e-watchman mailbag for Jehovah's Witnesses

e-watchman mailbag goes podcast

2007-04-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

For the regular readers of this blog I have stopped making entries on the mailbag blog for now. All questions are now answered on the podcast. But by all means keep the calls and emails coming and tune into e-watchman radio.
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To access the Mailbag archives CLICK HERE

What is the disgusting thing and holy place?

2007-03-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

Can you please explain what the disgusting thing standing in the holy place is?

The question ought to be slightly reworded to ask: What will the disgusting thing be? – signifying that it is a future development. This, of course, is contrary to the current view of Jehovah's Witnesses.

To put things into perspective it is important to note that the Bible uses the expression “disgusting thing” in reference to idols. For example, in reference to the idolatry that “wise” king Solomon instituted in Israel, 1 Kings 11:5-8 says: “And Solomon began going after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the disgusting thing of the Ammonites. And Solomon began to do what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah, and he did not follow Jehovah fully like David his father. It was then that Solomon proceeded to build a high place to Chemosh the disgusting thing of Moab on the mountain that was in front of Jerusalem, and to Molech the disgusting thing of the sons of Ammon. And that was the way he did for all his foreign wives who were making sacrificial smoke and sacrificing to their gods.”

From Jehovah’s standpoint anything that is set up to rival or replace his worship is a “disgusting thing.”

In regards to the disgusting thing of prophecy, Jesus foretold that a disgusting thing would stand where it ought not, which in the first century was in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, which was a holy place to God – at least nominally. (Contrary to the Watchtower’s present view that the temple was not holy and hence represents unholy Christendom, Jesus twice cleansed the temple of the money-changers because he recognized it as his Father’s house – a holy place) The disgusting thing proved to be the Roman armies that entered Jerusalem in the year 66 C.E. (Of note: At the time the Roman Empire was acting in the prophetic role of the king of the north)

According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, the Roman soldiers actually entered the temple, thereby desecrating it, and even planted their imperial flags (ensigns) on holy ground. That was the signal for the apostles and all Christians to flee out of the doomed city because three and a half years later the Roman legions returned and completely destroyed Jerusalem. This, of course, was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 9:27, which reads: “And upon the wing of disgusting things there will be the one causing desolation; and until an extermination, the very thing decided upon will go pouring out also upon the one lying desolate.”

But the 11th and 12th chapters also foretell of the coming of a disgusting thing that will abolish another sanctuary of God. According to Daniel 11:31, the king of the north “will actually profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and remove the constant feature. And they will certainly put in place the disgusting thing that is causing desolation.”

Significantly, the 8th chapter of Daniel foretells that a king fierce in countenance will also bring desolation upon God’s sanctuary and holy place and remove the so-called constant feature. This is to occur during the time of the end, when Christ’s kingdom actually comes to power, and is an immediate prelude to the king of fierce countenance’s own destruction by Christ. Obviously, the king of fierce countenance and the disgusting thing are one and the same.

But, what is the holy place that is destined to come to desolation? According to the writings of the apostles the holy place is the congregation of Christ’s anointed disciples, otherwise known as the holy ones. -- See the essay: What is the Holy Place and the Great Tribulation?

And according to the 7th and 8th chapters of Daniel the holy ones will be given the kingdom but afterwards they will be crushed and brought to ruin by Satan’s political agency then in power on earth. Now the question: If Christ’s congregation is considered a holy place for God to inhabit by spirit, how much more holy will it be to God when once Christ cleanses it of the evil slave and gives the kingdom to the holy ones? So, just as Solomon placed the disgusting idols of Chemosh and Molech as substitutes for the worship of Jehovah, according to the arrangement then in place, the disgusting thing will be installed in place as a substitute and counterfeit of God’s kingdom; since at that time the holy ones on earth will no longer be merely serving as ambassadors for Christ but will actually be kings of God’s kingdom along with Christ.

Likely this will also involve the wholesale apostasy of the Watchtower Society. -- See the essay: The Apostasy Comes First

So, the setting up of the disgusting thing in a holy place during the time of the end will involve the Anglo-American king destroying itself and the nation-state system and replacing the present system with a one-world government, no doubt administered through the United Nations, which already has the bureaucratic infrastructure in place to serve as a world government. We know this from the 13th chapter of Revelation, which reveals that the seven-headed beast – one head with two horns representing the present Anglo-American dyad – is destined to be slaughtered and afterwards brought back to life.

The death of the beast will result in an unprecedented calamity for the world and will terrify mankind into subservience to the totalitarian system that will arise from the chaos. After the seeming miraculous resuscitation of the political system the revived beast will then advocate the making of an image of itself, which itself comes to life and requires the world of mankind to obey and worship it. This will be the development which gives rise to the symbolic 666 marking of the idolaters.

The image of the beast is the disgusting thing since it will be worshipped as the savior of the world at the very time that Christ will have returned in secret to reveal himself to his holy ones and usher them into the kingdom of his Father.

Jesus foretold that the trampling of the holy place would continue over an interval of time known as the “appointed times of the nations.” The 12th chapter of Daniel confirms that the appointed times for the nations to trample the kings of God’s kingdom by means of the disgusting thing is three and a half years. Daniel 12:11reads: “And from the time that the constant feature has been removed and there has been a placing of the disgusting thing that is causing desolation, there will be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

Where is this promised presence of his?

2007-02-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

I would like to ask a question with regard to the presence of Christ, specifically about 2 Peter 3-10 which reads in part v 3 "For you know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule proceeding according to their own desires and saying "where is this promised presence of his? Why from the days our forefathers fell asleep in death all things are continuing exactly as from creation's beginning"

The watchtower applies this prophesy to Christendom but does it not seem that Peter is talking about persons who believed that they had received a promised presence and for whatever reasons have given up waiting for its occurrence or indeed believing in its existence.?

Is this related to the wise and foolish virgins? Even more notably Watchtower loyalists who maintain the authenticity of the 1914 doctrine could even attempt to apply this scripture to ourselves, under the guise of us having given up waiting for the presence/ revelation of Christ due to the time elapsed from 1914.

I feel this question needs to be approached because the answer may provide us with another time marker of events to come.

The question is, are these the last days? According to the letter of James the last days are the actual period of judgment referred to as "the day of slaughter." James 5:3-5 reads: "Your gold and silver are rusted away, and their rust will be as a witness against you and will eat your fleshy parts. Something like fire is what you have stored up in the last days. Look! The wages due the workers who harvested your fields but which are held up by YOU, keep crying out, and the calls for help on the part of the reapers have entered into the ears of Jehovah of armies. You have lived in luxury upon the earth and have gone in for sensual pleasure. You have fattened your hearts on the day of slaughter"

Needless to say "the day of slaughter" has not arrived. Nor has gold and silver, representing the monetary system, dissolved.

Also, Paul referred to the last days as being a "critical times hard to deal with." Do our times fit that description? Jehovah's Witnesses think so. Surely society is characterized by egotistical men and lovers of pleasures and all the other unsavory characteristics Paul said would prevail. However, we should not suppose that men will become such during the last days. The last days will be difficult to deal with, not because people will suddenly become corrupt but because people are already corrupted, so that when the last days begin civilization will come unraveled.

As regards the prophecy finding fulfillment in Jehovah's Witnesses, considering that Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Christ's presence already began back in 1914, that prevailing assumption will undoubtedly prevent a sizable number from recognizing and accepting the sign of Christ's actual presence. For instance, in the event of another outbreak of global war, perhaps involving the use of nuclear weapons, accompanied by pandemics and food shortages, how many of Jehovah's Witnesses would have the spiritual insight to discern that such a development more precisely fulfills the prophecy of Christ's parousia? In that sense the ridiculers could very well be those who have come to believe that Christ's presence has already begun and the any future wars and pandemics are not out of the ordinary, hence the response -- "all things are continuing exactly the same as from creation's beginning."

Is Jesus the mediator of the anointed only?

2007-01-19T23:37:00.000-08:00

In your latest essay on the new covenant and the new creation you state that Jesus is only the mediator for 144,000 but how do you harmonize that with what the Bible says at 2 Timothy 5:6? – “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all.”

Jesus’ sacrifice was a “corresponding ransom for all.” However, Jesus is not the mediator of all mankind. That’s because Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant and the new covenant is conducted exclusively between Jehovah and the “house of Israel.” As pointed out in the essay, the “Israel of God” is made up of what Paul called the “new creation.” The new creation is in reference to those who have been born again, which is to say they are anointed.

In discussing the things having to do with God’s covenants, Paul said he had much to say but that it was hard to explain for the reason that the Hebrew Christians had become dull witted, spiritually. Unfortunately, in recent years many of Jehovah’s Witnesses have become spiritually dull too and have become unable to comprehend the deeper things of God’s word relating to Christ’s mediation of the new covenant. As a result some have fallen prey to the twisted teachings of persons like Ray Franz, and others.

Where will we flee?

2007-01-19T01:31:00.000-08:00

Just a question about this subject, specifically about Christ’s words at Luke 21:20-22: "Furthermore when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies… then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains..." When the 1st century fulfillment took place people could literally see these events happening and literally flee out of Jerusalem to safety. Where will those in today’s congregation flee to? Will this be captivity to Babylon on a voluntary basis for the other sheep? Will the anointed escape?

This is an important question. Unfortunately, the question cannot even be properly framed within the Watchtower Society’s current understanding of the scripture in question. The reason being, according to the Watchtower’s interpretation the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century foreshadows the future fiery destruction of Babylon the Great – Christendom in particular. But if that were true, why would Jesus counsel his followers to take timely action to flee when Jerusalem was surrounded by enemies? Jehovah’s Witnesses are not part of Christendom, are they? And besides, Jehovah’s Witnesses have supposedly already heeded the command to “Get out of her my people.”

The only sensible interpretation, indeed, the only scripturally supported interpretation, is that Jesus intended “Jerusalem” to symbolize Jehovah’s earthly organization. This view has been discussed in a number of articles on e-watchman, the most recent being the essay entitled: What is the Holy Place and the Great Tribulation?

So, from the standpoint of “Jerusalem” symbolizing Jehovah’s earthly organization how are we to understand Jesus’ instructions to flee to safety when the holy place faces desolation? The Hebrew Scriptures shed some light on that question. Take the 91st Psalm as an example. It opens by saying: "Anyone dwelling in the secret place of the Most High will procure himself lodging under the very shadow of the Almighty One. I will say to Jehovah: 'You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God, in whom I will trust.'"

The Psalm goes on to enumerate various calamities that befall the world, including pestilence and adversities from war. These, of course, are the very things that Christ said would occur as an immediate prelude to the desolation of the holy place during the great tribulation.

The Watchtower has commented on the 91st Psalm a few times and applied it in some sort of bizarre symbolic way. One example that comes to mind, the thousands who “fall at your very side” due to the stalking pestilence are supposedly the masses who succumb to the spiritual plague of evolution.

The Society’s interpretation, though, is nonsensical in view of the fact that the various calamities that are described in the 91st Psalm are said to be “retribution upon the wicked.” Is the theory of evolution God’s punishment upon the world? Of course not.

But the point is, the place to which Christians will flee when the modern holy place is destroyed will be “the secret place of the Most High.” Such a place is a spiritual sanctuary and not a literal place. Likely, entry into Jehovah’s secret refuge at that time will involve recognizing and supporting the then-revealed sons of God. (See the essay The Revelation of Christ and the Two Witnesses.

What about the locust of Joel and Revelation?

2007-01-09T22:46:00.000-08:00

The locusts of Joel seem strikingly parallel with those of John’s apocalyptic vision. Why does e-watchman on the one hand identify the locusts of Joel as the future 8th king that devastates God’s people, and the locusts of Revelation as the kings of God’s kingdom?

The prophecy of Joel and Revelation both use locusts to symbolize armies of men. However, that’s where the similarity ends.

Here are a few dissimilarities: The prophecy of Joel not only depicts the invading army as a plague of devouring locust, but also they are likened to caterpillars and cockroaches. The devouring insects could not possibly represent God’s people, as the Watchtower insists. The obvious reason being that God’s people are the victims of the insect onslaught. Not only that, but Joel indicates that Jehovah intervenes to save his people from the plundering pest by driving them into the sea. (For a detailed discussion of the prophecy of Joel see the essay: Day of the Locust Attack)

Elsewhere in the Hebrew prophecies locusts are used to symbolize enemy armies. For example, the prophecy of Nahum likens the Assyrian army to locusts: “As for the locust species, it actually strips off its skin; then it flies away. Your guardsmen are like the locust, and your recruiting officers like the locust swarm. They are camping in the stone pens in a cold day. The sun itself has but to shine forth, and away they certainly flee; and their place is really unknown where they are.”

On the other hand the locust-like men symbolized in the 9th chapter of Revelation are under orders to torment the people of the world who do not have the seal of God. This is the exact same work the “two witnesses” in the 11th chapter of Revelation do, which is to say they preach a message of doom that torments the world. In view of the fact that the locusts are wearing crowns it is evident that they are the sons of kingdom, who at that point will have been given the kingdom and so will have full authority to execute Jehovah’s judgments upon the earth.

What about the 144,000?

2006-12-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

I think many on your board have been reasoning (or not reasoning) that since the first century the number 144,000 has already been filled. I wish you could clarify why that would be the case, and if you would agree with me that many have been called but Jehovah is still the one picking the cream of the crop, reserving the right to choose whom he wants to fill those positions in heaven. I think many are getting misled by false remnant members, thinking they are in line for a heavenly inheritance, which just may be the earth with everyone else.

The teaching that only 144,000 go to heaven is one of the Watchtower Society’s most controversial doctrines. I for one, though, believe that it is well supported by scripture. For the most part people reject the teaching because they are ignorant of Jehovah’s purpose to restore mankind and the earth to Edenic perfection. People have been falsely taught by Babylon’s clergy that heaven and hell are mankind’s destiny.

But as Jehovah’s Witnesses know, it was never God’s purpose to perpetually harvest the imaginary departed souls of the dead to populate the heavens – much less does God delight in roasting hapless sinners in hellfire. God has always intended for humans to live forever in peace and happiness on earth and that purpose will be accomplished by two means – one, by resurrecting the dead back to life on earth; and secondly, by preserving a great crowd through the world-ending great tribulation, to establish what the prophecies call the new earth.

However, it has also pleased Jehovah to create what is called the new heavens. The new heaven is a group composed of Christ and those who are chosen to share with him in his kingdom. The reason God purposed to create a new heavens, as well as a new earthly society, is because the rebellion against God originated in the heavens, with Satan the Devil and the angels who became demons.

Satan accused God of selfishly holding back knowledge from his creation because they couldn’t be trusted. The Devil also slandered God; impugning his character by implying that God has to bribe his creatures to be loyal to him and that if tested with hardship no one would ever be willing to suffer for God. And conversely, Satan also suggested that all intelligent creation is incapable of offering God complete loyalty and unselfish devotion. So, in order to conclusively prove Satan to be a liar God proposed to create a new creation composed of a limited number of indestructible spirits who are chosen from among condemned sinners and basically given the keys to the universe. But first they must prove their loyalty unto death Jehovah before grants them their reward. By doing so God demonstrates that he will not withhold anything from those whom he loves and who love him.

Because Jehovah’s magnanimity is displayed to such a superlative degree in his proposed new creation, it is a complete humiliation for the Devil. But, because he is a liar and the father of all lies, as Jesus called him, Satan is intent on belittling, discrediting and opposing anything having to do with the new creation.

One method he has used to belittle Jehovah’s incredible gift is by making it seem ordinary to most people. This he has done through the commonly accepted lies of Christendom that have deluded masses of people into believing that everyone goes to heaven, or at least all “Christians” supposedly do, as if it were their God-given birthright. But the Scriptures indicate otherwise. Only a representative number are chosen to be part of the new creation. The very designation of “chosen ones” indicates that it is an exclusive group of a limited number. Jesus also indicated as much when he addressed his fellow kingdom heirs as a “little flock.”

Some of Jehovah’s Witnesses who may have been overreached by Ray Franz’s teachings have gulped down the lie that the little flock was just the apostles and Christ’s immediate disciples whom he happened to be directly speaking to in the first century. But upon examining the context of Jesus’ remarks in the 12th chapter of Luke, it becomes apparent that the little flock extends all the way down to those who would be living when Christ commences his parousia. That is apparent because immediately after assuring the little flock that his Father had approved of giving them the kingdom, Jesus went on to say: “Let your loins be girded and your lamps be burning, and you yourselves be like men waiting for their master when he returns from the marriage, so that at his arriving and knocking they may at once open to him. Happy are those slaves whom the master on arriving finds watching! Truly I say to you, He will gird himself and make them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. And if he arrives in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them thus, happy are they! But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have kept watching and not have let his house be broken into. You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely the Son of man is coming.”

Since Jesus was directly addressing those whom he called a little flock when he said the above it is evident that some from the little flock of kingdom heirs will be on earth when the Son of man arrives. It is therefore evident that all the anointed kingdom heirs make up what Jesus called the little flock. Those who insist otherwise are perpetuating a lie.

As recorded at John 17:2, which was his last public prayer before his sacrificial death, Jesus referred to the “whole number” of believers, whom his Father had given him. Revelation reveals the “whole number” amounts to 144,000. How do we know that number applies to the little flock? For one thing, the 7th chapter of Revelation says that the 144,000 are sealed, 12,000 out of the 12 tribes of Israel. Of course, it is not in reference to the literal 12 tribes of Israel, which no longer even existed when Revelation was written. The letter of James is addressed to the 'twelve tribes scattered about,' which is in reference to the congregations of Christians that had sprung from the 12 founding apostles. So, the entire kingdom organization is symbolized as spiritual Israel having 12 tribes.

On the matter of the sealing: only anointed Christians are said to be sealed with God’s spirit. As 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says: “But he who guarantees that you and we belong to Christ and he who has anointed us is God. He has also put his seal upon us and has given us the token of what is to come, that is, the spirit, in our hearts.”

Furthermore, Revelation 14:1-3 reveals other vital clues as to the identity of the 144,000. Those verses read: “And I saw, and, look! the Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound out of heaven as the sound of many waters and as the sound of loud thunder; and the sound that I heard was as of singers who accompany themselves on the harp playing on their harps. And they are singing as if a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth.”

The fact that the 144,000 have the name of Jehovah and Jesus written upon their foreheads indicates that they have been especially chosen, bought from the earth, as verse three says. The great crowd are not said to have been bought from the earth, nor are they depicted as having the name of God and Christ written on their foreheads. The 144,000 are Jehovah’s very special possession, unlike any other creation.

Mount Zion, where the 144,000 are standing with Christ, is a symbol for the very kingdom of God in heaven. That’s because literal Mount Zion in Jerusalem was the place of Jehovah’s typical throne and temple. Jesus standing upon Mount Zion with 144,000 can only be depicting Christ and his little flock in the kingdom; the very ones whom Jesus assured would be given the kingdom.

It is significant too that it says that the 144,000 are singing to Jehovah a new song and “no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth.” The exclusivity of the 144,000 grouping is underscored by the fact that no one can master the new song except the 144,000. A new song is a fitting symbol to distinguish the special worship rendered to Jehovah by those who are taken into a new covenant, to be a new creation in the new heavens and a new Jerusalem.

A variety of objections have been put forth to contradict the Bible’s teaching that the 144,000 are the only ones “who have been bought from the earth.” One commonly circulated objection is that there were many more than 144,000 Christians in the first century. But, really, that is mere conjecture. The truth is there is no record in the Bible.

It is interesting, however, that in the 11th chapter of Romans Paul alluded to the days of the prophet Elijah when Jehovah preserved 7,000 who had not bent their knee in worship of Baal. Paul then applied that number to what he called the “remnant” of God’s choosing then living. That is not to say that Paul was implying that there were literally only 7,000 Christians in the first century, but in order for his comparison to have any meaning back then there must have been a comparable number. (The real significance of the 7,000 is sealed up in the sacred secret of Revelation)

On down in that same chapter of Romans, Paul went on to say that “all of Israel will be saved” only when the “full number of people from the nations has come in.” This expression not only indicates that “Israel” is composed of non-Jewish persons, hence a spiritual Israel, but that there is a pre-ordained specific number that is to be gathered.

In Paul’s day the full number who would be taken from the nations to become part of “Israel” was still a mystery, but with the writing of Revelation at the close of the apostolic era the full number was revealed to amount to 144,000.

What are the master's "belongings"?

2006-12-17T23:58:00.000-08:00

In your detailed reply to the question "are you saying you are a prophet?" you seem to indicate that there are other "late bloomers" like yourself who are looked upon as "clowns " by elders. My questions are: Are there indeed others who now stand alongside you? Is this the grouping of the good slave in readiness for the judgment of God’s household? Also, as you have shown from scripture that there is actually two appointments, the second being the appointment of over "all his belongings," are we shortly to expect the emergence of "his belongings?”

As far as others standing alongside me, no, I don’t view it that way; least I be accused of forming a sect of some sort. However, e-watchman.com does appear to have become an informal rallying point around which a few “late bloomers” have gathered. My essays seem to resonant more with some, since we have a shared experience. And I suppose, if anything, I have articulated that experience for others. (The more apt description, instead of “late bloomers, is “11th hour hires.” See essay: “Many that are First Will be Last”)

The second appointment over all the master’s “belongings” has reference to their being appointed as kings over all the earth. How do we know? Please note that Jesus followed up the parable of the faithful and discreet slave and the evil slave with two other illustrations regarding two classes of faithful and unfaithful servants. In the illustration of the faithful and sluggish slaves who are entrusted with their master’s money, Jesus also referred to an appointment, saying: “You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.”

Entering “into the joy of your master” relates to Christ’s anointed followers receiving their heavenly reward – of entering the kingdom of the heavens. That being the case, being appointed “over many things” must relate to their sharing in ruling over the earth during the reign of Christ’s kingdom. So, in that respect all of Jesus’ earthly “belongings,” over which the faithful slave and discreet slave is to be appointed, would appear to be not only the living who are destined to survive the great tribulation and live on the earth, but also the dead, who also belong to Jesus by virtue of the fact that his sacrificial death purchased all of mankind.

What is the house of God?

2006-12-15T00:40:00.000-08:00

In the essay A conspiracy of Silence, Soon to End, Watchman says
that “Christendom does not constitute a spiritual house of God." Could you please define what constitutes a spiritual house of God? Also, why does the Watchtower constitute a spiritual house of God and Christendom doesn’t? Do they not both utilize the Bible to teach moral and biblical concepts, and having roots in Judaism? What is it that makes Jehovah’s Witnesses the spiritual house of God to the exclusion of everyone else? In all honesty is not Christendom, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, a reflection of ancient Israel and Judah in terms of our moral and spiritual condition before God?
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Strictly speaking the spiritual house of God is the congregation made up of anointed Christians. For example 1 Peter 2:4-5 says: “Coming to him as to a living stone, rejected, it is true, by men, but chosen, precious, with God, you yourselves also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house for the purpose of a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Peter also referred to the house of God being the first to experience God’s judgment even though many if not most of the individual members of the household are faithful and obedient to the good news, saying: “For it is the appointed time for the judgment to start with the house of God. Now if it starts first with us, what will the end be of those who are not obedient to the good news of God?”

Paul's writings at Hebrews 10:19-21 indicate that Jesus is a great priest over the house of God: “Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness for the way of entry into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, which he inaugurated for us as a new and living way through the curtain, that is, his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God…”

In a broader sense the house of God may include the earthly organization that has come to be tightly grouped around the anointed house of God. That is reflected in the name given the administrative headquarters for Jehovah’s Witnesses known as Bethel; which means in Hebrew, the house of God.

Reasonably, the house of God is a single organization composed of fellow believers. It cannot be a collection of different denominations and sects. And one of the distinguishing features of the house of God, or the house of Israel, as it is sometimes called, is that each member of the household personally knows Jehovah. Quoting from the prophecy of Jeremiah Paul indicated that Christianity was the new house of Israel under God’s new covenant, when he wrote: "'For this is the covenant that I shall covenant with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I shall write them. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people. And they will by no means teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying: 'Know Jehovah!' For they will all know me, from the least one to the greatest one of them."

Although the new covenant has not yet produced a people who all know Jehovah in the absolute sense intimated by the prophecy, it should be apparent that one of the fundamental requirements for membership in God’s household is a basic knowledge of him. The doctrines of Christendom effectively prohibit anyone under their influence from truly knowing God. To illustrate the point, the vast majority of churchgoers believe that Jesus is Almighty God; when the Bible plainly teaches that Jesus is God's son and has always been subject to God. Obviously, persons who believe such things cannot really know God.

Who are the holy ones at Matthew 27:52?

2006-12-07T22:37:00.000-08:00

Do JW's believe that the holy ones are the 144,000 bought from the earth? I have been told by JW's that the holy ones that died before Christ’s resurrection are not of the heavenly class. If so, who are the holy ones referred to that have fallen asleep in the memorial tombs at Christ’s death? Matt. 27:52

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the term "holy ones" applies exclusively to the chosen ones; ultimately totalling 144,000. The NWT uses the expression holy ones dozens of times – almost always in reference to anointed Christians. However, Matthew 27:52 appears to be an exception. Those “holy ones” apparently were pre-Christian prophets and perhaps priests. Christian writers thrice referred to the “holy prophets” prior to Christ. So, the term “holy ones” might be considered as an alternative to “holy prophets” in that particular passage.

