Dear LonelySheep,

Well, it took more time than I thought it would before being able to write this answer but I'm glad I can do it today.

I understand that you may feel lost in the spiritual maze in which the mistakes, the contradictions and the stubborness of the GB has let the organisation enter.

In my opinion, most of your misunderstandings are linked to 1) preconceived ideas about the anointed and to 2) the fact that most of the spiritual food served to the JWs is spiritually alienated from the why and wherefore the JWs came to existence in the first place. I'll provide explanations for the latter first.

As has been demonstrated here countless times, the Bible teaches that during the time of the end, two groups would co-exist before "inheritating the kingdom" with two different hopes.

"“And the ones having insight will shine like the brightness of the expanse; and those who are bringing the many to righteousness, like the stars to time indefinite, even forever." - Dn 12:3

"“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for YOU from the founding of the world. For I became hungry and YOU gave me something to eat; I got thirsty and YOU gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and YOU received me hospitably; naked, and YOU clothed me. I fell sick and YOU looked after me. I was in prison and YOU came to me.’ Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to you?’ And in reply the king will say to them, ‘Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did it to one of the least of these my brothers, YOU did it to me.’

“Then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, ‘Be on YOUR way from me, YOU who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I became hungry, but YOU gave me nothing to eat, and I got thirsty, but YOU gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, but YOU did not receive me hospitably; naked, but YOU did not clothe me; sick and in prison, but YOU did not look after me.’ Then they also will answer with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them with the words, ‘Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did not do it to one of these least ones, YOU did not do it to me.’ And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.â€" - Mat25:34-46

"This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘It will be in those days that ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will actually take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew, saying: “We will go with YOU people, for we have heard [that] God is with YOU people." - Zech8:23

That duality isn't specific to the JWs, please read the following excerpts from biblical encyclopedias :

25:34-40. The King "on His throne" (v. 31) will extend an invitation to those on His right hand, the sheep, to enter the kingdom God had prepared... since the Creation of the world. The basis of their entrance is seen in their actions, for they provided food, drink, clothing, and care for the King (vv. 35-36). The King's statement will prompt the sheep to respond that they do not recall ever having ministered directly to the King (vv. 37-39). The King will answer that they performed these services for the least of these brothers of Mine, and by so doing were ministering to the King (v. 40).

The expression "these brothers" must refer to a third group that is neither sheep nor goats. The only possible group would be Jews, physical brothers of the Lord. In view of the distress in the Tribulation period, it is clear that any believing Jew will have a difficult time surviving (cf. 24:15-21). The forces of the world dictator will be doing everything possible to exterminate all Jews (cf. Rev 12:17). A Gentile going out of his way to assist a Jew in the Tribulation will mean that Gentile has become a believer in Jesus Christ during the Tribulation. By such a stand and action, a believing Gentile will put his life in jeopardy. His works will not save him; but his works will reveal that he is redeemed.

25:41-46. To the goats on His left hand (cf. v. 33) the King will pronounce judgment. They will be told, Depart... into the eternal fire prepared not for men but for the devil and his angels (cf. "the kingdom prepared," v. 34). The basis of their judgment will be their failure to extend mercy to the remnant of Jewish believers during the Tribulation. Their lack of righteous works will evidence their unconcern (vv. 42-44; cf. vv. 35-36). Such individuals will sympathize with the world dictator and support his cause. They will be removed from the earth and will be cast into "eternal fire" (v. 41) to undergo eternal punishment (v. 46). With all wickedness removed in the various judgments at the Second Advent, the kingdom will begin on earth with only saved individuals in physical bodies constituting the earthly kingdom as the King's subjects. Glorified saints from Old Testament times and the church, the bride of Christ, will also be present to share in the reign of the King of kings.

(from Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications
Ministries; Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved.)
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The Gathering of the Nations: Matt 25:31-46

Then Jesus turned again to His second coming. "When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory" (v. 31). Christ went on to discuss the ministry of judgment He will undertake at that day. Again in the Old Testament, roots of the picture He sketched are clear. Christ looked ahead to describe a prophesied time when all the nations on the earth will be gathered before Him.

The peoples of the world will be separated into two groups, one destined to enter the kingdom over which the Messiah will rule. The term "nations" here does not refer to national groups but to the Gentile world in contrast to "brothers of Mine." These Jewish brothers, who will have suffered in the Tribulation, will have been naked, hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, and sick. And some will have reached out to them, while others ignore them.

