It was BS in January 1939, it is BS now

by Nathan Natas 22 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Nathan Natas

  
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  Mysterious

  Was that a precursor to the kingdom ministry?
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  Gill

  "The quota for each Company Publisher is 4 new Watchtower subscriptions, 20 bound books, 250 'Face the Facts' booklet......!!!!!!!!!!'

  'My Daily Kingdom Service' Record Sheets! And we think they have it bad now!
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  Leolaia

  Wait till you see the hour quotas given in the "Righteous Requirements" Watchtower article from the 1940s. And not only where the quotas and redundant territory coverage insane, but so was the claim that these requests emanated directly from Jehovah himself.
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  AlanF

  From the July 8, 2007 Watchtower article "Righteous Requirements":

  . . . . . .

  The kingdom of God is the highest government anyone can serve. To be acceptable all kingdom service must find its motive in love for Jehovah. All desiring to be pleasing to God must always keep this foremost in mind. A call to action is now going forth to Jehovah's people throughout the earth. It is a righteous call, and action is a righteous requirement. This is not a new call to action but a revival of one Jehovah's people obeyed in the days of Israel.

  Jehovah is our great God and Christ Jesus is his anointed King. In 1918 the King came to his temple class which is composed of the dedicated, spirit-begotten and anointed members of his body. He has judged them clean and commissioned them to act as his "faithful and discreet slave".--Matt. 25:45-47.

  The King has placed this slave over his earthly household and has given him charge over all his goods with specific instructions to bring forth "food in due season" for the household of faith. The servant was also anointed "to tell good news to the meek; ... to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to those taken captive and the wide opening of the eyes even to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of good will on the part of Jehovah and the day of vengeance on the part of our God; to comfort all the mourning ones".--Isa. 61:1-3.

  The Scriptures and the facts clearly establish that the commission given to the "faithful slave" is grounded in the Word of Jehovah. There is only one organization on earth today fulfilling these righteous requirements -- The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses under the direction of its Governing Body. Jehovah through the Governing Body is now proclaiming his day of vengeance.

  This organization was authorized by Jehovah to bring forth things new and old for the household of faith and do his work. Therefore it is fully qualified and duly authorized to issue a "call to action" to all who claim to be on Jehovah's side in these final days to busy themselves in doing the work of Jehovah.

  This "call to action" sent out by Jehovah through the Society is based on the fulfilled prophecies of his Word clearly revealed to those who have the mind of Jehovah, in such Watchtower articles as "What It Takes to Keep Separate from the World" in the June 15, 1980 issue, "Godly Conduct Toward Others" and "Disfellowshiping -- How To View It" in the September 15, 1981 issue, "Christ Hated Lawlessness -- Do You?" in the July 15, 1992 issue, "At Which Table Are You Feeding?" in the July 1, 1994 issue, and "Jehovah's Organization Under Demon Attack" in the September 1, 2002 issue.

  These thrilling prophecies were called to our attention during the past year and clearly reveal Jehovah's requirements for those who are under the leadership of his King. These are, therefore, right and righteous requirements for every dedicated servant of Jehovah. As the above mentioned articles show, Jehovah prophesied that his servants would "hate those who are intensely hating you, O Jehovah," and would feel "a loathing for those revolting against you."

  How does Jehovah issue the call to his people? Does it come in the form of a harsh ultimatum: You do thus and so, or else--? No! Such ultimatums are not necessary. Jehovah never adopts that attitude toward his servants. Instead, he foretold that his servants would offer themselves willingly. (Psalm 110:3). His anointed King prophesied "whoever wants to save his soul will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it."

  This call is therefore for those who love Jehovah and rejoice in his righteous requirements and who wish to live in and accept the responsibilities of his government. Such show their faith and faithfulness by their response to the call to action. When this class sees the issue and hears the call, that is all that is necessary. Jesus says of them, `For they know the good shepherd's voice, and a stranger will they not follow.' (John 10:4,5) Jehovah always issues his call to action in an organized, systematic manner. This is emphasized throughout the Bible, from the opening chapters of Genesis to the concluding chapters of Revelation. Let us consider two by way of illustration.

  In Genesis 1:26 Jehovah issued a "call to action" to his Son, the Logos, and such other agencies as were required for the creation of man, in these words: "And God went on to say: `Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.' " This is all there was to it. Jehovah expressed his will. That expressed will became "organization instructions" to the Logos. It was at that time that "the morning stars joyfully cried out together, and all the sons of God began shouting in applause". (Job 38:7) Another splendid illustration of Jehovah's expressing his will, which expressed will became "organization instructions" to Jesus and all other servants of Jehovah participating in the great drama, is the 110th Psalm, particularly the first three verses: "The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: `Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet. The rod of your strength Jehovah will send out of Zion, saying: "Go subduing in the midst of your enemies." Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day of your military force. In the splendors of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, you have your company of young men just like dewdrops.'"

  Every organization requires specific instructions for those who serve in it. In the past Jehovah issued his "organization instructions" to his servants through his central agency or channel. Each one joyfully accepted his part and faithfully carried it out.

