In the May 1st 1998 Watchtower on page 16 the writers stated in glowing terms the recent increases at the end of the 1997 service year. The article in paragraph 12 reads :
With this in mind, let us consider a statistic revealed by the 1997 Service Year Report of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Last year saw a peak of 5,599,931 Kingdom publishers - truly a great crowd of praisers! Attendance at the memorial was 14,322,226 - about eight and a half million more than the number of publishers. That figure shows a wonderful potential for growth.. .
Whilst proclaiming the years growth the writers fail to mention another area which has grown. This group are the Memorial partakers, these are the ones in the Watchtower organisation who have a "heavenly hope" or the remnant of the 144,000. The figure quoted for 1997 is 8,795, however the figure for the year 1995 was 8,645, this is an increase of 150. If the selected Heavenly class are slowly passing away how can this figure suddenly increase since, according to Watchtower teaching, access to the "heavenly hope" was closed in 1935?
In The Watchtower of 1 Feb 1982 on page 28-29 in an article titled "Born Again"-Man's Part and God's Part we read
16 Those sharing in preaching this good news of the Kingdom in modern times are confident that Jehovah God is leading his dedicated servants by means of his visible spirit-begotten organization, the faithful and discreet slave. (Matthew 24:45-47) Under its direction the heavenly hope was held out, highlighted and stressed until about the year 1935. Then as ‘light flashed up’ to reveal clearly the identity of the great crowd of Revelation 7:9, the emphasis began to be placed on the earthly hope. (Psalm 97:11) It is reasonable to conclude, therefore, that by that time the full number of 144,000 would have been nearly completed. Of course, any individuals proving unfaithful would need to be replaced. But, understandably, these would be comparatively few. And by whom would these be replaced? It seems reasonable also to conclude that most likely this heavenly hope would be extended to some who had endured in integrity, who had stuck to their dedication over the years, rather than its being held out to unproved newly dedicated ones. (Compare Luke 22:28-30.) However, from reports at hand it appears that even some newly dedicated Christians have considered themselves to be born again.
We are prompted to ask, if the door to the Heavenly hope closed in 1935 with the announcement at the Cedar Point, Ohio Convention by Judge Rutherford then why and how can the number of anointed increase by 150 for the 1997 service year? Also in 1973 there was an increase of 173, in 1974 an increase of 200 and in 1981 the figure went up by 37. The article above states that unfaithful ones would need to be replaced, are we to assume that 560 of the anointed class were unfaithful during this period? The above article states in paragraph 19 :
However, a person’s being born again is a personal matter between God and each Christian. No one should judge another on this question
How very true this last statement is. The scriptures tell us that anyone can be a born again Christian, not just a select few. Jesus himself said in John 3:16-17 ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ and in Heb 2:9 we are told that He died for every man not just a select number ‘But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.’
Whilst stating that no one should judge any one who claims to be born again the writers of the 1st Feb 1982 Watchtower article make sure there are plenty of warnings against anyone in the Watchtower Society making that decision, the article continues :
17 Any who in comparatively recent times dedicated themselves and were baptized and who consider themselves to be born again would do well to reflect seriously on the following questions: What reasons have you for feeling that Jehovah God has planted this hope in you? Could it be that your emotional feeling is a holdover from the mistaken belief you previously held while in Babylon the Great that heaven is the destiny of all good people? Or could it be that you feel this way because you had great inward disturbances, that you at first fought against the idea but it gradually won out? But did it win out because you wanted it that way, perhaps even unconsciously? Such struggles do not of themselves prove that you were born again.
18 Or do you feel that you have been chosen by God to be one of the 144,000 anointed ones because of your keen appreciation of spiritual things, because of your fondness for deep spiritual truths? Then note that ever so many who do not profess to be born again are ‘spiritual men’ in the fullest sense of the word. (1 Corinthians 2:14, 15) And there is no question about the spiritual strength of those men and women of faith listed in Hebrews chapter 11. None of those were born again. All of them looked forward to a better resurrection [to life under God’s kingdom] right here on this earth. Hebrews 11:35.
19 Or might it be that you feel the way you do because of your displaying more zeal than some of your fellow Christians? But that of itself could not be the determining factor, for the apostle Paul time and again found it necessary to counsel anointed Christians in regard to taking their spiritual obligations seriously. (1 Corinthians 11:20-22; Galatians 4:9-11) Or could it be that your profession to be of the anointed is due to a lack of modesty? There are some who quite recently have professed to be of the anointed but who, instead of building unity in the congregation, have felt they must have their own Bible study group. To the contrary, mature born again Christians remain close to the local congregation even though it is largely comprised of the other sheep. (John 10:16)
Prior to the "door" being closed in 1935 the Society closed it first in 1881 when in a book by ‘Pastor’ Russell titled Studies in the Scriptures, Vol 3, 1891 (1913 edn) they stated in a footnote on page 367 ‘. . .the distinction between the high-calling of the Gospel Church and the Restitution favors for the world in general . . . the date of the close of that high- calling as October, 1881.’
The dates 1881 or 1935 cannot be found anywhere in the Bible as the time when the door to a heavenly calling would be closed. Rather Jesus included all future disciples when he prayed ‘Father . . . I make request, not concerning these only, but also those putting faith in me through their word . . . that, where I am, they also may be with me, in order to behold my glory . . .’ (John 17:1, 20, 24 NWT) Christ also condemned those contemporary religious leaders who attempted, back then, to close the door : ‘But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.’ (Matt 23:13 KJV) In 2 Pet 3:9 we read ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ We can see from scripture that God desires all to come to Him and be born again not just a select few as is taught by the Watchtower Society..