THE MEMORIAL OF CHRIST’S DEATH OR THE ELEVATOR OF THE WATCHTOWER

 

Translated from the original by Chris Tsilikas

 

These monsters are the “Saints” of the Watchtower!

Every year, during the last days of March and the first days of April Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) are used to getting out on the streets to invite the world to a ceremony the Watchtower holds, called “The Memorial of Christ’s death” or “The Memorial” for short.

During this ceremony The Last Supper is reproduced and all the members of the Watchtower are called to partake of the materials that have the name of “emblems” and which are nothing other than  hardtack and red wine, and which according to the Watchtower symbolize Christ’s body and blood...

One may wonder, ‘What’s the problem or what is strange about that?’ The problem is and it’s certainly strange that regardless of the number of people who are attending the ceremony every time there’s a case where none of the participant gets any of these emblems! That is to say that the ceremony may remain without return. So, the aim of this article is to investigate and delineate why this happens.

When we come to the explanation of the case where no JW gets the “emblems”, we have to point out that this may happen in the case where there is not even one “anointed Christian” or “Faithful remnant” or “Christ’s brother” among those who observe the ceremony! In other words, not all of the participants are eligible to the “emblems”, but only the slight minority of those who belong to the above category. Because unfortunately beside the general ridicule, this is the point the Watchtower has reached for its miserable followers. To discriminate them into two categories; those of the elite “first category” who will live in heaven, and those of the “second category” who will live on Earth. And they dare to claim that the Bible writes all these! Of course the Watchtower holds the championship in abusing the Bible for their own benefit! Especially the book of Revelation, which anyone can interpret the way he wishes , due to the fact that it is a prophetic book and speaks symbolically.
Therefore misinterpreting and abusing in a way the extract from the Revelation chapter 7, verses 1 – 9, the Watchtower discriminates its followers into two categories; those who will live in Heaven and reign with Christ who amount to 144,000, and those who belong to the Great Multitude (to which category most of Jehovah’s Witnesses belong) who will live on Earth, in a Paradise – like situation and will be under the command of Christ and of the elected 144,000. Here of course we have to observe that the Revelation talks about 144,000 Israeli people. And although the Company takes the number 144,000 litteraly, it deliberately takes the Israeli nationality figuratively and saves anyone it wants! Moreover, the most tragicomic fact is that the 144,000 are on Earth, while the Great Multitude stands before the throne of God and the Lamb (Christ), that is to say, in Heaven!! And in order to avoid any misconceprion that the Great Multitude dwells in Heaven, the Revelation writes that they worship and serve God in His Temple day and night (Revelation chapter 7, verse 15).

BETWEEN STEW AND ROAST BEEF!

Of course this discrimination did not always exist. In fact up to the ΄40s JWs did not exceed the 50,000. This discrimination began to occupy them during that decade and more specifically in 1935.

The way with which the issue was resolved is in fact enjoyable and at the same time funny. Do you surmise that various theological seminars or at least an informal congress was held where JWs gathered to solve the above – mentioned issue? Well, you’re totally mistaken. Absolutely nothing at all happened. Not the least of what one would expect for such an important issue. Unbelivable though it may seem, it’s out and out correct. The issue for the “great multitude” was examined during lunch time! They tried to find a solution while eating stew and roast beef ("Antiairetikos" has had its agents in Bethel, in the headquarters of the Watchtower, since then)!

And if you think we are malignant and slanderers against JWs, the following document from the Watchtower will convince you we are telling the truth. It is exctracted from the book of the Watchtower “Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom” p. 166 :

"However, that view gave rise to persistent questions. Some of these were discussed early in 1935 at the noon meal at the Watch Tower Society’s headquarters. Some among those who expressed themselves at that time suggested that the great multitude was an earthly class."

And let’s move now to the most amazing thing. How was the great multitude for which the Revelation talks about and to which almost the total amount of the JWs belong established? You will find it absurd but we assure you it’s a fact. The “great multitude” was established when some people rose in an assembly in Washington, when asked to by Rutherford, the President of the Company at the time! And for those who find that hard to swallow we quote the following extract from the same book of the Watchtower “Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom” p. 169” :

"By fulfilling his own prophetic word, Jehovah himself provided the answer. Webster Roe, who was in attendance at the Washington convention, recalled that at a climactic point in his discourse, Brother Rutherford asked: “Will all those who have the hope of living forever on the earth please stand.” According to Brother Roe, “over half of the audience stood.” In agreement with this, The Watchtower of August 15, 1935, stated: “Now we see a company that exactly fits the description given in Revelation seven concerning the great multitude."

Of course this paradoxical establishment of the “great multitude” had tragicomic results, too. Because some people… were angry and they didn’t rise, as one Jehovah’s Witness called Clara Gerber Moyer, because they believed that the members of the great multitude were less faithful than the 144,000. She recounts in the Watchtower of the 1st March 2000, p 23:

"When Brother Rutherford explained that those of the great multitude were an earthly class of faithful Armageddon survivors, many were surprised. Then he invited all those of the great multitude to stand. Well, I didn’t stand, but Ralph did."

HOW DOES A JEHONAH’S WITNESS KNOW THAT HE BELONGS TO THE 144,000

Coming now to the magic number of 144,000, we have to answer the question, ‘What is that discriminating attribute which indicates that a Jehovah’s Witness belongs to that category?’