This passage does not picture the time of final judgment. Instead, as the text indicates, judgment is announced for a generation of men living at Jesus' coming. The prize is not eternal life, but entrance into the kingdom that God has prepared for Gentiles as well as for believing Israel (v. 34).

(from The Teacher's Commentary. Copyright © 1987 by Chariot Victor Publishing. All rights reserved.)
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Matthew 25:31-46

31-46 Some take this to refer to the judgment of the Gentile nations on the basis of how they treat these brothers of mine (vv. 39, 45), the Jews; compare Genesis 12:3. Others take it to speak of the judgment of those who have not heard the Gospel on the basis of how they treat believers in Yeshua; compare 10:40-42, Ro 8:29.

(from Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
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25:31-46

25:31-46 Separating sheep from goats. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will gather "all the nations" (25:32) before him for judgment. They will be judged on the basis of how they treated Christ's "brothers and sisters" (25:40). The good works are not the basis but the proof of salvation — note that neither the sheep nor the goats were aware of their good works or lack thereof (25:37-39,44). Christ's "brothers and sisters" probably refers in this context to Jewish people during the Tribulation, though the principle applies to the treatment of believers, both Jewish and Gentile, in all ages.

(from Willmington's Bible Handbook by Harold Willmington Copyright © 1997
by Harold L. Willmington. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
​

As the biblical verses and the quotations show, there will be a minority who will teach a majority. That's a fact.

During the time of the end, there will be two groups, Jesus' brothers and those who will help them (the "GC" in Rev, the "righteous ones" in Matthew and the "many" in Daniel). Salvation is based of course on faith in Jesus Christ but above all on faith in the existence and spiritual reality of his "body"... his brothers, otherwise why would the need to help them be stressed on and be so important in Jesus' words ? You might also understand why Satan's efforts have been focused on discrediting them... Having faith in Jesus Christ enables people to be called Christians. However, the verses demonstrate that having faith in Jesus and offering (symbolic or real) cups of fresh water to Jesus' brothers won't make "the nations" belong to or be part of Jesus' brothers. If a cup of fresh water is the least that people may give in order to be saved, it means by implication that others may give more, isn't it ? However, will this make them be a part of Jesus' brothers ? We can draw the same conclusion from Zech8:23 in which it is said that ten men (out of all the languages of the nations) will want to follow the "Jews" but won't be part of them. It also entails the fact that during the time of the end : either there will be a deadline after which those who help Jesus' brothers won't be considered as such in return or that if there is no time limit, only a given number of Christians will be considered as such. Obviously, it's all a little bit the same given that if there is a time limit, it'll mean that there is a numerus closus, although that number (144 000) might be literal or not as some claim.

Interestingly, in the light of what I just explained, please would you give me an explanation as for why the apostles never talked in the first century about the existence around them of the "many", the "righteous ones" mentionned by Daniel and Jesus ? I won't quote here the "great crowd" as RV was written way later. Is it not because they considered themselves as a different and independant group in contrast with the "Gentile nations" and that the most important aspect was the building and growth of Christ's body ? If Samaritans and Gentiles were already part of Christ's body in the first century, who would make up the Gentiles, the nations in the time of the end, those who will have to help Jesus' brothers just before he comes back from heaven?

The understanding of the JWs about 100 years ago was relevant and scripturally correct. The problem was 1914.

It'll be explained in part 2 so the first post isn't too long.

 

A few weeks ago, I had found a great comment related to what I've just explained above but couldn't retrieve it so I'll paraphrase it here and will quote it here as soon as I retrieve it.

The faith in Jesus' sacrifice redeems the humans from their sinful nature and enables them to present themselves before God with a clean conscience (which is symbolized by baptism, 1Pe3:21 ). However, the verses in Matthew clearly demonstrate that the reward of the "righteous ones" won't be based on their faith in Jesus' sacrifice alone just as the reward of Jesus' brothers won't be based on them having faith alone, but on how the latter ones will make grow the talent that they were given, according to other illustrations stated by Jesus.

That explanation is in my opinion fundamental and contains the key to understand other vital spiritual realities.

"Faith without works is dead" but although works aren't what save us, they contribute anyway to the "fate" of each and everyone of us because only a genuine faith based on real foundations will enable people to identify who are Christ's brothers and therefore push them to have life-saving works.

