1935 and the Anointed
May 14, 2007
Barfendogs is doing his best to get everyone stirred up. But it's not just Barfendogs. Many of Jehovah's Witnesses thought this system would have ended long ago. What are they to think of the 1935 adjustment? Is it a big deal or not? Should we expect a flurry of new anointed ones?
No, it's not a big deal. It's been said before that there would be post-1935 partakers. For example, the book United in Worship of the True God said "Does this mean that none are now being called by God for heavenly life? Until the final sealing is done, it is possible that some few [anointed] .... may prove unfaithful, and others will have to be chosen to take their place. But it seems reasonable that this would be a rare occurrence." But to hear Barfendogs put it, anyone who's partaken of the emblems in the last 30 years has now been validated. Moreover, they were cheated of their true status all these years! Rubbish.
Anyone partaking in the last few decades, if their anointing was genuine, would have had no difficulty cooperating with the Christian organization. After all, were it not for the organization, they wouldn't even know what anointing is or what it entails. If they truly are anointed to be kings, they would have no problem should anyone doubt their status....it's not as if a brother of Christ can only be so if others validate him. And if truly anointed, they would be Christlike, that is they would know how to conduct themselves as a lesser one, how to be modest, how to wait for Jehovah's time, as did Christ and (before him) David, Moses, and Joseph. They might be discouraged, or even offended. But they'd be able to endure.
A politician today would never be able to do that. They must be respected and have others recognize their authority. But anointed ones are not politicians. They are Christlike.
A few (less than 10K among 6 million) have partaken of the emblems in recent years, and many of those not partaking scratched their heads over it. But so long as these ones kept working shoulder to shoulder, you just chalked it up as one of those things. If they tried to undercut the authority of the existing arrangement, to recruit, to establish themselves as a special light in the organization, or as Paul states: wanting to be teachers of law, but not perceiving either the things they are saying or the things about which they are making strong assertions, well....that could make waves. (Tim :1:7) But a true brother of Christ would not behave this way.
But...but....it's asked: "would God have ever allowed that there not be sufficient light on this subject? And would the Slave not recognize one of his brothers?"
How would I know? That's looking into heavenly things. But why should anyone think that, while on earth, the anointed must somehow all be linked together Landru-like?
One partaking of the emblems is giving evidence of a future assignment. If asked to be one of the Governing Body, it becomes a present assignment. But barring that, a newly anointed one has no special status in this system of things, only in the next. In this system, he or she cooperates with the existing arrangement and doesn't assert himself as a special authority in the congregation.
During the 1990's, there were three new partakers in Wheatandweeds' congregation. This was very unusual. I'm not sure if there were any more in the entire circuit. None of the three really met the criteria of what we'd been led to expect. None of them were servants with decades of faithful service; their pasts were all a little rocky. Yet, none of them were crazies. Wheatandweeds liked all of them. So did I. All three had dominant personalities; two of them were ever ready to give advice. One of them qualified as an elder a year or two before he began partaking, yet the CO commented to the rest of the body "he's not the most humble person I've ever met." In the years after he partook, he began counseling people more and more, very dogmatically, and some reported being "creeped out." He got worse over time. He moved to another congregation and in time I heard he'd been disfellowshipped.
The second, a sister, likewise made much of her anointed status. She sided with the brother and became bitter with the organization. She made statements more and more challenging. She likened the "new" anointed ones to David, and the "old-line" anointed to Saul, who were striving to suppress the upstarts! She eventually left her husband to move closer to (with?) the disfellowshipped brother.
The third partaker was also a sister. She too had a dominant personality but she kept it in check. If you visited her, you knew you were in for a discussion of the scriptures, which you would enjoy, but without her "pulling rank." She told me once that she no longer associated with the other sister, as that one had become so negative. Of the three, her actions seemed to Wheatandweeds and me most consistent with an anointed one.
This third sister became ill and died. Her son asked Wheatandweeds to give the memorial talk. In planning his remarks, the son (newly baptized) mentioned he thought his mom's heavenly hope should be made prominent. But Wheatandweeds told him he didn't feel he could do that. Rather, he could talk about the sister's qualities & the general condition & hope for the dead. And he could put his heart into it, since he thought highly of this sister.
