I partook privately. I went mainly to be reminded of why I don't attend anymore, and how egregious their teachings are. The more I listened to the talk, the angrier I got. When the speaker started out with "two distinct hopes" I could feel my blood pressure rising. Then passage after passage, they conveniently left out either a verse before or a verse after that would completely disprove what they were saying. Such as Romans 8:15-17 to prove who are anointed or not. How about verse 14? I kept muttering "nope" under my breath and shaking my head "no" after every one. When I arrived, I was in a pretty good mood, and happy to see people I've not seen in a while. By the time it was over, I was very angry. I will not go next year.
It dawned on me that the ONLY reason they have this issue with partaking is the extremely mistaken view that the New Covenant Luke (22:20) and the convenant for a kingdom (Luke 22:29) are the same thing. Just because the covenants were made with the same people does not mean they are the same thing. Even their
Insight book acknowledges they are different since the parties are different. The New Covenant has "Jehovah" and Israel as the parties. The convenant for a kingdom has "Jesus" and the ones he chooses to share his kingship with. Completely different covenants.
Going back to some older WT articles, I came across this:
Quote:
What of those who will live on earth under his Kingdom? They are beneficiaries of the new covenant. (Gal. 3:8, 9) Although not participants, they ‘lay hold’ of this covenant by submitting to its requirements, just as was foretold by the prophet Isaiah: “The foreigners that have joined themselves to Jehovah to minister to him and to love the name of Jehovah, in order to become servants to him, all those keeping the sabbath in order not to profane it and laying hold of my covenant, I will also bring them to my holy mountain and make them rejoice inside my house of prayer.” Jehovah then says: “For my own house will be called even a house of prayer for all the peoples.”—Isa. 56:6, 7. w10 3/15 p. 27 par. 14 (italics theirs)
To support their two-class system, they have to go to the OT, yet the OT has another passage that shows that the foreigners will share the inheritance:
“You are to apportion this land among yourselves, among the 12 tribes of Israel. 22 You should distribute it for inheritance among yourselves and to the foreigners residing with you who have had children while living among you; and
they will be like native-born Israelites to you. They will receive an inheritance among the tribes of Israel along with you. 23 You should give the foreign resident an inheritance in the territory of the tribe where he has taken up residence,” declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. - Ezekiel 47:21-23
In the NT, Paul explained how the wall between Israel and the nations was destroyed:
Therefore, remember that at one time you, people of the nations by fleshly descent, were the ones called “uncircumcision” by those called “circumcision,” which is made in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without Christ, alienated from the state of Israel, strangers to the covenants of the promise; you had no hope and were without God in the world. 13 But now in union with Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have come to be near by the blood of the Christ. 14 For he is our peace,
the one who made the two groups one and destroyed the wall in between that fenced them off. 15 By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, in order to make the two groups in union with himself into one new man and to make peace, 16 and to reconcile fully both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself. 17 And he came and declared the good news of peace to you who were far off, and peace to those near, 18 because through him we, both peoples, have free access to the Father by one spirit.
19 So
you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but
you are fellow citizens of the holy ones and are members of the household of God, 20 and you have been built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while Christ Jesus himself is the foundation cornerstone. 21 In union with him the whole building, being harmoniously joined together, is growing into a holy temple for Jehovah. 22 In union with him you too are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit. - Eph 2:11-22
The JW leadership has rebuilt the wall Christ destroyed!!!!
As for two distinct hopes?
One body there is, and one spirit, just as you were called to the
one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. - Eph 4:4-6