One of these works for "the nations" will be to support Jesus' brothers, that is those who will be given talents to make grow, one of them being to provide spiritual food at the proper time.

 

In the previous posts, I tried to explain in what ways the understanding of the JWs that they applied to 1914 was scripturally relevant and mostly correct, the 1914 doctrine excepted, of course. I'm obviously just talking here about the nature of God's Kingdom, of the question of the anointed ones and of the two different hopes recorded in the Bible. So, please, don't come here challenging me with the reasons for which the JWs back then still celebrated Christmas or still accepted the cross as a religiously relevant object. Such questions would be in that case off-topic.

Hence, we've seen that there would be a group, smaller than another, that would take the lead in the last days. That group is called "the Jews" or "Christ's brothers", etc. That's what the JWs call the "anointed ones". I guess that you already know that the term "anointed" refers to how kings and priests were anointed in the Israel of Old, the "oil" symbolizing Holy Spirit (Rv20:4). The other group, what the JWs call the "Great Crowd," would just have to accept the legitimacy of the existence of Christ's brothers, and by implication of Christ himself, by at least being kind to them, and preferably by accepting wholeheartedly the Good News and helping Christ's brothers maybe in more concrete ways.

In the previous posts, it has also been indirectly pointed out that there would come a time when things wouldn't be the same as they would have been since the moment when Jesus left. That time is called "the time of the end".

During the time of the end, Jesus' brothers would be punished, would be spiritually resurrected and would later suffer from terrible persecutions at the end of which they would be defeated (Rv11:7), some of them dying as a result, being imprisoned or silenced to an extent, a threshold beyond which only God can decide that it's over ! That period is recorded in the Gospels, in Daniel and more specifically in the Revelation book in the form of the "two witnesses" preaching work. Please take note that Babylon isn't the superpower that will defeat the "two witnesses" although it'll keep those who will later compose them imprisoned and in captivity as a result of the sins previously committed by Jerusalem as a whole. The fall of Babylon, and not its destruction, will mark the moment when Christ's brothers will come back to life on spiritual grounds.

The "resurrection" of Christ' brothers at the end of a period marked by spiritual death and hardships under the Babylonian yoke will be made possible by a huge downpour of Holy Spirit upon them. We all know the biblical verses that say so but I'll quote anyway some of them here :

"“And after that it must occur that I shall pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh, and YOUR sons and YOUR daughters will certainly prophesy. As for YOUR old men, dreams they will dream. As for YOUR young men, visions they will see. And even on the menservants and on the maidservants in those days I shall pour out my spirit." - Yoel 2:28-29

"“And now listen, O Jacob my servant, and you, O Israel, whom I have chosen. This is what Jehovah has said, your Maker and your Former, who kept helping you even from the belly, ‘Do not be afraid, O my servant Jacob, and you, Jesh′u·run, whom I have chosen. For I shall pour out water upon the thirsty one, and trickling streams upon the dry place. I shall pour out my spirit upon your seed, and my blessing upon your descendants." - Is44:1-3

“‘And they will have to know that I am Jehovah their God, when I send them in exile to the nations and actually bring them together upon their soil, so that I shall leave none of them remaining there any longer. And I shall no longer conceal my face from them, because I will pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.†- Ez38:28-29

What happened in the first century to Jesus and to his disciples were portents of what would happen in the last days. That may explain why some aspects didn't stay till nowadays but will appear again in due time when the prophetical portents will begin their fulfillments.

As we've already been discussing here on this db at length, we're not in the time of the end, which means that although what the JWs applied to 1914 was scripturally relevant and mostly correct, they applied that understanding prematurately. If they had to change their understanding, it wasn't because it was "wrong" in the absolute meaning but because it was misapplied but back then, they tried to adjust their understanding to a reality that, as time was going by, seemed to prove them wrong. As I said in another post in another thread, unfortunately, instead of thinking that they were wrong, they should have thought that it wasn't the time to apply their understanding yet. That's also why their constant changes will keep being irrelevant as long as they stick to 1914 and modulate the teachings according to that doctrine. It was too early. In that regard, I personally believe that their new understanding in relation with the Great Crowd in Revelation was an improvement in the understanding of that book because it is supported by Matthew and Daniel, even if it was undertaken because of erroneous reasons (that is to conciliate two different hopes among Christ's brothers in the time of the end whereas the Scriptures say otherwise). Their understanding according to which there would come a time when no new anointed ones would appear is also scripturally relevant as I explained in the previous posts. What isn't relevant is that it'd take so long before Jesus comes back and that the Great Crowd would cooperate so much with Christ's brothers that they would nearly replace them... That's one of the proofs that demonstrate that there is something askew in how that correct understanding was applied to 1914.

