Jonadabs

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Jonadab is a religious term used by Jehovah's Witnesses, though much less frequently now than in the decades after its first use.

Witnesses believe that 144,000 men and women will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven. Of all the Christians who have lived and died since the Impalement and Resurrection, only 144,000 will be chosen. These are the anointed ones.

Witnesses believe that places are reserved in heaven for living Witnesses, and that the last place was taken in 1935. These assured-of-heaven Witnesses are known as the Mordecai-Naomi class. Any Witness who has converted since 1935 will have a place in heaven only if one of the Mordecai-Naomi class apostasizes and loses his/her place in heaven. These people are known as the Ruth-Esther class of the anointed.

However, Witnesses who believe that they do not have the hope of joining the anointed in heaven hope to live an eternity in an earthly paradise. These Witnesses are called Jonadabs or the great crowd. The great crowd is the term currently preferred. The terms Jehonadab, other sheep, and perishable are also used.

The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses apparently does not keep a register of the living anointed. Individual believers can declare themselves to be anointed, and their claims will be given credence in proportion to the evident holiness of their lives. Some may not be.

There are some 8,000 elderly Witnesses who believe that they are among the anointed. When the Witnesses hold their annual Memorial of Christ's Death, these Witnesses take partake in the bread and wine. The other Witnesses, the Jonadabs, merely watch.