Interestingly, the Gospel accounts do not refer to the apostles and disciples as “holy ones.” In fact, the only usage of the term in the entire Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) is at Matthew 27:52. That’s because the apostles and disciples did not become holy ones until after Jesus ascended back to heaven and poured out the anointing holy spirit on Pentecost 33C.E. Since those who are described as “holy ones” at Matthew 27:52 died before the original anointing on the day of Pentecost they could not be of the same group of holy ones that belong to Christ.

Why do Jehovah's Witnesses go to the kingdom hall on Sunday?

2006-12-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

Where in the bible does it say that we are supposed to go the kingdom hall on Sundays? And whose idea was it? What day of the week is the Sabbath?

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not observe a weekly sabbath. Sunday meetings are merely a matter of tradition and convenience, since most people typically do not work or go to school on Sunday.

But the fact of the matter is some congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have Sunday meetings. In rare instances where more than four congregations share a kingdom hall some congregations meet on Saturdays. And it should be noted that Jehovah’s Witnesses have meetings throughout the week as well, not just on Sunday.

If you look at a calendar you will notice that Sunday is the 1st day of the week. The Jewish Sabbath is on the last day, the seventh day of the week, corresponding to Saturday. The Seventh Day Adventists also promote a Saturday Sabbath. But, as discussed in a previous mailbag question, Christians are not under the Ten Commandments or Jewish Law. In numerous letters to the congregations the apostle Paul forcefully proved that Christians are not required to observe a literal weekly sabbath. For example, writing to the Galatians Paul observed: "You are scrupulously observing days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that somehow I have toiled to no purpose respecting you."

The "days" the Christians were "scrupulously observing" were the Jewish festival days and sabbaths. Paul, though, taught that the Christian observes the sabbath simply by resting from our own works of self justification.

Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses believe in the 10 Commandments?

2006-12-03T04:18:00.000-08:00

WHY DON'T JEHOVAH’S WITNESESS BELIEVE IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, AND WHAT IS THE NEW LAW COVENANT?

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It is not that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not “believe in the Ten Commandments,” it is just that the Ten Commandments are not binding upon Christians. The Ten Commandements were part of the Jewish Law covenant. In fact, the very first law is specifically addressed to the Jews. It says: “I am Jehovah your God, who have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves. You must not have any other gods against my face.” Obviously, the Egyptians, for example, were not bound by the law of Jehovah. Neither were any other ancient peoples. The Ten Commandments were given exclusively to the house of Israel.

The Christian writer, Paul, explained why God gave the nation of Israel the Law, including the Ten Commandments. He said that the Law was a "tutor leading to Christ," but that Christ was the end of the Law. Jesus kept the Law, perfectly. He was the only Jew who did. And because many features of the Law pointed to the coming of Christ it could be said that Christ fulfilled the Law. Paul explained that the death of Christ was as if the Law was nailed to the torture stake and brought to an end. Most of the letter of Hebrews as well as Galatians were written by the apostle to prove to Christians that they were no longer obligated to follow the Jewish law.

The new covenant has now replaced the old covenant. The new covenant is between Jehovah and anointed Christians. Instead of having to obey a Law code written on two tablets of stone, like the Ten Commandments were, the laws of the new covenant are written upon the hearts of those who are in the new covenant. As an example, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus quoted from the Ten Commandments when he said, "You heard that it was said 'you must not murder.'" He then wen on to say that whoever continued wrathful with his brother was a murderer at heart. So, Jesus indicated that the law of the new covenant imbodied the old Law but went beyond the letter of the law to address the underlying motives of the person.

What about the three horns of Daniel's beast?

2006-11-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

I would appreciate knowing your understanding of Daniel 8: 24, in particular the horn and the three kings that are humiliated. Are there any scriptures that can enlighten us as to the circumstances that lead to the humiliation of these three kings and who do you think these three kings could possibly be?

Evidently you meant Daniel 7:24, which reads: “And as for the ten horns, out of that kingdom there are ten kings that will rise up; and still another one will rise up after them, and he himself will be different from the first ones, and three kings he will humiliate.”

This portion of Daniel’s prophecy and the Watchtower’s interpretation of it are discussed in the Daniel blog, in the entry for November 3rd, 2005. Here is an excerpt from that blog regarding the prophetic significance of the unusually ferocious wild beast:

Excerpt __ There is no question but that the unusually fierce ten-horned beast represents the Roman Empire and its Holy Roman Empire successor. What is less certain is the prophetic identity of the peculiar 11th horn that emerges from among the ten horns and which causes three horns to be plucked out. The verses in question read: "I kept on considering the horns, and, look! another horn, a small one, came up in among them, and there were three of the first horns that were plucked up from before it. And, look! there were eyes like the eyes of a man in this horn, and there was a mouth speaking grandiose things."

(Daniel 7:8) "And as for the ten horns, out of that kingdom there are ten kings that will rise up; and still another one will rise up after them, and he himself will be different from the first ones, and three kings he will humiliate. And he will speak even words against the Most High, and he will harass continually the holy ones themselves of the Supreme One." (Daniel 7:24-25)

Under the sub-heading A Small Horn Gains Ascendancy, the Watchtower identifies Great Britain and the United States as the small horn. Paragraph 22 states: "In 1588, Philip II of Spain launched the Spanish Armada against Britain. This fleet of 130 ships, carrying more than 24,000 men, sailed up the English Channel, only to suffer defeat by the British navy and to fall victim to contrary winds and fierce Atlantic storms. This event "marked the decisive passing of naval superiority from Spain to England," said one historian. In the 17th century, the Dutch developed the world's largest merchant marine. With growing overseas colonies, however, Britain prevailed over that kingdom. During the 18th century, the British and the French fought each other in North America and India, leading to the Treaty of Paris in 1763. This treaty, said author William B. Willcox, "recognized Britain's new position as the predominant European power in the world beyond Europe." Britain’s supremacy was confirmed by the crushing victory over Napoléon of France in 1815 C.E. The "three kings" that Britain thus 'humiliated' were Spain, the Netherlands, and France. (Daniel 7:24) As a result, Britain emerged as the world's greatest colonial and commercial power. Yes, the "small" horn grew to become a world power!

According to the Society's view, the three horns were not plucked out simultaneously – as a straightforward reading of the prophecy would seem to suggest – but rather, individually, over a period spanning 227 years! (From 1588 to 1815) Not only that, but because the Society also identifies the United States with the ascending small horn, and the Anglo-American alliance did not even begin to take shape until the US entered WWI in 1917 on the side of Great Britain, it would seem that the little horn has been gradually budding for nearly 400 years! And taking the Society's interpretation at face value, what is even more difficult to comprehend is that we would also have to conclude that the emerging little horn plucked out his three competitors long before he gained full stature as the modern day Anglo-American dyad. But how reasonable is that? Besides, the defeat of the Spanish Armada was not so much due to British naval superiority anyway. The Spanish Armada more or less defeated itself. Sailing ships, such as comprised the Spanish Armada, are naturally subject to the fickle winds of fate. Contrary winds and poorly built sailing vessels – more than British strategy or strength – foiled the invasion of Britain.

But, there is no question it was a great moral victory for Queen Elizabeth's England. And while the defeat of the Spanish Armada was a corresponding humiliation for King Phillip of Spain, since he had personally overseen the actual design of many of the ships that failed to withstand the heavy seas and he also apparently devised the failed battle plan, still, the monarchy was not toppled nor was the empire uprooted. Phillip is quoted as saying 'I had intended to fight England, not the weather.'According to a BBC historical documentary even after the loss of part of the Spanish navy "the Anglo-Spanish war was to all intents a stalemate, for neither side was able to attack the other effectively, but even this result showed that there were limits to Spanish power. On a one to one basis England was clearly much weaker than Spain, but Elizabeth had demonstrated successfully that of all Philip's contemporaries in Europe she was the most dangerous enemy."

So, even though a battle was won, Great Britain was not immediately transformed into the master empire in the 16th Century – even as the Daniel book makes note of. It would be nearly 200 years before Britannia would reign supreme. As far as geo-politically decisive naval battles go, the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 was much more historically significant in terms of establishing British imperial dominance.In view of all of the above here are a few questions for reasoning Bible students to consider: Is it reasonable that the little horn would take centuries to emerge? Is it logical that the three horns (kings) are supplanted individually over centuries of time? For example, how can it be that the little horn supposedly supplanted one king (Spain) nearly two centuries before the British Empire fully emerged as the most dominant power on earth? And does it make sense that the little horn with eyes and a mouth supplanted his rivals long before he began to speak grandiose things against God and persecute the sons of the kingdom? __ end of excerpt

As for the interpretation of the emerging little horn and the three supplanted horns, apparently the prophecy has not been fulfilled yet. Here is another excerpt from the Daniel Blog:

Excerpt__ Bible students should take note of the fact that two other places in prophecy depict a powerful political agency exalting itself above all others and speaking grandiose words against God himself. Notably, Daniel 11: 36 says of the king of the north: "And the king will actually do according to his own will, and he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god; and against the God of gods he will speak marvelous things. And he will certainly prove successful until the denunciation will have come to a finish; because the thing decided upon must be done."

The Watchtower, of course, assigns the fulfillment of this prophecy to the now-nonexistent Soviet Union. (Topic of future discussion) Also, the 13th chapter of Revelation symbolizes the seven-headed beast after it miraculously recovers from a mortal wound, saying of it: "And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given it, and authority to act forty-two months was given it. And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his residence, even those residing in heaven."

Let it be noted that a mouth is given to the beast after it recovered from its death-stroke. Since the Watchtower identifies the little horn with the seventh head of the seven headed beast, how is it that in the Watchtower's interpretation the little horn has a mouth centuries before the time when the Anglo-American king is supposed to have received his death wound during World War One? Was the horn mute all those centuries? Related to that, given that the death-stroke upon the beast is a significant event in the out-working of God’s purpose---commencing a period of judgment---why is it that Daniel's prophecy seemingly makes no allusion to that event?

Really, thinking Bible students ought to ponder the question as to why Jehovah God would presumably reveal such relatively trivial events of history through prophecy, such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada, which occurred centuries before the time of the end, even by the Society's reckoning.

As to the identity of the little horn, Jehovah's Witnesses should take note of the fact that the 17th chapter of Revelation also depicts a beast with 10 horns representing 10 kings. (Just as the beast of Daniel has 10 horns) Those kings are said to give their authority to the beast for one hour. After the 10 kings abdicate their own sovereignty the seven-headed beast then becomes the 8th king. The only way to harmonize the prophecies is to interpret that little horn, the lastly emerging 11th horn of Daniel’s 10-horned beast, as the yet-to-appear 8th and final king that rules for "one hour." The humiliation of the three kings before the ascendant little horn is a future event. Quite likely it has to do with the downfall of the Anglo-American, democratic system globally.

Interestingly, the 11th chapter of Daniel, verses 42-43, foretells that the king of the north will also subjugate three powerful kings during the time of the end; namely, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia. (For further discussion of that topic see the essay Doom of the Anglo-American Dyad) These likely correspond to the three horns that are plucked up and humiliated the little horn. __ end of excerpt

Although there is some truth to the Society’s axiom that prophecy cannot be fully understood until after it is fulfilled, it must be pointed out that the purpose of prophecy is to foretell the future – not the past. However, as all knowledgeable Jehovah’s Witnesses are aware, most of the Watchtower Society’s prophetic interpretations have been applied to events that have already occurred – as is the case with the prophecy of Daniel. But since it is evident that the Society’s interpretation of the 7th chapter of Daniel does not fit even with past history, we are left with no alternative but to look to the future for its realization. Indeed, it requires foresight to actually peer into the future to see history before it unfolds.

As for the actual identities of the three yet-to-be humiliated kings, it would appear that the Anglo-American duo, and perhaps France or another close ally like Japan, are destined by prophecy to suffer a humiliating downfall. Or perhaps the three simply symbolize the Western block of Anglo-aligned nations. At any rate, at the present moment in time the Anglo-American dyad dominates the world; militarily, politically and economically. But it is becoming increasingly apparent that the days of American economic dominance are numbered. That’s because the American dollar, which has become the defacto world's currency, is on the verge of being suddenly devalued to the point of becoming worthless: The reason being, because of the massive indebtedness of the United States, both in terms of its government budget ledger and the so-called trade imbalance, which are generally recognized to be unsustainable, even in the near term. For example, China now holds over one trillion dollars.

The inevitable crash of the less-than-almighty dollar will have far reaching consequences. For one thing, any significant or sudden devaluation of the dollar will cause the gargantuan half-quad trillion dollar derivatives pyramid to topple – causing the complete disintegration of the dollar denominated global financial system. Of course, a global financial crash will affect all nations, but obviously the United States sits at ground zero of the looming dollar implosion.

It is clear, at least in my mind, the prophecies point forward to the humiliating downfall of the self-proclaimed champion of freedom and democracy and the richest nation on earth, along with her allies.

What about the 70 years of Tyre?

2006-11-17T23:29:00.000-08:00

I've been reading with interest your application of Ezekiel 27 and 28 to the city of Tyre being London and the British Empire. You make a very convincing argument and it seems to fit. However I have an issue which I can't resolve. Isaiah 23 says of Tyre: “And it must occur in that day that Tyre must be forgotten seventy years, the same as the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of a prostitute: ‘Take a harp, go around the city, O forgotten prostitute. Do your best at playing on the strings; make your songs many, in order that you may be remembered. And it must occur at the end of seventy years that Jehovah will turn his attention to Tyre, and she must return to her hire and commit prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth upon the surface of the ground. And her profit and her hire must become something holy to Jehovah. It will not be stored up, nor be laid up, because her hire will come to be for those dwelling before Jehovah, for eating to satisfaction and for elegant covering.”

My question is how was London forgotten for seventy years and then return to her prostitution? I've looked to see whether this applies to ancient Tyre, but apparently it doesn't. If we assume this has a future application, how does that fit with your assertion that there will only be a short period of tribulation at Christ's arrival?

Apparently, the 70 years was fulfilled in the past. It applied roughly to the period that Jerusalem was desolated. I say “roughly” because Tyre and Jerusalem were not destroyed simultaneously. Nebuchadnezzar razed Jerusalem first. Then he engaged in a laborious 13 year siege of Tyre. So, obviously the 70 years desolation of Tyre is not an exact time period. It seems more symbolic of a period of judgment.

The Insight book makes the point that 70 years being “the same as the days of one king” applied to the Babylonian kingdom, rather than an individual king. After the Babylonian kingdom fell to Cyrus, Tyre once again became a prominent mercantile center. That ended the 70 years of Jerusalem’s desolation as well as the period of Tyre being like a forgotten prostitute. “Her hire [came] to be for those dwelling before Jehovah” in the sense that after Jerusalem and Tyre were rebuilt the Tyrians once again began trading with the Jews. For example, Nehemiah 13:16 reports that the Tyrians violated the Sabbath while doing business in the rebuilt city of Jerusalem.

Still, though, it is apparent that the prophecy of Tyre is intended to apply in a much broader way then to the literal Phoenician city. That is apparent from the related and more extensive prophecy in Ezekiel, which connects the king of Tyre with the covering cherub of Eden – an obvious reference to Satan the Devil.
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Ezekiel’s prophecy reveals that the fall of anti-typical Tyre coincides with Satan’s ouster from heaven at the coming of Christ.

Even though Tyre fell some time before Nebuchadnezzar conquered Egypt the prophecies speak of their fall as occurring simultaneously and resulting in all the nations of the earth being rocked by the stunning development. This indicates that the fall of ancient Tyre and Egypt typifies the death-stroke yet to be administered upon the Anglo-American dual world power, which is destined to occur concurrent with the Devil being evicted from Jehovah’s heavens.

Prophecies in Daniel and Revelation revel that there is an interval of 42 months, or three and a half years, following the earth shaking crash of Satan’s political beast. During that interval Jehovah’s earthly organization is also desolated. Since the typical desolation of Jerusalem by the Babylonians lasted 70 years and the desolation of Tyre also lasted 70 years, at least in a token way, (Jerusalem fell first) it would appear that the fall of the Tyre on the Thames and the three and one half years of desolation for the holy ones runs concurrently as well.

The prophecy of Isaiah says that after that 70 year period Tyre will return and “commit prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth upon the surface of the ground.” As mentioned above, the fall of Tyre and Egypt seems to parallel the death-stroke administered upon the head of the seven-headed beast in the 13th chapter of Revelation. In view of the fact that death stroke gets healed and the beast is revived and morphs into the eighth king that rules a relatively short time of one hour, Tyre’s return to the hire of an international prostitute with the all the kingdoms of earth would seem to harmonize with this aspect of prophecy. Her prostitution leads to the revival of a system in direct opposition to Jehovah’s kingdom.
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But the revival of the Devil’s system will be short lived. That is why the prophecy goes on to foretell that her spoils will go to God’s people, that’s because from their then-heavenly vantage point, Christ and all his holy ones will plunder the nations and the meek will inherit all the earth – including the symbolic treasures of Tyre.
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See the essays Doom of the Anglo-American Dyad and
Death of a God
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Also, there is a revised and expanded version of the essay in the book Jehovah Himself Has Become King in the chapter re-titled as London and the Devil’s Throne.

Islam as the king of the north?

2006-11-10T00:51:00.000-08:00

I have been intrigued with your website for a number of years now and thought I would run a question by you regarding the King of the North and King of South. Is it possible that instead of countries being identified as kings of the North and South, it is religions instead? The scriptures tell us that the King of the North would flood over many lands and enter the land of decoration. The King of the North could be Islam, and the King of the South, Christianity. Seems logical to me that this could be the case, and possibly lead into the great tribulation. What’s your view?

The kings of the north and south both find their origin in the empire of Alexander the Great. After his death the Grecian kingdom was divided among four of his generals. From two of those kingdoms we trace the descent of the king of the north and king of the south.

The Greek philosopher Plato advanced the idea of a republic based on principles of justice. A republic, though, is antithetical to oligarchism and empire and vice versa. Nevertheless, both systems have existed together in various forms – always in conflict. The period of recent history has pitted the two antagonistic systems against each other in the form of the British Empire and its most recent mutation of globalism, against the America of the Founders and the modern nation-state system.

Radical Islam and Evangelical fundamentalism are merely tools in the hands of the globalists who are working towards setting off an Islam-verses-Christendom clash of civilization as a means of destroying the nation state system and imposing a world government. (See the essay: The King of the North Conspires for World Domination)

What about the locusts of the abyss?

2006-11-09T23:46:00.000-08:00

Who do you interpret to be the locusts who come out of the smoke of the abyss in Rev: 9

The locusts of Revelation symbolize the kings of God’s kingdom going forth to war against the people of Satan’s world after the point at which the sealing of the holy ones has been accomplished. Their being released from the abyss also likely symbolizes the resurrection of the holy ones as well. They will at that point participate from the heavens in a military-like operation under their king, Abaddon, which means Destroyer. Christ is the Destroyer of Satan’s world and Satan himself.

The holy ones remaining on the earth at that time will have been sealed and revealed, meaning they will have been granted God’s irreversible approval. Their wearing “crowns like gold” indicates that they will have been given the kingdom at that time. Their having the teeth of lions represents their fearlessness and ferocity in denouncing the Devil’s world as a preliminary to its actual destruction.

Which is correct: Jehovah or Yahweh?

2006-10-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses it has always troubled me (more now than ever), that the reasoning for choosing Jehovah over Yahweh is because Jehovah was the more common, accepted, known, familiar. JW's generally go contrary to what is popular; especially when it comes to what is accepted by the "world"! However “Yahweh” is closer to God's name that Jehovah.

What is your "take" on that?

As you no doubt are aware, God’s name was originally written in the Hebrew Scriptures in the form on an abbreviation using the four letters YHWH called the Tetragrammaton. No doubt back when the Bible writers used the YHWH they knew how it ought to be pronounced.

Unfortunately, over the ages the true pronunciation has been lost due to the fact that no one can say with certainty which vowels ought to be inserted into YHWH. We may be sure, though, that the name “Jehovah” is not the Hebrew way of pronouncing the Divine name. The reason being, obviously, that the YHWH does not contain a “J.”

How did it come about that YHWH came to have a J-sound?

Under the topic of Tetragrammaton Wikipedia says: “The "J" in "Jehovah" is a result of Martin Luther's rendering of the Biblical Hebrew name יְהֹוָה in his German translation of the Masoretic Text first published in 1534. Due to the fluid position of the letters J and I in English before the 17th century Luther's convention fit with earlier English transcriptions and thus was retained in early English translations. The Encyclopedia Americana states: The form of J was unknown in any alphabet until the 14th century. Either symbol (J,I) used initially generally had the consonantal sound of Y as in year. Gradually, the two symbols (J,l) were differentiated, the J usually acquiring consonantal force and thus becoming regarded as a consonant, and the I becoming a vowel. It was not until 1630 that the differentiation became general in England.”

So, evidently the English invention of the letter “J” originally had a “Y” sound, but gradually it changed. That’s the nature of languages – they change over time. But, the argument could be made that keeping the “J” spelling of Jehovah is consistent with the fact that all proper Hebrew names that were originally spelled with a “Y” are spelled with a “J” in English. Names like Jeremiah, Joshua, and Jehoshaphat and so on, were written in Hebrew with a “Y.”

As for the name Yah-weh, there are reasons to object to that pronunciation. True, the “Y” is in keeping with the original consonant of the Tetragrammaton, but it falls short in not reflecting the fact that YHWH probably was pronounced using three syllables – not two. The same Wikipedia article goes on to point out that the 1st century Jewish historian, Josephus, stated that YHWH was pronounced with four vowels. But, there are valid reasons to believe that it was three, and the middle syllable had an “O” sound.

This is reflected in the many Hebrew names that incorporated parts of the Divine name either as a prefix or suffix. Proper Hebrew names like Je-ho-ram, Je-hoi-da, Je-hoi-a-chin, Je-hoi-a-kim, Je-hon-a-than and others, apparently incorporated the first two syllabic sounds of YHWH, which indicates that the middle vowel sound was “HO.” The pronunciation of “Jehovah” is in keeping with the pronunciation of numerous derivatives of the Divine name. Yahweh is lacking in that regard.

In my opinion, what's important is not so much trying to imitate an unknowable Hebrew pronunciation, but rather, using a form of the name that is consistent with the way other biblical Hebrew names are pronounced in English. The name "Jehovah" fits that criteria.

What "other" things did Jesus create?

2006-10-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

In Colossians 1:16 Jesus created all [other] things, as the Scripture teaches there is only one Creator who created the heavens and the earth, Adam and Eve, so therefore what other things did Jesus create?

Jesus created all other things with the exception of himself. God personally created Jesus.

The surrounding context of the verse in question states concerning Christ: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist, and he is the head of the body, the congregation. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that he might become the one who is first in all things; because [God] saw good for all fullness to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile again to himself all [other] things by making peace through the blood [he shed] on the torture stake, no matter whether they are the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens.”

Paul’s writings make it clear that Jesus Christ has a very special and unique relationship with God. He is the very first creature that God created or fathered.It is a wonderful and frightening thought, and beyond our ability to comprehend, but the truth of the matter is that God, Jehovah, has always existed. In fact, he was alone for an eternity – that is until he determined to become the Creator. And the very first thing God created was a person, a person that God made to resemble himself in every way, a person made in his image. (Please note, though, that an image is a reflection of something or someone else. For example, when a person looks into a mirror they see an image; however the image is not the real thing.)

As the beginning of God’s creation Jesus is the only creature that was created directly by God. That’s why he is also called the “only-begotten son of God.” All other sons were brought into existence through the firstborn son. The scripture makes plain that after Jesus was brought into existence he was then given the privilege of creating everything else, including the angels in heaven as well as the physical universe and ultimately Adam and Eve.

But does that make Jesus the Creator? No. Colossians states that God merely worked “through” Jesus. Looking at it from another angle, we might reason this way: Could Jesus have created all things without God's help? No. Had he chosen to, though, could Jehovah have created all things without Jesus' help? The answer is yes. It was merely due to God's magnaminity that he gave his firstborn the privilege to take on the role of a creator. In that way God caused his firstborn to express the fullness of the Father.

It is the same with human parents. Can any human parent honestly take credit for creating another life? Not really. Humans merely take part in the act of procreation, which God (through Christ) set into motion long ago. God himself is the Originator of the marvelous human reproductive system. He is mankind's real Father and Life-giver.

It is the same with Jesus. God created Jesus and then gave Jesus the power, wisdom and authority to create all other things. Christ is the agency through whom Jehovah works, for the good of all Creation.

What about Revelation 5:10?

2006-10-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

Question: In Revelation 5:10, the NWT says: "and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth". I have a "Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures" and in the front inside cover there is a chart, "Diagram Illustrating Basic Meanings of Greek Prepositions". It shows that theGreek preposition, "eppi" means "upon" and another as meaning "over". The literal Greek says "upon", but the English translation says, "over.” Why is the clear meaning of this preposition changed here? How can you look at the Greek as saying one thing and the English saying another word in exact opposition to the Greek? Isn't this an example of bias on the part of the translators?

