Posted by Kent [KENT] on November 09, 1999 at 15:20:06 {4Hfg918T5gOJikFWJ7tMBSwZlMEBKg}:
In Reply to: *Cautions from WT about GS posted by DaJahVeu on November 09, 1999 at 13:16:22:
What do you think about this explanation?
Normally I don't even respond to these email from people who don't know
what they are doing. But since you took the time to research what the
Witnesses says I will shed some light. First, like all people who reads the
Bible it itself has a message for mankind. The message is from God who
wants all people to be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.
However he is not going to force anyone into doing something that they
don't want to do. I am glad to know that you know what the JW say about the
Bible. You don't believe it, so you write all Witnesses and try to convince
them that the WatchTower society is a false prophet. They like all others
they read the Bible and study it more than you. They have accurate info,
you don't. And sadly to say you won't get it after all. So if you are so
sure that you are right and the Witnesses is wrong then you are not Blood
Guilty. You can just rest up and wait until God himself, tell all of
mankind who was right and who was wrong. If we are wrong then we all are
toast. If you and the world is wrong then all of you will be toast. God
himself said that all will know that I am Jehovah and there was a prophet
in the land. Time will tell for sure if the WatchTower society was really
true. So sit back and relax, you won't have to wait too long.
The end is closer then even you think.
-----Original Message-----
From: kent@observer.org [SMTP:kent@observer.org]
Sent: Friday, November 05, 1999 6:35 AM
To: hughy@aerocd.com
Subject: The Inspired Society
The Inspired Jehovah's Witnesses
The Watchtower claims to be a "prophet". They even do claim to be an
INSPIRED prophet! I am fully aware of the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses
will protest to this statement. But as usual, their written history proves
my statement correct. Let us do a little investigation on this subject.
First: Let us take a look at the Watchtowers definition of INSPIRATION:
*** gh 14 2 Making the Book of Good News ***
9 It was because they did not write of their own impulse, but were inspired
by God. What is here meant by the word "inspired"? It means that God, the
Creator of heaven and earth, moved these men by his spirit or invisible
empowering force, putting into their minds what they should write down as
his "word," or message, for mankind.
*** it-2 691 Prophecy ***
The Source of all true prophecy is Jehovah God. He transmits it by means of
his holy spirit or, occasionally, by spirit-directed angelic messengers.
Here the definition is quite clear. If God "move" anyone by his spirit, or
transmits messages by means of his holy spirit or by angels, we are talking
about inspiration. Let us then take a look at the Watchtowers claims about
themselves:
*** w72 4/1 197 'They Shall Know that a Prophet Was Among Them' ***
So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and
to declare things to come?
IDENTIFYING THE "PROPHET"
These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet? .
. . This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was
the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time
as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's
Christian witnesses. . . Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts
as a "prophet" of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that
this can be done is to review the record. What does it show?
*** w69 1/15 51 Are You Ready for the Responsibilities of a Baptized
Witness? ***
Jesus foretold that among his people there would be a "faithful and
discreet slave" class who would be providing the spiritual food to God's
family of devoted servants on earth, acting as his channel of communication
and overseeing the carrying out of the Kingdom interests world wide. (Matt.
24:45-47)
So, God is using this "channel of communication" - and this "prophet" can
"declare things to come". The Watchtower tells us that the only way to
prove if this prophet is not a false prophet, is to review the record - and
we all knows what happens then. I believe the Watchtower and the Jehovah's
Witnesses should read this passage from the Bible extremely careful:
*** Rbi8 Deuteronomy 18:20-22 ***
20 "'However, the prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I
have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods,
that prophet must die. 21 And in case you should say in your heart: "How
shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?" 22 when the prophet
speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true,
that is the word that Jehovah did not speak. With presumptuousness the
prophet spoke it. You must not get frightened at him.'
And why should they do so? Because they claim to be talking in the name of
God. Let us investigate their bold claims:
*** w73 7/1 402 Praise Jehovah with His People ***
For example, Zion's Watch Tower of March 1880 had declared: "'The Times of
the Gentiles' extend to 1914, and the heavenly kingdom will not have full
sway till then." Only God by his holy spirit could have revealed this to
those early Bible students so far in advance.
*** w73 7/1 402 Praise Jehovah with His People ***
5 Direction by God's spirit enables Jehovah's servants to have divine light
in a world of spiritual darkness.
*** w73 7/1 405 Praise Jehovah with His People ***
God's holy spirit and angelic direction also played their part in the
preaching work done by the apostle Peter at the home of the Gentile
Cornelius.-Acts chapter 10.
20 That same holy spirit and angelic direction still affect the preaching
activities of Christian ministers.
*** Vindication III, page 250
These angels are invisible to human eyes and are there to carry out the
orders of the Lord. No doubt they first hear the instruction which the Lord
issues to his remnant and then these invisible messengers pass such
instruction on to the remnant.