Do you remember that sentence :
ABUSUS NON TOLLIT USUM : abuse does not take away use, i.e., is not an argument against proper use

That's not because the JWs misapplied their understanding in relation with the beginning of the last days that said understanding is totally useless.

As a consequence, if we're not in the last days, the time of the end, it means that the time limit (if any) hasn't been reached (what of 11th hour workers...? Jesus hiring workers at different hours of the day). It also means that the Great Crowd (although a reality) is still a prospective entity and that the R&F JWs nowadays have two hopes, either in the Great Crowd once Christ's brothers are revealed or the hope of being anointed one day and thus being a part of Christ's brothers. I just developped those ideas in the light of what I explained in the previous posts so I won't explain here again and now why I think so. Once Jesus is back (in the form of Holy Spirit being poured out on his faithful disciples) and that the anointed are spiritually resurrected and receive the spirit as the prophecies foretold, no matter how hard they try, the "nations" will remain so and will never be considered as Christ's brothers (that's logical and I know that you like when things are logical). The situation in which we all are now is exactly the same as it was before 1914 or in the first century, that is that nothing is carved in the stone yet. You may understand better now why there is a distinction among the JWs between the "anointed ones" and the members of the "Great Crowd", although a definitive distinction might be prematurate. You may also understand why the "universalist" hallmarks of what Jesus and the apostles said about Christ's disciples would be somewhat different once the time of the end has arrived. What the JWs believe in that regard isn't irrelevant.

There is another distinction, in reality, between "anointed ones" and the future "Great Crowd" because as I said in another previous post, there are unexpected personal experiences that some JWs may experience and that will definitively make them understand all that which is implied by the expression "to be anointed" and such things definitively can't be understood by those who haven't experienced them.

"I continue mentioning YOU in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give YOU a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the accurate knowledge of him; the eyes of YOUR heart having been enlightened, that YOU may know what is the hope to which he called YOU," - Eph1:16-18

(to be continued)

 

I have had that argument in mind for about a couple of weeks but I have the time today to write it up :

Please read : "“Then if anyone says to YOU, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones." - Mat. 24:23-24

Here, we have three categories of people being mentioned : the false Christs and the false prophets, those who are misled (see also Mat24:11), and the chosen ones.

Since false Christs and false prophets are in obvious connection with Jesus*, then Christianity is involved and their followers can rightfully be called Christians, from a human point of view. Here, Jesus didn't question the sincerity of the faith of those who are misled. If the chosen ones are mentioned in contrast with those being misled, it thus means that the chosen ones are not only Christians, but also a certain category of Christians, those who especially matter to God.

The same thing is true regarding those who will help Jesus' brothers with even just a cup of water. For the case when more than a mere cup of water is implied, such helpers can definitely be called Christians.

The same is again true when we read : "This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘It will be in those days that ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will actually take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew, saying: “We will go with YOU people, for we have heard [that] God is with YOU people." - Zech8:23

The "ten men" demonstrate faith in Jesus and in what the "YOU people" represent by expressing their desire to go with the "YOU people".

If you read the link I posted, other examples are given, like in Daniel.

In the three instances quoted here, there is definitely one people, one group of persons who will be set apart by Jehovah from a wider category of believers, all Christians. It is obvious that those "no-Jewish" people aren't Muslims, pagans/atheists or else. They have demonstrated their faith towards Jesus and his ambassadors.

Which means that those who interpret the Bible their way and then affirm that all Christians are God's people, that there is a unique calling and that Jesus' words about his brothers were destined to address all those who have faith in him have missed other important verses which shed a distinct light over said words. Jesus' words must be understood in the light of other verses.

"In answer he said: “I was not sent forth to any but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." - Mat. 15:24

Obviously, in the end, all those who have faith in Jesus will receive life but many of Jesus' words are first and foremost about the chosen ones, or said otherwise, the anointed ones.

* Here, that's a statement of the obvious in that what I mean is that they aren't Muslims. They are Christians since they're supposed to want to follow Christ or Christ-like characters.