and claiming to have "new light". What is the change? The WT is saying in their article entitled "Questions from the Readers" (Watchtower 2011 Aug 15 page 22) that they have no way of knowing who the anointed are because some could be mentally unbalanced or still hanging on to old beliefs.

  The article also said they don't keep an accurate count globally which contradicts past publications. Now the WT is saying "We do not know the exact number nor do we need to know". This is truly embarrassing for the WT and they have done a complete turn-around from past teachings on this subject. The WT also states in their current publications that there are still JWS who are truly anointed. How would anyone know for sure who they are?

  Why would the WT even try to keep count to begin with?

  The WTs "Revelation Its Grand Climax at Hand" page 125 gives exact numbers and percentages concerning the anointed remnant and they did keep track of those who claimed to be anointed on a global level! We can see that keeping track with exact numbers of the remnant has always been VERY important to the JWs and now it no longer matters? It's almost as if the anointed ones have been demoted.

  Another real issue is this; in their past magazines they have told the great crowd (those who are not of the 144,000) "their eternal life depends on how they treat the anointed". So is the WT saying their eternal lives could be or was in the past in the hands of the mentally unbalanced?

  Furthermore, the WT states JWs should not have private thoughts against the teachings of the WT and this is indicative of what cults teach. The WT for many years has flipped flopped numerous times just on one teaching alone. How can truth be truth if it's always changing?

  The real truth about the 144,000 is this, they are NOT chosen until the tribulation time.

  Revelation 7

  I hope and pray all JWs will research this important change from the WT and remember our eternal life does not depend on the WT or family members, it depends on Christ. John 14:6 Jesus is the truth, the way and the life!

  Here are past excerpts from the WTs magazines about the anointed and most of the blue highlighted links below are from the official JW website.

  Excerpts from the WT Magazines

  March 15 2012 page 20:"The other sheep should never forget their salvation depends on their active support of Christ's anointed brothers still on earth. (Matt 25:34-40)

  March 1 2012 page 17: "Through the new covenant, Jehovah makes blessings available to many by means of a few. Those in the covenant are few, a mere 144,000. Through them, millions from all nations will be blessed with everlasting life in an earthly paradise."

  July 15, 2011 page 24: "We need to obey the Faithful and Discreet Slave to have Jehovah's approval."

  August 1, 2001 page 14: First, since "oneness" is to be observed, a mature Christian must be in unity and full harmony with fellow believers as far as faith and knowledge are concerned. Hedoes not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbor private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has complete confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through his Son, Jesus Christ, and "The Faithful and Discreet slave."

  Then an older one is August 1, 1981 "Your attitude toward the wheat like anointed "brothers' of Christ and the treatment you accord them will be the determining factor as to whether you go into "everlasting cutting off" or receive "everlasting life."

  See additional JW links below.

  http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009123

  Numbers have decreased paragraph 14

  http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2000042

  "Six Convincing Lines of Evidence" that we are in the Last Days.

  Numbers getting smaller

  http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/302012010

  Yearly report showing Memorial Partakers have now increased instead of decreasing.

  http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011609

  Question from readers-WT no longer keeping track of the remnant

  Other links with more information

  http://www.watchtowerinformationservice.org/doctrine-changes/number-of-memorial-partakers-increasing-rapidly/

  http://4jehovah.org/jehovahs-witness-prophecy.php (Scroll down to A New Generation to Bring the End)
• 

  FingersCrossed

  Seriously, any comment on this?
• 

  Sapphy

  Hi FingersCrossed,

  Yes, I agree with the first post, it's an accurate record of WT doctrine changes re the 144K.

  I take issue with this statement " The real truth about the 144,000 is this, they are NOT chosen until the tribulation time." but that's because I don't believe in the Apocalypse/Armageddon/Great Trib/End Days scary schick some religions try to saddle us with.

  It's true now, since the Annual General Meeting this year, that the Governing Body has taken over all the previous responsibilities of the FDSlve class, but de facto nothing has changed since they had all the power to begin with.

  When it's your game, you make the rules. That's all the WT Corporation is doing.
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  NOTE: Did/Do they keep track?

  ABSOLUTELY. Ask any Cong Secretary. Publisher Record Cards (at least in the US) had a place to mark either: "A" or "OS".

  At any moment they could have requested the name and personal info on every publisher claiming to be of the Annointed Class.

  Would it be possible to do this now? Of course. It would be easier to do with computers than with pencil and paper!

  Fact is: They don't WANT to do so. They want to have ALL the power. (They already did for many years, they just now admit it.)

