Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught to believe that there are two classes of Christians. A little flock of anointed Christians having the hope of ruling with Christ in heaven numbering 144,000 and a great crowd of other sheep having the hope of living on earth in paradise under the rulership of Christ and the 144,000. According to the Watchtower society, all Christians in the first century were of the anointed.
“For 19 centuries there was only the one calling, the heavenly one, with Jehovah being very selective as to who would serve with his Son to make up the Kingdom government. Many would be invited but only a precious few chosen. (Matthew 22:2, 14) In time the prescribed but limited number of 144,000 would be reached. After this no more would be anointed by holy spirit as witness that they had the heavenly hope, unless, in a rare occurrence, the unfaithfulness of one of the remaining ‘chosen ones’ made a replacement necessary.—Romans 8:16; 11:19; Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5. The Watchtower February 15, 1982 page 30 paragraph 14.
Then , it was taught, that in the year 1935 the number was filled and God ceased calling persons to be of the heavenly class.
“it seems evident that the heavenly calling in general was completed about the year 1935, when the hope of the “great crowd” of Revelation 7:9-17 was properly understood to be an earthly one. This has worked out just as Jehovah foreknew that it would. As Revelation 7:3, 4 shows, there would be a final ‘sealing’ of the remaining ones of spiritual Israel. But, during this time just before the “great tribulation,” a “great crowd” without any limitation as to number would manifest itself. They would retain their natural hope of living on earth, not being “born again” with heavenly life in view.—Psalm 115:16; John 3:1-8.
16 As to the possibility of being a “born again” replacement at this late hour, understandably only a very few of these remaining anointed ones are likely to forfeit their heavenly calling by becoming unfaithful. The Watchtower February 15, 1982 pages 30-31 paragraphs 14-5-16.
Since that time, the number of Witnesses claiming to be of the anointed had been decreasing.
“Most of the remnant are quite elderly, and over the years the number of those who are truly anointed has been getting smaller. The Watchtower January 15, 2000 page 13 paragraph 18.
However, the question arises: Have there truly been less than 144,000 genuine anointed Christians that can be said to be of the chosen ones throughout 19 centuries? If it is true that only 144,000 are selected as heavenly rulers, how do we know that the selection was completed in 1935? Could not God find 144,000 genuine Christians in all history from 33 CE so that the selection was completed long before that?
The answer to this question from the society’s own publications is surprising.
In an article entitled: “Hated for His Name” The Watchtower reported on the horrendous persecution faced by Christians under Roman emperors from Nero to Diocletian:
“By the year (A.D.) 64 Christianity was prominent throughout much of the Roman Empire, including the capital city Rome itself. Their individual characteristics, form of worship and steadfast refusal to compromise thereon had made the Christians sure targets of hostility and ridicule. That year, the tenth in the reign of Emperor Nero, Rome was swept by a conflagration so great it is yet the object of poetry and legend. When the fire had subsided, the great slum areas of the proud capital lay in either part or total ruin. Nero’s subsequent bounties for the homeless and energetic rebuilding program could not subdue the growing suspicion that he was the incendiary of his own capital. Looking for a handy scapegoat to divert attention, the harried emperor hastened to publicly pin the blame on the unpopular Christians. Thus began an era of ten major persecutions against Christians by various emperors of Rome over a period of nearly three hundred years.
THE TEN PERSECUTIONS
Nero saw to it that the first of these terrible persecutions set the pace for the rest. At once he caused Christians to be rounded up, summarily condemned and put to death in the most barbaric manner conceivable. Some were thrown to the fierce beasts in the public arena, others were sewed in animal skins and left to the fury of wild dogs, many were crucified, and still others were garbed in combustible materials and ignited to become human torches lighting the gardens of Nero by night. It was in this persecution that the apostle Paul was martyred.
Brief respite followed the death of Nero, but by the latter years of the first century the second great persecution, under Emperor Domitian, flared up. It is said that in the year 95 alone some 40,000 suffered martyrdom. Like Nero, Domitian is found of demented traits. Earlier he had slain his own brother and a number of Roman senators. One of his decrees commanded the death of all of the lineage of David. In this ruler’s persecution a number of prominent Christians suffered, including, according to Blanchard in his Book of Martyrs, the Timothy to whom Paul wrote two canonical letters. Also, it was in this period that John, last living of the twelve apostles, was exiled to the isle of Patmos, from where he recorded the inspired Bible book of Revelation about A.D. 96.
After Domitian the brief thirteen-month reign of Nerva provided a refreshing bridge into the third great period of trial by Roman fury. In Emperor Trajan’s reign hate kindled the fires anew.
A Christian widow, refusing to sacrifice to the emperor, was hung by the hair and then drowned in a river. Phocus, a Christian overseer, was thrown first into a hot limekiln, then into a scalding bath until he died. Another, Ignatius of Antioch, was scourged by fire, had his flesh torn by red-hot pincers and was finally ripped to pieces by wild beasts. Trajan’s successor, Adrian, persisted in this till his death A.D. 138, when he was succeeded by the relenting Antoninus Pius.
But again peace could be only temporary. Came the year 162 and the fourth wave of attrition, under the strong pagan Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Under this ruler Christians, regardless of sex, were subjected to the most inhuman treatment to that date. Noted members of the Christian church like Polycarp and Justin went steadfastly into death. Added horrors like the red-hot torture chairs failed to destroy the Christian faith.
The fifth persecution was largely a local affair, breaking out spasmodically in various parts of the empire where existing laws against the Christians were irregularly enforced. The emperor, Severus, invoked no new mischief by law, evidently due to his affection for the Christian doctor who had cured him of a dangerous ailment.