Every translator has a bias toward what they perceive to be the truth, or at least they should have. In the case of the NWT publishers and Jehovah’s Witnesses it is our belief that God’s heavenly kingdom is just that – heavenly. From that doctrinal perspective, then, the kingdom will rule over the earth, not “upon” it, as if to infer it is an earthly kingdom and not heavenly in nature. But, it could also be said that God’s heavenly kingdom will extend its rule “upon” the earth. Whichever word is used it is best not to place so much emphasis on a single preposition in a particular verse. Thankfully our discerning the truth regarding the nature of God’s kingdom does not depend upon how a particular translator translated a particular preposition. The Bible as a whole clearly establishes the truth regarding God’s kingdom.

When does the kingdom come to power?

2006-04-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

In Revelation chapter 12 Christ is viewed as “Michael” fighting against the dragon and its angels. However, in Revelation chapter 19 he is seen as “King of kings,” striking the nations and shepherding them with an iron rod. In this scene, he rides in warfare not only with the faithful angels, but also with the holy ones. So it appears that Christ becomes King after the war that broke out in heaven, but immediately preceding Armageddon. Unlike this scenario, e-watchman says that “the ouster of Satan and the demons takes place after Jesus is given his kingdom.” (See e-watchman mailbag, dated April 14, 2006) Is it not apparent that the kingdom is given to Christ and the holy ones after the war in heaven and Satan’s ouster, but before the Armageddon war?

The 12th chapter of Revelation depicts a symbolic woman giving birth to a male child who is to rule the nations. Obviously the birth of the child symbolizes the birth of God’s kingdom. And, indeed, immediately after the child is born it is “caught away to God and to his throne.” The fact that the child is caught away to God’s throne indicates that the child is an heir of the kingdom. It is immediately after the birth of the royal child that war breaks out in heaven between Jehovah’s angels and the demons. Revelation 12:10 confirms for us that the war in heaven was a result of Christ’s kingdom coming to power.

After the Devil is hurled down to earth he then goes off to wage war against the holy ones for 42 months. Eventually all the holy ones will be killed, which is why the entire body of chosen ones (144,000) is with Christ in heaven to smash the nations at the climatic battle of Armageddon. (See essay: Will Christianity Survive the End of the World?)

When is the Devil thrown down from heaven?

2006-04-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

I have always been of the impression that Satan and his demons would be forcefully ejected from the heavens at the beginning of the last days. Is this correct? If not, when does this occur? I have been reading and re-reading Revelation 7:1-17 and it appears that it is possible that this is actually the first piece of "business" once the kingdom has been established in the heavens following the "martyrdom" of the holy ones.

The reason I have drawn this conclusion is some wording in this chapter of God's Word. Chapter 12 verses 8-9 describe the battle and its outcome. Verse 10 announces the actual coming to power of the kingdom and verse 11 tells us who defeats the Devil and his demons. It says "And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. This seems to imply that this battle happens after Satan has dispatched of the remnant of the "holy ones" on earth and after they have been resurrected to the heavens. Is this correct? And if not, could you please explain?

If I am correct in my assumption above who are the "remaining ones of her seed" that the dragon goes off to wage war with in verse 17? I look forward to your answer.

The ouster of Satan and the demons takes place after Jesus is given his kingdom. However, the 12th chapter of Revelation reveals that there are actually two separate war campaigns that immediately follow the establishment of the kingdom. First, Satan and his demons wage a furious but losing battle against Michael and his angels and are subsequently thrown down from heaven to the lower regions of our earthly sphere. Once confined to the earthly realm the demons then go off to wage war with the remaining sons of the kingdom – that is the second phase of the war.

As for the duration of the war against the holy ones, the 11th and 12th chapters of Revelation, as well as the 7th chapter of Daniel, indicate that God allows a specific period of three and one half years for holy ones to be persecuted and eventually martyred. That period of time is designated as the “time of the end.”

Of course, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the war in heaven has taken place already; however, e-watchman presents numerous reasons why that cannot be the case.

How does the king of the north prove to be sucessful?

2006-04-09T00:20:00.000-07:00

E-watchman points out that the king of the north becomes a virtual squatter in the earthly realm of the land of decoration by dispatching the anointed remnant in death so that he has no rival. At this point in time, what is the position of the other sheep, which are also part of the one flock under the one shepherd, Christ Jesus? If they are on earth at this juncture and they will go on to inherit the earth, how does e-watchman explain that the king of the north becomes a virtual squatter of the land, having no more earthly rivals? So in the case of the other sheep, how does the king of the north proves to be successful?

The thing to keep in mind is that during the time of the end, when Christ Jesus moves to assert his kingship, something quite extraordinary is going to take place. What is that? The chosen ones who are destined to emerge from the refining and smelting furnace of Jehovah’s discipline during the time of the end will not be as they are now. When the holy ones are given the kingdom a fundamental and profound change will occur. What is that? They will become kings in the fullest sense. This is the phenomenon Paul wrote about in the 8th chapter of Romans regarding the "revealing of the sons of God."

Thus, in the context of the ongoing rivalry between the king of the north and the king of the south, Christ and the holy ones actually become a rival kingdom. And in the wake of the eventual subjugation of the king of the south, God’s kingdom will then present itself as an unanticipated impediment to the king of the north.

In terms of the great crowd, they will merely be subjects of Christ and the holy ones, whereas the real power will lie with Christ and his ruling body of chosen ones. And because the great crowd will be subservient to Christ’s brothers then, in their absence they will be as though subdued. Thus the king of the north is temporarily succesful in destroying his rival kingdom when he brings the holy ones to ruin, as Daniel says in regards to the king of fierce countenance.

The 27th chapter of Isaiah appears to speak of the situation, and which is the subject of the essay Will Christianity Survive the End of the World?

Kings "over" the earth or "on" the earth?

2006-04-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

Could you please explain why most other Bible translations of Revelation 5:9,10 say that a kingdom of priests shall be ruling on the earth whereas the New World Translations says that they are to rule as kings over the earth. I have done a bit of research and found that a lot of the different Bibles have a different translation about this, which makes it hard to help a student to understand that the 144,000 are going to rule over the earth as kings and priests and not on the earth, which is what other Bible translations have said.

The problem a passage like Revelation 5:9-10 presents is wholly artificial. Thus, when approaching a seeming discrepancy in translations we should try to avoid the tendency to make an issue of minor wording differences. True enough, minor differences in wording can affect the meaning dramatically. John 1:1 is a classic example. But should a doctrine as important as the relationship of God and Christ, for example, be determined on the basis of a translator’s use of an indefinite article or lack of one? Our understanding of the Scriptures, particularly as regards crucial Bible doctrines, should not be based upon one letter, word or verse. Our goal as Bible teachers is to enable others to see the big picture – otherwise known as “the truth.” Focusing on prepositions is counter-productive.

So, when approaching questions that may arise due to minor textual variations, unless there is clear cut proof that one translation is grammatically incorrect, it is best to set that particular verse aside and look elsewhere in the Scriptures to verify the intent of the verse in question. In this case we would have to find an answer to the question: Will the kingdom of God rule from heaven over the earth, or will it rule on the earth?

By considering what the entire Bible teaches on that topic rather than one verse we will assist others to attain a much deeper knowledge of the truth and help them to learn how to solve these kinds of problems.

Should I partake at the Memorial?

2006-03-31T22:49:00.000-08:00

I've never thought of myself as having the "heavenly" calling. However, recently I'm feeling that I should partake at the Memorial. Again, I have no feeling of being anointed whatsoever. However, the more I read from the Scripture; I find myself confused as to my position of partaking the emblems during Memorial. My thought process is, that, since we're 'all one body under one Shepherd', and to benefit from the "ransom provision" of Jesus - that I should be partaking by 'doing it in remembrance' of Him. Romans Chapter 8 shows us that we are no longer under the "law" since we are sanctified in union with Christ by putting faith in his ransom as 'children of God'. Please help me clear this confusion, whether I should partake or not? I really don't know.

As you know, the emblematic bread and wine are symbols of Christ’s flesh and blood. Christ specifically said at Luke 22:20 that the cup of wine represented his blood that was going to be poured out to validate the new covenant and the new covenant is between God and Israel. That is evident from the fact that Jeremiah 31:31 states: “Look! There are days coming,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “and I will conclude with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant…”

However, Christ did not mediate a new covenant with the 12 tribes, which descended from the 12 sons of Israel; but with the 12 apostles and other disciples. Fleshly Israel and the old covenant were merely the legal foundation for the new Israel that God began forming in the first century. In time it became more abundantly clear that the new covenant included non-Jews as well, so that what is called “Israel” pertains to Christ’s anointed congregation, where 'there is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female.'

The new Israel is ultimately to be composed of 144,000 members, who are spoken of in Revelation as being symbolically taken out of the 12 tribes of old Israel.

The purpose of the creation of the Israel of God is in order to establish a kingdom so that all peoples of faith might ultimately inherit the blessing of everlasting life. Only those who are called to be part of that heavenly kingdom, though, are participants in the new covenant.

Keep in mind that it is Jehovah’s purpose to resurrect the vast majority of mankind; the most of which never knew God or Christ before their deaths. Nevertheless, Paul stated that he had hope toward God that there would be a resurrection of the unrighteous masses of mankind. Are they resurrected to heaven though? No, of course not. Only those who are anointed and adopted as spiritual sons are taken to heaven.

So, the point is, those who are destined to receive an earthly resurrection have done absolutely nothing to qualify for a resurrection. They are not even required to excercise faith beforehand. The earthly resurrection is most definitely not dependent upon their being in any sort of covenant with God – neither does survival through the great tribulation require the great crowd to be in a new covenant with God either.

However, while not direct participants, the resurrected dead, as well as the survivors of the great tribulation, will be beneficiaries of the new covenant that God has made with the seed of Abraham. As the original covenant with Abraham stated, all the nations will inherit a blessing through the seed of Abraham. And Paul pointed out to the Galatians the seed of Abraham is the true Israel of God.

In the 8th chapter of Romans Paul referred to the nations that are to receive a blessing by means of the new Israel as “all creation,” which he said is awaiting the revealing of the sons of God. Obviously, “all creation” and the soon to be revealed sons of God are two separate groups.

Keep in mind that the old covenant was with only one nation, old Israel. Likewise, the new covenant is with one nation, new Israel. The individual members of new Israel are the sons of God who are in the new covenant. The rest of mankind is not. Therefore, only those who have been adopted as sons of God are entitled and required to drink the cup of the new covenant.

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Questions on the ransom and the final test

2006-03-29T01:33:00.000-08:00

After having studied the WT lesson yesterday, Sunday, March 26, several questions arose in my mind.If the price of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus blood 'bought' the anointed, both in the initial sealing in 33 C.E. and now in the final sealing, then what 'price' is paid for the great crowd, who are also Christians? Are we 'grandfathered' in? Is our salvation through 'association' with the remnant?

Jesus’ sacrificial death bought all of Adam’s dying children. In a sense, Christ became the father of the human race by virtue of his purchase. He is the new Adam and empowered to give life to all of his offspring, provided that they have faith in him and obey him as Lord.

The vast majority of Adam’s offspring will be resurrected onto earth after the war of Armageddon sweeps this present evil system into oblivion. Their future life prospects will be determined by their course of life after their resurrection. However, Revelation reveals that a “great crowd” of people will survive Armageddon due to their washing their robes in the blood of the Lamb – meaning, of course, that they are counted worthy of salvation because of having faith in Christ and acting upon that faith.

As the study article brought out, though, there are two aspects to the ransom. It is Jehovah’s purpose to gather both a heavenly and earthly group. Since the ransom price that Christ paid bought the entire human race from sin and death, Jehovah also wills that a chosen few from among mankind should become spiritual sons in order to rule with Christ in heaven. In their case the ransom is applied in a different manner. Whereas, the surviving great crowd is considered righteous, they are not “declared righteous.” What's the difference? Being “declared righteous” means that God judges them to be sinless. God applies Christ’s sacrifice to them in a way that allows God to credit them with perfection – even though they are sinful. Being declared sinless allows God to transform sinful humans into immortal spirits upon their resurrection.

On a side note: The reason Jehovah made the provision for a select few of mankind to become a new creation of incorruptible and immortal spirit beings is undoubtedly for the purpose of providing an unequivocal answer to the charge that Satan brought against Jehovah in Eden; namely, that God was selfish and would not allow any creature to be like him. The fact that God bestows immortality upon the 144,000 of the new creation means that they become as much like God as is possible. Essentially, the new creation is unanswerable to God but completely devoted to him. Christ’s ransom makes that possible in their case.

So, while the salvation of the great crowd comes about because of their faith in Christ too, it is God’s purpose to use the anointed as ministers to his other sheep.

Does the great crowd experience two 'tests'? The first 'test' is surviving the G.T. and Armageddon and the second 'test' is at the end of the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ. Why?

Yes. There are two tests. The reason that is so is because at the end of the 1,000 year reign all traces of Adam’s sin will have been removed. Both the great crowd and the multitudes of resurrected persons, plus any children born during the millennium, will have been rehabilitated to the point of becoming sinless. They will attain to the human perfection that Adam and Eve briefly enjoyed.

However, in regards to the “things in the heavens” – the 144,000 kings and priests – Revelation 20:6 says that the second death has no authority over those who are privileged to experience “the first resurrection.”

“The rest of the dead,” referred to in the previous verse, is in reference to those resurrected onto earth during Christ’s reign. But even though they “come to life” at the end of the 1,000 years in the sense of coming out from under the condemnation of death due to Adam's sin, they are still subject to the second death. The second death is the penalty for willful sin – such as Adam and Eve committed.

Just as God tested Adam and Eve by prohibiting them from eating of a certain tree, so too, at the end of the 1,000 year reign, Satan is let loose from his dungeon for a brief period in order to test mankind in their perfect state. Those who fail that test experience the second death, which is permanent death from which there is no resurrection.

What is your position on the 607-586 controversy?

2006-03-24T04:05:00.000-08:00

What is e-watchman’s position on the 586 verses 607 controversy regarding the date for the fall of Jerusalem?

My position is that it does not matter one way or the other. Whether Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. or 607 B.C.E is moot – irrelevant as regards the so-called times of the Gentiles.

As all of Jehovah’s Witnesses know, the importance the Watchtower attaches to 607 B.C.E. is based upon the notion that the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the Davidic dynasty marked the beginning of a prophetically designated period of 2,520 years that ended in 1914 with Jesus sitting down upon his heavenly throne. It is believed that Jesus Christ referred to this period of time at Luke 21:24; where he said: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.”

The Watchtower teaches that Jerusalem first began to be trampled on by the nations when Babylon destroyed the holy city and the appointed times were fulfilled in 1914 when Jesus, the legal heir to the throne of David, supposedly began ruling over the nations from heavenly Jerusalem.

But we should be careful not to allow ourselves to become dazzled by the Watchtower’s perceived ability to divine the time of the return of Christ using biblical chronology. What is obviously overlooked by the vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses is the fact that the Watchtower Society’s chronology is based entirely upon the assumption that Jesus intended “the appointed times of nations” to apply from the time of Jerusalem’s destruction by the Babylonians. But did he really?

Jehovah’s Witnesses, of course, are not preterists. We recognize that Jesus’ great prophecy regarding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. has a dual fulfillment that extends far beyond the first century. But the question is: Do the appointed times of the nations date from the original destruction of Jerusalem approximately five centuries earlier? Is there biblical support for the Watchtower’s teaching or is it an arbitrary interpretation? It is important to establish the truth of the matter regarding what the appointed times actually mean. If the appointed times do not apply to the Babylonian destruction then the 607-586 debate is indeed meaningless.

Frankly, in the context of Jesus’ remarks concerning the appointed times of the nations there is not so much as a hint suggesting that the trampling of Jerusalem had already begun. On the contrary, Jesus was pointing forward to the future, when a disgusting thing would desolate God’s holy place and Jerusalem would come under siege and her citizens would be led away into captivity. That is why Jesus said: “Furthermore, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her; because these are days for meting out justice, that all the things written may be fulfilled. Woe to the pregnant women and the ones suckling a baby in those days! For there will be great necessity upon the land and wrath on this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.”

Clearly, Jesus was foretelling the future trampling of Jerusalem by the Romans. In fact, Jesus’ apostles and first century disciples were to be eye-witnesses of the event. That is why Jesus said “furthermore, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near.” Indeed, Christians witnessed not only the complete desolation of Jerusalem, but they also were witnesses to the fact that the Jews were dragged off into captivity by the Gentiles.

Having actually seen the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy it is simply preposterous to suppose that the apostles may have understood Jesus to be recalling the historical desolation of Jerusalem and the Babylonish exile of the Jews. They were keenly interested in the future of Jerusalem, not its past. It should be kept in mind, too, that the apostles were headquartered in Jerusalem. They were quite likely laboring under the impression that Jesus was going to return to the physical city of Jerusalem and set up his kingdom. So, the future fall of Jerusalem would impact the apostles and thousands of other disciples of Christ; so much so, that Christians living in Jerusalem and the surrounding territory of Judah would be required to take life-saving action in response in advance of the coming desolation.

Since the early Christians obviously did not believe the appointed times of the nations pertained to Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Judah, nor is there anything in the context of the 21st chapter of Luke to suggest they should have, why do Jehovah’s Witnesses understand Jesus’ prophecy differently? Indeed, what biblical justification is there for the Watchtower’s elaborate 1914 chronology based upon “the appointed times of the nations”?

Actually, the Watchtower claims that the holy spirit revealed it to Charles Russell and the early International Bible Students. The February 1st, 2004, Watchtower states: “When would “the appointed times of the nations” end and God’s Kingdom rule begin? The answer, which was “sealed up until the time of the end,” involves Bible chronology. As that “time” approached, Jehovah took steps to reveal the answer to a group of humble Bible students. With the help of God’s spirit, they discerned that “the appointed times of the nations” began with the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. and that those “times” were 2,520 years in length. From this, they deduced that 1914 marked the end of “the appointed times of the nations.” They also came to realize that 1914 was the beginning of the end for this system of things.”

If God’s holy spirit was really responsible for helping the Bible Students discern the true meaning of “the appointed times of the nations,” shouldn’t there at least be some means of testing the inspired expression, as the apostle John exhorted Christians? After all, the Bible is a product of God’s holy spirit, so it is reasonable to expect the same spirit to guide us in our understanding. But does God expect us to accept interpretations of Scripture that do not make sense or that are contradictory? Of course not.

But, if “the appointed times of the nations” are not to be understood the way the Watchtower teaches, how should we understand them? Actually, the holy-spirit-inspired book of Revelation, which was written more than 20 years after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, reveals that the symbolic holy city is destined to be trampled on by the nations for an appointed time amounting to 42 months.

The 42 months is, in fact, the only appointed time of nations that is explicitly mentioned in the Scriptures. Therefore, we must conclude the Watchtower’s chronology is mere sophistry. Rather than God’s holy spirit, it is apparent that Satan the Devil is the promoter of the Watchtower’s 1914 faux-parousia, “operation of error.”

Ironically, the Watchtower’s seven times doctrine fits the profile of the teachings of false prophets, of whom Jesus specifically warned would be proclaiming that “the due time has approached” in advance of his actual return.

For further reading on this topic see the following essays:

Was 1914 the end of the Gentile times?

Let the reader use discernment

A closer look at 1914

The end of a delusion is at hand

How many times does Jesus arrive?

2006-03-21T02:30:00.000-08:00

Since Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ has come into his Kingdom, how can that be compatible with celebrating the memorial in view of 1st Corinthians 11:26: "For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.”

The Watchtower explains that by saying that Christ has numerous “arrivals.” The Watchtower teaches that Jesus arrived in 1914 and that he will also arrive again at Armageddon. However, their teaching does not stand up to scrutiny.

For example, consider the Watchtower’s teaching regarding the faithful slave. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that shortly after Christ arrived in 1914 he came to God’s spiritual house for judgment. It is believed that Jesus initiated the foretold judgment upon the house of God sometime in 1918 and that he thereafter appointed an approved slave class “over all of his belongings.”

But according to Jesus, the slaves who are ultimately judged to have been faithful to their original appointment to feed their fellow slaves are not appointed over all of their master’s belongings until the master arrives. Jesus spoke of the faithful slave on two separate occasions. The most frequently quoted is in the context of the sign of the conclusion in the 24th chapter of Matthew. However, Jesus also spoke of the faithful slave in the 12th chapter of Luke. He did so in explanation to Peter’s question in response to another parable Jesus had just uttered.

At Luke 12:37-40 Jesus urged his disciples to stay awake in anticipation of his unannounced arrival, saying: “Happy are those slaves whom the master on arriving finds watching! Truly I say to you, He will gird himself and make them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. And if he arrives in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them thus, happy are they! But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have kept watching and not have let his house be broken into. You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely the Son of man is coming.”

The Watchtower applies the parable above to the future arrival of Jesus, which is obviously correct. However, Jesus went on to explain who the illustration applied to, saying: “Who really is the faithful steward, the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time? Happy is that slave, if his master on arriving finds him doing so! I tell you truthfully, He will appoint him over all his belongings. But if ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming,’ and should start to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day that he is not expecting him and in an hour that he does not know, and he will punish him with the greatest severity and assign him a part with the unfaithful ones.”

Please notice that Jesus again referred to his surprise arrival. Only in the enlarged explanation Jesus indicated that some of his slaves would not be expecting his sudden arrival and would consequently be adversely judged for their negligence. The Watchtower, though, insists that Jesus has already arrived to judge his slaves – way back in 1918. But how can that be? How reasonable is it that Jesus intended to teach his disciples to anticipate two separate arrivals? It is not reasonable at all! The fact that the master will arrive at a time the unfaithful slave is not expecting harmonizes with the previous illustration regarding Christ’s coming “at and hour you do not think likely.”

The truth is there are not two arrivals. There is only one. The fact that the Watchtower teaches that Christ has already arrived is surely the reason Christ will come at an hour his disciples do not think likely and at an hour the evil slave is not expecting.

Additional reading: When does Jesus Come?

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The Watchtower as a UN-approved NGO

2006-03-16T23:18:00.000-08:00

Why has e-watchman devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to make a case against the Watchtower’s former registration as an NGO with the United Nations? In a circular letter dated November 1, 2001, the Watchtower stated the following concerning its disassociation with the U.N.:

“...the Criteria for Association of NGOs—at least in their latest version—contain language that we cannot subscribe to. When we realized this, we immediately withdrew our registration…”

It appears that they were not aware of the “latest” version for association of NGOs. After which, they withdrew their registration, being “grateful that this matter was brought to [their] attention.” In what way have “opposers” attempted to “discredit” the Watchtower in this regard as stated in this circular letter? Since the Watchtower operates under a cloak of theocracy, Jehovah’s Witnesses will likely leave this matter in God’s hand. Has this matter been satisfactorily resolved in the minds of Jehovah's Witnesses, so that they bear no community guilt before God?

The Watchtower is lying.

The Criteria of Association of NGOs has always been the same. Apparently there was some minor rewording of the application, but according to the UN’s Department of Public Information (DPI) approved NGOs enter into a partnership with the United Nations. According to the UN the present working arrangement has been in place since 1968. Here is a quote from the DPI website addressing this point:

“In 1968, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), by resolution 1297 (XLIV) of 27 May, called on DPI to associate NGOs, bearing in mind the letter and spirit of its resolution 1296 (XLIV) of 23 May 1968, which stated that an NGO “...shall undertake to support the work of the UN and to promote knowledge of its principles and activities, in accordance with its own aims and purposes and the nature and scope of its competence and activities.”

When the story of the Watchtower’s involvement with the UN first broke in October of 2001, the UN headquarters was inundated with inquiries from Jehovah’s Witnesses. The DPI received so many emails and calls that they posted their official response on their website in which they clearly stated that the Watchtower agreed to support the United Nations in accord with the established criteria. (Click here and navigate to the link that says Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York. PDF file)

Interestingly, the letter also states that it is the UN’s policy to keep all correspondence between the UN and their associate NGOs confidential, which is a backhanded sort of way of stating that there was an ongoing interchange between the UN and the Watchtower.

Indeed, it is the obligation of all NGOs to keep the UN apprised of the progress of their particular information campaign in behalf of the DPI. Did the Watchtower comply with the DPI’s requirement to conduct an effective information campaign and to inform the UN of it? Undoubtedly it did, otherwise they probably would have been disqualified for serving as an NGO.

E-watchman has painstakingly documented the extent to which Bethel went to comply with the requirements of the DPI, which involved using the Watchtower and Awake magazines to inform the public and present in a positive light the UN's many agencies and programs. (See articles Strange Bedfellows, Plumbing the Depths of the Watchtower’s Prostitution, and The Watchtower and the UN: What is the Truth? )

The UN’s human rights website even lists the November 22nd, 1998, Awake Magazine, which was written specifically to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights. Evidently the Watchtower sent the UN a copy of that particular issue as proof of their compliance with the requirements for NGOs. (The Watchtower apparently was initially oblivious to the power of the Internet)

Does the mere fact that the Watchtower withdrew its NGO membership after it was exposed mean that all is well now? Take the case of a husband and wife relationship: What if one mate committed adultery over a long period of time and refused to admit it but merely secretly broke off the adulterous affair? Would that make everything right? Doesn’t the innocent mate deserve to know the truth?

