In 1935 there were 63,146 who attended the Memorial and 52,465 partook. (Proclaimers book page 717). According to the Bible Teach book on page 78, it says, “Since the days of the apostles, God has been selecting faithful Christians in order to complete the number 144,000”. So using that logic that since the days of the apostles till now, there can only be 144,000 max then, according to Acts 2:41 at Pentecost, “about 3000 people were added”. And Acts 4:4 says, “many of those who had listened to the speech believed, and the number of the men became about 5,000”. So that’s 8,000 just with in the first few years of the apostles.
So, 144,000 minus the 52,465 who partook in 1935 brings us to 91,535.
The 91,535 minus the 8,000 from the first few years of the apostles = 83,535.
Of those alive in 1935 who partook, let’s say they were all 10 years of age or older. So then, if everyone who partook in 1935 was only 10 years old, they would be 82 years old now. But the far majority were much older. So nearly all of those who partook in 1935 are now dead.
In 2017 there were 18,564 partakers. In fashion with JW theology, let’s just count half of them. That’s 9,282. So, the remaining 83,535 minus those currently partaking 9,282 = 74,253. That’s over half of the 144,000 taken up already.
That leaves only 74,253 total people who could have accepted Christ and became Christians since the days of the apostles. From the year 34 C.E. to 2017 is 1,983 years. That equates to only 37 people earthwide per year who became Christians since the days of the apostles until 2017.
There were about 200 million people alive on earth in the first century. Using the equation of an equal amount converting per year, that’s 37 people being converted to Christianity per year. That would mean of the 200 million people alive in the first century only 370 people would find Christ during the next 10 years. This doesn’t make any sense, when there were 8,000 who converted around Pentecost of 33 C.E. alone.
Let’s say that was a one time thing, and that after that only and only a tiny fraction of just 1% of that number became believers every year. That would be 80 being added per year, and that’s not counting, as the Bible says, the many who were being added daily. 80 per year for 1,986 years is 158,880. Add that to the 74,253 already spoken for and you have 233,133. And that’s saying that from 33 C.E. onward, the number of those who become Christians will be down by 99% of the Biblical accounts.
(200 million alive in 1st century. Source:)
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-life-was-like-in-the-first-century-2011-11
(John 12:42) All the same, many even of the rulers actually put faith in him, but they would not acknowledge him because of the Pharisees, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue;
(Acts 2:41) 41 So those who gladly accepted his word were baptized, and on that day about 3,000 people were added.
(Acts 5:14) 14 More than that, believers in the Lord kept on being added, great numbers both of men and of women.
(Acts 6:7) 7 Consequently, the word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples kept multiplying very much in Jerusalem; and a large crowd of priests began to be obedient to the faith.
(Acts 2:47) 47 praising God and finding favor with all the people. At the same time Jehovah continued to add to them daily those being saved.
(Acts 11:21) Furthermore, the hand of Jehovah was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord.
(Acts 11:24) 24 for he was a good man and full of holy spirit and faith. And a considerable crowd was added to the Lord.