*** Yearbook 1935 page 52
It is announced with confidence that the Lord uses the columns of the
Watchtower to transmit to his consecrated people things that he reveals to
them and provides for them to know. It is the privilege of The Watchtower
to publish explanations of the prophecies, which explanation is based upon
the physical facts that exactly fit the prophecy and show that the
explanation is correct. There is no attempt on the part of The Watchtower
to interpret prophecy, for the reason that no human creature can interpret
prophecy. Prophecy is of divine origin, and it can be understood only when
in course of fulfillment or after having been fulfilled. Long centuries ago
God caused holy men to write the prophecies, and now it pleases him to
unfold them that his faithful witnesses on earth at the present time may be
assured that they are in the right way, and that their hope may be strong.
*** The Watchtower 6/1/21, p. 182
The truth comes forth from the storehouse as fast as the Lord sees it is
necessary, but no faster, and nothing can prevent it from coming forth when
it is due to come forth. . . in due time the Lord of the harvest would open
up the truths as they were needed by the household of the faith.
*** The Golden Age, 8/17/32, p. 727
Men Do Not Interpret Scripture
Men do not interpret Scripture; the church does not interpret Scripture,
angels do not interpret Scripture; Christ Himself does not interpret
Scripture, except as that interpretation is given to Him by His Father.
(Rev. 1:1) The only One who interprets Scripture, in the last analysis, is
the One who gave it in the first place. Obviously, until He furnishes the
key to a passage it can never be unlocked.
That the angels are not authorized to unfold the Scriptures, but that God
reserves it to Himself to unfold them in His own good time. . .
There can be no question about it. The Watchtower claims inspiration, and
they claim the only way to salvation is through their manmade organization.
They claim the Bible is written for them - for the Organization, and that
they have the power to save people! Naturally, their slaves must have
restricted freedom:
*** w68 10/1 605 Keep Free to Follow Our Fine Shepherd ***
Christian freedom also needs to be relative because Christians are members
of God's organization. Every organization has certain requirements that
must be met by those belonging to it. Otherwise, instead of a common
harmonious effort to realize the purpose of the organization, there would
be confusion and a frustrating of purposes. Most fittingly, the Bible is an
organizational book.
*** w67 10/1 586 Finding Freedom with Jehovah's Visible Organization ***
THE BIBLE IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL BOOK
7 The Bible itself is an organizational book.
*** w67 10/1 587 Finding Freedom with Jehovah's Visible Organization ***
Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian
congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how
sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible. For this
reason the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible
organization in mind.
*** w85 6/1 19-20 Walk With Confidence in Jehovah's Leadership ***
15 We must not lose sight of the fact that God is directing his
organization, although walking with confidence in Jehovah's leadership may
not be easy at times.
*** w85 6/1 20 Walk With Confidence in Jehovah's Leadership ***
To turn away from Jehovah and his organization, to spurn the direction of
"the faithful and discreet slave," and to rely simply on personal Bible
reading and interpretation is to become like a solitary tree in a parched
land.
*** w80 3/15 17-18 Choosing the Best Way of Life ***
5 In modern times such eagerness, commendable in itself, has led to
attempts at setting dates for the desired liberation from the suffering and
troubles that are the lot of persons throughout the earth. With the
appearance of the book Life Everlasting-in Freedom of the Sons of God, and
its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of
Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man's existence, considerable
expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. There were statements made
then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility.
Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were
other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by
that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be
regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the
cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation already
initiated.
6 In its issue of July 15, 1976, The Watchtower, commenting on the
inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: "If anyone
has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should
now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word
of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his
own understanding was based on wrong premises." In saying "anyone," The
Watchtower included all disappointed ones of Jehovah's Witnesses, hence
including persons having to do with the publication of the information that
contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date.
*** w57 5/1 274 Show Respect for Jehovah's Organization ***
The world is full of Bibles, which Book contains the commandments of God.
Why, then, do the people not know which way to go? Because they do not also
have the teaching or law of the mother, which is light.
*** w57 5/1 274 Show Respect for Jehovah's Organization ***
If we are to walk in the light of truth we must recognize not only Jehovah
God as our Father but his organization as our mother.
And, if anyone does not bow knees fast enough, the Jehovah's Witnesses are
instructed to let go. Don't care about such people (they belong to the
Devil anyhow), because there is not enough TIME left.
*** w69 5/15 312 Have You Been Studying for Six Months? ***
In view of the short time left in which to do their work, Jehovah's
witnesses do not continue to study the Bible with any who fail to respond
to its urgent message within six months. The nearness of this system's end
compels them to use their time in the most effective way possible. So they
feel obligated to spend their time calling on someone else who might
respond by attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall and by speaking to others
about the Bible truths learned.
Well, this was written in 1969, and as usual it seems they did have more
than enough time. Judge Rutherford once told the Jehovah's Witnesses that
it was no time to have children. The end was so near.
If they only had followed his advice!!!!
Kent