I’ve heard you say before that what actually triggers Armageddon is when the Beast and/or Gog murders the remaining seed of chosen ones. This is a very impactful and weighty truth that highlights the significance of their role in representing the Kingdom. It also shines a light on what I see happening with the Organization’s teachings, which are seeming to put ALL of the other sheep on the same level of importance, etc. (Perhaps a maneuver used to keep everyone feeling important and thinking they’re the key players when the end comes, self importance). But in reality, isn’t it really just about the chosen ones? Can you provide more insight or clarity? Is it really just about the chosen who will be rounded up in the end? And do you notice a growing trend within the Org to place greater significance on the other sheep now, which in turn lessens the discussion of the chosen ones?
All of God’s sheep are precious to him. The Bible makes that clear. But it is true, the chosen ones have a special relationship to God, having been adopted as spirit sons and daughters by virtue of their having been born again by the holy spirit. And due to their being in union with Christ they serve as the earthly ambassadors for the heavenly Kingdom. And in the future, they will serve as more than mere ambassadors. The final sealing will impart to them the crowns of righteousness not possessed by any human on Earth other than the Lord Jesus. In that state, they will shine as brightly as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.
As far as the Watchtower organization deemphasizing the anointed in their midst, that may well be the proper tack to take, seeing that at this particular time the true sons have not been revealed. Paul wrote concerning the present state and the future unveiling: “Keep your minds fixed on the things above, not on the things on the earth. For you died, and your life has been hidden with the Christ in union with God. When the Christ, our life, is made manifest, then you also will be made manifest with him in glory.” —Colossians 3:2-4
As it stands, the Watchtower has virtually no insight into this phenomenon —the miraculous revealing, that is, whereby, the called ones will be manifest with Christ in glory. The reason the Watchtower is in the dark is because they have no insight into the true significance of the parousia. As has been presented since 2005 in the chapter called The Parousia there is virtually no distinction between the various words used in scripture; namely, manifestation, revelation and presence. Essentially, all three words are used interchangeably. To be sure, there is no such thing as an invisible parousia. Needless to say, the visible manifestation of Jesus to the chosen ones will have a transformative effect upon them. After their glorification is when the sheep and the goats are judged as to their treatment of the brothers of Christ. That is when the prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled —when ten men of all the nations take hold of the robe of the man of God.
Meanwhile, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been led to believe that the epochal revealing of the sons of God is anticlimactic —presumably, their revealing being off in the spirit realm somewhere and invisible to human eyes. Regardless, Satan will surely know the identities of the final chosen ones when they are manifest with Christ in glory here on earth. That is part of the purpose of their being sealed. That event will bring a close to the Christian era. Incidentally, that is why Paul said the Evening Meal will only be valid until he comes. (Will Christianity Survive the End of the World?)
As regards the killing of the sons of God, that great evil will merely serve God’s purpose too —just as the execution of Christ accomplished Jehovah’s grand purpose. After all, no flesh can inherit the Kingdom of God. All of the called and chosen must leave their flesh behind and become born again in the ultimate sense —becoming spirit gods. During the parousia the death of the chosen ones results in their instantaneously changing from flesh to spirit –in the twinkling of an eye.
Since the final sealing brings an end to the preaching, teaching and disciple-making work, and marks an official end of the anointing —God presents Satan with an irresistible temptation. It is similar to the original temptation that lured the proud angel to become an enemy of God in Eden.
That temptation involved God’s stated purpose that Adam and Eve should fill the earth with their perfect offspring and have under their loving subjection all other things. But God also forbid the eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge upon pain of death. Not only that, Jehovah announced that he was resting from his work of creating anything else on Earth.
Satan apparently imagined that if he could seduce Adam and Eve into eating the fruit he could trump Jehovah, since, again, in his imagination, if God allowed Adam and Eve to die then who would fill the earth? Or, if God let them off the hook, so-to-speak, then His word is no good either, since He said: “you will positively die.” And if God creates two replacement humans from the dust He would violate his own self-imposed sabbath.
Evidently, the would-be-god had underestimated God’s wisdom, power and love. God did indeed provide a replacement man for Adam. But he was not of this Earth; thus, God did not violate his sabbath when he transferred the life of His firstborn son into the womb of the Jewess —Mary. Instead of humiliating or embarrassing Jehovah, Satan’s dastardly scheme has resulted in Jehovah acquiring a superlative glory and honor that never would have come about otherwise.
So, when the final 7,000 are presented to Satan the unspoken temptation is, if the original serpent is able to break the integrity of just one of the sealed ones it would prevent God from accomplishing His stated purpose of purchasing 144,000 souls from the Earth for Christ. The temptation is just too good. In this way, Jehovah puts hooks in the jaws of Gog and leads him to attack the sons of the Kingdom. We already know how it ends.
As regards those other sheep —those whose hope it is to come out of the tribulation alive —obviously, it is not God’s will for them to die. On the contrary, God’s purpose for them is that they survive in the flesh in order to become the nucleus of a new world society on Earth. That is not to say that none may die during the coming holocaust that is destined to engulf the world. I would imagine that many will —but most will survive.
Obviously, those who hate Jehovah —and there are many —will make no distinction between whose anointed and who is not. They don’t believe any of that anyway.
During Jesus’ last Passover —before he instituted the Evening Meal with the eleven —Jesus handed a morsel to Judas. The account says that immediately Satan entered into him. No doubt prior to that the Devil had already overreached Judas and was influencing him to steal from the treasury. But when Satan entered into Judas that meant that Judas no longer had free will. He had subjected himself to evil and the evil possessed and used him and then discarded him.
Similarly, expressions inspired by demons will go to the leaders of the nations. They, in turn, will lead their people into a direct conflict with God Almighty. The same fate as Judas awaits those who abandon Jehovah. When the hour of test comes upon the world those who reject the rule of Christ will open themselves up to becoming mere pawns of the demons —even more so than now. Hence, during the hour of darkness to come, under the conditions of war, martial law and unspeakable hardship, Jesus’ words are destined to come true: “Furthermore, brother will deliver brother over to death, and a father a child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all people on account of my name.”
All things considered, Jehovah’s purpose will be fully accomplished. The proud Watchtower will be humbled. The wicked will be shaken out and not gathered into the secret place of the Most High. As on a theatrical stage before men and angels, Jehovah’s Witnesses will be forced to demonstrate their faith apart from following the Governing Body. The chosen ones will be gathered to Christ. And the people of the world will demonstrate to the full their implacable hatred of Jehovah and Christ; thereby, fully justifying God when he vents his burning anger —unleashing a destructive force never before witnessed.