In order to be resolved of guilt the Watchtower must first admit its guilt. It has not done so yet. The Watchtower's brief mention of their NGO affair in their letter to the branches merely blamed the UN for supposedly changing the wording of the NGO application -- leaving one the impression that all the Watchtower had to do to become an NGO was sign an application. The Watchtower’s response has actually added more guilt to their already considerable guilt of spiritual prostitution.

In fact, the Watchtower has never publicly admitted it was ever an NGO. It has only done so in private correspondence. To this day the vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses have no inkling of the affair. The comparative few who have heard of it are duped into imagining that it was something entirely fabricated by boogiemen apostates and opposers. Millions of publishers and hundreds of thousands of pioneers have no idea they were betrayed by the Watchtower and used like dumb pack-mules to disseminate subtle UN propaganda to the public.

From Jehovah's standpoint, until the Watchtower comes clean and admits that it knowingly and willingly engaged in a collaborative partnership with the United Nations there can be no forgiveness.

Link to additional article http://www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/ngo-un/rest-un/2001/1030j.htm

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Sheep and goats

2006-03-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

In view of Jesus words at John 10:25-31, how can it be that 'sheep' can be found to be 'goats', if nothing can remove the sheep from Jesus' hand? Doesn't this imply eternal security for a true believer? Otherwise the terms 'sheep' and 'goats' are a contradiction in terms. If a sheep could be taken from Jesus' hand, what does the sheep become? A goat? It seems that Jesus was teaching 2 distinct groups: believers and unbelievers and that we can put great assurance that we can never lose our salvation by being plucked out of the hand of our Shepherd. Only 'sheep' can hear Jesus. The goats never CAN. John 8:43, 47 Otherwise, we must conclude that sheep can become goats by being unfaithful. Yet, that would mean that Jesus indeed can 'lose' his sheep and they can be 'plucked out of his hand'.

In the 10th chapter of John Jesus discussed his role as Jehovah’s good Shepherd. Contrasting himself to the hired men who do not really care for the sheep and fail to protect them, which results in the sheep being scattered and assaulted by wolves, Jesus stated the following: “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them everlasting life, and they will by no means ever be destroyed, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is something greater than all other things, and no one can snatch them out of the hand of the Father. I and the Father are one.”

In stating the above, Jesus indicated that he could never be overpowered or outsmarted by any sort of predator so that he might become an ineffectual shepherd -- like the hired men. However, that is not to say that Jesus’ followers cannot become unfaithful or allow themselves to be stumbled. Jesus himself says in Revelation that he will vomit lukewarm Christians out of his mouth as unpalatable. Numerous parables also indicate that Jesus will adversely judge those whom he deems to be wicked and sluggish slaves. It is not as though an enemy snatches them out of Christ’s hand though. Christ himself rejects those whom he judges to be unfaithful to their calling.

What about the king of the north and south?

2006-03-13T00:24:00.000-08:00

What light can you shed on the WTBS explanation in the Pay attention book of Daniel 11:20; proving that the Anglo-American world power switched from being the King ofthe South to the king of the North?

I am not sure I understand your question. But the Watchtower does not teach that the Anglo-American king switched from being the king of the south to become the king of the north. The Society teaches that the Anglo-American dual world power has always been the king of the south and the modern king of the north has been Germany and the USSR. The Society offers no suggestions on who the king of the north might be at the present moment and they discourage Jehovah’s Witnesses from even thinking about it or discussing the issue.

E-watchman has presented the case for the British Empire filling the role of the king of the north with the United States as the king of the south. In order to understand how that works we should first dispel the myth that the British Empire no longer exists, then we must come to appreciate that even though Great Britain and America are allies, they are also rivals. The intent of the imperial system is to befriend its enemies in order to beguile and subvert them, which is exactly what has happened. The goal of the London-centered financier oligarchy is to ultimately destroy the United States once and for all, at least the constitutional republic.

It is from that standpoint that e-watchman has interpreted the prophecy of the rivalry between the king of the north and south. (See essay: The King of the North Conspires for World Domination)

What about tattoos?

2006-03-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

I have been an active Jehovah’s Witness for over 20 years, and have seen more and more changing attitudes in the last few years. (Sex, underage drinking, divorce) It seems to me that a new age of Witnesses is appearing in the United Kingdom. What I mean by this is, for example: the issue of tattoos is now viewed in many halls as acceptable. Why, 4 elders in my own hall have them, as do many sisters and young ones. I have used many scriptures, like Leviticus 19:28 and Romans 12:12, and research on the origin of tattoos to show how God must feel about them; but have been told that because the Watchtower has not told us it is wrong to get them and is a conscience matter, to keep quiet. Now more and more young ones are getting them as those taking the lead wont speak out against them, but bizarrely enough, a local needs talk was given about how women wearing trousers offend Jehovah. Where do you stand on the issue of tattoos brother Watchman?

The Watchtower has written enough about tattoos to provide anyone who wishes sufficient guidance.

The fact that significant numbers of Jehovah’s Witnesses are ignoring the Watchtower’s counsel and embracing a degrading worldly fashion such as tattooing is symptomatic of the coming “increasing of lawlessness.”

Interestingly, tattoos used to be a means of marking a slave, and even though modern men and women who may choose to get themselves tattooed typically feel that they are expressing thier freedom, in reality they are branding in their flesh an indelible mark that signifies they are mere slaves of fashion of this world.

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Going back to meetings

2006-02-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

Regardless of fault, how does being "disfellowshipped" from the WBTS position you in our stream of time?

It is unclear to me exactly what you are asking. But being disfellowshipped for telling the truth is something akin to be thrown from the synagogue in the first century. Jesus said that in the last days true Christians would be beaten in the synagogues. No doubt it is something that more and more of Jehovah’s Witnesses will experience going forward; especially when things go terribly wrong and the Watchtower has no answers.

I'm sure we have all been over this time and again but…what are your thoughts on returning to the meetings? I am disassociated and wondering what really is the right thing to do – stay away and wait on Jehovah, or begin attending again. I am having a hard time with the thought of re-attending as so much they are teaching is wrong. And I do not want them to get the impression that I thought I was wrong if I start attending again.

Being disassociated is a difficult situation to be in because basically you are considered to be in a disfellowshipped state, and going back would require you to be reinstated. And in order to be reinstated you would have to reassure the elders that you believe in everything the Watchtower teaches.

Of course, you can simply go to meetings and be shunned as a disfellowshipped person, and just sit and listen to the meeting and get up and leave. But in order to be viewed as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses again you would essentially have to pledge your allegiance to the Watchtower Society. If you are wiling to do that then you should go back. Either way though, waiting on Jehovah is the best course of action.

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Why has e-watchman circumvented the channel?

2006-02-22T03:48:00.000-08:00

It does not appear that Jehovah’s Witnesses want anyone to interpret the Bible for them other than the Watchtower. Although knowing that this the case, why does e-watchman seek to reinterpret Bible prophecy for Jehovah’s Witnesses? What can e-watchman possibly accomplish by his reinterpretation of prophecy for the Watchtower and Jehovah’s Witnesses? Do we not often hear that Jehovah’s Witnesses wait upon Jehovah for the Revelation of truth through his channel of communication, the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Why is it that e-watchman has circumvented this channel of communication? Is there any biblical precedent both in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures to substantiate your action? Furthermore, does not your action create disunity among Jehovah’s Witnesses, which they seek to preserve at all costs? It does not seem that there is anything more important than that to JWs.

Jehovah’s Witnesses would do well to take to heart the apostle Paul’s exhortation: “Do not treat prophesyings with contempt.”

But no one should imagine that the problem is simply a matter of making a few minor adjustments so as to arrive at a clearer picture of the truth. If that were the case I would happily “wait upon Jehovah for the revelation of truth through is channel of communication.” However, that is not the case. The Watchtower’s interpretations of prophecy are fundamentally wrong and any tinkering and adjusting amounts to putting new wine into an old wineskin.

Besides our basic knowledge of Jehovah and his purpose, the belief that Christ’s kingdom was established in 1914 is unquestionably the very foundation of the Watchtower Society. Virtually every prophecy and parable of Christ is in one way or the other tied to 1914. The very ecclesiastical authority of the Watchtower over Jehovah’s Witnesses is based upon the false assertion that Christ appointed the Society “over all of his belongings” in 1919.

Since the 1914 doctrine of Christ’s parousia is demonstrably wrong, that makes the Watchtower a false witness before God. There are serious consequences for speaking falsely in the name of Jehovah; and because that is exactly what the Watchtower and Jehovah’s Witnesses have done, it has set into motion Jehovah’s irreversible judgment.

Shall we expect Bethel’s institutional prophets to humbly announce Jehovah’s judgment upon themselves? That will never happen.

The established biblical precedent is that Jehovah raises up individuals to deliver his judgment messages to his organization. There is no such thing as a “Jeremiah class,” or “Ezekiel class,” or “Micah class” of prophets. The prophets were individuals not institutions, and as such, they were not appointed to their office by any man. By nature prophets operated outside the institutions and conventions of the Jewish establishment.

In the case of Isaiah, after setting before him the fearful judgments against the nation of Israel, Jehovah asked for volunteers to deliver his message, saying: “Who will go for us?” So, Jehovah did not directly command Isaiah to become a prophet. He basically gave him a preview of the message and asked if he was up to the task. Isaiah responded: “Here I am, send me.”

That is essentially what I have done. For whatever reason, my mind became opened to Jehovah’s judgments and I have volunteered to set these matters before Jehovah’s Witnesses on the Internet as well as presenting the case for Jehovah’s judgments directly to elders and the upper levels of the leadership of the organization.

What do I hope to accomplish? What did Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel accomplish? Interestingly, Jehovah told all three of those prophets that his people would not listen to them. So why did God send them? It was in order to more fully establish their accountability before God. In the case of Ezekiel Jehovah stated: “And they will certainly know that a prophet himself happened to be in the midst of them.”

Shall we expect anything different in modern times from the established pattern?

Why does e-watchman apply judgment prophecies to the anointed?

2006-02-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

Since anointed members have already been declared righteous through the sin atoning sacrifice of Jesus, why does e-watchman apply prophecies of judgment against ancient Jerusalem to the holy spirit anointed priesthood that are currently serving in a spiritual sense in the holy compartment of the sanctuary while still on earth? --See Romans 4:24 through 5: 2, 9

It is not merely so-called Old Testament prophecies directed against ancient Judah and Jerusalem that have a bearing upon these matters. The very foundation of Christianity is based upon the principal of a future judgment day at the revelation of Christ. Not to be overlooked is the fact that the apostle Peter indicated that judgment begins first with the house of God. The Watchtower also recognizes that to be true. Unfortunately, though, the Society has convinced Jehovah’s Witnesses that God’s judgments have already occurred; having taken place back in 1918. That is why a large portion of the work presented on e-watchman is intended to overturn that strongly entrenched “operation of error.” For example, see the essay: The Harvest

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Has the Governing Body always been this way?

2006-02-12T01:32:00.000-08:00

My question is this, at Matthew 24:45-51, in the discussion about who the faithful and discrete slave will be ... and not be, was there a point in time prior to now when the Governing Body would "entertain" thoughts and ideas from other members of the "little flock" who were not on the GB or at Bethel that went contrary to the accepted "dogma" without them going berserk and disfellowshipping some and labeling them with the apostate tag? Is this a relatively new phenomenon?, or have they always shown this attitude, because it appears in the scripture mentioned above that there would be a line of delineation when they would no longer accept anything from outside their ranks and would treat other members of the "little flock" who dared question them with the severest of measures. Is the line of delineation 1975, or their adulterous relationship with the U.N. or some combination?

As individuals I am sure most members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses are of the finest sort of men. On a personal note: About 25 years ago I had the privilege of working in the field service on two different occasions with visiting members of the Governing Body. I was deeply impressed with their lowliness of mind and unpretentiousness. Also, in my experience more recently, I used to write to various members of the GB with numerous research papers. Although my research may not have been well received I did not experience any sort of reprimand or reprisals. (The more recent open letters accusing the GB of apostasy are another matter.)

We need to keep in mind that Jesus will judge everyone as individuals – including Governing Body brothers. After all, that’s the point of Jesus’ illustration concerning the faithful and evil slave. Both slaves have an appointment from the master of the house and both slaves will be judged as to their faithfulness in the discharge of their duties. Upon the master’s coming the faithful slave is appointed over all his masters’ belongings while the evil slave is put out of the house entirely.

On the other hand, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Society Corporation are not individuals. They are institutions. And as such, organizations have a character and an accountability of their own that supersedes the individuals that comprise it. Perhaps there are individuals on the Governing Body who are inclined toward a more reasonable stance on some issues or they may favor discarding certain teachings, but if so, they would probably find themselves more or less powerless to affect the body as a whole.

In many respects the institutions of the GB and the WT are comparable to the Pharisees and the religious institutions of Judah during the time of Christ. But even though Jesus condemned the institutions and organization as a whole many individuals of the Pharisees and the temple priests actually became followers of Jesus.

So, we have to be careful not to condemn or judge individuals. We wisely leave all judging to Jehovah’s appointed Judge – Jesus. But, we know from the prophecies that the organization that presently bears the name of Jehovah will be destroyed. Afterwards a new organization comes into existence comprised of individuals who will have been judged faithful to God.

Will there be another world war?

2006-02-09T00:15:00.000-08:00

E-watchman seems to advocate the view that there will be a third world war. However, the Watchtower does not seem to share that view. It reported that a third world war would render the earth uninhabitable. To support this idea, they quote Bible verses relating to the permanency of the earth, as found in Psalm 37:29, Ecclesiastes 1:4 and Revelation 11:18. Why then does e-watchman promote the view that there will be a third world war? If that is the case, how do we account for the great crowd that comes out of the great tribulation as shown in Revelation? Given the indiscriminate destructive power of nuclear armaments, wouldn’t the use of WMP preclude the survival of the great crowd?

Ironically, the Watchtower recognizes that the nuclear threat is very real. For example, the Society’s website has an article that was originally published in 1999, which describes the nuclear threat as a “Damoclean sword” hanging over mankind. It points out that during the Cold War the military doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) convinced the Superpowers that a nuclear war was un-winnable for either side because all would be destroyed. It also makes mention of the threat terrorists with WMD pose.

However, the whole concept of nuclear war has subtly changed in recent years. No longer is the use of nuclear weapons thought of in terms of mutual destruction. Under the Bush administration the United States has abandoned its long-held policy of using atomic weapons only in defense or retaliation and has adopted a new policy of preemptive nuclear warfare. Why the change?

Three years ago BBC reported that the United States was determined to build a new generation of nuclear weapons; a smaller, less destructive weapon designed to penetrate and destroy underground bunkers and which also could be used as a tactical weapon on the battlefield.

Apparently that new class of weaponry is now operational; evidenced by the fact that in recent weeks the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) has been readied for an immediate nuclear strike against Iran. What is perhaps most unsettling is the fact that the new generation of mini-nukes have been classified by the military as conventional weaponry and do not have to have executive authorization before being deployed. Battlefield commanders have been empowered to use such weapons at their own discretion.

Nuclear war is no longer unthinkable because it is no longer even thought of as nuclear war!

Not only is a nuclear strike against Iran said to be imminent, as if to raise the stakes, North Korea has stated: "Dark clouds of a nuclear war are hanging low over the Korean Peninsula."

So, it would appear that the scene of the world is rapidly changing – growing more ominous by the day.

Apparently the Watchtower is no longer watching.

The reason the Watchtower’s watchmen have fallen asleep at their posts is because they believe that most of the prophecies have already been fulfilled. They don’t know what to watch for! They are expecting the UN to suddenly destroy organized religion. That’s not going to happen given the world’s present political arrangement. Other things must come first.

Take the prophecy of Joel as an example of the Society’s intractable blindness. That vital prophecy foretells that the earth is going to be ravaged by an irresistible insect-like military force. As a result of the locust attack Joel foretells that the sun will turn dark and the moon will turn to blood, etc.

That foreboding apocalyptic terminology, which Jesus also invoked when he foretold that mankind would become faint with fright because of the roaring of the sea and fearful sights in the heavens, seems to be describing a large scale nuclear war and the effect it will have upon the world. It will cause such distress to God’s people that they will cry out to Jehovah for relief. God responds by destroying the invading military force.

Inexplicably, the Watchtower claims that Jehovah’s Witnesses are the symbolic locusts that are plaguing the world and afflicting God’s people! (For an alternative explanation of Joel see the essay: Day of the Locust Attack)

Many other examples could be cited, but the Watchtower’s interpretation of Joel is one of Bethel’s most absurd teachings, and as such, it illustrates why they are blind and unable to discern the significance of present developments and what they portend for the future.

But, be assured that Jehovah will not allow men or demons to destroy the earth or make it uninhabitable. The meek will inherit the earth.

But in view of the fact that the prophecies indicate that a great calamity lies in the future, and it is also clearly evident that the nations are being manipulated towards a ruinous world war using the newly developed mini-nukes, perhaps we can better understand why Revelation promises that God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth” and wipe the tears from the faces of those who ultimately do inherit the earth.

An Islamic king of the north?

2006-02-08T01:05:00.000-08:00

In watching the goings on of the world, the thought occurred to me that the King of the North may now just be the Nation of Muslim. I am not talking about a bordered nation or state, but just a population from wherever they may be. When observing them recently they seem to be gaining in their aggressive nature and it seems the Bible prophecy states that 'He' would rise up from the sunrise, which could just mean every where. I lack the clarity for this that I have seen from your writing, but could this thought be a possibility for our time, seems nothing else is fitting?

The “goings on of the world” are not always as they appear. What is taking place throughout the Muslim world is in reality a carefully orchestrated act of provocation in order to polarize peoples and nations against each other and incite war. Who is behind such a thing?

If you recall, in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq a few years ago the nations of Europe did not support the Anglo-American military adventure. This time it seems that the powers-that-be are taking steps to ensure the support of otherwise reluctant nations for the next phase of war against Syria and Iran. This is being done by inciting Muslims to outrage by various means; likely employing agent provocateurs to advance the neo-con agenda.

The goal is, of course, to ultimately establish control over Iran’s massive oil fields. LaRouche’s EIR reports that the London-centered financier oligarchy is in the final stages of detonating the blow-out of the financial system; all the while preparing to scuttle the doomed financial markets themselves in order to seize control of raw materials; abolish the American republic and establish a fascist dictatorship over the world.

This is exactly in accord with what the prophecies foretold concerning the king of the north and king of fierce countenance; namely, that he will use deception and act with success in order to bring ruination upon the mighty ones and rule over the hidden treasures of gold, etc.

See essays on king of the north and the king of fierce countenance

Here is a link sent in by a reader with additional information on tried and true subterfuge tactics that may possibly be employed now to ignite nuclear war.

See e-watchman Blog post on the Clash of Civilizations

The Myth of the Fall of Babylon the Great

2006-02-07T00:56:00.000-08:00

When you first produced commentaries and essays about the scriptures in particular about the Watchtower and Jehovah’s Witnesses, you gave me the impression that you believed the Watchtower, or at least the group that call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses was God’s earthly organization. Indeed, you said that they, as god’s people, were in line for Judgment and they were at present blind this. However your latest commentary about Babylon the Great (when you discuss other groups who were active at the same time of the bible students who also rejected the League of Nations) appears to indicate that your opinion is changing. Do you still hold to the modern day congregation being Gods slave or not?

My belief that the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses has served Jehovah’s purpose has not changed. Perhaps you misunderstood the commentary on The Myth of the Fall of Babylon the Great – or maybe it was unclear.

An oft-overlooked yet crucial aspect of the command to “get out of her my people” is the simple fact that the command is issued to those whom God calls “my people.” That means that God recognizes the captives of Babylon as his people before they come out of her – just as the Jews were God’s people before they went into captivity.

The Watchtower presently teaches that Babylon the Great fell in 1919. Does that mean that the International Bible Students were part of Babylon the Great before 1919? Not according to the Watchtower. The Society teaches that God’s people went into spiritual captivity for the brief duration of 1916-1919 only. As you are undoubtedly aware, that is when the Watchtower headquarters went through an intense period of turmoil –culminating in the incarceration of J.F. Rutherford and seven other Watchtower officials.Presumably, before 1916 the International Bible Students were not in Babylon the Great.

(In actuality, the Watchtower originally published that Babylon the Great was the Catholic Church and that it fell in 1808-9 when Napoleon had Pope Pius VII arrested and the Vatican was occupied by Napoleon’s army for approximately 10 years. Apparently, though, in 1900 the Watchtower revised their view of Babylon the Great to encompass all of Christendom and it was said to have fallen in 1874, which is the year that Jesus' parousia was originally thought to have begun. The view that Babylon the Great fell in 1919 was not adopted until some time later – probably after 1925, which is when the Society first formulated the doctrine that Christ’s presence began in 1914 -- not 1874. Interestingly, that means that the International Bible Students did not even realize the angel had sounded the call to “get out of her my people” until more than six years after they supposedly had already gotten out of her! – proving that every myth has an untidy element to it that cannot be reconciled with reality.)

The point is, our misunderstanding of what getting out of Babylon means prevents us from considering any alternative interpretation. My purpose is to tear down and uproot the numerous falsities with which Jehovah’s Witnesses have been saddled; in order to prepare the minds of a few to anticipate what the Watchtower does not expect – a future captivity to Babylon the Great.

Macabees, Removal of the name of Jehovah and Rahab

2006-02-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

In the Daniel book regarding the king of the north and south it talks about the Maccabees and how significant it was that Judas Maccabee restored the temple for "Jehovah" and establish Hanukkah. If this was a victory for Jehovah and so significant in biblehistory, then why don't JW's recognize it for what its worth?

Since the extra-biblical incident is mentioned in the Watchtower Society’s commentary on Daniel it is apparent that Jehovah’s Witnesses do recognize it as genuine Jewish history.

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Dear Sir, I have no doubt in my mind that Jehovah is God's personal name, and I know it appears almost 7,000 times in the Old Testament, now my question is. Being that God's personal name is so important, why would he allow his holy name to be removed from the new testament, no doubt Jesus called him Jehovah, but in the oldest copies of the Greek scriptures we have his name had already been removed, why would he allow that?

Not only did he allow his name to be removed from the oldest copies of the Greek Scriptures, but he continues to allow modern translators to remove his name from the entire Bible. Jesus once said that there is nothing that is carefully hidden except for the purpose of revealing. In a sense God has allowed his name to be hidden. However, Jehovah has also seen to it that his name be restored to the Scriptures and its significance revealed to those who want to know the truth, which is the work Jehovah’s Witnesses have accomplished in recent decades. And who knows, perhaps at some point ancient New Testament scrolls might be unearthed that contain the divine name.

How do we reconcile what Ezra told the people to do with their foreign wives with the fact that Rahab (the Canaanite) was a part of Jesus family line? They brought it out at our meeting that Ezra told them to do this because of keeping the lines to the Messiah pure.

Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute, is specifically named as an outstanding example of faith. Even though she was not in any way connected to the Israelites, she put her faith and trust in the God of the Israelites. In effect, she converted –becoming a proselyte. And as such she was entitled to be recognized as having an equal standing in the nation, which included marital rights. Same situation with Ruth, the Moabitess; she also converted to the worship of Jehovah and became an ancestress of Jesus.

The situation that arose in Ezra’s day was different. Evidently it had become a common practice for Hebrew men to marry foreign women, which was a flagrant violation of the Mosaic Law. And there is no indication that those foreign women became Jewish proselytes before they became wives to Jewish husbands, as was the case with Rahab and Ruth.

Should elders warn unsuspecting parents of predators?

2006-01-31T02:10:00.000-08:00

I was at the assembly last weekend, where the stress was on how we dress and higher education. Is it only me, or does the Society go into places where they do not belong? What happened to the verse in acts 5:29: “We do not wish to add further burdens to you, but only these necessary things”? We live in the Third World and getting any job without an education is an absolute no-no. There aren’t any part-time jobs like in Europe and the U.S., where bros can support themselves and families. Why add the burden of guilt with such articles?

No, you are not the only one who feels that the Watchtower has over-stepped its bounds and has placed unnecessary burdens upon Jehovah’s Witnesses. Sadly, the Society has become Pharisaic in many ways. The only solution is God’s kingdom.

Do you not think that parents in the congregation have a right to know when there is a pedophile in the congregation, instead of just being reassured that elders will keep an eye on them? I used to be an interested person but will never set foot in a kingdom hall again. My daughter was abused for months by someone we met there.

Yes. Absolutely. Elders are morally responsible to make sure that children are protected from sexual predators in the congregations. Unfortunately, following the directions of the Watchtower’s Legal Department, as elders are sternly instructed to do, has not helped them protect the children in the congregations. Just the opposite, in fact. The Society’s policies have actually served to shield thousands of child sexual predators from arrest and exposure.

Clarification on the presence of Christ

2006-01-30T01:25:00.000-08:00

I am seeking clarification about the presence. You state in your book "the Bible does indeed teach that Christ's arrival initiates the period of his being present among his chosen ones....."

