Along with those quotes is this too:
*** w98 2/15 p. 20 Glorious Freedom Soon for the Children of God ***
8
Particularly since 1931 have those with the earthly hope been associating with the Christian congregation. In that year, Jehovah enlightened the remnant of spirit-begotten Christians to see that Ezekiel chapter 9 refers to this earthly class, who are being marked for survival into God’s new world. In 1932 it was concluded that such present-day sheeplike ones were prefigured by Jehu’s associate Jonadab (Jehonadab). (2 Kings 10:15-17) In 1934 it was made clear that "Jonadabs" should "consecrate," or dedicate, themselves to God. In 1935 the "great multitude," or "great crowd"—formerly thought to be a secondary spiritual class that would be "companions" of the bride of Christ in heaven—was identified as other sheep having an earthly hope. (Revelation 7:4-15; 21:2, 9; Psalm 45:14, 15) And especially since 1935 have anointed ones been spearheading a search for upright people yearning to live forever on a paradise earth.
So, it was a gradual process. This gradualism is what intrigues me the most; not so much what they believed, but how and why they directed themselves to that point.
Schnell gives a good outline in Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave (pp. 34-48). I'll give as brief a synopsis as I can:
With the advent of 1925 came the unmasking of the true plan for a world organization as envisaged by the Watch Tower Society. Early in that year came also the laying of a doctrinal change. In the Watchtower article, "Birth of a Nation," the Watch Tower Society began to build up its organizational idea. Rightly it pointed out that Christianity was to be "a nation of kings and priests." But, after having stated this glorious Scriptural truth, the Society went about to subvert this concept, which is the quintessence of Christian individuality, by proclaiming itself as an organization to be that nation...they applied this concept to the emerging "Faithful and Wise Servant Class" to whom all the goods of the Kingdom had been entrusted," to be augmented by other classes in the field, until the class concept totally eclipsed the individuality aspect...It would eventually result in the appearance of a huge class called Jonadabs, who laid no claim at all to being spiritbegotten.
(Note how the WTS instead presents the appearance of this Jonadab class as if it was some kind of natural and spiritual development that "Jehovah enlightened the remnant of spirit-begotten Christians to see.")
In 1925 appeared another Watchtower article which was revolutionary. It was titled "Covenant or Sacrifice: Which?" Graphically it put the place of a character or an individuality in juxtaposition to a new concept, namely that of a Kingdom Publisher...
Individuality had hitherto characterized all Bible Students...In Bible Student circles that was called "character development."
The Watch Tower Society...now came out with the premise that this character development...kept such Christians from fulfilling their part in the Covenant...
Furthermore, so argued the Watchtower, a person was like a die...No amount of development or cultivation could change him...Since character had already been settled and did not lend itself to improvement, it would be better to work in conjunction with a covenant, as a Mass...
The time they now foolishly and uselessly used for edification and character development they might better devote to preaching and selling books, booklets and magazines, attending special meetings for further training as a Publisher...
These were the doctrinal and organizational switches which were evident in the early part of 1925 and which were to set the trend for the emergence of the Watch Tower Theocracy of 1938.
There's more I'll post later, that "connects the dots" and shows how the "earthly class" was not an emergence, but a deliberate organization invention for an ulterior motive, as has already been hinted.
Craig
