• Questions From Readers
    The Watchtower—1964 | April 15

    • Questions From Readers

      ● In The Watchtower of September 1, 1963, page 540, “the Christ” or anointed one of Hebrews 11:26 is applied to Moses. How can this be when Moses was not anointed with an anointing oil as were the high priests and the kings of ancient Israel?—G. G., U.S.A.

      Hebrews 11:26 reads: “He [Moses] esteemed the reproach of the Christ [anointed one] as riches greater than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked intently toward the payment of the reward.” It is true that Moses was not anointed with any literal oil such as was used in anointing the high priest and the kings of Israel. (Ex. 30:22-30; Lev. 8:12; 1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13) However, an anointing is an appointing to office and so it may be said that one who had been chosen or appointed by God was anointed, even though he was not anointed with any literal anointing oil.

      Further, neither Jesus nor his followers were or are anointed with any literal oil and yet the Scriptures speak of them as having been anointed: “Jesus who was from Nazareth, how God anointed him with holy spirit and power.” “He who guarantees that you and we belong to Christ and he who has anointed us is God.” These have been anointed with God’s holy spirit.—Acts 10:38; 2 Cor. 1:21.

      In this connection note what Jehovah caused to be written regarding the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: “He did not allow any human to defraud them, but on their account he reproved kings, saying: ‘Do not you men touch my anointed ones, and to my prophets do nothing bad.’” Certainly neither Abraham, Isaac nor Jacob were anointed with literal anointing oil and yet they are here spoken of as Jehovah’s anointed ones. They were, however, his chosen, appointed ones and they did have Jehovah’s spirit upon them.—Ps. 105:14, 15.

      Thus also we note that Jehovah told Elijah to anoint Elisha, Jehu and Hazael: “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and you must come in and anoint Hazael as king over Syria. And Jehu the grandson of Nimshi you should anoint as king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah you should anoint as prophet in place of you.” (1 Ki. 19:15, 16) The Scriptural record goes on to show that one of the sons of the prophets associated with Elisha did anoint Jehu with literal oil to be king over Israel, the ten-tribe kingdom, but there is no record of Elijah, nor anyone else for that matter, as anointing either Elisha or Hazael. Their notification of their appointment or duties served in effect as an anointing.—2 Ki. 2:9-14; 8:13; 9:1-10.

      So also with Moses. He may be said to have been Jehovah’s anointed one or Christ from the time of his receiving his commission at the burning bush. This anointing or appointment he considered as greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. It was not necessary for him to be anointed with literal oil to be Jehovah’s anointed one.—Ex. 3:10-4:17.

      ● Who are those that “sit on thrones” as referred to at Luke 22:30, and who are represented by the “twelve tribes of Israel”?—J. G., West Germany.

      Jesus Christ told his faithful apostles: “You are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30) Jesus Christ was here speaking directly to his eleven faithful apostles; earlier he had spoken to his twelve apostles in a similar way. (Matt. 19:28) He could do this since, as it turned out, there were twelve faithful apostles; and these twelve naturally occupy twelve thrones in the kingdom of the heavens.

      But now, in the final outworking of God’s purpose, do only the twelve faithful apostles occupy thrones along with Jesus Christ? When