PART 2: How do they really know they are Anointed?
Mystery Religion?: When I first became a JW, my JW mentor told me that one of the sins of Christendom was that they are part of Babylon the Great, the "Mystery" religion. He cited the "Trinity" as an example of spiritual mysteries that Christendom is guilty of promoting ... unlike the Watchtower lovers of plain and simple Truth ... who ... reveal all and hold no mysteries ...
Yet, JWs somehow seem to miss the many mysteries of their own religion. Many? Yes! Who really are members of the GB? The average JW not only knows nothing of these men, but can rarely name more than two or three members ... How are Watchtower articles and books really written? Does the average JW even know the process, much less the research and most importantly the motivation behind an article? Even the JWs who don't think about it much are reminded each year at Memorial of ... the biggest mystery of all ... that nagging question ... how do the Anointed REALLY know they are such? What does Jehovah do to them to let them know?
The Watchtower is sort of right ... but not much: The Society teaches that it was much easier for older JW Anointed, because they were all at one time Anointed, and that was the ONLY hope held out, so no Christian needed to question his/her hope or Anointing. Their only real concern was self-scrutiny to determine 'worthiness' ... in other words being in too sinful a state should disqualify an Anointed from partaking as it is a holy ritual ... but they would still be Anointed. The Society applies this standard from the time of the Apostles right up to near the year 1935.
What the Watchtower Society does ""not"" tell the JWs: ... and JWs are often afraid to ask, or do not think of the theological problem created and solved by the Society. First, the struggle over the issue existed for early Russellites as well ... the two-class heavenly doctrine caused struggle, not over going to heaven because all Russellite Bible Students went to heaven, but over whether one was of the called and elect to Rule with Christ, part of the Bride class of 144,000 ... or ... whether one was of the unlimited Great Company who would merely accompany the Bride Class as Bride's maidens into the Great marriage in heaven. The worthiness at that time was over whether one "good enough" to be among those who would so closely commune and spiritually intercourse with Christ himself. (21st Century verbiage would be written to say: "Christ does not want an ugly old hooker off the street, but only a clean hot babe who is still a virgin.") In essence, this is what it boils down to if JWs were to be intellectually honest with themselves.
So, since 1935, somehow the easy method to determine whether one is of the Anointed has all but vanished ... and now, for those so-called "RARE" replacements, they get something special ... something extra done to them to let them know they are special, spiritual virgins, clean, holy, undefiled (not an old hag hooker) ... and that they are really now direct Sons of God with a life in heaven as their hope ... ready to be married to Christ and rule the earth in the Kingdom of God ... part of his governmental administration ... ad infinitum.
What then does God do to these newer Anointed to let them know they are called and chosen ?: That they are no longer little Shreks with bad breath living in squalor ... but that they are now clean minty-fresh Holy members of the Bride Class ready to live in the picture-perfect organized City of Lord Farquar! (You like the cartoon movie reference?). The Society lets JW believe that those JW Anointed know they are such simply because God lets them know in some mysterious fashion ... and that their faithful service for many long years ... especially serving in a good organizational position to validate this status ... and that if you have the Almighty "DOUBT" you then cannot possibly be of the Anointed ... and if you partake "Unworthily" you will go to HELL!!! Err ... I mean die at Armageddon!
What God does varies according to the person you talk to. Some claim to have visions ... some claim to hear a voice calling them ... some claim to have a sign or prayer answered ... some claim to have been zapped with an energy surge ... MOST all JW Anointed claim to "identify" with the calling as they read the Bible and the "Society’s" literature (of course the Almighty Society is needed here too.) And thus, most JW Anointed simply state ... "The Spirit bears Witness with Our Spirit that we are God's Children" ... and so the standard party line goes.
Again they ask: how do they REALLY know YET ... this still does not satisfy the non-Anointed inquisitor ... somehow they feel cheated ... they are searching for something concrete and never quite seem to get what they want to know ... it is elusive ... they want to know what it is exactly that God does to let them know?
BUT ... the Society never openly tells the SECRET: ... the MYSTERY ... yet ... it is there right in front of ALL JWs to see if they want to know. Simply put, ANY JW can become Anointed by self-determination ... and that is how it is done. They don't want to be excluded from God in heaven ... and they search until they discover what the Society teaches that let's them in on the Big Secret that breaks down the door and lets them inside to the Inner Sanctum. That is correct ... JW Anointed simply CHOOSE to go to heaven ... and for proof, see the following Watchtower article and analysis that will let you in on the secret too: (See my article on the 1952 Watchtower - http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/7411/1.ashx)
Self Determination for all? But it is a limited number of 144,000 - how can this be? Quite simply put ... the Society scares the beegeebers out of JWs so that they will be assured NOT to make such a self-determination. And why would the Society want to do this? (And we know they do at least every year) ... it is not necessarily because of control, although I am more convinced now than ever that this is definitely part of the equation ... but ... primarily because they have to prop up the doctrine of the close of the heavenly call by 1935 (or whatever year they next select to close it again) ... AND most of all to prop up their doctrine of a limited number of 144,000 who are Anointed ... as long as there are only a few thousand among the millions of JWs, this image will remain secure and the Society can stick to the doctrine.
Anyone, however, who reads the Bible with honesty comes to understand that ALL who have faith in Christ are anointed, saved, and goes to heaven when they die ... this is central to the Christian religion and no amount of word-smithing and gerrymandering by inventing new doctrines will change this.
SO WHAT? ... okay, so JW Anointing is easier to understand ... what about those ex-JW Anointed who have left the Watchtower religion and renounced its faith? Can they ever be reinstated? Are they still Anointed if they do get reinstated? Did they sin against the holy spirit? And what happens if they don't get reinstated? Do they go to Hell ( = die at Armageddon)? What was their life like as JWs? And what is it like today? What are their views today? Do they still claim to be Anointed, albeit Christendom style?
Stay tuned ... Part 3 is coming to a virtual online JW posting theater near you !!!