WHAT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF THOSE PARTAKING AT THE MEMORIAL?





12 In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number 
of those partaking at the Memorial of Christ's death.
That trend contrasts with the decrease in the number of
partakers that we saw for many decades. Should this
increase trouble us? No. Let us consider some key factors
to keep in mind.

13 "Jehovah knows those who belong to him." (2 Tim. 2:19)
Those taking the count at the Memorial cannot judge
who truly have the heavenly hope. The number of partakers 
includes those who mistakenly think that they are 
anointed. Some who at one point started to partake of the
emblems later stopped. Others may have mental or
emotional problems that lead them to believe that they will
rule with Christ in heaven. Therefore, the number
of partakers does not accurately indicate the number of
anointed ones left on earth.

12, 13. Why should we not worry about the number of those 
who eat the bread and drink the wine at the Memorial?

14 Anointed ones will be present in many parts of the earth 
when Jesus comes to gather them to heaven. Speaking
of that time, the Bible says regarding Jesus: "He will
send out his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they
will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds,
from one extremity of the heavens to their other
extremity." (Matt. 24:31) The Scriptures do indicate that
 only a remnant of the anointed ones will be left on
earth during the last days. (Rev. 12:17) However, the Bible
 does not state how many will be left at the time that
the great tribulation begins.

14. What does the Bible say about the number of anointed
ones who will be on earth when the great tribulation starts?

15 Jehovah chooses when in history he will select anointed ones.
(Rom. 8:28-30) Jehovah began choosing anointed 
ones after Jesus' death and resurrection, and it seems that all
in the first-century Christian congregation were
anointed. From the first century until the beginning of the last
days, the vast majority of those who claimed to 
follow Christ were false Christians; Jesus likened them to 
"weeds." Even so, Jehovah continued to anoint some 
faithful ones throughout that time, and they proved to be like
the "wheat" Jesus described. (Matt. 13:24-30)
During the last days, Jehovah has continued to select those who
will make up the 144,000.

[2] If he chooses to wait until late into that period to select
some for that privilege, who are we to question
his wisdom? (Isa. 45:9; Dan. 4:35; read Romans 9:11, 16.)
 
[3] We must be careful not to react like the disgruntled workers
who complained about the way their master dealt
with the 11th-hour workers.?—Read Matthew 20:8-15.

16 Not all who have the heavenly hope are part of "the faithful
and discreet slave." (Matt. 24:45-47) As in the
first century, Jehovah and Jesus today are feeding many through
the hands of a few. Only a few anointed Christians
in the first century were used to write the Christian Greek 
Scriptures. Similarly today, only a few anointed
Christians have been appointed to provide spiritual
"food at the proper time."

15, 16. What do we need to understand about the 144,000
chosen by Jehovah?