What do you believe to be the purpose and duration of the time period of the presence? Is the analogy used by Christ with regard to the "days of Noah" relevant to this period of time? What do you believe the scripture to indicate when it says “and THEN THEY will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory"?

The future presence of Christ can best be understood in relation to Christ’s presence among his disciples after his resurrection. That is when Jesus made his presence known among his disciples, including his women disciples, in order to prepare them to receive the holy spirit and embark on a new and intensified ministry.

On one occasion when Christ appeared to the apostles he said to them: “O senseless ones and slow in heart to believe on all the things the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?” Christ’s rather blunt rebuke of the apostles for their slowness to grasp the meaning of the prophecies is especially applicable to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses today and the organization in general. So much of what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe and preach concerning prophecy is simply nonsense and the vast majority are too senseless and slow of heart to believe anything other than the nonsense they have been taught. So, the presence of Christ will serve as a powerful rebuke to Christ’s anointed disciples and disabuse them of the powerful delusion they have been laboring under; imagining that Christ’s presence began in 1914.

But after Jesus’ terse rebuke of his apostles, Luke 24:27 went on to say: “And commencing at Moses and all the Prophets he interpreted to them things pertaining to himself in all the Scriptures.”

Something similar will take place during the actual parousia; during the time of the end, when the prophecies are unsealed and the chosen ones begin to shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Paul referred to the occasion when Christians will see Christ face-to-face with out having to look into a dull metal mirror. The purpose for their being miraculously enlightened is in order that a powerful final witness may be given to the world by the kings of God’s kingdom – and then the end will come. And there are numerous prophecies that indicate that a great outpouring of holy spirit will take place during the same interval, which will empower the faithful in an extrodinary way; quite beyond our present ability to conceive.

The presence itself coincides with the time of the end; which is an interval expressed in the Scriptures in various ways amounting to a three and one half year period.

As for Christ’s presence being just like “the days of Noah,” some may understand Jesus’ comparison to mean that the presence will span some 120 years, which might be described as the “days of Noah.” However, the basic intent of the comparison seems to be to make the point that Christ’s presence commences in such a manner so as to catch the world unawares, just as the Flood did in Noah’s day.

As for everyone seeing the Son of man coming upon the clouds, we should not suppose that everyone will literally see Jesus. Jesus himself clearly stated at John 14:19: “A little longer and the world will behold me no more, but you will behold me, because I live and you will live.”

If the world will behold Jesus "no more" that would preclude non-believers from literally seeing the glorified Son of man. Jesus’ words concerning the son of man being beheld coming in the clouds simply means that the world will be made to know that Jesus is controlling the world and bringing upon it Jehovah’s judgments.

ARE YOU AN APOSTATE?

2006-01-22T03:11:00.000-08:00

I've been hearing from the friends that I should avoid your sites because you're an "apostate." What IS an apostate, because it seems like the Society defines it differently from what I can find in the Bible itself? Also, how do you defend against these charges that that is what you are?

Basically, the term “apostate” is applied to those who not only abandon their faith, but it also is applied to any of Jehovah’s Witneses who may happen to disagree with certain teachings and policies of the Watchtower Society.

This means that if any of Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the Society’s specious 1914 doctrine, for instance, they are subject to being labeled as an apostate.

A question from the readers in the April 1st, 1986, Watchtower asked why Jehovah’s Witnesses can be disfellowshipped for apostasy even if they still believe in God and the Bible. The Watchtower’s answer included the following statement:

“Approved association with Jehovah’s Witnesses requires accepting the entire range of the true teachings of the Bible, including those Scriptural beliefs that are unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses. What do such beliefs include? ...That 1914 marked the end of the Gentile Times and the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the heavens, as well as the time for Christ’s foretold presence.”

Think of the implications of the Watchtower’s policy. There was a time when the Watchtower taught that Jesus Christ returned invisibly in 1874. Obviously, Jehovah’s Witnesses no longer believe that, and fortunately the Watchtower did not impose disfellowshipping upon any Bible Students back then who may not have believed that Christ’s presence began in 1874. But just think if they had. How many people have been heartlessly made to bear the stigma of being apostates? How many lives would have been ruined because they had been cut off from family and friends?

Considering that the Watchtower demands that Jehovah’s Witnesses accept all of the Watchtower’s teachings without question, even those that can be Scripturally proven to be false, or at least open to serious question, the charge of being an apostate for not believing and teaching mere organizational dogma is not a label I accept for myself.

Has the Devil already been cast down from heaven?

2006-01-13T02:52:00.000-08:00

I follow you and agree with your views on 1914. Witnesses believe that Jesus cleared the heavens of Satan and his demons at the time of his enthronement. It is a false paradigm to conclude that 'since the world has completely changed since 1914' that, therefore, is proof that they are correct in their reasoning. What I would like to know is: Do Satan and his demons still have access to the heavens or have they been cast down to the vicinity of the earth?

The casting down of Satan and his demons coincides with the kingdom of God coming to power. Revelation 12:10-12 describes it this way:

“Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to YOU, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.”

According to the span of verses above, Satan and his demons reside in heaven up until the kingdom commences its reign, which then sets into motion a series of events; the first of which is the expulsion of the demonic horde from heaven. That is why the scripture says “now have come to pass…the kingdom”

So, yes, Satan resides in heaven up to that very moment. He apparently has some face-to-face interaction with Jehovah’s righteous angels up until the final all-out war erupts between the two opposed spirit armies. That is why they rejoice after he is finally evicted. However, that does not necessarily mean that Satan has continual access to Jehovah up until his ouster.

According to the book of Job there are specific occasions when all the sons of God assemble before Jehovah. During the days of Job Satan used those assemblies as an occasion for challenging Jehovah before all the angelic audience. That certainly gives us the impression that even the angels do not always have constant access to Jehovah himself. Also, the fact that Jehovah challeneged Satan, saying: 'where do you come from?' implies that Satan had sort of barged in on the assembly uninvited.

So, even though Satan and the demons are not thrown from heaven until the establishment of the kingdom, that does not necessarily mean that they could come and go as they pleased. From Jehovah’s standpoint, and the standpoint of the loyal sons of God, the demons are disfellowshipped – put out of the family of the loyal sons of God. So, any interaction between the two hostile camps is strictly in opposition to each other – as is indicated in the book of Daniel, where Gabriel describes his being opposed by the demonic overlord of Persia for three weeks.

The greater question is: have Satan and the demons been thrown down already or is that event still in the future? The implications of a future casting down cannot be understated.

So, to answer that question we must reason honestly upon the facts at hand. Foremost of which is the fact that Revelation reveals that immediately after Satan’s ouster from heaven he persecutes God’s woman upon the earth for 1,260 days. That time period is also connected to several other crucial developments; one of which is the sudden death stroke of the seventh head of the wild beast. After the beast revives it then wars against God’s servants for 42 months – the same as Satan wars against God’s woman in the wilderness for 1,260 days (42 months).

It should be apparent, then, that the death stroke upon the seven-headed wild beast is a direct result of the wound inflicted upon the satanic seven-headed fiery dragon in heaven as a result of the warfare waged against it by Michael and his angels.

The Watchtower has ascribed that prophetic period of time to the First World War. But the question must be asked: what proof is there that the Anglo-American dyad suffered anything remotely analogous to what is described in the 13th chapter of Revelation? Frankly, there is none. (For a fuller discussion of the topic see the essay: The Last Hour and the 8th King)

While it is true that some historians say that WWI swept away an old order, for example the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires dissolved as a result of WWI and the Russian Revolution swept the Czarist monarchy off the throne; still, it is simply not in the realm of reality to suggest that the leading governments of Satan’s world collapsed or were even threatened with collapse as a result of WWI.

That being the case, it should be evident that Satan has not been thrown down yet. The death-stroke and subsequent revival of Satan’s political beast is an unprecedented and unique event that marks the beginning of Satan’s short period of time. (42 months) We may be sure that it will far exceed the disaster known as the First World War.

An ancient Hebrew prophecy also connects Satan’s ouster from heaven with the overthrow of an earthly kingdom – the kingdom of Tyre. Oddly, the Watchtower has never made the connection. (For a discussion of the significance of this vital prophecy see the concluding segment of the chapter entitled London and the Devil’s throne.)

_

What is Spiritual Paradise?

2006-01-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

The idea of a “Spiritual Paradise” as expounded by the Watchtower is by no means a declaration that Jehovah’s Witnesses are actually living in a predator-free environment. This condition is yet future and will exist under Christ’s Kingdom. --Isaiah 11:6-9; 35:8-10; Revelation 21:3-4.

So what exactly do Jehovah Witnesses mean by “spiritual paradise?” It simply means that to the extent that people study God’s Word and apply its counsel, they would “taste and see that Jehovah is good.” Psalm 34 seems to confirm this concept.

This Psalm, as in many others, indicates the good effect that God’s Word can have on people’s lives, a theme that is pervasive throughout the Scriptures. So it is not at all a farfetched idea for Jehovah's Witnesses to claim that they are living in a spiritual paradise, as we daily strive to put the Bible’s message into practical use as a congregation, although we may fail individually from time to time in upholding God’s righteous requirements…

…Although e-watchman has made a good case against the Watchtower's 1914 dogma and apparent misapplication of prophecies surrounding that date, is it really truthful, as determined by e-watchman, that the Watchtower’s position of spiritual paradise is also part of an “operation of error?”

The Watchtower actually does claim that Jehovah’s Witnesses reside in a predator-free spiritual paradise. The October 15th, 2004, Watchtower makes that very claim. Here is an excerpt from that publication:

“Think, too, of the changes in traits as sincere ones of all backgrounds have striven to understand and apply God’s Word. Basically, they have worked to put away animalistic traits that used to characterize them. Perhaps you have done that with significant results, and so have your spiritual brothers and sisters. (Colossians 3:8-14) Hence, as you associate with a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, you are with people who have become more peaceable and pleasant. No, they are not yet perfect, but they could hardly be described as ferocious lions or rapacious wild beasts. (Isaiah 35:9) What does this pacific spiritual fellowship indicate? Clearly, we enjoy a spiritual condition that we rightly call a spiritual paradise."

The paragraph above cites Isaiah 35:9 and asserts that the prophecy has been fulfilled since 1914. That verse reads:

“And there will certainly come to be a highway there, even a way; and the Way of Holiness it will be called. The unclean one will not pass over it. And it will be for the one walking on the way, and no foolish ones will wander about on it. No lion will prove to be there, and the rapacious sort of wild beasts will not come up on it. None will be found there; and the repurchased ones must walk there. And the very ones redeemed by Jehovah will return and certainly come to Zion with a joyful cry; and rejoicing to time indefinite will be upon their head. To exultation and rejoicing they will attain, and grief and sighing must flee away.”

While it is true that many people within Jehovah’s Witnesses have made radical personality transformations; that in itself is not what constitutes spiritual paradise. The condition foretold in Isaiah is characterized by the complete absence of immoral and predatory persons of all types. Unless, of course, we accuse God of lying when he promises that none of those sorts of persons will be found among the repurchased ones on the highway of holiness, it has to be admitted that as fine a many of Jehovah’s Witnesses are, there are many more who are not.

E-watchman has not been untruthful in this regard. The Watchtower has been. They are fully aware of the fact that tens of thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses are disfellowshipped every year for practicing all sorts of uncleanness. Jehovah says that no unclean person will travel on the symbolic highway of holiness. Otherwise, how could it be considered holy?

Countless young people live double lives and are never found out. Isn't that foolish? Jehovah says that no foolish person will wander about on the highway of holiness.

And thousands of children have been sexually abused by Jehovah’s Witnesses, while many of the abusers are shielded from being exposed by the Society’s child abuse policies and continue to lurk within congregations. Jehovah says that no ferocious beast will menace his redeemed ones. Yet, the Watchtower insists that none of Jehovah’s Witnesses can be described as rapacious wild beasts. What a lie that is!

Clearly, the Watchtower's spiritual paradise is a fraud. The increasing of lawlessness soon to overtake the organization will show that to be the case beyond any further denials.

For a fuller discussion of the Society’s faux spiritual paradise see the commentary What is Spiritual Paradise?

_

1914 and the "operation of error"

2006-01-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid I'm not at all convinced that the 1914 doctrine is specifically THE 'operation of error' that 2 Thess 2 talks about. 2 Thess 2 9: "But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents 10 and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. 11 So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness."

Just letting the context interpret itself, I believe that any "powerful work and lying signs and portents and...unrighteous deception..." broadly constitutes 'an operation of error' that Satan has and will use to lead people away from the truth. When Paul says 'the lie' in verse 11 he is using it in a general, all-encompassing way to describe anything that would be one of the things he enumerates in verses 9 and 10. So I don't think the apostle Paul was making a specific 'time capsule' type prophecy that has found singular fulfillment in the 1914 teaching. The 1914 creed of JW's and all the wrong interpretations that revolve around acceptance of that belief are simply one kind of operation of error that has misled true Christians.

The context of the prophecy concerning the man of lawlessness had to do with Paul’s warning not to put faith in any sort of announcement to the effect that that the presence of Christ had already begun.

Paul specifically warned Christians not to believe even an “inspired expression” or any sort of verbal or written message, as though it came from the apostles, if it proclaimed that the day of Jehovah was here.

Paul was emphatic: The presence of Christ will not take place until the apostasy comes, first. Then, when the apostasy takes place Christ will expose the man of lawlessness within the spiritual temple of God as an immediate prelude to destroying him completely.

The question ought to be raised though: How does this wicked man of lawlessness infiltrate Christ’s congregation to the extent of actually influencing and controlling it?

Amazingly, Jehovah’s Witnesses have disregarded the apostle’s sage advice. We have absolutely believed the Watchtower’s “inspired expressions” concerning the 7 times and all of that rigmarole.

Through countless “verbal messages” delivered at conventions, assemblies and meetings and through the “written messages” printed by the Watchtower, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been seduced into believing that the awe-inspiring day of Jehovah began in 1914. The Society even has convinced the multitudes under her influence that Jehovah became king in 1914.

There is no question but that Jehovah’s Witnesses assume that the 1914 doctrine is unassailable—constituting it a powerful operation of error. But it is not just a bland doctrinal matter. The very authority of the Watchtower Society is inextricably tied to 1914. It is resolutely taught that Christ judged all religions in 1918 and gave his irrevocable approval to the Watchtower Society. Although they did not exist at the time, the modern institution of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses claims to have been appointed over all the master’s belongings in 1918-19. That gives them tremendous authority over the organization.

In practice it is essentially no different than the Catholic doctrine of Papal infallibility—except perhaps that it is even more cleverly packaged because it is seemingly backed by the authority of the Scriptures. The teaching that Christ has already judged and appointed the faithful slave over all his belongings has created the conditions that make it virtually impossible for any publisher to successfully question the Governing Body without them experiencing swift reprisals from the elders; who, themselves are trained to defend the organization above all else.

This teaching has allowed a man of lawlessness to operate under a cloak of righteousness.

I know from first hand experience. About a year ago when I was arguing my case before a judicial tribunal the one thing that the elders kept bringing back up over and over again is that since Christ appointed the slave over all the master’s belongings already anyone who questioned any of the slave’s doings is questioning Christ himself. In effect, the Watchtower has been given a blank check to spend as it pleases and the elders sign off on that check over and over again. No questions are ever asked by the loyal rank and file. That mindset blinds otherwise morally upright and spiritual men into overlooking all sorts of evil, such as the Watchtower atrocious mishandling of child abuse and Bethel’s spiritually adulterous NGO affair. No doubt the Society’s lawlessness in these matters is due to the influence of the man of lawlessness, who himself derives his ecclesiastical authority from the artfully contrived 1914 doctrine.

It must be pointed out that these things are not excusable as mere imperfections. The Society condemns Christendom for all sorts of similar sins yet excuses itself for practicing the very same things. That is not attributable to a false step or mere imperfection. It is gross hypocrisy and lawlessness – and it is tolerated only because of the authority the WT has acquired for itself due to the carefully-crafted myth that they are privy to Christ having secretly returned in 1914 in order to put them in charge of everything.

Given the fact that the Society's 1914 doctrine is in direct opposition to Paul's warning not to believe such seemingly inspired expressions -- no matter their source -- it is reasonable to conclude that the apostasy itself is rooted in the false announcement heralding that the presence of Christ has begun.

Please recall, too, that Jesus also specifially warned his followers that his presence would be preceded by those who falsely announced: "The due time has approached."

Yet, in spite of all the foregoing the Watchtower considers the 1914 teaching to be one of the absolute essentials of faith. No one can even be baptized who does not accept the teaching and baptized JWs who reject it are marginalized and even disfellowsipped. Contrary to the NGO affair or the policies of child abuse, which many JW's are not even aware of, the fact that a gross falsehood such as 1914 is included as an article of faith constitues a powerful operation of error that goes forth to those who otherwise know the truth.

Reasoning on the matter further: Jehovah’s Witnesses have been thoroughly convinced that Christ’s invisible presence began in 1914 – not only because of the chronological calculations – but even more convincingly, because of the perceived fulfillment of the biblical sign. While the Society’s Gentile times dogma was, of course, skillfully crafted by very clever men, the events that took place in 1914-1919 could not have been staged by mere men. The fact that the Watchtower’s prophetic expectations seem to have been confirmed by the profound and far-reaching events that erupted in 1914 underscores the influence of the Devil in performing powerful works and lying signs in order to convince the anointed that Christ has already come.

The man of lawlessness is made to appear as a brilliant oracle of God; who foresaw 1914 and all the details of prophecy decades before they unfolded. The true test will come when Christ actually arrives and denounces the organization that has given lodgment to the man of lawlessness. That is when each one’s love of the truth will be put to the fires of test. Sadly, many of Jehovah’s Witnesses will undoubtedly cling to the then-discredited Watchtower and refuse to accept Christ.

The 1,260 and 1,335 days of Daniel's prophecy

2006-01-09T01:33:00.000-08:00

I have enjoyed your essays. I think the leaders of the organization have misled the congregations on the book of Daniel. Would you tell me: what is your understanding of verses 7, 11 and 12 of Daniel chapter 12? Do you think that each count of days run concurrently with the events during the tribulation?

The entire span of verses in the concluding chapter of Daniel read as follows:

“The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, ‘It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.’

I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, ‘My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?’ He replied, ‘Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.’” (NIV)

The Watchtower applies this portion of the prophecy of Daniel to insignificant events of the past century. For example, the Paying Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy commentary says that the 1,335 days were fulfilled in May of 1926 with the release of the book Deliverance. Showing the absurdity of such a notion, those International Bible Students who were supposedly pronounced “happy” to have received Rutherford’s published insights back then have all long since died and the book that supposedly made them happy has even been discarded by the Watchtower and is not considered to have any particular spiritual value for Jehovah’s Witnesses living at this present time. And obviously, those International Bible Students back then did not experience their hoped for deliverance.

It should be clear to honest reasoning persons that the Society’s prophetic interpretations are a work of fiction. Worse, Bethel is not at all disposed to discard such nonsense.

Be that as it is, the time values revealed in Daniel have to do with “the end of the wonderful things.” What are the wonderful things the angel was referring to? The wonderful things have to do with the revelation of Christ in glory. That is what the prophecy of Daniel is all about. Consider, for example, how the prophecy in the 11th chapter of Daniel concludes with the king of the north coming all the way to his end and there being no helper for him because of Michael’s superiority. Certainly the outworking of the final details of that prophecy must be considered “the end of the wonderful things.” Surely no sane person would conclude that Christ’s kingdom has already vanquished the Devil’s political system.

Nevertheless, in spite of what commonsense dictates, the Society uses its ecclesiastical authority to persuade, yes, to demand, that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the wonderful things came to an end back in 1926. How ridiculous!

The desolation of the holy place, which is a sub-theme what runs throughout the prophecy of Daniel, as well as virtually all other prophecies, takes place during the period Christ referred to as the appointed times of the nations. When discussing the destruction of the holy place, which takes place during the conclusion of the system of things (time of the end), Jesus referred the discerning reader to the book of Daniel. It is, therefore apparent that the 1,290 and 1,335 days have to do with the duration of the appointed times of the nations – or the Gentile times as they are sometimes called.

Elsewhere, in the 11th chapter of Revelation specifically, it is revealed that the appointed times for the nations to trample Jehovah’s spiritual temple amount to 42 months – or 1,260 days.

What accounts for the differing periods of time? At this point it is impossible to definitively determine. After all, the book of Daniel is officially sealed up until the time of the end.

One possibility, though, is that the 30 days and 45 days beyond the 1,260 days represent a period of restoration following the 1,260 days during which the holy place is destined to lay desolate.

Perhaps it is an interval during which time there are no holy ones left on the earth, but before the last king is totally annihilated.

It is worth noting that Jesus' earthly ministry lasted approximately 3 & 1/2 years; which is the same as 42 months and 1,260 days. There may also be some chronological significance to the last days of Christ’s life on earth; beginning with the week before his death; when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem and undertook a surprise inspection of Jehovah’s temple; including the post resurrection period of 40 days; when he appeared to his disciples before his ascension; concluding some days after the outpouring of Pentecost, which was a full 50 days from the day of Jesus’ death on the Passover; when the apostles were finally thoroughly infused with God’s spirit before the Jewish rulers – giving evidence that the kingdom of Christ was fully empowered.

That precise time period is unknowable since the record does not state exactly how long it was after Pentecost when the apostles stood before the Jewish high court. But it most certainly is an equivalent period approximating the 75 days beyond the 1,260 (42 month) period.

About e-watchman

2006-01-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

Question for e-watchman: Your interpretation of Bible prophecy is straightforward and by all accounts unassailable. I find it peculiar that you began to publish your findings in 2002, when your research goes back much further; ten years to be exact, as you mentioned for some of your essays. What was it that kept you from publishing your findings earlier? Was it merely a case of first presenting them to the governing body? When did you see the need to become a watchman for the Watchtower and Jehovah’s witnesses, and what gave rise to the impetus behind your work, shortly before you began publication other than the need to prepare us for the “twist and turns” that will confound us in the future time of trouble?

Given the times of trouble peculiar to the 20th century, what more could Jehovah’s witnesses learn in terms of our faith and reliance on Jehovah in times of distress? Couldn’t any attempt to discredit the Watchtower on so many issues create more confusion, further aggravating our blindness? After all, didn’t the Watchtower reject your findings when you “dutifully” first presented to them?

Having once been what some call a zealous “Society man,” I was initially bound by a deep sense of organizational loyalty to wait on the Watchtower to get it right. So, for five or six years I wrote to various Governing Body members and to the Writing Department — assuming they would be quick to see the truth and publish it. Looking back, I was very naïve.

But those were the formative years for me; when I was reading the prophets over and over and rethinking everything and learning how to use a computer and write semi-coherently. My loyalty to Jehovah was also being tested by various personal trials and petty persecutions by the elders. Through all of that there was a growing awareness that Jehovah was preparing me for something unorthodox.

Just to clarify things though, my earliest research centered mostly on the prophecies dealing with political entities like the king of fierce countenance, the king of the north, the modern king of Tyre, the vision of Habakkuk, and so forth. But I was still laboring under the assumption that the Society’s 1914 doctrine was true up until early 2002. Since so many of the Society’s prophetic interpretations are centered upon that date the realization that Christ had not become king in 1914 changed everything for me; I realized that Jehovah’s Witnesses were burdened with a strongly-entrenched, institutionalized operation of error.

2002 was definitely the tipping point for me. Not only the falsity of the 1914 doctrine, but the Watchtower’s response to the NGO affair and the publicity surrounding the child abuse scandal made me realize that the Society had been thoroughly leavened with corruption. I came to understand that Jehovah had caused a deep sleep to overtake those who should be wide awake and their somnolence allowed the man of lawlessness to operate within the organization. At that point I began to appreciate how so many of the prophecies applied to a future judgment of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

It became apparent to me that Jehovah opened my eyes to these things for a reason. I was obligated to sound the alarm, even as Psalms 119:13 says: “With my lips I have declared all the judicial decisions of your mouth.”

So, following the pattern of the ancient prophets and watchmen who originally announced Jehovah’s judgments, I began to publish as e-watchman in September of 2002.

Although there are many faithless persons who wish to expose the Watchtower for their own personal reasons, I have come to appreciate that it is Jehovah’s purpose to publicly discredit the organization. The reason is because the Society has presented itself as the all-seeing oracle of God and has subtly promoted an insidious form of organizational idolatry among Jehovah’s Witnesses – to the diminishment of Jehovah’s glory. Their humiliation is inevitable.

By my making these issues public, not only is a record established charting the depth of the Society’s error, but it forces the Watchtower’s leadership to demonstrate the lengths to which they will go to whitewash over these matters – thus, adding to their guilt before God. That is how it worked in ancient times. The error was one matter, but it was how the priests, princes and kings responded to the messages of the prophets that ultimately determined their fate.

As for the charge that I am adding to the confusion, that is a natural reaction. After all, our overturning the Trinity, for example, often causes believers in that doctrine to go through a period of mental confusion – assuming they make the effort to reason upon the issues.