Wheatandweeds explained to the son all the organization had said regarding anointing and 1935 and the possible need for an occasional substitute. Could they be wrong? Sure. It had happened before. New light. The organization adjusts. The sister had supposed that would indeed happen some day, and she was willing to wait.
But it was not for him, Wheatandweeds, to suggest that the organization was wrong, even were he to think it. By endorsing the sister's hope, the clear implication would be that Jehovah's organization needed to be put up to date [and that he was the one to do it!]. It doesn't matter that he would not mention the then-current understanding...progressive people would know what it was. How would the friends respond? Wouldn't many of them read a defiant tone into the sister's memorial talk? That is the last thing she would have wanted! She always wanted the Christian message, not herself, to be prominent!
Toward the end of the talk Wheatandweeds mentioned that the sister had entertained the heavenly hope. And that some in the audience might wonder how that could be? And that the obvious answer was....be there, in the new system, and you will find out. We don't have to know everything.
There's nothing significantly new in the 1935 Questions from Readers article. The United in Worship book quoted above acknowledged there would be a few here and there. Nobody is suggesting the floodgates have been opened.
Besides, there's something fishy about thousands of new partakers when the number is expected to dwindle. There is too much air of self-promotion with most that I have come across. It's too much in keeping with the spirit of our times, in which the rights of the individual are paramount, and cooperation is almost seen as a weakness. People are quick to read conspiracy into every new development, but I think the more likely analogy for today's strife in some quarters is the Israelites griping when it looked like they were boxed in at the Red Sea [Exodus 14:11,12], or the sour slave beating up on his fellows because he thinks the master is delaying. [Matt 24:48]
It doesn't really affect our role as Christians nor the greater framework of the truth. Moreover, there is danger of being distracted from the bigger picture.... a world in which depravity and barbarity become commonplace & what that signifies. You don't quibble over who's anointed and who's not, since it makes no difference anyway in this system. You focus on the more important things.
For you know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires and saying: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep [in death], all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.” 2 Pet 3:3
Jehovah's Witnesses do not think that today "all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.
Very well written. You make a good point when you state, "You don't quibble over who's anointed and who's not, since it makes no difference anyway in this system. You focus on the more important things."
Growing up, my mother tended to make a big deal out of who was annointed or not. It had occurred to me that was odd because I remembered being taught by my Dad that there is no rank in the congregation, just assignments. So if someone was annointed, then their assignment was that of a leadership role after their death. Also, they are given more responsibility in this system of things in life because they have higher expectations placed on them by those around them. So we don't want to view them as superior or of higher rank.
Yes, there are always those who will aggrandize themselves. They don't seem to realize that such statements and attitudes match what the Pharisees had in the first century.
The Pharisees huffed, and puffed, and had their house blown down in 70CE.
Posted by: Screech | May 18, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Agreed, Screech. Except "they are given more responsibility in this system of things...." I haven't especially noticed that to be true. Major exception, of course, if asked to serve on the GB. But how often does that happen?
Of course, a spititual person will be given more responsibility. But that's because they are spiritual persons, not because they partake of emblems.
Plus my post might seem to put me close to judging peoples' motives. I didn't mean to do that. I noted some personality traits, that's all. I've no doubt that all the one's I wrote about were sincere in their convictions.
How can you climb inside someone's head? much less their heart?
Posted by: tomsheepandgoats | May 18, 2007 at 04:32 PM
What I meant by added responsibility is that when someone is perceived a certain way, then their actions are more closely monitored by others (and judged). It doesn't matter if it's right, wanted, or even despised. It's just something that happens.
Not by all, of course, but it is what happens.
As far as reading hearts, I agree. We cannot do that. You'll find that theme in many of my posts on my blog. I enjoy throwing light on the fact that many problems are either caused or enlarged by mankind's general heart condition. I try to keep my blog mostly neutral, so I don't go into too many details (I don't want people parking in my grass and saying that if it's not in the scriptures then there's no reason why they can't).
Posted by: Screech | May 20, 2007 at 03:24 PM
I've noticed that since around 1986, the number of Memorial partakers has not decreased significantly, if at all - it's hovering at around 8 thousand. Eventually, the number will be comprised mostly of people born since 1935, ironically enough.