  Doc
• 

  Ding

  Why did the WT begin reporting the number of partakers in the first place? The WTS is all about appearances and numbers. They wanted to boast about the growing number of people attending the Memorial.

  Beyond that, I think the leaders really expected Armageddon to come in the 20th century, and they wanted to have a countdown as to how many of the "anointed remnant" were left so they could see the end rapidly approaching.

  The "heavenly class closed in 1935" doctrine was a part of this expectation. It all seemed to fit so nicely. But as time marched on and the end didn't come as expected, this became a real problem for the organization as GB members died and were replaced because at some point it would mean that no one on the GB would be old enough to be one of the anointed! The GB all "other sheep" and not part of Christ's ruling brothers??? That wouldn't do.

  Likewise, it would be embarrassing if the number of partakers dropped to 0 and Armageddon still hadn't come.

  So the 1935 teaching was abandoned.

  That change opened the door for younger ones to decide that they were also of the "anointed". So it was inevitable that the number claiming to be anointed would at some point start going up instead of down.

  Granted, that's embarrassing. So why didn't the WTS stop reporting the number of partakers? I personally think it would have been the wiser course for the GB. After all, if the number of partakers includes a significant number of deranged individuals and people who don't understand that the "other sheep" aren't supposed to partake, what good are the statistics they are reporting? And doesn't that reflect negatively on how the WT is explaining "the truth"?

  However, if they had simply stopped reporting the numbers, XJWs would have made much of that fact, citing it as proof that the WT leaders had abandoned the whole 1914 chronology and that the whole two-class distinction is nonsense. So instead, they report the numbers but explain that all the numbers measure is the number of people who partake, NOT the number that are truly "anointed." After all, that "anointed" status is supposedly a matter between Jehovah and the individuals making the claim. Even the GB doesn't know who all the actual "anointed" are.

  What they've had to admit by taking this approach is that the worldwide, scattered "anointed remnant" don't have any input into policy or doctrine. The "faithful and discreet slave" is really the GB -- no one else.

  In this way, the GB hopes to try to escape what the passage of time has shown -- that the entire date structure on which the organization was founded and grew is a delusion. In the process, they highlight their own importance and consolidate their control.

  In the main, I think their efforts are succeeding. Why so? Because most JWs will never take a close look at all this and draw the obvious conclusions. Either they won't notice that any significant changes have been made or they will see the changes and be grateful that the light "the slave" is receiving just keeps getting brighter and brighter as Armageddon draws closer and closer.
• 

  alanv

  I think that probably although the society know the number of supposed annointed ones by who partakes of the emblams each year, they possably do not have the names and addresses of those ones. That is why they can say they do not keep tabs on WHO the annointed ones are.

  I know this information is on the record cards, but probably they do not extract that info from the congs.

  So they know the number of partakers but do not know or care who they are. After all they only wanted that figure each year to show the sheep that the anointed ones were gradually dying off. Of course that no longer helps them, now that the figure goes up each year, so I fully expect them to stop publishing it this year or next.

  I may well be wrong though with these thoughts, and would welcome other peoples view on this.
• 

  00DAD

  The WTBTS lies. I thought you knew. Oh well, now you do.

  Doctrine is irrelevant. It's all about control and manipulation.

  Let's review: It's a cult!
• 

  moshe

  I had questions about the anointed numbers 30 years ago--One day I called an actuary with my questions-- I found out from that actuary that the class of living anointed from 1935 onward should have been around 4000 in 1985, not 9000 and in 10 more years the actuary said that number would drop to less than a 1000. I used an average age of 35 in 1935 as a starting point, any error would be on the conservative side. I wrote a letter to Bethel and shared my findings ( the elders were unhelpful and told me to write to Bethel) and asked for their opinion. What did I receive? They sent a letter to my local congragation- the elders met with me in the back room after the Sunday talk and told me- I was not to talk about this "anointed error", to the publishers and to wait on Jehovah. If I did talk about it, I would be considered to be causing divisions and advocating apostate thinking. AND that is what happens when you question the WT leaders about the 144,000.
• 

  Pterist

  The WTBS denial of the full benefits of the ransom for all its members is obvious, the New Life in Christ is to deal with the sinful Adamic nature within, (no "works" of law or religion can kill the Ademic nature) not a positioning in the kingdom of God......

  The Holy Spirit is doing a work on individuals within the WBTS, who have come to realize this, and the increase in numbers contradicts the leaderships doctrine. The worse part is that the org. now are restricting Gods Holy Spirit to work by casting doubts and character assignation on those who are being led by Gods Spirit, so sad.
• 

  Ding

  I've written to Bethel myself, Moshe, actually believing that they would think about what I said.

  Duh!