Non-Existent: The Truth about the "Anointed Class"

The following is just a sample of the book "Outnumbered". Clearly the Watchtower has
misscounted the number of anointed! If there were ONLY 144,000 anointed since the time of pentecost . . . You be the judge!!!


  1. When did the call for "anointed Christians" begin?

      "Jehovah has established a limited number, 144,000, to make up the little
      flock, and he has been gathering it since Pentecost 33 C.E. Logically, the
      calling of the little flock would draw to a close when the number was
      nearing completion, and the evidence is that the general gathering of these
      specially blessed ones ended in 1935. However, the other sheep in the
      time of the end were prophesied to grow to be "a great crowd, which no
      man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and
      tongues." Since 1935 the general gathering by Jehovah has been of this
      great crowd, whose hope is everlasting life on a paradise earth.-Revelation
      7:9; 14:15, 16; Psalm 37:29."
                          

  Common people who became Jesus' disciples were in line to be accepted as
spiritual sons when the heavenly calling did open up at Pentecost 33 C.E.
(Hebrews 10:19, 20)
                          

  Therefore, early converts to Christianity were "anointed Christians." We will
now look at Christianity in the first 3 centuries of history to see how far it had
spread. By the end of the first century Christianity had gained a good foothold
in the empire. But had it really spread very far or was it a localized sect in a
few cities? Let us ask the Watchtower the following questions;

                          
  2. How far had Christianity spread by the end of the first century?

                          
      "Concerning the early Christians, it has also been stated: "There was
     simply a constantly increasing number of individual Christian believers,
     wherever they went, whether on their regular business or driven by
     persecution, preached Christ . . . Of those who made their trade, their
     profession, their every-day occupation, of whatever sort, the means
     of extending their faith, there was a multitude."

      "With Pentecost 33 C.E. came the promised outpouring of the holy spirit,
     and Peter was empowered to use the first 'key of the kingdom.' As a result,
     about 3,000 Jews and proselytes became Christians. (Matt. 16:18, 19;
     Acts 2:1-4,14-41) In the succeeding three and a half years, Peter used two
      more "keys," so that the missionary work was truly reaching people of all
      nations. (Acts 8:14-17;10:23-48) How true it was that holy spirit had
      imparted "power" so that the same missionary spirit Jesus had displayed
      was again very evident! The account of the missionary work of these early
     Christians, as found in the Bible book of Acts, provides clear evidence of
     tremendous zeal. It must have pleased the apostle Paul to be able to say,
     about 61 C.E., that the "good news" had been "preached in all creation
     that is under heaven"!-Col. 1:23."
                          

      "What has become of this house-to-house method of spreading the faith,
     the technique of which enabled Paul to win myriads of converts in all walks
     of life and of all tribes and nations? By a strange and bitter irony it has fallen
     into disuse among Catholics and has been taken up with enthusiasm by the
     sects, especially those on the fringe. . ."

                          

     By the year (A.D.) 64 Christianity was prominent throughout
   much of the Roman Empire, including the capital city Rome itself.
                          

        The statement is made that Paul won "myraids of converts."
                     How large is a myriad?

        "Myriad- countless, ten thousand 1. ten thousand 2. an immense
        number" Websters New Collegiate Dictionary, 1977 edition, p. 761

                          

  Even though Christianity had spread throughout the Roman empire this could
     mean very little in terms of numbers if the empire was not very large.

                          

  3. How large was Rome in the 1st century and at its zenith?

    
       "The following reign, that of Antoninus Pius (138-161 C.E.), the adopted
     son of Hadrian, quite likely was the most peaceful of all. Marcus Aurelius
     ruled next (161 to 180 C.E.). During this period, the second century C.E.,
     Rome saw its greatest expansion-covering an area of three and a half
     million square miles and boasting a population of some 55 million people."
                          
 

                          Rome
  Before the great fire of Nero's time, according to conservative estimates, the population of the city was well over a million people.

  This is quite a large population for the empire and city of Rome. The great fire
in Rome that Nero blamed on the Christians occurred in 64 C.E. and since the
population of Rome was around 1 million people. This raises the following
question;

                          
  4. How many Christians were executed by Nero in 64 C.E.?

      "A great fire ravaged Rome in 64 C.E., destroying about a fourth of the
     city. A rumor circulated that Nero was responsible and, according to
     Roman historian Tacitus, Nero tried to protect himself by placing the blame
     on the Christians. (The Annals, XV, XLIV) Mass arrests followed, and
     Christians as well as those suspected of being Christians were tortured,
     put to death in large numbers, some even being burned alive in public. This
     appears to have marked the start of a great wave of persecution, not from
     religious opposers, but from political sources bent on exterminating the
     Christian congregation"
                          

      " The historian Tacitus writes of Nero's persecution of Christians in the
     first century: "An immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the
     crime of firing [Rome], but of hatred against mankind."
                          

  5. What about after Nero, did the persecutions continue?

       "It was by means of endurance that the early Christians conquered
      persecution during a period of about 280 years when the Roman Empire
      persecuted them off and on."
                          

                          
                      Integrity Leads to Life


  In his Book of Martyrs, Dr. John Fox comments on why the persecution of the early Christians was so violent. He says the Romans were noted for not being persecutors of any people because of their religion; yet almost at the beginning of the promulgation of Christianity persecution began and was very merciless.
                          

  Diocletian assumed the crown A.D. 284. At first he seemed friendly to the
Christians, but in the year 303 he gave in to persuasion and opened the tenth
persecution, probably the most ferocious of all.

  Suffocation by smoke, forcible drinking of melted lead, mass drownings and burnings, breaking on the rack of men and women alike ran the empire with blood. In a single month 17,000 were slain. In the province of Egypt alone, 144,000 such professed Christians died by violence in the course of this persecution, in addition to another 700,000 who died as a result of fatigues encountered in banishment or under enforced public works.
 
For the complete study with quotes and Photocopies
Order the book: "Outnumbered" (Warren.)
 

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