by chuckyy 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
It suddenly hit me the other day while I was reading about the early christian martyrs:
If thousands upon thousands of early christians were martyred by Romans, how could just 144000 be anointed, as all early christians were anointed. This as well as the fact that there have been 10's of thousands of anointed in the last century or so. Does anyone know how many were martyred in first 1oo yrs of christianity?? Surely the numbers don't add up do they??????
I have no idea how many were considered matyrs in the first 100 years of christianity, but I can say from all the JWs that considered themselves "annointed ones" ....the ones I was familiar with while I was a JW and considering I only attended 3 KHs in my time, plus considering that other KHs were probably similiar in that they have at least one person saying they were annointed, that the number would go way over 144,000.
Hi Chuckyy,
Suggestion: the next time you read something in the New Testament, just forget about the WT doctrine of "two hopes". It's waaaay easier.
If you ask a witness to explain that number and why it is taken literally rather than symbolically like the rest of Revelation, they absolutely cannot explain it completely....it's just something they accept because the BS WS said so.
Just my ten cents here. I have som contact with some Bible Students (the movement that Jehovah's Witnessess split off from), and when asked that question, they quote Matt. 22:14
"For many are invited, but few are chosen."
In other words, many have been invited through the years to be a part of the 144,000, but few actually make the grade. They believe that those who fail make up the "great crowd" mentioned at Rev.7:9,10 and go to heaven anwyway but with a lesser role than the bride.
There was a thread about this recently in this forum....one of the persecutions alone in Egypt was said to have killed about 144,000 Christians. An estimated 5 million Christians died from Roman persecution in the first three centuries of the church; from this perspective, Constantine converting to Christianity is the best thing that happened for the Christians in those days. The Watchtower's lame response to this is that these were only "professed" Christians, and since the church had become apostate, many were not true Christians and died with false beliefs. YEAH RIGHT, that's an easy thing to say being comfortable in Brooklyn...would any of the GB or the 8,000 members of the "remnant" truly die the worst sort of death in their prime for what they believed in? Thousands upon thousands of Christians did....passing the ultimate test, so to speak.
Here is the thread:
Jehovah granted me an arithmetic immateriality variance, thereby confirming my exalted status as the most deviant of the annointed class. I look forward to the aftermath of Armageddon, and the thongs of polyester-clad "sisters" engaging in "field service" on me. Oh, how my annointed peers will gnash their teeth in envy at the pleasures that will be mine . . .
If thousands upon thousands of early christians were martyred by Romans, how could just 144000 be anointed, as all early christians were anointed. This as well as the fact that there have been 10's of thousands of anointed in the last century or so. Does anyone know how many were martyred in first 1oo yrs of christianity?? Surely the numbers don't add up do they??????
EXACTLY - The numbers do not add up - one of the the things that really started me questioning the WTBTS
They aren't! For that matter anyone could claim to be of that class, what makes you think that the ones who do are so special, just cause they say they feel funny and wonderful in the middle of the night? You going to trust your salvation to them? Come on give me a break. Shane