A.D. 235 the sixth oppression fell upon the Christians during the reign of Emperor Maximinus. This time numberless Christian victims were slain without any trial whatsoever and their bodies were often piled in heaps without so much as a decent burial. It is said that this persecution stemmed from Maximinus’ great hatred for his predecessor, Alexander, who had sheltered the Christians. Under Decius, A.D. 249, the seventh persecution was inaugurated. This assault spread throughout the empire, spared neither age nor sex, and contrived to introduce torture unique to all that had gone before it.
CHRISTIANS ENDURE AND WIN
A young Christian man in Asia on receiving the demand to sacrifice to Venus, replies stoutly: “I am astonished you should sacrifice to an infamous woman, whose debaucheries your own historians record, and whose life consisted of such actions as your laws would punish. No, I shall offer the true God the acceptable sacrifice of praises and prayers.” For this he is broken on the wheel, then beheaded. Julian, native of Cilicia, is bound in a bag with serpents and cast into the sea. Two former heathen priests, converted to Christianity, make many converts, suffer arrest during this persecution and, refusing to renounce their faith, are burned alive. The noted presbyter, Origen, is seized and imprisoned and only the death of Decius prevents his execution. War with the Goths diverts the attention of the successor, Gallus; but afterward, when plagues strike the empire, universal sacrifices to the gods of Rome are ordered. This causes more Christian slaughter, this time at the hands of local mobs and magistrates.
Still no rest! In April, 257, under Emperor Valerian, an eighth persecution opened. This wave added untold martyrs to the list as well as more fiendish tortures. This onslaught was leveled chiefly against the overseers and responsible ones in the Christian church, the design being to break up the ranks by destroying the leadership. Foremost among those victimized at this time was Cyprian, overseer of Carthage. Respected as well as he was known by the local Roman officials, he was not tortured to force a recantation, and the most painless death at their disposal, beheading, was provided him.
A.D. 274 Emperor Aurelian proclaimed a ninth persecution. It flared briefly, but quickly died with the slaying of the emperor at the hands of his own domestics.
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.
Diocletian’s abdication in 305 left the empire divided among six emperors. Constantine murdered his way to supremacy in the west and ceased the persecutions, with the aim of forming a fusion religion between Christian and pagan, thus strengthening the unity of his people. The Watchtower September 1, 1951 pages 516-518.
The following year there appeared a Questions From Readers article addressing the obvious problem the reported numbers of persecuted Christians presented to the doctrine:
According to the article “Hated for His Name” in the September 1, 1951, Watchtower, hundreds of thousands of Christians died in the “ten persecutions” starting in Nero’s time, 144,000 dying in Egypt alone during one of the persecutions. How can this be harmonized with the Scriptural limitation of 144,000 placed on the number being in Christ’s body, and which position was the only one open to Christians during those centuries?—J.A., Dominican Republic.
The article did not class with any finality the individuals that died during these persecutions, but spoke of the results in a general way. Note that a key qualification was made in the case referred to in the question: “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.” The victims are identified as “professed Christians”, not Christians in fact. Many of those persons might have been caught in the wave of persecution, but may never have actually preached the truth or followed in Jesus’ footsteps, being only professed Christians. They knew the world they lived in was rotten and they were listening to the message of the Christians and willing to die for it even though not in line for the high calling in Christ Jesus. Many professed Christians today might be willing to die for their faith, but still not be Jesus’ footstep followers and meeting the Scriptural requirements for such. The Watchtower January 15, 1952 page 62.
Really? The readers were expected to believe that multitudes of Christians would be willing to die for someone they were never genuinely footstep followers of?
Yet The Watchtower later considered historical information indicating that such ones were indeed genuine:
“within a few years the rapid growth of Christianity in Asia Minor attracted more official attention. Pliny the Younger, proconsul in that area, reported on the matter to Emperor Trajan. This brought forth official legislation in the form of Trajan’s letter A.D. 112, which said of the Christians: “They are not to be searched for. If, indeed, they are accused and convicted, they must be punished, with this restriction, however, that when the party denies himself to be a Christian, and shall make it evident that he is not, by invoking our gods, let him . . . be pardoned upon his repentance. Anonymous accusations ought not to be received in prosecutions of any sort.”[1] The Watchtower February 1, 1958 pages 74-75.
In their 1988 publication Insight on the Scriptures Pliny’s letter was again mentioned:
“Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia in 111 or 112 C.E., faced with the ‘Christian problem,’ wrote to Emperor Trajan, outlining the methods he was using and asking for advice. “I have asked them in person if they are Christians,” wrote Pliny. If they admitted it, they were punished. However, others “denied that they were or ever had been Christians.” Put to the test, not only did these offer up pagan sacrifices but they even “reviled the name of Christ: none of which things, I understand, any genuine Christian can be induced to do.” In answering this letter, Trajan commended Pliny on the way he had handled the matter: “You have followed the right course of procedure . . . in your examination of the cases of persons charged with being Christians.”—The Letters of Pliny, X, XCVI, 3, 5; XCVII, 1.
as indicated in Pliny’s letter, not all who bore the name Christian were uncompromisingly such when put to the test. Insight on the Scriptures volume 1 page 442.
Hence, it appears the society is faced with two options. Either to prove that the thousands of Christians willing to die for their faith were not footstep followers of Christ and not chosen by God to be rulers with him in his kingdom. Or to re-examine their interpretation of the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation, a highly symbolic book, as being a literal number. But how can any human presume to say who God has or has not chosen? In view of the historical facts would it not be prudent to reconsider one’s own understanding of God’s word?
In recent years the number of Witnesses claiming to be of the anointed has been increasing. This can only make the problem worse, causing them to question or even discredit the genuineness of the claim of Christians even in our modern day.
[1] Library of Biblical and Theological Literature, History of the Christian Church, by G. Crooks and J. Hurst, pages 165-168.