The fact is, anytime our long-held beliefs are challenged by the facts it initially creates in the mind a discomforting condition of confusion and uncertainty. The state of confusion presents a test of our faith and the depth of our love of truth. A faith based on falsehoods and blind allegiance to men is an untested faith. Resolving these troubling issues in a positive way, based upon the Scriptures, results in deepening our faith and trust in God and our love for him.

Jehovah's witnesses believe that Jesus was enthroned as king in 1914. I know that date does not hold water at all. Was Jesus given the kingship after his death and resurrection; when he appeared to the eleven apostles and said at Mathew 28:18 "All authority has been given me in heaven and on earth."?

All authority was given to Jesus following his resurrection, but that does not mean that he began to exercise that authority immediately. The Psalm says that Jesus was invited to sit at Jehovah’s right hand until a specified time when he would begin to rule over his enemies.

What about The Gentile Times?

2005-12-29T05:28:00.000-08:00

Some witness friends of mine have asked me to reconsider the gentile times prophesy, as interpreted by the watchtower organization. I have re-examined their interpretation and have also re-examined your essay "Was 1914 the end of the Gentile times?"I would appreciate your view on the chronological interpretation of Daniel with regard to the 2,520 days relating to years and hence starting in 607 bce and ending in 1914.You mention chronology at the beginning of your essay and then refer to PYRAMIDOLOGY as a basis for CT Russell’s interpretations. What do you mean?I need the answers to these questions so that I can defend my position.Many thanks

The Gentile times essay makes the case that the so-called Gentile times, that is, the interval God has allowed for the nations to trample “Jerusalem,” has nothing to do with the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 BCE, or whenever it was supposed to have occurred. It is therefore pointless to argue pro or con whether Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem in 607. It makes for historic trivia but it is irrelevant in terms of Christ’s prophecy.

If common sense prevailed instead of dogma, it would become apparent that Jesus was foretelling a future trampling of the holy place, not a trampling that had occurred five centuries before.

According to numerous related prophecies, the appointed times that Jesus referred to in the 21st chapter of Luke has to do with the trampling of the holy ones during the tribulation. In the first century the Romans fulfilled the prophecy when they razed the temple. In the grander fulfillment the 8th king will trample on God’s spiritual temple for a specified interval. The 11th chapter of Revelation indicates that the appointed times for the beast to lay waste to God’s holy place amounts to 42 months.

As for the pyramidology, Russell was captivated by the idea that pyramids had built-in chronological values that supposedly held divine secrets. It was believed that the measurements of interior passageways represented years – an inch for a year instead of a day for a year. By such means Russell calculated that 1914 would be the year the world would end. In reality using pyramidology to divine the future amounts to spiritistic divination. After Russell’s death the Watchtower junked pyramidology but kept 1914 as the year that Christ’s parousia began. (Russell taught that Christ’s presence began in 1874.)

E-watchman maintains that the 1914 doctrine is the foretold operation of error promoted by Satan through means of powerful works and lying signs and every unrighteous deception. The fact that 1914 has is roots in the demonistic art of divination is one aspect of an unrighteous deception. World War One and the outbreak of the Spanish Flu in 1918 were very powerful signs intended to convince Jehovah's people that Christ had begun ruling.

The 1914 doctrine has been used as cover for a man of lawlessness within the organization. By using prophecy to convince Jehovah's Witnesses that Christ came in 1918 to remove an evil slave from the midst of the organization and that he appointed a faithful slave over all of his belongings, the Watchtower has cloaked itself in infallability and placed all evil and apostasy outside the Governing Body. That's why Jehovah's Witnesses are incredulous when presented with the evidence of the Watchtower's corruption and apostasy. The general reaction is 'Oh, the Watchtower could never do that. Jehovah wouldn't allow it.'

The 1914 doctrine and all that goes with it has been instrumental in enabling a man of lawlessness to lead the organization into apostasy without anyone questioning it.

For more on the man of lawlessness see the essay entitled Mystery of the Antichrist

Christendom or Jehovah's Witnesses?

2005-12-28T07:35:00.000-08:00

For many years the Watchtower has taught apostate Judah and her condemnatory judgment from Jehovah is a representation of Christendom. The nation of Judah was in a covenant with Jehovah, likewise could not Christendom also be viewed as being in a covenant with Jehovah, although now apostatized, since her origins are from first century Christianity, when true Christianity was being practiced, in a covenant with Jehovah, during the time of the Apostles? Is it correct to use the spiritual decay of Judah and Israel prior to Jehovah's judgment as a precursor of what is to happen to Jehovah's earthly organization? Is not the prophetic pattern for Christendom?

All of the prophets and Psalms point to the coming of Christ – either to his coming as a man in the first century, or to his coming again in the power of his kingdom. In both settings of his coming, however, Jesus comes first as a judge to a nation of people who are in a covenant with Jehovah.

In the first instance of his coming, Jesus inspected the Jewish temple and nation as a whole and found them to be lacking. The second time Christ appears, as Paul worded it, follows the same pattern but is in connection with his spiritual nation – those who are in a covenant with Jehovah by virtue of having been anointed.

The prophecy of Malachi foretells:

“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he must clear up a way before me. And suddenly there will come to His temple the true Lord, whom you people are seeking, and the messenger of the covenant in whom you are delighting. Look! He will certainly come,” Jehovah of armies has said.

“But who will be putting up with the day of his coming, and who will be the one standing when he appears? For he will be like the fire of a refiner and like the lye of laundrymen. And he must sit as a refiner and cleanser of silver and must cleanse the sons of Levi; and he must clarify them like gold and like silver, and they will certainly become to Jehovah people presenting a gift offering in righteousness. And the gift offering of Judah and of Jerusalem will actually be gratifying to Jehovah, as in the days of long ago and as in the years of antiquity.

“And I will come near to you people for the judgment, and I will become a speedy witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against those swearing falsely, and against those acting fraudulently with the wages of a wage worker, with the widow and with the fatherless boy, and those turning away the alien resident, while they have not feared me,” Jehovah of armies has said.

“For I am Jehovah; I have not changed. And you are sons of Jacob; you have not come to your finish. From the days of your forefathers you have turned aside from my regulations and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” Jehovah of armies has said.

The Messenger of the covenant is none other than Jesus Christ – he being the mediator of the new covenant. Just as in the first century, Jesus is dispatched by Jehovah to make an inspection of an organization which Jehovah himself recognizes as belonging to him. Christ’s inspection of the Jewish system ultimately resulted in it being cast off and destroyed. So, too, when Christ comes to judge his Father’s spiritual temple he comes with the fire of a refiner and the lye of a laundryman in order to subject God’s people to a fiery purge.

The Watchtower recognizes that the prophecy of Malachi applies to Christ’s congregation and not Christendom; however, they have formulated an extensive mythology in order to convince Jehovah’s Witnesses that Jesus came to the temple way back in 1918. It is necessary for the Watchtower Society to invent an alternative realty so that it might continue to present itself as the gleaming city on the hill – a sinless spiritual paradise. Placing the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy of the coming of the Messenger of the covenant to a future point in time would be an admission that all is not as it should be in the organization – and hence in need of Christ’s fiery correction for having left off the fear of Jehovah.

But since Christ’s second coming to his Father’s temple follows the pattern established by his first coming, we ought to look to Jesus’ own teachings for confirmation as to the timing of his inspection.

In Jesus’ prophecy concerning his presence he foretold that the holy place and Jerusalem would be destroyed by a disgusting thing. In the first century the holy place was the Jewish temple, which was indeed destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. However, as we know, Jesus prophecy had a much farther-reaching application – one pertaining to Jesus’ second appearance.

The question then arises: What is the modern holy place that is destined to be destroyed and trampled on? The Watchtower says the holy place represents Christendom and the “Jerusalem” that is to be trampled on during a time allotted to the nations represents God’s kingdom – which began to be trampled on thousands of years ago, when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and deposed the Judean king.
(For a discussion of the true meaning of the Gentile Times)

But if the Watchtower’s interpretation is correct, why did Jesus tell his followers to flee when they first caught sight of the disgusting thing standing in a holy place? According to the Watchtower, Jehovah’s Witnesses have gotten out of Christendom and Babylon the Great back in 1919; so if the holy place of Jesus’ prophecy represents Christendom, why would true Christians need to flee out of it during the hour of Christ’s “meting out justice” – as it says at Luke 21:22?

(For a more in depth discussion of the modern holy place, see the essay entitled: Let the Reader Use Discernment)

If the Psalms and the prophets all relate to Christ, and since only a small portion of the Psalms and prophecies were fulfilled upon Jesus’ first coming, it is apparent that a significant portion of the Hebrew Scriptures point to Christ’s second appearance. Revelation confirms that.

Since virtually all the prophets relate, not just to Jehovah’s judgment against unfaithful Israel and Judah, but more especially to the subsequent restoration of a repentant, forgiven remnant – following the administering of God’s discipline – we may be sure that the same pattern applies in the finale of things.

But the problem with the Watchtower’s prophetic exegesis is that it has the order of the pattern completely reversed. On the one hand the Society claims that the holy place symbolizes unholy Christendom, but other prophecies pertaining to the desolation of the holy place are interpreted to apply to the Watchtower in 1918-19 and during the Second World War.

But, really, what evidence is there that any organization representing a spiritual Israel suffered anything remotely analogous to the destruction and spiritual exile Judah suffered in the 5th century B.C.E?

The Society claims that the International Bible Students fit the pattern of prophecy when Joseph Rutherford and seven other officers of the Watchtower spent seven or eight months in prison. But is that reasonable? In the ancient pattern Jerusalem and Jehovah’s temple were completely destroyed. How can any sensible person claim that the government’s censoring of a couple of pages of the Finished Mystery book compares with the complete desolation of Jerusalem?

Frankly, the Society’s prophetic interpretations tied to 1918-19 are patently nonsensical.

Since there are many, many prophecies that point to the ultimate desolation of Christ’s congregation during the great tribulation, the only sensible and scriptural interpretation of these many intertwined prophecies is that the holy place that is foretold to be trampled by a disgusting thing relates to those whom Jehovah recognizes as belonging to himself.

For example, Isaiah 43:25-28 states: “I—I am the One that is wiping out your transgressions for my own sake, and your sins I shall not remember. Remind me; let us put ourselves on judgment together; tell your own account of it in order that you may be in the right. Your own father, the first one, has sinned, and your own spokesmen have transgressed against me. So I shall profane the princes of the holy place, and I will give Jacob over as a man devoted to destruction and Israel over to words of abuse.”

The 43rd chapter of Isaiah is the basis for our calling ourselves Jehovah’s Witnesses; and the overall context appears to be Jehovah delivering a soliloquy, but which, in fact, is Jehovah speaking to his exiled sons as if by means of a message in a time capsule, during the time of Christ’s second appearance.

So, now, in regards to the span of verses cited above, if the princes of the holy place who are given over to destruction during the judgment symbolizes Christendom, how can we reconcile the fact that Jehovah ultimately wipes out all their sins and transgressions? (Jehovah is merciful but will by no means grant an exemption from punishment to even his own sons)

The Society’s commentary (or lack there of) on these verses of Isaiah is a study in interpretive flimflamery. (See Isaiah’s Prophecy Vol II, page 59) Of course, the Watchtower has insulated itself from accountability for its own teachings and it is not permissible for Jehovah’s Witnesses to critically discuss such things in the congregation. Any of Jehovah’s Witnesses who openly question such things are marginalized as opposers and apostates.

So, that is why the organization is saddled with numerous contradictions and absurdities, such as discussed here.

Was Jesus talking about his followers @ Mt 24:9-14

2005-12-27T05:21:00.000-08:00

Was Jesus talking specifically about his own followers at Matthew 24:9-14?

The span of verses in question reads:

“Then people will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”

Jesus’ prophecy originally forecasted events that were fulfilled in a general way in the first century — but only in a general way. However, it does establish a pattern of how events will ultimately unfold in the finale.

As you likely are aware, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that all the essential elements of Jesus’ prophecy have already been realized over the course of the past century. Has there been an increasing of criminal lawlessness in recent decades? Without a doubt.

How about persecution? Certainly Jehovah’s Witnesses have been objects of hatred in the world too. Untold numbers of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been imprisoned and even put to death by the Nazis and Soviet communists; and we continue to be persecuted by officials in various lands — particularly the Islamic nations of the former USSR.

Also, it is easy to point to clerics and cultists in Christendom as the false prophets who have arisen to mislead the masses. As far as the good news of the kingdom being preached throughout the earth, Jehovah’s Witnesses have also undeniably spearheaded a remarkable world-wide kingdom witnessing campaign in hundreds of languages.

Certainly these developments, beginning with the critical turning point in 1914, have thoroughly convinced Jehovah’s Witnesses that — except for the outbreak of the great tribulation — the words of Christ have already come to pass.

However, upon closer examination, there are compelling reasons to believe that these events have not fulfilled the prophecy as the Watchtower Society presently imagines.

Take the matter of the foretold increasing of lawlessness and the cooling off of the love of the greater number. "Lawlessness," as it is used in the Scriptures, does not necessarily relate to criminal activity; but, rather, to apostasy and hypocrisy. For example, Jesus said that he would tell all religious hypocrites who spoke falsely in his name to “get away from me you workers of lawlessness.” Then there is the “man of lawlessness,” whom Paul wrote about, who promotes apostasy among Christians and even sits down in Jehovah’s temple, pretending to be God.

As for the cooling off, that must pertain to Jehovah’s people as well. Consider the fact that Jesus rebuked some of the anointed Ephesian Christians in his letter to them in Revelation for leaving the love they had at first. As all of Jehovah’s Witnesses know, Jesus’ letters to the seven congregations really apply to Christ’s anointed followers in the Lord’s day. It shows that some anointed Christian allow their love for God to grow cold. So, it is evident that the increasing of lawlessness and hypocrisy, along with a cooling off of love for God, takes place among Jehovah’s Witnesses and not Christendom, as we presently imagine. (For a more thoroughly discussion of this aspect of the sign of Jesus’ presence see the essay entitled: A Closer Look at 1914)

In order to better understand Jesus’ prophecy it is well that we consider the same prophecy as it was recorded by Mark and Luke. Although the essentials are the same, there a few unique details in each Gospel account that differ from each other. Let’s consider an aspect of both accounts in Mark and Luke that is omitted by Matthew, which foretell that Christ’s witnesses will be persecuted in their synagogues and hauled before judges and even kings and that brothers and family members will have Christ’s chosen ones put to death.

Here is where it is important to take note of the first century pattern and the fact that Jesus did not originally set his disciples strictly apart from the Jews. Even after his anointing as the Messiah Jesus went to the temple and even attended services in local synagogues and no doubt his apostles and male disciples did so too. In fact, Jesus even announced his anointing in front of a congregation in his local synagogue — for which he was immediately persecuted.

However, after Jesus was resurrected all of that changed. Prior to Jesus’ death the disciples had been instructed to go out preaching saying “the kingdom of God has drawn near.” But after Jesus' ascension to heaven and the outpouring of the holy spirit ten days later, the apostles and disciples began preaching a slightly different message. They no longer announced that the kingdom was near, but instead they bore witness to Christ’s resurrection and that the kingdom was here — “here” as the newly formed congregation of God with Christ as the King of a spiritual kingdom. The Jewish institution that Jehovah had used and that Christ recognized and supported had suddenly become irrelevant.

It was the continued witnessing to Jesus’ resurrection that aroused the hatred and animosity of the Jewish establishment, who were the very ones who had had killed Christ. The apostles were hauled before the high court and ordered to stop preaching. Peter was imprisoned for a brief time. Afterwards, a great persecution arose. During that first wave of persecution the apostle James was killed, also Stephen. The book of Acts reports that all of the disciples living in Jerusalem were scattered. No doubt that meant that they also were thrown out of the synagogues and ostracized from their non-believing family members and from the Jewish community and the religion they were accustomed to. Later, Paul was hauled before governors and kings. But since all of the original Christians were Jewish and they did not at first renounce Judaism when they became believers, the “brothers” who persecuted them were their own Jewish country men. After congregations sprang up outside of Palestine the Jews also took to persecuting Jewish believers.

What does the first century pattern establish for us? Anointed Christians today among Jehovah’s Witnesses are in a similar position relative to the Lord’s parousia as were the apostles before Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then, as now, the apostles and 70 whom Jesus sent out to preach did not fully grasp how Jehovah’s purposes were going to work out. Although they were charged with announcing that the kingdom had drawn near the apostles were laboring under the fallacy that Jesus was going to become an earthly king and re-establish the kingdom of David in Jerusalem right then and there. They could not comprehend what Jesus was saying when he spoke of his death and resurrection. (See essay: Who is Blind as the Servant of Jehovah?) The Watchtower's "invisible presence" doctrine has similarly deluded Jehovah's Witnesses into believing that the kingdom is already here.

Nevertheless, in spite of the apostles' ignorance, Jesus told them that they would not complete the circuit of Israel until the son of man arrived. So, in that respect they fully accomplished their ministry and then the resurrected son of man arrived. But before that, when Jesus was arrested and executed, all of the apostles and disciples were stumbled. But when Jesus appeared to them after his resurrection, he first rebuked them for being slow of heart to believe, but then he fully opened up their minds to understand the prophecies as they related to Christ. The transformation of the apostles was astounding.

Jesus’ numerous supernatural appearances before his disciples immediately following his resurrection, including his last manifestation before Paul as the glorified king of God’s kingdom, establishes a pattern to be fulfilled during Christ’s parousia. Just as those apostles were originally entrusted with a preaching work, even though they were in a state of ignorance that was not remedied until after Jesus appeared to them from the spirit realm, so too, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been preaching about God’s kingdom in a similar state of ignorance and disbelief that will not be dispelled until the actual revelation of Christ. (See Pay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy Blog)

Just as Jesus literally appeared before his disciples after his resurrection, we should not suppose that the manifestation and revelation of Jesus Christ in glory will be anything less.

The “invisible presence” doctrine adopted by C.T. Russell is a fraud, a hoax, which has allowed the Watchtower to convince Jehovah’s Witnesses that the glorious day of the Lord’s presence has already begun. The Society has effectively rendered the manifestation of Christ into a non-event. Jehovah, of course, has allowed an operation of error of this nature in order to set the stage for a final decisive test to be imposed that will separate the true for the false.

Just imagine if Jesus returned today and he revealed himself in some miraculous manner to his chosen ones! What a shock that would be to those who were convinced that Jesus has already been invisibly present since 1914!

But just as the resurrected Jesus only appeared to those within the Jewish system who had already proven themselves to be his disciples, in the same way the presence of Christ will only become manifest to his approved chosen ones within the Watchtower Society. At that point the Watchtower Society will have served its purpose, just as Jerusalem and the Jewish system had in the first century. That will inevitably set the stage for the true sons of God being persecuted and reviled by those who are organizationally bound to the Society's 1914 operation of error.

In view of the fact that the Watchtower is hard-set and determined to disfellowship every Witness who rejects or even questions the 1914 dogma, it seems inevitable that those who eventually are compelled by the spirit to bear witness to the genuine presence of Christ will be thrown from the synagogues (kingdom halls). During the confusion of war and global pandemic the Society’s hardline loyalists stand posed to act as false prophets and persecutors of Christ’s chosen brothers. Add the pressures brought on by dictatorial tyranny and a police state, it is not hard to envision a scenario where congregational brothers and family members betray Christ’s followers to authorities.

Such a development would bring about the circumstances, whereby, Jesus’ chosen and sealed brothers would find themselves in prison, sickly and on the street without a home—naked and hungry. It should be recognized that at present no such conditions exist among those even professing to be anointed. The implosion of the Watchtower Society at Christ’s presence would set the stage for the judgment of the sheep and the goats.

Jehovah's Witnesses and Blood Transfusions

2005-12-22T04:47:00.000-08:00

I'm becoming confused with the debate on blood. I always understood the issue to be a moral one and more about Jesus sacrifice. All the standards that I have based my life on are being eroded away. “Abstain from,” is being interpreted as meaning just abstain from eating blood as food. But does the Bible really forbid the use of blood for medical purposes?

If it was a mistake for Jehovah’s Witnesses who lost their lives because of refusing blood, was it also a mistake for those who took bullets for others in the concentration camps and gave up their lives? Has it all been for nothing?

Most likely the reason this issue has come up in your mind at this time is due to the recent publication of an essay critical of the Watchtower’s policy on blood. (Excerpts of the essay were posted on e-jehovahs-witnesses.com)

It is well to keep in mind that there are usually always two sides to every issue. And on an issue as controversial as the Watchtower’s blood policy, there are sure to be many critics. As Christians, though, our task is to tune out the cacophony of controversy as best we can and determine what Jehovah’s will in the matter is.

It is worth noting that the author of the recently published essay lost her mother, who happened to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses; supposedly, because she refused a blood transfusion. I say “supposedly” because we don’t know the circumstances surrounding her death.

At any rate, the author obviously is not an unbiased observer. Furthermore, Baylor University is the largest Baptist university in the United States and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston obviously trains student doctors in the use of blood. So, let’s not lose sight of the obvious personal point of reference of the author of the essay.

The essay, entitled "Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood Transfusions, and the Tort of Misrepresentation," critically examines the brochure “How Can Blood Save Your Life?” And, among other things, she accuses the Watchtower of overstating the risks of blood transfusions. But is that really true? Have the risks been overstated to terrify Jehovah’s Witnesses? That is merely the essayist’s opinion and not a fact of law. One can alternatively argue that the blood industry and the medical establishment have consistently understated the risks of blood transfusions. For example Pulmonary News Dot Com points out some of the inherent risks. Back in the 1980’s thousands of people were given transfusions that were contaminated with HIV.

The National Academies’ website states: “In the early 1980s, more than half of the 16,000 hemophiliacs in the United States and more than 12,000 blood transfusion patients were infected with HIV through contaminated blood. Some of them unknowingly gave the virus to their spouses, partners, and newborn children.”

There is no doubt that the numbers of persons who have died from transfusion related complications far outweighs the numbers of Jehovah’s Witnesses who have died for lack of blood. The truth is that blood screening techniques are only effective for known pathogens. There is always the risk of newly emerging diseases infecting the blood supply before they can be identified. And in some parts of the world blood is not screened because of the expense in doing so.

Uninformed persons may be of the impression that the Watchtower has callously stood by while thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses die on the operating tables because of refusing blood transfusions. Nothing could be further from the truth. Besides the fact that the numbers of Jehovah’s Witnesses who have died is most likely grossly overstated; the truth is, to their credit, the Watchtower has single-handedly changed the way that many in the medical establishment view the matter of blood transfusions.

Instead of constant confrontations between doctors and patients, there is now a greater willingness on the part of medical professionals to accommodate and cooperate with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

This has come about because the Watchtower Society has trained hundreds of elders around the world to serve on Hospital Liaison Committees in order to educate the medical community regarding our views on blood. The result has been that doctors are much more open to alternative therapies that are not objectionable to Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are even surgical facilities devoted to bloodless medicine. For example, Motts Children’s Hospital, which is connected with Michigan University, practices bloodless surgery. The hospital even credits the HCL of Jehovah’s Witnesses for their cooperation. Here is a quote from their website:

“C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, in cooperation with the local Hospital Liaison Committee of Jehovah’s Witnesses, will provide training and on-site education for physicians, nurses, and affiliates in their offices and the hospital to ensure smooth operation of this program and its affiliates. Mott Hospital can provide speakers for continuing education programs relevant to the treatment of bloodless medicine and surgery patients as well as community education programs.”

But as all of Jehovah’s Witnesses should know, our refusal to take blood transfusions is not because of any perceived medical risks from doing so. Just the opposite, in fact. We are willing to take the risk of not accepting blood transfusions in order not to violate God’s law.

Can any lawyer, doctor, or self-styled Bible expert assure us that “abstaining from blood” does not include blood transfusions? Of course not. Each Christian, therefore, must make every effort to know what God’s will is in this matter. As Paul said: 'Go on perceiving what the will of God is.'

If some of Jehovah's Witnesses view the blood issue as a conscience matter, we still have to follow the dictates of our own conscience, not someone else's conscience. And even if, due to legal pressures, the Watchtower were to drop the prohibition on blood, that would not absolve Christians from the obligation of individually obeying God’s word either.

How important than to "make sure of all things," as the apostle admonished.

For more information see No Blood Dot Org

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Murder? Yahweh? Book of Enoch? & Ray Franz?

2005-12-19T04:49:00.000-08:00

If many parts of Ezekiel foretell the coming collapse of the WT and the calamity from judgment, how do the accounts of Jehovah saying that there is much bloodshed and murdering come into play? I do not see where theWT is guilty of such, please clarify. You have pointed out how they are guilty of idolatry, prostitution and other faithless acts, but how does bloodshed fit in the picture?

From a human point of view, murder is solely the willful, usually violent, act of taking another’s life. However, from Jehovah’s exalted perspective murder involves more than that.

For example, Jesus stated that anyone who remains wrathful with his brother is a murderer. Another aspect of murder is what is called bloodguilt. Bloodguilt may be incurred by simply doing nothing. For instance, Jehovah told Ezekiel that if he saw the executioner’s sword coming upon the city and failed to warn the unwary, then he would also be judged adversely.

