So here is a little something that I have always wondered about: If there were approx 90,000 partakers in 1925, 100 years ago, they are all dead and gone, probably by, let's say 1960, just for discussion's sake.
Ok, so that means that the new "crop" of partakers numbering 13,000+ (and growing) are "newbies". So that's at least over 100,000 seperate, different partakers. Just in the last 100 years alone. That is also not taking into account the number of partakers that have popped up and died off DURING that time period from the 60's until now. ( I am sure someone else has done the calculations, but you get the idea.)
Now, what happened to the numbers of those in the first century congregations (over 2000 years ago!) that were supposedly of the annointed? Unknown number.My point is, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to see that these numbers just dont work. A literal number of 144,000 does not pencil out.
Next prediction: As the number of "annointed" continue to rise, the WTBTS will have no choice but to rewrite the story and backtrack on the LITERAL number, and it will become a FIGURATIVE number, indicating COMPLETENESS (12 x 12 x 1000) to the inth degree, because only Jah knows the ACTUAL number. Then, it will no longer be necessary to PUBLISH the actual numbers.
"After all, WE didnt say the numbers were literal."......Quick, someone change the Online Library.....
Checkmate, again.