Have you perhaps wondered regarding your own hope:
Am I of the Anointed?
Jehovah created man with the desire to live on
this beautiful earth that he has provided as a home, and to enjoy forever all
that it has to offer, in perfect health and peace. (Gen. 1:26-31) King Solomon
wrote: "Everything he has made pretty in its time. Even time indefinite he
has put in their heart, that mankind may never find out the work that the
[true] God has made from the start to the finish." (Eccl. 3:11)
Do you enjoy a walk in the forest; listening to the birds singing; or
strolling in a meadow while delighting in the scent and beauty of
the abundant variety of flowers; to run along a beach with the waves
lapping at your feet, and feel the refreshing breeze gently caressing your
face? Are you a loving parent who treasures the joy of raising children, and then
watch your children apply in their lives the guidance you provided as they
start their own family, and raise their own children—your grandchildren and
great-grandchildren? Do you also desire to have your own house, plant your own
garden, and grow your own food; while enjoying the association of family, relatives,
and friends? These desires and joys are normal, and are among the many
things that our Creator has promised to those who love and obey him. (Isaiah
65:21-25)
Jehovah created man in his own image; and our happiness in enjoying his
wonderful creation simply expresses his own love and joy in providing us with
these things. (Psalms 37:11,29; 145:16) It was on account of Adam's rebellion
against God's clearly stated command that Adam, and subsequently his entire offspring,
lost the beautiful home that Jehovah had originally provided. But he did not
leave mankind without hope, for immediately following the rebellion he uttered
a prophecy in which he foretold that he would undo the damage caused by Adam's
rebellion, and the means by which he will bring that deliverance about. (Gen.
2:7-9, 15-17; 3:1-6, 14,15; Rom. 5:6-9, 19; 1 Cor.15:21,22) In fact, God has
provided mankind with his book, the Bible, wherein he explains his "sacred
secret," his means of redeeming mankind from sin and death. (1 Cor.
2:7-10) This is what all of God's faithful men and women throughout the ages have
looked forward to—returning to life on earth under God's kingdom. (Luke
20:37,38; John 5:28,29; Heb. 11:13)
By rebelling against their Creator, Adam and Eve came under the power and
authority of the one who instigated their rebellion, the unseen spirit creature
who made himself the Devil and Satan. (Ezek. 28:13-17; Rev. 12:9) It is Satan who
has been the ruler of mankind ever since. (Luke 4:5-8; John 12:31; 1 John 5:19)
God has promised to deliver mankind from the authority of the Devil by establishing
his own rulership in the hand of his Son, Christ Jesus. This is the kingdom
that Jesus preached and taught his disciples to pray for. And it is by means of
his kingdom that God will "break up the works of the Devil." (Matt.
4:17, 23; 6:9,10; 1 John 3:8)
Jesus Christ, as "the son of man," is the ruler of God's kingdom; but
God also foreordained a certain number, chosen from among Jesus' disciples, to rule
with him in his kingdom. The choosing of these began with the selection of the
twelve apostles, and would continue until the time of the end, when, just prior
to the outbreak of the great tribulation the full number of them—144,000—would
be complete. (Dan. 7:13,14, 18, 22; Matt. 10:1-7; 19:27,28; Luke 12:32; Eph.
1:8-13; Rev. 7:1-4; 14:1-4; 20:6) The choosing of the 144,000 is something
extraordinary, for it was not God's original purpose for Adam's offspring to
die and go to heaven. Man was created to live on the earth. The Psalmist wrote:
"The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to the
children of Adam." (Psalms 115:16, NABRE)
Are you perhaps wondering whether you may be among God's chosen ones, his "holy
ones", who will rule with the "son of man" in God's kingdom, as
seen by the prophet Daniel? (Dan. 7:27; Matt. 25:31-33) If this is your hope, how
can you be sure that it is from Jehovah, in view of the fact that the majority
of religions teach, in one form or another, that all good people go to heaven when
they die? (See Letters_0813_how_many_destinations)
In the case of the chosen ones, Jehovah's spirit operates on the individual to change
the natural desire of living forever upon a paradise earth to the hope of
living in heaven. (Rom. 8:16-23) It is God's spirit that bears witness with the
person that he has received the "new birth to a living hope". It is now
their only hope. (1 Peter 1:3-5) Their hope is so strong and real that it
supersedes all other desires, including the strong natural bond of one's
family.
What if you have doubts whether your choosing is from God; perhaps because of feelings
of unworthiness; or due to being influenced by other people's opinions on the
matter. You can be certain that Jehovah will not leave you wondering
indefinitely, if he really has put his seal upon you. (John 6:27; 2 Cor.
1:21,22) His holy spirit will produce evidence in your life, in answer to your
prayers. With time the evidence and the power of his spirit will become such
that it will be impossible for you not to act in harmony with its direction. In
other words, the hope will become such a powerful issue in your life that you
simply will not be able to ignore it any longer; and you will find peace only once
you make the decision to act upon your hope by making acknowledgment of it to Jehovah.
We can be grateful to him for dealing with us with such patience and loving
kindness.
For those who do not have the choosing, the whole thing is somewhat of a
mystery. I used to believe that those of the anointed who were absolutely
certain of their calling had something special that made them sure of their hope;
but what that special something might be was a mystery to me. Being unduly
influenced by the Watchtower Society's teaching on the matter, I was under the
impression that the blessings I was enjoying, and the things that were
happening in my life in answer to my prayers, was something that all of God's
people experience. After all, are we not worshiping the true God, the living
God; unlike other religions under Satan's power. (1 Cor. 10:20,21; 2 Cor. 4:4) But
with the passing of time, I came to experience the many things I have mentioned
above, including the necessity to act upon the hope. For those who have been
chosen by God, there is no other hope. It is not as if a person can choose his
destiny. And neither does God choose anyone against his will; for the living
hope that is set before him becomes his only hope, his only desire, because
Jehovah is acting within him.
Those who are chosen by Jehovah to rule with his Son
in his heavenly kingdom are not chosen because of any special worthiness or ability
on their part. (2 Tim. 1:9) Like in the case of the twelve apostles, they are
chosen from among "a great crowd of his disciples." (Luke 6:12-17)
Jehovah has chosen each one of them according to his own purpose; and they will
share in bringing blessings to obedient mankind under the rule of his heavenly
kingdom. Like Jesus, they serve others as ministers. (Luke 22:24-27)