Should elders warn unsuspecting parents of predators?

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

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?

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?

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?

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"

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

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

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?

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

Jehovah's Witnesses and Blood Transfusions

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



_

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

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.

What about Jesus' lost years?

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

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.

Higher Education?

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?

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?