Also, according to Jesus, there will be an accounting from everyone who stumbles one of Jehovah’s sheep. That’s because stumbling another causes them to lose faith and potentially lose out on life.

So, it is apparent that from Jehovah’s standpoint murder can involve more than directly killing another person.

Why do the JW's use the word Jehovah when there is no letter in the Hebrew or the Greek and since most now know that the name of the Father is Yahweh. I personally use Yahsha for His Son's name since it means Yah's Saviour. But I do not claim to be any kind of authority in the matter. I only looked at the Hebrew words seeing how the messiah was Jewish and not Greek or from any other culture. I grew up believing in the name of Jesus but always wondered what His Hebrew name was, so I started to study and came to understand that His name was not Jesus, or Iesus. I also don’t think that his name is Yahshua because the “shua” means to cry out, or wealth, or to have riches. Let me know what you think please.

The reason YHWH is spelled with a “J” is because that is the accepted method of English translation. Remember: We speak and write English—not Hebrew. True, the NWT transliterates a few Hebrew words; one that readily comes to mind is Sheol. But since it is not possible to transliterate YHWH anyway, "Jehovah" is as good a translation as any.

Also, keep in mind that God’s name is spelled and pronounced differently in every language according to customs and accepted rules of translation.

The fact is, all proper Hebrew names that are spelled with a “Y” are translated using a “J.” Common names like the Jerusalem, or Jeremiah, are two examples. There are dozens of other names spelled thusly—God’s name is merely one of many that uses a "J" in place of a "Y."

As for “Yahweh” being the correct pronunciation in Hebrew, that is not necessarily the case. Although no one can say for certain how the name was originally pronounced, we can be fairly confident that it was pronounced using three syllables-not two as in Yah-weh. And it seems reasonable to assume, at least to me, that the middle syllable had an “O” vowel sound.

Many proper Hebrew names were evidently derived from the first two syllables of God’s personal name. For instance, Jeho-seba, Jeho-ram, Jeho-shaphat, Jeho-ushua (Jesus), Jeho-zabad, Jeho-nadab, Jeho-nathan (John), Jeho-shabeth; and others besides these. All of those names have the first part of God's personal name as a prefix.

Ye-ho-wah might be the closest to the original Hebrew pronunciation; but again, no one can say with certainty. But since Jehovah has long been recognized as a legitimate and credible English approximation of the name of God, there should not be any valid objection to its continued use by Jehovah's Witnesses.

My back ground is I was born into the religion and now disfellowshipped .I am on a quest for knowledge and have found the keys of Enoch and the Urantia book where now time is a factor, what do you think about these non religiousorganization and the books.

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom. And Jehovah is the source or true knowledge. Jesus said of himself that he is “the way, the truth and the light.” Conversely, the apostle Paul warned Christians not to be taken in by “falsely called knowledge.” If we look to the Bible as our guide it will lead us in the right way. No other book can compare to the Bible.

As part of my current research into the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, I recently came across your site which I find very interesting. The question I would like to ask is this: I recently acquired, and read, Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz. Have you read it, and if so, what is your response to it?

I have read Ray Franz. I really don’t have a response to any specific aspect of his work, except to say, regrettably, that large numbers of Jehovah’s Witnesses who have read his writings have had their faith totally destroyed. Perhaps that is not his intent, but it is an inescapable fact nonetheless.

Some of Jehovah’s Witnesses, understandably, put me in the same camp as Ray Franz. I totally reject that accusation—or whatever you prefer to call it. My approach and intent is exactly the opposite as his. For example, in your question you stated that your research into the Watchtower led you to read Crisis of Conscience. And it can be fairly said, as an insider from the highest level of the Society, Ray Franz certainly delivered the goods on the Watchtower. But honestly, does knowing about the Watchtower’s errors and hypocrisy strengthen our faith or weaken it? The answer is obvious.

However, my work is not merely about exposing Watchtower errors—far from it. That has already been done by Franz and many others. For example, I did not bring the Watchtower’s duplicitous NGO affair to light; nor did I have anything to do with exposing the child abuse scandal. (Neither did Franz for that matter) Neither was I the first to point out the fallacies of 1914. My unique point of reference has always been the Bible—specifically, the prophecies. And in that regard I have endeavored to allow Jehovah himself to speak to these troubling issues from the pages of the prophets.

True, since God himself addresses many of the wrong attitudes and errors that afflict his organization, it is a necessary evil to connect God’s rebuke to specific errors, but unlike Mr. Franz, my primary purpose is not merely to expose error and falsehood; instead, it is to announce Jehovah’s coming judgment to as large a segment of the Watchtower establishment and the worldwide community of Jehovah’s Witnesses as my resources allow, in order that their faith might be in Jehovah and not in a fallible organization.

The Steward

2005-12-12T02:56:00.000-08:00

Watchman, undoubtedly for many bible readers the parable about the rich man and his steward is the hardest to understand of all of Jesus Christ's parables and it's also the least mentioned. The explanation the Society gives is somewhat unclear, at least to me it is, but perhaps some of your other readers could also benefit from a clearer explanation and maybe how the parable could apply to our lives. I look forward to your answer.

Considering that the steward is judged according to the discharge of his duties in connection with his master’s house, Jesus’ illustration, which is recorded at Luke 16:1-8, has all the elements applicable to the judgment of the so-called faithful slave at the return of Christ. Except in this instance, the slave is judged to be unrighteous in some undisclosed matter. So, realizing he is about to be put out of the house, the slave shrewdly uses his authority to makes friends for himself by means of his master’s unrighteous riches.

Previously, in the 12th chapter of Luke, Jesus sternly charged his disciples to stay awake and expectant of his thief-like return. The master’s return would result in judgment for the entire household of stewards. All of the stewards are judged to be negligent to some degree—even those who are ultimately judged to be faithful and discreet and who are subsequent to that final judgment appointed over all their master’s belongings. Describing the punishment of both the faithful and unfaithful slave, Jesus said:

“Then that slave that understood the will of his master but did not get ready or do in line with his will will be beaten with many strokes. But the one that did not understand and so did things deserving of strokes will be beaten with few. Indeed, everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him; and the one whom people put in charge of much, they will demand more than usual of him.”

It would appear, then, that the slave who is beaten with a few strokes parallels the slave who, although unfaithful in some aspect of his stewardship, nonetheless, wins his master’s favor by his discretion in the use of the unrighteous riches entrusted to him.

A related prophecy in the 22nd chapter of Isaiah sheds light upon Jesus’ numerous illustrations regarding the judgment upon the house of God. Isaiah’s prophecy pertains to the removal of an unfaithful servant and appointment of a faithful servant. It reads: "This is what the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies, has said:"

“Go, enter in to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the house, ‘What is there of interest to you here, and who is there of interest to you here, that you have hewed out for yourself here a burial place?’ On a height he is hewing out his burial place; in a crag he is cutting out a residence for himself. ‘Look! Jehovah is hurling you down with violent hurling, O able-bodied man, and grasping you forcibly. Without fail he will wrap you up tightly, like a ball for a wide land. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be the dishonor of the house of your master. And I will push you away from your position; and from your official standing one will tear you down.

And it must occur in that day that I will call my servant, namely, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah. And I will clothe him with your robe, and your sash I shall firmly bind about him, and your dominion I shall give into his hand; and he must become a father to the inhabitant of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I will put the key of the house of David upon his shoulder, and he must open without anyone’s shutting, and he must shut without anyone’s opening. And I will drive him in as a peg in a lasting place, and he must become as a throne of glory to the house of his father.”

In the literal fulfillment Shebna and Eliakim were actual persons who lived during the time of King Hezekiah. However, it should be apparent by the terminology used that it has prophetic significance related to Christ. Notice, for example, it says that Eliakim is entrusted with “the key of the house of David” and that he will be empowered to open doors no one can shut and shut doors no one else can open. This is nearly exactly what Revelation 3:7 states concerning the glorified Christ Jesus. That verse reads as follows: “These are the things he says who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens so that no one will shut, and shuts so that no one opens…”

Furthermore, Eliakim is given a throne and all the glory of his father’s house. That clearly applies to Jesus Christ as well.

Interestingly, the October 1st, 1981, Watchtower discussed the 22nd chapter of Isaiah. It identified Shebna as the clergy and Eliakim as the faithful and discreet slave, who were supposedly appointed over all of the master’s belongings in 1919. However, if that were true it would mean that Jehovah appointed the clergy to an official position over God’s people. After all, at verse 19 Jehovah told Shebna “And I will push you away from your position; and from your official standing…” So, it is apparent that Shebna had an official standing before God, one which God himself recognized.

The Watchtower Society inserts themselves into the place of Christ in the prophecy. Ironically, in that respect they resemble Shebna, of whom Jehovah judged adversely for the very reason that he had misused his position to hew out a special residence and a burial place for himself. This most fittingly applies to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses as an institution, who have used the Scriptures in such a way so as to appoint themselves over all the master’s belongings and secure a place for themselves as the supreme authorities of all things biblical. And with that authority that have also carved out for themselves seemingly permanent residences at Bethel—assuring that they will have honored burial places.

Returning to the illustration of Christ in question, the failure of the unrighteous riches is part of Jehovah’s judgment upon the house of God. That is apparent from James 5:1-3. We may expect, then, that the judgment of Jehovah will destroy the Watchtower as an institution and those who have used their positions of authority for personal gain will find themselves on the street, as it were—weeping and gnashing their teeth--as the unfaithful slave in many of Christ's illustrations. In fact, the prelude to the prophecy in Isaiah calls for a time of weeping and mourning in the 12th verse.

However, individuals within the organization may be judged worthy of overseeing all their master’s belongings based upon their own faithfulness as individuals. The faithful slaves’ appointment over all the master’s belongings relates to their ruling as kings with Christ (Eliakim). This in keeping with the fact that the discreet slave is put out of his master's house but is received into "everlasting dwelling places" (obviously in heaven).

Beth Sarim

2005-12-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

The Watchtower Society had two properties which were purchased for the Prophets of old to occupy when they returned to the earth. One was Beth Sarim ~ House of Princes and the other Beth Shan ~ House of Security. Interestingly, both of these houses were sold. Do they no longer believe that the prophets of old are coming back? Also, as the deeds where put in these prophets name, for them to go and make a claim ~ WHO? ~ Had the right to sell them. I have copies of both the deeds.

Jehovah’s Witnesses still believe in the future earthly resurrection. But as for the legal matters concerning the sale of those properties I suppose you should ask the Society’s Legal Department.

The truth is, the Beth Sarim mansion, which was located in beautiful San Diego over-looking Mission Valley, was the luxurious winter house for Judge Rutherford. The story is Rutherford had gotten ill and suffered permanent lung damage from his brief incarceration in the Atlanta penitentiary in 1918; and consequently, supposedly, he could not endure the cold winters of New York.

So, it is not like the Beth Sarim sat empty awaiting the resurrection to deliver the rightful occupants to Beth Sarim. Apparently the Watchtower’s 2nd president was more than happy to "house sit" until the “ancient worthies” were resurrected to claim the deed to their property.

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Will he really find the faith on the earth?

2005-12-09T03:31:00.000-08:00

At Luke 18:8, Jesus asks the question "...will he really find the faith on the earth?" However, the NWT is the only Bible translation which inserts "the" into this scripture, yet without using the typical brackets that are utilized when words are inserted for clarity by the NWT translators--and even though the expression "the faith" is not in the original Greek nor appears in any interlinear translations. Does it not seem that the expression "the faith" being used here instead of "faith" is intended to point directly to the ideas conveyed by the Watchtower's teaching of having been appointed in 1919? What might be an explanation for saying Jesus will be looking for "the faith" and not that he will be looking for "faith" on the earth at his return? Finally, can you elaborate on what Jesus will be looking for at his return when he uses the expression "the faith" or "faith" (depending on your determination as to the NWT's handling of Jesus' words), and how we personally can be found by him in this regard?

Actually, the expression “the faith” is used in numerous places in the Greek Scriptures, and not only in the New World Translation but in others as well. For example, Acts 6:7 reads: “Consequently the word of God went on growing, and the number of the disciples kept multiplying in Jerusalem very much; and a great crowd of priests began to be obedient to the faith.” The King James and the NIV as well as other versions I checked all say “the faith” in that particular verse.

1 Corinthians 16:13 also refers to “the faith.” It reads: “Stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on as men, grow mighty.” The aforementioned translations also use the same expression.

I am not in a position to say why the Watchtower did not put brackets around [the] at Luke 18:8, but it seems that the NWT is justified in using the term “the faith” since it is used elsewhere in the Bible to denote a specific faith.

As for the import of Jesus words, here is the immediate context of Luke 18:8: “Certainly, then, shall not God cause justice to be done for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, even though he is long-suffering toward them? I tell you, He will cause justice to be done to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man arrives, will he really find the faith on the earth?”

Jesus was discussing his return and judgment day. In the previous verses Jesus foretold of a great separation work that would take place, where one will be taken along and the other abandoned. There are reasons, too numerous to cite here, leading to the conclusion that the separation Jesus was taking about will take place among Christians—sifting out the faithful from the unfaithful. The chosen ones, mentioned in the verse under consideration, are those who pass the test, which Revelation 3:10 refers to as a test that is coming upon the entire world.

In verses 9-13 Jesus followed up his comment about “the faith” with an illustration of two men with contrasting attitudes. One man, a Pharisee, prayed to himself boasting of his assumed righteousness because of his following organizational rituals. The other man, a despised tax collector, begged God to have mercy on him because he was a sinner. Jesus concluded the illustration, saying: “I tell you, this man went down to his home proved more righteous than that man; because everyone that exalts himself will be humiliated, but he that humbles himself will be exalted.”

Since the self-exalted have not been humbled and the lowly have not been exalted, and since the context of Jesus’ illustration has to do with the arrival of the Son of man, it would appear that “the faith” Jesus referred to has to do with each one’s faith in God, as opposed to trusting in an organization or in ourselves.

Like the Pharisee of Jesus’ illustration, many of Jehovah’s Witnesses may be inclined to trust in their own righteousness based upon adherence to organizational works. But during the hour of test it will not matter how long one has served at Bethel or how many hours a publisher has spent in field service. That’s because the organization is going to be shattered.

In view of the unquestioning trust (bordering on idolatry) that so many place in the organization, it is not entirely clear whether Jehovah's Witnesses have the sort of faith that can survive the collapse of the Watchtower. That is what will be determined when the Son of man arrives and initiates the judgment upon the house of God.

No doubt that is why Jesus posed the somewhat discomforting question: “When the Son of man arrives, will he really find the faith on the earth?”

What about a rebuilt temple on Mount Moriah?

2005-12-08T05:51:00.000-08:00

Since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E., has there been any attempt made to rebuild the temple at Mount Moriah. Is there any evidence today of any future temple building project at this site? If such a project becomes a reality in the future, what should this indicate to true Christians?

While it is true that millions of evangelicals believe it, the notion that Bible prophecy foretells that the Jews will return to Palestine and that another temple will be built as a prelude to Christ’s return is not supported by the Scriptures. Although highly unlikely, it is possible that some sort of temple might one day be constructed on or near the present site of the Islamic Dome of the Rock, but if so it will have nothing to do with Bible prophecy. If anything it is a satanic deception.

How do we know that the prophecies do not apply to a physical temple? For one thing, Jesus indicated that Jerusalem and its temple were being completely phased out as the center for Jehovah’s worship, when he said the following to the Samaritan woman at the well: “The hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you people worship the Father.”

Rather than worship in a stone and mortar temple, Christ instituted a spiritual temple. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews explains how the Jewish temple merely foreshadowed much greater spiritual realities having to do with Christ. That being the case, what purpose could possibly be served by recreating yet another earthly temple?

The belief that another temple must be built on the site of the former one is a key teaching of what is known as Christian Zionism.

Will Adam & Eve be resurrected?

2005-12-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

The Watchtower teaches that Christ ransom sacrifice does not apply to Adam and Eve since they were created perfect. If the ransom does not apply to them, then why didn’t God destroy them the very day they sinned? Did God use them merely to populate the earth, so that some among Adam’s offspring would benefit from the ransom? Given the circumstances and the pressures under which Adam found himself, he may not have had in mind the long term consequences of his action. At the time, all he saw was his companion Eve as there were no other humans on earth yet. Also, he could have felt responsible for Eve’s action, seeing the manner in which Eve was created and brought to him; the two becoming one flesh in terms of complementing each other. So, does the teaching that Christ’s ransom sacrifice is inapplicable to Adam and Eve biblically sound?

Adam and Eve were sentenced and evicted from the Garden of Eden and prevented from eating from the Tree of Life on the very day they sinned. Although they continued living on the outside of Eden for hundreds of years they eventually died, as God said they would. And from Jehovah’s lofty vantage point—where a thousand years are as one day—they did indeed die on the very day of their eating the forbidden fruit.

As for “pressures” that Adam may have felt Jehovah did not accept Adam’s lame excuse that he disobeyed because of the woman whom God had given him. Adam was the head. He was responsible. He was obligated to obey God regardless of all else.

The Bible says that sin entered the world through one man—not through the woman—even though Eve sinned first and led her husband into rebellion against God. Interestingly, centuries later the Law of Jehovah stipulated that a woman’s father or husband was the final arbiter of all vows engaged in by his daughters or wives. In other words, a woman’s spiritual relationship with God was mediated to a limited extend by the head of the family. Here is part of the Law as recorded in the 30th chapter of Numbers: “But if her husband on the day of hearing it forbids her, he has also annulled her vow that was upon her or the thoughtless promise of her lips that she bound upon her soul, and Jehovah will forgive her.”

Of course, Adam and Eve were not under the Mosaic legal system, however, this provision of the Law reveals Jehovah’s legal mind on the matter of headship. Since Adam was Eve’s head it is quite possible that if he would have resisted the temptation to join his wife in eating the forbidden fruit he could have annulled Eve’s thoughtless act and Jehovah may have forgiven her. That makes Adam’s failure to adhere to God’s law all the more reprehensible and tragic. It also helps us to appreciate why Paul said that sin entered the world through the man.

As for the ransom applying to Adam and Eve the Mosaic Law also sheds light upon that question as well. The 35th chapter of Numbers outlines the provision for cities of refuge for unintentional manslayers. However, the Law stipulated that a willful murderer was to be put to death without fail. There was no refuge for him. Likewise, the Law required that the negligent owner of a goring bull, who knew that the bull was dangerous but did nothing and someone was fatally gored as a consequence, was to be put to death. He could not pay any sort of monetary ransom for his neglect.

That legal principle certainly applies to Adam. By his neglect to obey the command of God he became a willful murderer of the then unborn. He sold not only himself into slavery to sin and death but also the billions of his unborn offspring. Just as the willful murderer could not pay any ransom or find refuge in the city of refuge, so too Adam had to pay the price for his willful disobedience. In accord with the Law, which was a shadow of the reality of Christ, Jesus’ ransom must only apply to those who were unwillingly sold into death and who are unintentional sinners—not to Adam and Eve who had the choice of life and death, but who chose sin and death.

Will the "victims" of Armageddon be resurrected?

2005-12-04T21:11:00.000-08:00

The WTS teaches that the billions of victims of the Armageddon battle will not be resurrected, because they will have been sent to Gehenna, and not to Sheol. What is your viewpoint on this?

The Bible does not depict those who will be put to death during the war of Armageddon as “victims.” Armageddon is the culmination of Jehovah’s judgment against Satan’s world. It will be preceded by a series of cataclysmic events which will serve to put the world on notice that God’s kingdom has begun ruling. Those events will also be accompanied by a new phase of preaching by Jehovah’s Witnesses—specifically those who will at that time be recognized by Jehovah as the sons of the kingdom. Their presence on earth will be the means by which God holds the nations of the world accountable to him based upon the treatment meted out upon the sons of the kingdom. Those who fail to respond appropriately will demonstrate that they refuse to submit to God’s sovereignty, and will hence forfeit life—indefinitely.

What about Joel?

2005-11-30T01:55:00.000-08:00

I have read most of your essays and commentaries and find them very interesting, but as you know there are some JWs who have published blogs that contradict what you have written. One blog called ‘the truth about the truth’ discusses the prophecy of Joel and defends the WT teaching. I would be very interested to see your response to this. Thanks.

The blog you are referring to doesn’t really explain the prophecy of Joel at all. It merely discusses one span of verses in the 2nd chapter of Joel. By restricting his treatment of Joel to a couple of verses the blogger apparently wants to give the impression that he has offered some sort of legitimate interpretation of the entire prophecy. Thinking persons, though, should realize that the prophecy of Joel cannot adequately be explained or comprehended by such simplistic means.

Even though it is his intent to defend the Watchtower, it seems most telling that the blog does not offer any comment on the Watchtower’s own bizarre interpretation of Joel. Likely the blogger recognizes that the Society’s teaching is indefensible. So, to avoid calling attention to the Society’s own ridiculous teaching and spare himself the embarrassment of actually defending the obvious absurdities, the blogger adroitly focuses on a couple of verses in Joel, which the apostle Peter applied to the Pentecost anointing.

(For the uninformed: For 70 years the Watchtower has taught that the locusts, caterpillers and loathsome cockroaches of Joel, which wreak havoc upon the world, somehow represent Jehovah’s Witnesses. Conversely, the priests ministering in Jehovah’s temple are presumed to symbolize the clergy of Christendom, who are supposedly tormented by the Watchtower’s message delivered through their army of insect-like ministers. Click here for a detailed discussion of Joel.)

Based upon the apostle’s application of one aspect of Joel, the Watchtower then extrapolates an entire timeframe for the prophecy of Joel in order to convince Jehovah’s Witnesses that the foretold outpouring of holy spirit occurred in 1919. The blogger is simply parroting the Society’s line of reasoning in an obvious attempt to persuade the gullible reader to continue to believe the Watchtower’s interpretation, without doing so overtly—for obvious reasons.

Both the Watchtower and her apologist blogger are evidently oblivious to certain vital aspects of the prophecy of Joel. For one thing, Joel had no previous fulfillment during the Babylonian conquests of Judah. That is apparent from the fact the prophecy does not even mention the Babylonians or Chaldeans—as do the other prophets. Instead, the invaders are merely referred to as “the northerner”--as in the king of the north. Also, in the 3rd chapter of Joel Jehovah indicts the Phoenicians for stealing the treasures of his temple and for selling the sons of Judah to the sons of the Greeks. Historically the nations of Philistia did not loot the temple in Jerusalem nor did the Babylonians sell the Jewish exiles to the Greeks.

Another incongruity is that in the 1st chapter of Joel Jehovah commands his priests and older men to call a solemn assembly and go to the house of God in order to call upon the name of Jehovah for salvation. That is exactly opposite of the instructions Jehovah issued to the Jews and Christians. Jeremiah, for instance, told the Jews they would keep living only if they fell away to the Chaldeans and abandoned the city of Jerusalem and the temple. Jesus similarly told his followers that they were to flee Jerusalem when the disgusting thing first stood in a holy place. In both instances if the Jews would have fled to the temple, as the older men were instructed in Joel, they would have perished at the hands of the invaders.

Furthermore, the prophecy of Joel does not merely foretell disaster for God’s people; the onslaught of the symbolic locusts devastates the world. Consider Joel 2:2-3, which says: “There is a people numerous and mighty; one like it has not been made to exist from the indefinite past, and after it there will be none again to the years of generation after generation. Ahead of it a fire has devoured, and behind it a flame consumes. Like the garden of Eden the land is ahead of it; but behind it is a desolate wilderness, and there has also proved to be nothing thereof escaping.”

Jehovah’s prophet describes the invaders as a unique military force—one which has no historical parallel. In fact, the language used in the above verse is very similar to the way Jesus described the great tribulation, when he said that no disaster has ever happened or will ever happen again to compare with the great tribulation.

A sober-minded reading of Joel reveals the timeline of events to occur. First, Jehovah unleashes his military force, which rocks the world as never before. As a result, Jehovah's people and their field of operation are devastated. Next, God intervenes to rescue his people from their plight. That is when the outpouring of holy spirit takes place upon the already anointed sons and daughters. After that the nations are judged in the Low Plain of the Decision, which is to say--Armageddon.

Clearly, though, it is during the world’s darkest hour to come that Jehovah will pour out his spirit as never before. Numerous other prophecies collaborate the series of events yet to occur. The Watchtower and her apologists fit the description of the spiritual drunkards of Joel. And no doubt they will continue babbling nonsense up until the moment when Jehovah unleashes his military force to rouse them from their drunken stupor.

What about Jesus' lost years?

2005-11-30T01:12:00.000-08:00

What is the truth about Jesus’ so-called 17 lost years?

You are referring to the gap between the incident recorded in the Bible that took place when Jesus was 12 years old and the time of his baptism 17 years later. The reason the Bible does not contain any account of Jesus’ life during those years is because it is not important. The reason those years are not important is because Jesus did not begin his ministry until he was baptized at the age of 30. What was Jesus doing during those years? After the incident in the temple when Jesus was 12 the Bible account at Luke 2:51 simply says: “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he continued subject to them. Also, his mother carefully kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus went on progressing in wisdom and in physical growth and in favor with God and men.”

