As the Watchtower of Jan 15, 2008 states - the Governing Body has always stated that any "new" anointed ones should be "not newly converted ones, but individuals who—like the disciples to whom Jesus spoke when he initiated the Memorial observance—have already proved their loyalty to an extent."
I guess that many of the newly declared anointed are individuals that are newly converted and have not proved their loyalty. However,don't those standards go against the clear historical record of the Christian Greek Scriptures?
- How many of the thousands baptized and anointed in the 1st Century newly converted? All of them!
- How many of them had to prove their loyalty over a long period of time before their anointing? None of them!
The Governing Body continues to adopt a Western Corporate business standard on a religious organization. The standards mentioned in the Watchtower of January 2008 reads from a corporate manual and not from the Holy Scriptures. Is it not Jehovah God who does the anointing! What if Jehovah sees in a newly converted individual the qualities he wants of a King-Priest. Who are they to dictate to God that he cannot anoint a new person, or to state that no one should listen to what these new anointed ones say?
It seems the Governing Body is scared that these new anointed ones pose a threat to their authority somehow. Perhaps they believe that all these new ones who are professing to be anointed are actually lying or delusional. The GB might also see that the increase in new "anointed" ones is poisoning the faith of many that the perhaps these truly are not the "last days".
This "new light" from the GB sounds like a desparate cry to consolidate their power.
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w081/15pp.22-23CountedWorthytoReceiveaKingdom
CompletingtheForetold Number
13
Not all 144,000 anointed Christians were selected in the first century. Their calling continued throughout the apostolic period and then apparently slowed down. However, it did continue throughout the succeeding centuries into modern times. (Matt. 28:20) Eventually, after Jesus began to reign in 1914, things moved ahead rapidly.
First, Jesus cleansed the heavens of all vestiges of opposition to godly rule. (ReadRevelation12:10, 12.) Then he turned his attention to the gathering of the remaining prospective members of his Kingdom government so as to complete the number of 144,000. By the mid-1930’s, that task was evidently well along and many of those responding to the preaching work did not have the desire to go to heaven. The spirit was not bearing witness with them that they were sons of God. (Compare Romans 8:16.) Rather, they identified themselves with the “other sheep,” who have the hope of living forever on a paradise earth. (John 10:16) Hence, after 1935 the thrust of the preaching work turned to the gathering of “a great crowd,” those whom the apostle John saw in vision and who would survive “the great tribulation.”—Rev. 7:9, 10, 14.
Even so, over the years since the 1930’s, a few individuals have been called to a heavenly hope. Why? In some cases, it could be that they replaced individuals previously called who had become unfaithful. (Compare Revelation 3:16.) Paul even spoke of personal acquaintances who had left the truth. (Phil. 3:17-19) Whom would Jehovah call to serve as such replacements? Of course, that is his decision to make. Still, it would seem reasonable that he would call, not newly converted ones, but individuals who—like the disciples to whom Jesus spoke when he initiated the Memorial observance—have already proved their loyalty to an extent.—Luke 22:28.
It seems, however, that not all who have been called to a heavenly hope since the 1930’s are replacements for ones who have fallen away. Jehovah has evidently made sure that we will have anointed Christians among us all through the final days of this system of things until the destruction of “Babylon the Great.” (Rev. 17:5)And we can be confident that the full number of 144,000 members will be completed in Jehovah’s due time and that all will eventually take their place in the Kingdom government. We can also believe the prophetic Word that the ever-growing great crowd will as a group continue to prove itself faithful. Soon it will “come out of the great tribulation” brought upon Satan’s world and will joyfully move on into God’s new world.