But first we’ll quote an expert’s answer to this question. And this expert is no other than Mr Giorgos, a Greek Jehovah’s Witness, who has been taking part in the conversation raised by our article “Apophatism and Homeless God” for months at “antiairetikos.blogspot.com”. So, when he was asked the same question, this is what he gave as an answer:

“Obviously God calls upon certain people and no one is in the position to know God’s decision. Such an individual has “the co-witnessing” with God’s spirit'. Apostle Paul wrote: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him , that we may be also glorified together. (Romans, 8:16-17) As the Watchtower of 15.3.1991 p. 19-20 writes, Who Have Celestrial Call indeed?: The first evidence that shows that the individual has been gifted for the celestrial call is the spirit, that is to say the sovereign feeling, of the adoption. (Galatians 4:6, 7) It is absolutely certain that this individual has been born by God in a spiritual adoption as one of the 144.000 co-heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom. And he can certify that his heavenly hope is not the result of wishes that he cultivated for himself, or any fruit of his imagination; rather, it emanates from Jehovah, as a result of the spiritual energy of God towards him. (1 Peter 1:3, 4)."
Appended from Giorgos in Antiairetikos, 26 December 2008 6:59 pm

In other words both Mr/Mrs Giorgos and the Watchtower claim that the “anointed’ himself feels that he has been “anointed”!
If I tell you now, that lately I have been feeling like an “anointed”, will you believe me or not?

A DOOR THAT OPENS AND CLOSES

The next question we have to answer is that concerning the time when the number of the 144,000 anointed is supposed to have been completed and, therefore, “the door will be closed” and no other person can enter this magic number. And here we will find out lots of the well-known recantations of the Watchtower. Let’s count them, then:

1. Watchtower 1975, p. 108: “by 1934 God’s attention turned to … and that by that time the number of those called to the heavenly kingdom had reached its full number of 144,000”

2. Watchtower 1/1/1988, p. 11: “Evidently, the gathering of these was virtually complete by 1935”

3. Watchtower 1/2/1999 of p. 19: “That call ended way back there in 1931-35!”

Is that the end? I wonder. No, of course not. Because in the Watchtower of 1/5/2007 p. 31 we read:

“On the other hand, as time has gone by, some Christians baptized after 1935 have had witness borne to them that they have the heavenly hope. (Romans 8:16, 17) Thus, it appears that we cannot set a specific date for when the calling of Christians to the heavenly hope ends.”

And in case you haven’t grasped it, it is about the “new light” of the Watchtower. WE CANNOT DETERMINE A SPECIFIC DATE UP TO WHICH THE CALL FOR THE “ANOINTED” IS TERMINATED. And this is stated in the year 2007. And why is this stated? But the company needs to justify somehow the “marvel of marvels”. The resurrection of Jehovah’s Witnesses! We’ll see the HOW and the WHY below.

THE MARVEL OF MARVELS

Every year the Watchtower publishes statistical data concerning the increase or the decrease of number of JWs. There is also a column for the number of the ‘anointed’ JWs, who have taken the “emblems” each year.

Up to several years ago, the number of the “anointed” followed its normal declining course since almost all of them were quite old and every year some of them died. During the last years, though, the “marvel of marvels” we talked about really happened. Instead of decreasing the number is increased!! And it’s indeed taking leaps upwards.

By following these numbers it is obvious that we have the resurrection of the “anointed” JWs. But the Watchtower hasn’t let the cat out of the bag and keeps it as a sacred secret, maybe they want to surprise us some day! And, as usual, we provide the following table to prove what we have claimed:

 

YEAR	MEMORY OF JW’s	DIFFERENCE
1959	14.511	*
1960	13.911	- 600
1961	13.284	- 627
1962	12.714	- 570
1963	12.292	- 422
1964	11.953	- 339
1965	11.550	- 403
1966	11.179	- 371
1967	10.981	- 198
1968	10.619	- 362
1969	10.368	- 251
1970	10.526	+158
1971	10.384	- 142
1972	10.350	- 34
1973	10.523	+173
1974	10.723	+200
1975	10.550	- 173
1976	10.187	- 363
1977	10.080	- 107
1978	9.762	- 318
1979	*	*
1980	9.564	*
1981	9.601	+112
1982	9.529	- 72
1983	9.292	- 237
1984	9.081	- 211
1985	9.051	- 30
1986	8.927	- 124
1987	8.808	- 119
1988	8.685	- 123
1989	8.734	+49
1990	8.869	+135
1991	8.850	- 19
1992	8.683	- 167
1993	8.693	+10
1994	8.617	- 76
1995	8.645	+28
1996	8.757	+112
1997	8.795	+38
1998	8.756	- 39
1999	8.755	- 1
2000	8.661	- 94
2001	8.730	+69
2002	8.760	+30
2003	8.565	- 195
2004	8.570	+5
2005	8.524	- 46
2006	8.758	+234
2007	9.105	+347
2008	9.986	+881
2009	10.857	+871
2010	11.202	+345
2011	11.824	+622
2012	12.604	+780
2013	13.204	+600
2014	14.121	+917
2015	15.177	+1056
2016	18.013	+2836
2017	18.564	+551
2018	19.521	+957
2019	20.526	+1005
2020	21.182	+656
2021	20.746	- 436
2022	21.150	+404

 

As you can see in 2005, for instance, they were 8.524. And in 2022, they have become 21.150. In seventeen years’ time they have increased by 12.626 individuals!

So it’s worth saying that the“anointed” JWs were resurrected!

Writer Christos Pal