  Now, the apostle says, Jehovah speaks to us through his Son. (Heb. 1:1, 2) The Son has returned as King; he has come to his temple. He has appointed his "faithful and discreet slave", who is his visible representative, and says to those who are privileged to represent him upon the earth, "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations" (Matthew 24:14); and, "Do I not hate those who are intensely hating you, O Jehovah, and do I not feel a loathing for those revolting against you? With a complete hatred I do hate them. They have become to me real enemies."

  These expressions of God's will by his King and through his established agency constitute his law or rule of action for the "faithful and discreet slave" and for their companions today. Jehovah breaks down our organization instructions further and makes them more practicable by further instructing us through his Word. He says, "In case your brother ... should try to allure you ... you must not accede to his wish or listen to him, nor should your eye feel sorry for him, nor must you feel compassion, nor cover him protectively; but you should kill him without fail. Your hand first of all should come upon him to put him to death, and the hand of all the people afterward. And you must stone him with stones, and he must die, because he has sought to turn you away from Jehovah your God... Then all Israel will hear and become afraid, and they will not do anything like this bad thing again in your midst."

  Apostates are lawless ones and these always try to lure Jehovah's faithful ones to "serve other gods." Our obligation to hate lawlessness applies to all activity by apostates. Our attitude toward apostates should be that of David, who declared: "Do I not hate those who are intensely hating you, O Jehovah, and do I not feel a loathing for those revolting against you? With a complete hatred I do hate them. They have become to me real enemies."

  These directions come to us from Jehovah through his established agency directing what is required of us; and, for those who really love Jehovah and are guided by his counsel, that is a reasonable requirement. It is for our good that these requirements are made; for thereby we are enabled to prove our integrity and magnify Jehovah's name.

  The time has come when each one must bear his own burden fully before Jehovah. With the provisions that he has now made in supplying us with spiritual counsel and instructions as to our obligation towards apostates, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone, man or woman, to claim to be unable to accept this assignment and assume full responsibility for it. Those who really love Jehovah and are fighters for the New World will not try to excuse themselves on any ground, but will hear Jehovah's word when he says, Let us do thus and so, and always keep in mind the us includes Christ, who will be with us in every undertaking.--Matthew 18:20.

  Jehovah through his "faithful and discreet slave" now states to us, "Let us seek out apostates in our territory and deal scripturally with them." That becomes our organization instructions and has the same binding force on us that his statement to the Logos had when he said, "Let us make man in our image." It is our duty to accept this instruction and obey it. But someone will say, "The conditions are different. In the case of the Logos, he could accomplish what Jehovah commanded him to do; but when it comes to seeking out apostates, that is out of all reason. We have never sought out apostates before, and besides, Jehovah never authorized us to kill other humans. It just can't be done." We have all heard that argument before. And if it were true it would look bad indeed, and would imply that Jehovah was asking us to do something that is impossible for us to accomplish. The children of Israel walked around Jericho seven times the last day. Phinehas was empowered to clear out what was bad from Israel's midst (Numbers 25:6-8). As loyal servants of Jehovah, so will his holy spirit empower us today!
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  VM44

  This selection from the text AlanF posted PROVES that the Watchtower considers its instructions to the people (commands in this case) as having been issued from Jehovah and Jesus. This article also proves that JWs are WRONG when they say that they have never spoken in the name of the Lord. Not only did they speak in the name of the Lord, they put words into his mouth that he never spoke! How were they able to get away with that? and worse, how have they gotten away with denying that they did? --VM44
  
  From July 1, 1943 Watchtower article "Righteous Requirements," on pages 204-6

  These expressions of God's will by his King and through his established agency constitute his law or rule of action for the "faithful and wise servant" and for their goodwill companions today who will dwell upon the earth for ever in the New World. The Lord breaks down our organization instructions further and makes them more practicable by further instructing us through his "faithful and wise servant". He says, 'Let us assign the field, the world, to special pioneers, regular pioneers and companies of Jehovah's witnesses in an orderly way, sufficient for everyone to thoroughly witness therein, and let us place upon each one the responsibility of caring for the New World interest in these respective assignments.' He says the requirements for special pioneers shall be 175 hours and 50 back-calls per month, which should develop into a reasonble number of studies; and for regular pioneers 150 hours and as many back-calls and studies as can be properly developed during that time. And for company publishers he says, 'Let us make a quota of 60 hours and 12 back-calls and at least one study a week for each publisher.' These directions come to us from the Lord through his established agency directing what is required of us; and, for those who really love the Lord and are guided by his counsel, that is a reasonable service requirement. This expression of the Lord's will should be the end of all controversy. It is for your good that these requirements are made; for thereby you are enabled to prove your integrity and magnify the Lord's name.
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  VM44

  My question is rhetorical, as this evidence came from a 1943 issue of The Watchtower. How many people have access to it?

  --VM44
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  Gill

  Where did they find the time to put in all those hours?!

  They can't have had full time jobs, so how did they support themselves and their families?

  What a profit the WTBTS must have been making on those placements!
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  VM44

  "Where did they find the time to put in all those hours?!"

  Yes, the Watchtower was(is) a slave driver!

  William Schnell was quite right to title his book "30 Years a Watchtower Slave"

  What happened to Jesus's words "My yoke is not burdensome"?

  --VM44
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  Gill

  How the dollars must have flooded into Brooklyn in those days!