I've met some who claimed to be of the anointed - very humble and scripturally knowledgable people. I've also had the pleasure of meeting some elderly brethren who currently are part of the original Bible Student groups. They, too, struck me as incredibly spiritual - not in an "organizational" way, but in a sincere-love-for-God kind of way. Of course, they considered themselves anointed, too.
Which begs the question, if you sincerely feel that type of relationship with Jehovah, should you hide it? Remember Jesus' counsel against denying him (and by extension, Jehovah).
Posted by: Chris Campa | May 21, 2007 at 11:54 PM
Many things are known with certainty only in hindsight. Presumably, in the new order we will know just who was annointed.
Jehovah's Witnesses today number 6 million plus. Eight thousand partake of Memorial emblems. Who of these are truly annointed? All of them, most of them, or none of them? Nobody knows. It's between the individual and Jehovah. God doesn't announce his list and individuals can be mistaken. All we know for sure is there are 8K persons who believe they are annointed and, worldwide, people believe many things.
Fortunately, it makes no difference in the day to day activity of the Christian congregation. That's why few get too worked up over it.
Posted by: tomsheepandgoats | May 22, 2007 at 06:32 AM
I am not a Jehovah’s Witness and am curious about what this partaking of memorial emblems constitutes. From the post I gather that those who have partaken are considered possible candidates to be among the 144,000. What qualifies someone to be a partaker, and what are their duties after partaking?
Posted by: NateDredge | May 25, 2007 at 06:01 PM
Jehovah's Witnesses are unique among Christian groups in that they entertain no hope of future heavenly life. Instead, they look forward to everlasting life on this earth when it is ruled over by God's Kingdom, the same Kingdom people familiarly know from the Lord's Prayer. Should we die before that Kingdom comes, our hope is to be resurrected to that paradise earth. God first put humans on earth. He didn't put them there because he wanted them somewhere else.
Kingdom rule over earth is not too far away, in our view, and Revelation 7:9-17 is now taking place. This passage tells of a great crowd of persons gathered from all "nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues" who would survive the "great tribulation" and live on into the "new order," life under Kingdom rule. Almost all of Jehovah's Witnesses belong to this group.
The Bible also speaks of a "sacred secret," (Colossians 1:26) a "secret" first made known to the early Christian congregation, that there would be some from humankind, a comparatively tiny number, who would share in this heavenly government. Their ultimate destiny would be in heaven, not on earth. While on earth, these ones are anointed by holy spirit, a token of that future assignment. They partake of the emblems each year at the Memorial of Christ's death, and thereby give evidence of this unique relationship with God. Since this secret was made known shortly after Christ's resurrection, and there are only 144,000 of these who will serve as "kings and priests, " very few of them are on earth today. Most have long since lived their lives and been resurrected to heavenly life.
Practically speaking, there are no differences in responsibilities between those anointed and those not. Positions of oversight in the local congregation and in the organizational groupings worldwise of Jehovah's Witnesses are granted without regard to anointed/great crowd status. The only exception is that of the worldwide governing body itself, which is exclusively made up of those anointed. Yet even there, responsible non-anointed ones are leaned on heavily.
Posted by: tomsheepandgoats | May 29, 2007 at 06:59 PM
huh, that is interesting.
Posted by: NateDredge | June 01, 2007 at 02:40 AM
A very resonable comment on the recent increase in the number of partakers.
The quote you mentioned from the Worship book and the understanding brought out in the May 1, 2007 Watchtower is a little different. In the Worship book as you pointed out they mentioned that there may be a few that fall away and need to be replaced. In the recent Watchtower article it noted that many more than would be resonably expected have started partaking, entertaining a real heavenly hope since 1935.
So the calling has not stopped but evidently has continued all throughout the last days. In fact many new ones of the Governing Body were born after 1935, and even one was a Vietnam Vet, thus he wasn't even a witness until at least the early 70's probably. Definitly the fact that many "new" ones are of the Governing Body has helped them to undersstand this all the more so. Some who no doubt were orginally told they couldn't be of the heavenly class because they were born after 1935, or weren't witnesses before then.