So, basically Jesus lived with his parents, studied and went to meetings and worked with his step-father, Joseph, in the family carpentry business until he was baptized and afterwards embarked on his three and a half year ministry.

Michael the Archangel

2005-11-24T02:10:00.000-08:00

Here is one paradox which the WT cannot resolve for me - just one of many! They teach that Jesus was previously - and also now - known as Michael, the created archangel. But it is a simple matter to prove from Scripture, that this cannot be so. Who is the "man" talking with Daniel in chapters 10 & 12? “... here was a certain man clothed in linen, with his hips girded with gold of Uphaz. And his body was like chrysolite, and his face like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes like fiery torches, and his arms and the place of his feet were like the sight of burnished copper, and the sound of his words was like the sound of a crowd.”

When he saw this "man", Daniel fell unconscious, and the "man" told him not to be afraid, and helped him to his feet. Whoever he is, he has these things to say about Michael - "But the prince of the royal realm of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days, and, look! Michael, one of the foremost princes, came to help me...And now I shall go back to fight with the prince of Persia. When I am going forth, look! also the prince of Greece is coming. However, I shall tell you the things noted down in the writing of truth, and there is no one holding strongly with me in these things but Michael, the prince of you people…And during that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of your people. And there will certainly occur a time of distress such as has not been made to occur since there came to be a nation until that time. And during that time your people will escape, every one who is found written down in the book. And there will be many of those asleep in the ground of dust who will wake up, these to indefinitely lasting life and those to reproaches and to indefinitely lasting abhorrence."

We see this same man speaking with John in Revelation chapter 1 - "I heard behind me a strong voice like that of a trumpet ... in the midst of the lampstands someone like a son of man, clothed with a garment that reached down to the feet, and girded at the breasts with a golden girdle. Moreover, his head and his hair were white as white wool, as snow, and his eyes as a fiery flame; and his feet were like fine copper when glowing in a furnace; and his voice was as the sound of many waters."

When he saw this "man", John fell unconscious, and the "man" told him not to fear, and raised him to his feet. "Do not be fearful. I am the First and the Last, and the living one; and I became dead, but, look! I am living forever and ever ... " This time, we are left in no doubt at all as to who this "man" is. He identifies himself as Jesus. His characteristics prove that he is the very same "man" who spoke with Daniel, and who said that Michael was just "one of the chief princes", who "came to help him", whom he "left behind with the king of Persia" (as stated in translations other than the NWT.) So, since it is Jesus speaking with Daniel, about Michael in the 3rd person - it is obvious that Michael cannot be Jesus. Jesus is superior to Michael, who is simply "one of the chief princes" and I take this to mean, that he is one of the 7 chief angels Jesus is holding (as stars) in his hand in Revelation 1. In fact, Jesus says that Michael is the chief prince of the Israelites - in both Daniel 12, and Revelation 12.

I would be very interested in your response to this. Other JWs I speak to have been unable to grasp the simple logic of reading the plain evidence of Scripture for themselves, but you are different. You can see the danger of formulating a doctrine around a misconception or a verse taken out of context.

There is no mystery who the “man” was that appeared to Daniel. He was the angel Gabriel; the only angel mentioned by name in the entire Bible (other than Michael). How do we know it was Gabriel and not Jesus? Throughout the prophecy of Daniel there are two angels that converse with each other and with Daniel. Consider the 8th chapter where one angel tells Gabriel to approach Daniel and explain the vision to him. Daniel 8:16-19 reads: “And I began to hear the voice of an earthling man in the midst of the Ulai, and he proceeded to call out and say: ‘Gabriel, make that one there understand the thing seen.’ So he came beside where I was standing, but when he came I got terrified so that I fell upon my face. And he proceeded to say to me: ‘Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.’ And while he was speaking with me, I had become fast asleep on my face on the earth. So he touched me and made me stand up where I had been standing. And he went on to say: Here I am causing you to know what will occur in the final part of the denunciation, because it is for the appointed time of the end.’”

Notice please the similarities to the incident you cited in the 10th chapter. In both cases Daniel became terrified by the sight and fell down as if dead. On both occasions the angel revealed prophetic events tied to the time of the end.

In the 9th chapter of Daniel Gabriel appears again and makes mention of the fact he had been made weary with tiredness. Then in the 10th chapter we are informed that the angel had to fight with the demonic prince of Persia—no doubt the reason for Gabriel’s tiredness in his earlier appearance to Daniel. It would appear, then, that the angel in the 10th chapter is also Gabriel—even though he is not named as such.

Lending weight to that is the fact that the angel was successfully opposed by the prince of Persia for three weeks—until Michael came to his assistance. If the angel in the 10th chapter of Daniel had actually been Christ or the Word as he is also called, surely he would have been more powerful than the prince of Persia and Michael. The account suggests otherwise—that the angel of the vision has less authority than Michael. Indeed, the 12th chapter of Revelation indicates that Michael is the most powerful angel in heaven—even taking the lead in ousting the Devil from heaven--yet the angel in the 10th chapter was not able to overcome demonic opposition until Michael came to help.

However, the similarities between the appearance of the angel in Daniel’s prophecy and the appearance of the son of man in Revelation are undeniable. But, keep in mind that Daniel’s encounter with the angel was in the form of a vision. And without doubt the vision was prophetically significant—prefiguring Christ’s parousia. Later on in the encounter the angel took the less imposing form of an earthling man. What accounts for the similarities then? Most likely the angel was playing the role of Christ in the vision. That Gabriel would have that privilege is in keeping with the fact that Gabriel later announced the birth of Jesus.

Since the angel’s appearance took place after Daniel supplicated God for mercy upon Israel and was for the purpose of informing Daniel of what would befall Jehovah’s people during the time of the end, it seems that Daniel’s terrifying encounter with the glorious angel prefigures Jesus’ presence—when he comes alongside the chosen ones to minister to them after they have been disciplined.

Keep in mind that on numerous occasions angels represented Jehovah himself. For example, when Moses had an encounter with God up on top of Mount Sinai, when he received the 10 Commandments, the account says that Moses spoke with God, but 1,500 years later we are told that Moses merely encountered deputized angels who spoke for God. Now, if the angels have authority to speak for Jehovah, it is reasonable to assume that Michael’s angels have authority to speak for him as well.

What do I do?

2005-11-15T05:58:00.000-08:00

Now that you are no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses, from the organizational standpoint, how do you move forward? Who do you congregate with? This is very difficult for me as I have studied with Jehovah's Witnesses for a long time but did not become baptized and have since read books and articles from persons who were previously witnesses. My goal is to serve Jehovah, but if I am not to "forsake the gathering of yourselves", what do I do? When do I become baptized? Where? I feel that I am in a very confusing and unhappy place and I continue to pray to Jehovah in Jesus name for strength and understanding.

There is really no comparison or similarity of our personal situations. To illustrate the point, I attended and participated in meetings at the kingdom hall up to the point when I was disfellowshipped, around the time of the 2005 Memorial. At this stage however, I cannot follow the apostle’s admonition to not forsake the gathering of yourselves together even if I wanted to. After all, the purpose of meeting together is to encourage others to love and fine works. That is not possible for a person who is disfellowshipped--especially for one who has been branded as an apostate--such as myself. My very presence in a meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses would have a discouraging rather than encouraging affect.

However, you are in no such situation. You are free to do as you wish. Your not associating or getting baptized is a result of your own choice and determination.

Jesus once advised his disciples to walk in the light while the light existed because the night was coming when no man could work.

With that in mind, I would encourage you to go forward in the program laid out by the Watchtower while you have the opportunity, because the time is coming when it will no longer be possible to do so.

Higher Education?

2005-11-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

Dear E-Watchman,

Assuming you have already read the Oct 15 WT on Higher Education and the dangers of going to college, why do you think the WTS is so viciously opposed to it? Is it because they are thinning on the ranks of pioneers and MS's; or is it that young JW's are being taught critical thinking and are leaving the WT? If possible, it would be nice if you could do a commentary/essay on this topic, as many in my circle are aghast at this revised stand against university education.

Actually, I haven’t read the October 15th Watchtower yet, but it doesn’t exactly sound as if they are putting forth “new light.” But it does seem as though there is a back and forth struggle between the hardliners and the moderates.

Really, though, why should the Watchtower even have an opinion on the subject of higher education? They should warn of the spiritual dangers and leave it at that. After all, it is a personal matter and an issue for families to decide. It is no one else’s business if another Christian chooses to go to school.

Did Jesus have anything to say on the topic? Paul? Peter? John? James? If the Bible is silent on the issue of higher education, why should the Watchtower weigh in with such a heavy opinion on the matter?

Actually, the Bible indicates that Moses was raised in all the knowledge of Egypt--which means that he received a higher education from the first world power of history. Daniel and the three Hebrews were also schooled in all the knowledge of the Chaldeans. By all accounts they turned out okay.

If Jehovah’s Witnesses are well grounded in their faith then they too should be able to stand up to the challenges and temptations a so called higher education might present.

But keep in mind though---a college degree ain’t what it used to be.

70 X 7 prophetic?

2005-11-11T04:54:00.000-08:00

I am wondering if you have any thoughts on the prophetic significance of Matthew 18:21-22 because I cannot find anything written by the Society on the relevance. Is it possible that it's because of how the NWT renders the scripture (compared to other translations, including the Emphatic Diaglott); the NWT misinterprets the original thoughts conveyed by the original language?

The NWT renders the scripture this way: "Then Peter came up and said to him: "Lord, how many times is my brother to sin against me and am I to forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him: "I say to you, not, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy-seven times."

Whereas, other Bible translations have it this way:

"...until seventy times seven." (KJV, NLT, Diaglott, ESV, BBE, ASV, et al)

As you must already know, seventy times seven equals 490, so might this not have been of far more prophetic significance than simply the extent we should be willing to forgive our brothers and sisters? Might this not have been Jesus' way of referring to the 70-week (490 years) prophecy in Daniel 9:24 "There are seventy weeks that have been determined upon your people and upon your holy city, in order to terminate the transgression, and to finish off sin, and to make atonement for error, and to bring in righteousness for times indefinite, and to imprint a seal upon vision and prophet, and to anoint the Holy of Holies."

If Jesus was actually trying to bring Daniel's prophetic declaration to mind for Peter because it addresses Israel's "transgression," why is it that the Society has not published anything about this in our literature, especially because of its prophetic significance?

Whether the correct rendering is 77 or 70 X 7 I don’t think there is any prophetic significance to Jesus’ comment. (Apparently neither does the Watchtower) He was apparently simply using a figure of speech, which he frequently employed, called a hyperbole; which is a form of exaggeration. Jesus wanted to impress upon Peter that the idea of even keeping an account of the number of offenses was ridiculous. Who is going to keep a ledger of even 77 offenses, let alone hundreds?

Are Jehovah's Witnesses living in spiritual paradise?

2005-11-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

We often hear from the Society that we are currently in a "spiritual paradise," even though we are still awaiting the "physical paradise," yet you have written that this is only an illusion that the Watchtower is trying to portray, that it does not really exist because we continue to find child molesters, murderers, and many other wrongdoers still in our congregations. According to the May 1, 2004, Watchtower, the Society makes this claim:

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES dwell in a spiritual paradise. (Isaiah 11:6-9) In the midst of this very troubled world, they share a unique spiritual environment with fellow Christians, who are at peace with Jehovah God and with one another. (Psalm 29:11; Isaiah 54:13) And their spiritual paradise is growing. All who ‘do the will of God whole-souled’ contribute to extending it. (Ephesians 6:6) How? By living according to Bible principles and by teaching others to do the same, thus inviting them to share the rich blessings of that paradise.—Matthew 28:19, 20; John 15:8.

2 However, our living in a spiritual paradise does not mean that we do not have to endure trials. We are still imperfect and suffer the pangs of sickness, old age, and eventual death. Moreover, we are witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecies dealing with "the last days." (2 Timothy 3:1) Wars, crime, sickness, famine, and other severe hardships afflict all mankind, and Jehovah’s Witnesses are not exempt.—Mark 13:3-10; Luke 21:10, 11.

It appears that the Society is saying that we are in a spiritual paradise because we "share a unique spiritual environment" with fellow believers, "who are at peace with Jehovah God and with one another." Isn't this what the Bible means by "spiritual paradise," and is not the Society correct in declaring that we really are living in a "spiritual paradise," even though we are still looking forward to the "physical paradise"? In other words, are we to expect child molesters, murderers, and other wrongdoers to be absent in the "spiritual paradise" that we are enjoying now, or will they be absent only when the physical paradise arrives? (Rev. 22:15)

In order to answer your question as to whether Jehovah’s Witnesses have entered into a spiritual paradise, it is first necessary to determine exactly what spiritual paradise is. Only then can we say for certain whether such a condition currently exists. No doubt you will agree that the Bible’s definition is what is important. The question is: does the Watchtower’s definition of spiritual paradise match the Bible’s?

According to the Watchtower cited above, spiritual paradise is the result of a collective effort on the part of Jehovah’s Witnesses to get along with each other by applying Bible principles. Not only that, but to the extent that each individual contributes “whole-souled,” the blessings of spiritual paradise may be extended to others. So, according to the Watchtower’s definition, spiritual paradise is largely the result of human effort—granted with Jehovah’s blessing upon it—but a human work nonetheless.

The unasked question, though, is what happens if some individuals within the Watchtower’s spiritual paradise neglect to live by Bible principles? Let’s just let that question hang there, suspended, for the moment.

Now, let us consider what the Bible says about spiritual paradise.

Although the exact phrase does not appear in the Scriptures, the concept certainly does. The article quoted above referred the reader to Isaiah 11:6-9. So, let’s consider that verse, which reads: “And the wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them. And the cow and the bear themselves will feed; together their young ones will lie down. And even the lion will eat straw just like the bull. And the sucking child will certainly play upon the hole of the cobra; and upon the light aperture of a poisonous snake will a weaned child actually put his own hand. They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.”

Reasoning on the prophecy, it is apparent that the unusual relationship between natural predator and prey is merely an illustration intended to portray idyllic relations among humans. That is apparent from the fact that the condition comes about as a result of all coming to know the mind of Jehovah. Obviously animals cannot be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah. But, the question is how does that condition come about? Is it merely a matter of applying Bible principles, as the Watchtower teaches?

No, it is not that simple.

Consider the context of the verses in question. The preceding verses reveal how Edenic conditions will come about. Isaiah 11:3-5 reads: “And he will not judge by any mere appearance to his eyes, nor reprove simply according to the thing heard by his ears. And with righteousness he must judge the lowly ones, and with uprightness he must give reproof in behalf of the meek ones of the earth. And he must strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the spirit of his lips he will put the wicked one to death. And righteousness must prove to be the belt of his hips, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.”

Please notice that spiritual paradise comes about as a result of the Messiah judging mankind in righteousness. The effect of his judgment will be that he will put the wicked to death and save the righteous. Spiritual paradise follows Christ’s judgment. Of course, the Watchtower claims that Christ already judged them back in 1918-19 and declared them righteous. But as any thinking person with unclouded vision can see for themselves, Christ has not judged mankind yet, otherwise there would not be any wickedness.

The Bible’s definition of spiritual paradise, then, is a place completely devoid of all evil—just like Eden was originally. It will come about, not through any human efforts, but through the judging work of Jesus Christ. According to the Bible’s definition no such place exists on earth yet.

Obviously, there is a huge difference between what the Watchtower teaches about spiritual paradise and what the Bible says on that topic. In the Watchtower’s faux spiritual paradise, the wolf and lion lay down with the lambs, but the lambs don’t get up—they are devoured. And the mere little boy had better be under constant supervision by both parents, because if in his childhood innocence he comes in contact with one of thousands of slithering pedophiles lurking in spiritual paradise, he may well become their victim.

Essentially, the Watchtower has made a mockery of God's word. They attribute paradise conditons to God that do not even exist. In doing so our leaders fit the description of those whom Jehovah denounces in the 5th chapter of Isaiah, as “those who are saying that good is bad and bad is good, those who are putting darkness for light and light for darkness, those who are putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

The true spiritual paradise comes about when Christ Jesus sends forth his powerful angels who will remove all persons who are doing lawlessness from his kingdom.

Can you now provide the answer to the question we left hanging?

Has Jehovah already become king?

2005-11-09T04:43:00.000-08:00

Judging from the title of the book "Jehovah Has Become King," are you suggesting that Jehovah has become king already?

No, just the opposite, in fact. A large portion of the book is devoted to overturning the notion that Jehovah has already become king. As you may or may not know, the expression “Jehovah himself has become king,” and related expressions, appear in numerous passages in the Bible. Jehovah's becoming king has to do with him taking up power and commencing to judge his people and rule the world. The Watchtower has long taught that Jehovah became king in 1914 and in 1919. For example, in the last chapter of the book appears an excerpt from the first volume of the Watchtower’s Isaiah commentary, which says:

“In modern times, Jehovah ‘became king’ in 1914 when he installed Jesus Christ as King in His heavenly Kingdom. He also ‘became king’ in 1919 when he demonstrated the power of his kingship by liberating spiritual Israel from bondage to Babylon the Great. Jehovah will again “become king” when he brings an end to Babylon the Great and the rest of this wicked system of things.”

Contrary to the Watchtower’s assertion that Jehovah has already become such, Jehovah becomes king during the bleakest period in mankind’s dark history. The intention of the book is not merely to overturn the Watchtower's 1914 chimera but to also put forth from the Scriptures what Jehovah's becoming king will mean for Jehovah's Witnesses. But, while it remains a future event, it appears as if conditions are ripe for things to begin to unfold that will lead to Jehovah becoming king in the fullest sense.

What sort of babylonish captivity in the future?

2005-11-07T04:53:00.000-08:00

You have brought out the point that the Israel of God has not yet gone into captivity to Babylon the great. If God’s people are to get out of Babylon the Great, it is understood that they are in a captive condition, from which they must extricate themselves. However, you seem to be alluding to not just a spiritual captivity but a physical one as well. If the Israel of God is in fact Spiritual Israel, then it must be understood that when God’s people come out of Babylon the Great, it simply means that they have freed themselves of Babylonish doctrines and that such dogmas peculiar to the World Empire of False Religion no longer have any hold on them. Whereas a person can be set free from prison just by being released (physical captivity), freedom from captivity to long held belief systems (spiritual captivity) takes a considerable amount of time over the course of history, since much effort of reeducation is required to effect such an outcome. Exactly what sort of future captivity are you referring to other than the fact that the 8th king of Bible prophecy conquers the remaining ones of the Woman’s seed or holy ones, as shown in Daniel and Revelation?

When Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and dragged the surviving Jews off to far away Babylon they were most definitely physically captive to the preeminent world power of that era. More than that, the gods of Babylon were made to appear as being more powerful than Jehovah. But Jehovah was ultimately vindicated when he empowered Cyrus to overthrow the city of Babylon--setting the Jews free so they could return and restore Jehovah’s worship at Jerusalem. For a certainty, though, there was also a spiritual component to their captivity as well. That is why at the time of Babylon’s downfall theses words Jehovah spoke through Isaiah applied:

“Become cheerful, cry out joyfully in unison, you devastated places of Jerusalem, for Jehovah has comforted his people; he has repurchased Jerusalem. Jehovah has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth must see the salvation of our God.

Turn away, turn away, get out of there, touch nothing unclean; get out from the midst of her, keep yourselves clean, you who are carrying the utensils of Jehovah. For you people will get out in no panic, and you will go in no flight. For Jehovah will be going even before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

Notice, please, that at the time the Jews were released from captivity Jehovah is said to have "bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations." Is there any sort of modern parallel to the overthrow of ancient Babylon and the restoration of the Jews? The Watchtower definitely thinks so and Jehovah’s Witnesses have been conditioned to accept that the modern parallel took place in 1919. Commenting on the Society’s teaching here is an excerpt from the last chapter of Jehovah Himself Has Become King:

The Watchtower makes the incredible claim that Jehovah rolled up his sleeves, so to speak, and “bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations” back in 1919. But what evidence is there in support of such a claim?

Surely if the walls of the Atlanta federal penitentiary would have fallen down in 1919, for example—like the walls of Jericho did—liberating Judge Rutherford and company, then that would have been something. The Watchtower would be justified in applying Isaiah’s prophecy to such an extraordinary thing as that. Or, if one of Jehovah’s powerful angels would have caused the steel doors of Rutherford’s prison cell to miraculously swing open—like the angel did for the imprisoned apostle Peter—then that would have been something too. That would have been an undeniable demonstration of divine power.

But what evidence is there, really, that Jehovah bared his mighty arm by releasing the eight Watchtower officials from prison in 1919? What miracle was involved? It is true that Joseph Rutherford and friends were wrongly imprisoned—it happens all the time in the world. Their legal case was then appealed and it was overturned. It is that simple. So why do we suppose it was necessary for Jehovah to bare his mighty arm to accomplish something that any competent attorney could have done? The Watchtower even inadvertently admits there was nothing out of the ordinary about the whole affair. Commenting on the case in the April 1st, 2000, issue of the Watchtower magazine, the Society wrote:

“In May 1919 the circuit court of appeals ruled that the defendants had not had an impartial trial, and the judgment was therefore reversed. The case was remanded for a new trial, but later the government withdrew the prosecution, with Brother Rutherford and his associates being completely exonerated. They resumed their activities, and conventions held at Cedar Point, Ohio, in 1919 and in 1922 gave the Kingdom-preaching work renewed impetus.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses ought to bear in mind this sobering truth: When the Jews were dragged off to Babylon they were not later “completely exonerated.” They deserved to go into captivity because they blasphemed Jehovah. There was no injustice done to them. They got a fair trial. Heaven convicted and sentenced them to 70 years of hard time in Babylon for the crime of profaning God’s great name—a penalty that they paid off in full. They were made to bear the reproach of a people who disobeyed their God. They later repented and begged Jehovah’s forgiveness and were shown mercy. And as Isaiah foretold two centuries in advance, Jehovah then repurchased his nation by sending Cyrus to overthrow the seemingly impregnable fortress of Babylon. In that way Jehovah “bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations.”

There is simply no comparison to what befell the Bible Students and Judge Rutherford. How much longer are Jehovah’s Witnesses going to believe in the Watchtower’s convoluted prophetic mythology that Jehovah repurchased his people from Babylon back in 1919?

Also, it must be pointed out that when the Jews were repurchased from Babylon they exited the city as a congregation. They did not leave individually over decades and generations—as the Watchtower applies it in modern times--as when people resign from some church and become Jehovah's Witnesses.

As the Watchtower Society has often said, prophecy cannot be fully understood until after it is fulfilled. Since there is no valid basis for the Society’s interpretation of prophecy regarding the fall of Babylon the Great in 1919, we should recognize at least the possibility of a much grander future fulfillment.

The captivity of the holy ones to Babylon the Great and the wild beast will surely involve the utter collapse of the Watchtower Society in a way that is presently unforeseeable.

How does Jehovah become Jesus' father?

2005-11-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

In answer to the thief who was on his right on the day of his execution, Jesus said: "Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise." Jesus made that promise to the thief on a specific day, at the time of his being put to death. Using that analogy, in what specific day has Jehovah become Jesus' father as shown in Psalm 2:7, if Jehovah has always been Jesus' father. That verse reads as follows: "Let me refer to the decree of Jehovah; He has said to me: "You are my son; I, today, I have become your father."" How does Jehovah become Jesus' father on a specific day? Was there a time when Jesus was not God's son, existing in God's form from eternity as the father existed from eternity? Is there a basis in this verse for the Trinitarian dogma?

Jehovah has always been father to Jesus. However, it must be recognized that Jesus has lived a very unique existence. He is the only individual who was born as a spirit and also born as a human---with Jehovah fathering him on both occasions. But Jesus also experienced another sort of birth---what is called a rebirth---or being born again as it is commonly called. Jesus was the first man to be begotten by Jehovah's spirit---what the Scriptures refer to as being anointed. And Jesus was anointed on a specific day---the day of his baptism. It was on the very day that Psalm 2:7 was fulfilled; for that was when, in the hearing of John the Baptizer, Jehovah spoke from heaven saying "This is my son."

On that occasion Jehovah was not merely stating that Jesus had always been his son. God was giving public notce that Jesus had become the messiah and was henceforth entitled to inherit the promises reserved in Scripture for the messiah whom God would choose.

Paul verifies that at Hebrews 5:5, explaining in context that Jesus' anointing also qualified him to become a new sort of priest--- So too the Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but was glorified by him who spoke with reference to him: "You are my son; I, today, I have become your father."

Had Jesus not been born again he would have simply remained a human son of God. Since he was perfect he would have been entitled to live forever on the earth. But because it was Jehovah's will that he offer his human life as a sacrifice, prior to that sacrifice Jehovah begot Jesus as a spritual son, which entitled him to a resuurection in the spirit. Because he had lived a sinless life as a human and was also of the Davidic linage and heir to the throne of Israel, Jehovah also transferred Jesus' human titles and offices into the heavens when he was resurrected. Hence, Jesus has the legal right to become Jehovah's king. That is why the 2nd Psalm depicts God as inviting his new born son to ask what he will of his Father. In response, as the anointed heir to David's throne Jesus asked Jehovah to give him all the kingdoms of the world so that he might crush his Father's enemies.