Amos 3:7 (Jehovah reveals to his prophets first) + 2007 Year's Text

yaddayadda

Was speaking to a JW friend the other day (he knows I have 'doubts'). He asked me what I thought of the 2007 Year's Text. I said it would be nice if Jehovah did intervene soon, but that I felt that the Society is wrong to be constantly telling everyone how 'near' the end of the system is, that they have been doing this for over 120 years, and that we should just focus on being good Christians without always thinking the end is close all the time. Earlier in the conversation he had said that the Governing Body were not inspired or infallible (when I mentioned 1975, 'this generation', etc). When talking about the 2007 year's text he mentioned Amos 3:7 and implied that the years text was, in effect, Jehovah telling us through the Society that the end is just around the corner!! He also felt the special Tract campaign about false religion's end being near was another divine 'hint'. (Amos 3:7 says "For the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets.) He started talking about all the trouble in the middle East and how the end must be really close now. I just had to smile, as he obviously missed the glaring contradiction in saying the Society are not inspired but that Jehovah speaks through the Society in the manner of Amos 3:7! It rammed home how many JW's idolise the Governing Body. It is hard to deny that the Governing are viewed by the rank and file as modern-day prophets, just like the Mormon leaders are viewed. If you ask a JW whether the GB are modern-day prophets they will say 'No' emphatically, but if you ask them who Jehovah reveals new divine information through, they will say through the Society only (ie, the Governing Body). Just what is the difference? Later I went home and read Amos 3. It struck me that the entire prophecy is about the deplorable condition of the Israelites, who were Jehovah's Witnesses back then, right? What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Honesty

Nothing like messing around with the minds of 6 million gullible people.

Paddington Bear

I found these quotes when I was doing some searching... The policy "the Governing Body began to function with six committees, each assigned to care for certain aspects of the worldwide work.....The Writing Committee supervises the preparation and translation of publications in all forms, making sure that everything is in line with the Scriptures." WT95 5/15 p22/23 “Jesus delighted to do the will of his Father and spoke of it as food to him. (Joh 4:32, 34) He foretold that he would appoint “the faithful and discreet slave” to give (spiritual) food at the proper time to his disciples. INSIGHT p845 “We will also increase our joy if we prayerfully and diligently study God’s spirit-inspired Word and Christian publications prepared under the spirit’s guidance.” WT 1992 3/15 p21 “Those forming the Christian congregation are referred to by the apostle Paul as “members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19; 1Ti 3:15), and the same apostle shows that ‘faithful stewardship’ among such household members involved the dispensing of spiritual truths on which those becoming believers would ‘feed.’ "INSIGHT p806 The Contradiction “True, the brothers preparing these publications are not infallible. Their writings are not inspired as are those of Paul and the other Bible writers. (2 Tim. 3:16) And so, at times, it has been necessary, as understanding became clearer, to correct views." WT81 2/15 p19 I know the last one is a bit older but it still shows the crap they come out with.... Blood.... 1975, 1974....Voting..!!!

Abandoned

Yep, you can't have it both ways. If god requires that people follow one organizations rules and regulations to the letter, than it would also make sense that he would send them the correct letters in the first place. On the other hand if an organization wants to take the route that everything they say is liable to change at a moment's notice than they shouldn't have any problem with people wanting to wait until it's correct before they tag along.

Narkissos

Perhaps they could have used their customary ellipsis for the Year's text:

For the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing (...)

Cheers

Borgia