144,000 before 1935?

nolongerconfused

I've always thought about this but have never received an answer on how the WBTS explaiend the phenomenon...

To my understanding, every member of the WBTS had the heavenly hope...however, by 2 classes were created...the heavenly, and earthly hope...

Does anyone know the number of JW's as of that famous assembly of 1935 where the earthly hope was revealed and imposed?

What is the WBTS explanation for the thousands of JW's who had heavenly hope now all of a sudden have the earthly hope?

This leads me to one conclusion...How dare this or any other organization determine what your hope or believe should be...shame on them

Christ Alone

Something that always struck me as odd was this:

Before 1935 EVERYONE was supposedly anointed. So think of the implications of this. The WTS is saying that from Jesus death to 1935 there were LESS than 144,000 faithful servants of God TOTAL. We have to include all the "anointed" 1st century Christians. All the Christians through the hundreds of years of history. And there were STILL 8000 partaking of the emblems.

The numbers just don't add up. As far as I know the teaching is STILL that everyone before 1935 was anointed. The only new teaching that I've heard is that the heavenly "calling" did not end in 1935 and still continues today. But to continue holding to a literal number of 144,000 is to commit mathematical suicide.

sd-7

I don't know the exact numbers; I think I've heard the numbers were getting too high for the 144,000 belief to be sustainable, so they had to come up with an earthly class...seems to fit with how the doctrines continue to change mostly because time has proven them utterly wrong.

Hmm. An interesting light research project to look into...

--sd-7

Amelia Ashton

sd-7 That is exactly the reason I was told. They had reached the magical number and the big A still hadn't come but they were not told to stop preaching which surely would have been the obvious course of action if the final total had been reached.

nibbled

You might enjoy this write up, it speaks to the progression of the teaching of the Watchtower as it neared the point of the Witnesses out number the number they'd say were allowed in heaven.

Heaven is Full—the hope of the Great Crowd

hamsterbait

There were members even in the early twenties who believed the WTBTS, but did not want to go to heaven.

(I knew an old Bible Student, and she told me many tales of those days) Those who did not want to go to heaven were known as "JOnadabs". It was the identity of these that was moot. Until 1935 the great crowd was also a heavenly class, who only got into heaven by trials and great tribulation, because they had not made a clear stand for Christ the King. ( See "Light" 1931)

Paul wrote that every work that is worthless will be burned up, but the one with faith who loses these will be saved "yet it will be as by fire."

Of course we can all guess the REAL reason for Freddie and Da Jug dreamong that one up cant we?

HB

nolongerconfused

ahh, so there's the number...50,000 JW's by 1931...would probably guess between 55,000 - 70,000 by 1935...amazing how a change in doctrine by a small group of men, changes the faith and hope of thousands when the Bible is very clear...

Amelia Ashton

When I started to read a Good News Bible as opposed to the NWT I discerned the 2 flocks to be Jews and Gentiles, not some going to heaven and the rest staying on earth.

Watchtower do say that if you read the Bible without Watchtowers you revert back to apostate teachings. They were right about that!

heathen

I think they made 144,000 excuses for there being more than was called but the bible does say many are called yet few are chosen . they do say that just because some died due to being murdered does not mean they were accepted the spotless sacrifice and were not acceptable . That's how I see the whole thing in the end it's how they die , natural causes is not acceptable the bible talks of them as being sacrifices on the alter in heaven , I exclude women since they are not allowed to preach the kingdom good news and the apostle paul referred to them as merely being saved thru , faith child bearing and sanctification provided they have a soundness of mind .

Splash

90,434 partakers in 1925

52,165 in 1935

27,711 in 1940

12,604 in 2012

144,000 before 1935?

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