I really appreicated the information from the Annual Meeting on the increase in partakers. It is not for us to judge. And by being anointed one is not given a special insight or is it something to brag about.
Certainly there are those who have partaken in the past or even recently who were not anointed. I knew a brother who once told me, you know, I think I must be anointed because I have so much responibility in the congregation, and he did have a lot of responibility. Another brother once told me a few years ago, you know, I think I'm anointed because I have so much knowledge, how can I know so much if I wasn't anointed?
Neither of these acknowledged what a true anointing is. Jehovah's spirit confesses union with the spirit of the person anointed and begets that one for a heavenly hope. That person is called to heavenly life, and through God's spirit and thru his word the Bible the anointing implants in this person a new hope. A quickening as it were takes place as the seed implanted in this person grows to spiritual life, and his full hope is understood. Jehovah opens that persons eyes to see beyond the veil, as it were.
The anointing has nothing to do with a person's responibility in the congregation, their knowledge, their own personal desires, especially ambition. All mankind has fallen short of the glory of God, and the only thing we deserve is death. It is only by the grace of God's underseved kindness that we have a hope, whether it be earthly or heavenly. A gift from God, indeed an undeserved kindness upon underseved kindness. A person cannot "earn" the right to go to heaven, as if a certain number of years qualifies you more than another, or a certain privledge granted you in the congregation makes you more worthy than another. God is not a respecter of persons.
A person cannot "choose" to be born-again just as they have no choice in their orginal birth. But when the seed is implanted then the hope blooms, the person is changed. He knows he is anointed, not because he has knowledge, nor because he has a certain number of years serving Jehovah, or because he has some priveldge appointment in the congregation, or especially because of personal ambition. It is because Jehovah God, thru Jesus Christ, who does the calling makes that hope sound and sure in the person's heart. And the ones called understand the most that they are the least deserving. They are fraught with frailities, with sin, with badness just as everyone else. How can God, Jehovah, call such a person to justify them to live in heaven? Most unworthy are they! But the ones that think they are worthy, are the least worthy.
Remember the first Christian Martyr? Stephen, how long do you think he was an anointed Christian before he died? A year, two? Does the amount of time a person is anointed really matter? No doubt Jehovah saw qualities in this person while he was a Jew that showed him his heart condition, perhaps while living as a Jew, not knowing the Christ, he was still a faithful and loyal servant of Jehovah. And look at Paul, he was a persecutor of Jehovah's servants before he became anointed, even an apostle!
The number of those chosen and called today are indeed very few, very few, indeed compared to those that are serving Jehovah, and especially in comparison to mankind in general!
Who really cares if a couple hundred or thousand more are partaking today than before? There are millions upon millions that are now serving Jehovah with an earthly hope.
There are indeed members who have a genuine heavenly hope that have been called after 1935, just as the article stated, and many more than would be resonably expected to be replacements. Thus we can see how Jehovah has, according to his divine will and purpose continued to call indiviudals according to his wish to heavenly life all throughout the last days.
Posted by: Victrix | October 15, 2008 at 12:45 PM
So few are anointed today….in fact, so few are anointed throughout history when compared to the overall human population….as to make these ongoing developments no more than “detail” status. When giving a brief synopsis of our overall beliefs, I hardly mention them. It’s the realization of God’s initial purpose….the earth filled with those living forever that seems the foremost point, IMO. If it weren't for Christendom insisting everyone goes to heaven, no one would give two hoots about any of this.
Posted by: tom sheepandgoats | October 17, 2008 at 11:36 AM
It's said the annointed don't have special insight; yet, God's Spirit witnesses with theirs that the are going to heaven.
Posted by: Boodman | April 29, 2009 at 08:56 AM
Is the "spirit bearing witness" the same as having insight? Or is it a different form of communication - more subtle, but at the same time, more sure?
Posted by: tom sheepandgoats | April 29, 2009 at 10:53 AM
do the elders know you are doing this?
Posted by: rbk | May 14, 2009 at 08:33 PM
Some do. Some don't. I'm not really sure how many of each.
Posted by: tom sheepandgoats | May 15, 2009 at 11:21 AM