Hmmmmm.....I wonder what the JWs would find if only they would examine their own history...how about bizzarre teachings such as this:
Sincerely,
Lady Liberty
http://www.escapefromwatchtower.com/food.html
"Food" AtThe "Proper Time" | |
"Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?" - Matt 24:45
Supposedly, in 1914 the gentile times ended and Jesus Christ began ruling as king. It was shortly there after in 1918 Jesus looked down from heaven, examined all the religions on the earth and selected the "faithful and discreet slave." (Matt 24:45) Apparently it was only this group, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, now known as Jehovah's Witnesses, that were feeding the right quality of food at the proper time.
What about the quality of this food at the proper time ? Notice what the 1975 Watchtower publication entitled God's Kingdom a Thousand Years Has Approached says of the quality of the food during the 1914-1919 period: "The serving of food, the right sort of food, at the proper time was the issue, It had to be according to this that a decision must be rendered by the returned master. Well, then, what about that body of Christians internationally hated and persecuted ? (Matt 24:9) Down to 1919 CE they had endeavored to give 'food at the proper time' to the 'household of faith' or the 'domestics' of the heavenly Master. They did this despite interference by persecutors and the warring nations. Not only was the regularity in serving the food a problem, but the quality of the food itself
"Food At The Proper Time" |
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"The distance from Scranton Pennsylvania to Brooklyn Bethel, New York supposedly fulfills Revelation 14:20, but only if one takes the Hoboken Ferry and the Barclay Street Ferry to the Fulton Ferry", |
was to be considered. In this respect the body of hated, persecuted Christians, who always sought to be faithful slaves of Jesus Christ, met the test."Notice how they "met this test" with the quality of the food in 1917, three years after Jesus Christ began ruling in heaven, in this Watchtower publication entitled The Finished Mystery:
"Commenting on Revelation 14:20 which reads: "And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the wine press as high up as the bridles of the horses, for a distance of a thousand six hundred furlongs.""By the space of a thousand and (six)TWO hundred furlongs--This can not be interpreted to refer to the 2100 mile battle lineof the world war. A Furlong or stadium is not a mile and thisis without the city whereas the battle line is within the city.See Rotherham's translation. A stadium is 606 three fourthsEnglish ft; 1200 stadii are, mi...................................................................................137.9 mi
The work on this volume was done in Scranton, Pa. As fast asit was completed it was sent to the Bethel. half of the workwas done at an average distance of 5 blocks from the Lackawannastation, and the other half at a distance of 25 blocks. Blocksin Scranton are 10 to the mile. Hence the average distance to thestation is 15 blocks, or .................................................................................................1.5 miThe mileage from Scranton to Hoboken Terminal is shown in timetables as 143.8 and this is the mileage charged to passengers,but in 1911, at an expense of $12,000,000, the Lackawanna Railroadcompleted its famous cut-off, saving 11 miles of the distance.From the day the cut-off was completed the trainmen have beenallowed 11 miles less than the time table shows, or a netdistance of ................................................................................................................132.8 mi.Hoboken Ferry to Barclay Street Ferry, New York, is .............................................2.0 miBarclay Street Ferry to Fulton Ferry, New York, is 4,800 feet or ............................0.9 miFulton Ferry, New York, to Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn, is 2,000 feet or .......................0.4 miFulton Ferry, Brooklyn, to Bethel, is 1,485 feet or ....................................................0.3 miShortest distance from place where the winepress was troddenby the Feet Members of the Lord, Whose guidance and help alonemade this volume possible.(John 6:60,61; Matt 20:11) .......................................................................................137.9 mi
Notice here, that the distance from Scranton Pennsylvania to Brooklyn Bethel, New York supposedly fulfills Revelation 14:20, but only if one takes the Hoboken Ferry. Does this honestly make sense? Would Jesus Christ consider this as the "food at the proper time?" What type quality of food is this? This information from the year 1917, is the quality of food that was supplied, which according to the Watchtower Society, determined Jesus Christ to reject all of Christendom and select the International Bible Students, now known as Jehovah's Witnesses as the "faithful and discreet slave" of Jesus illustration in Matthew 24. Even during this past 1997 district convention, a photograph of the entire volume of "studies in the scriptures" are featured on the convention program cover.
Of comparable "quality" is what this same book calls the "corrected translation of Job 40:15 to 41:34, with comments thereon, presented on pages 84 to 86. The book of Job there speaks of "behemoth" and "leviathan" (understood today by the Watch Tower Society and others to be references to the hippopotamus and the crocodile). Notice what is said of this in The Finished Mystery book, of the "behemoth":"The following is a corrected translation of Job 40:15 to 41:34, with comments thereon from the pen of one of Pastor Russell's followers; "Behold now one with great heat (the stationary steam engine), which I have made to be with thee; he will consume fodder (peat, wood, coal) as do cattle. Behold now his strength is in his loins (boiler plates), and his power is within the parts bent in a circle (boiler shell) of his belly. His tail (smoke stack----opposite the feeding end) will set upright like a cedar; the couplings of his leaping parts (connecting rods, pitmans) will be clamped together. His bones are tubes of copper; his solid bones (grate bars) are as hammered-out bars of iron. He is the greatest of the ways of power. He that made him (the Lord) can make His sword (Word) to approach unto (reveal) him. (Isa 27:1,2) He shall rest under thin shelter (steam jackets) within a covering of fibrous reeds (jute) and clay (mortar). The willows of the valley (the trees overhead) will enclose him around about."
"The Fact That They Were Symbolized By Two Witnesses Confirms To Us That Their Message Was Accurate And Well Founded". |
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The "Corrected Translation of Job 40:15 to 41:34" - A Locomotive |
One only has to read further of The Finished Mystery's interpretation of the "leviathan" translated as a locomotive and on page 93, the interpretation of the prophesy of Nahum chapter two verses 3 to 6 where it states "Nahum describes a railway train in motion - not an automobile, as some think". !&%* This book goes further to describe the end of Satan's system in 1918. Notice on page 258 of the book The Finished Mystery, it states: "Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the meaning of the downfall of Christianity."Again it must be asked, does this logically sound to you as the food at the proper time ? Do you really think it makes sense that Jesus Christ rejected all of Christendom and appointed the International Bible Students (Jehovah's Witnesses) as the "faithful and discreet slave" for the fine quality of food at the right time? Apparently Jehovah's Witnesses today feel this to be true. Notice the comments made in the December 15, 1977 Watchtower on page 751: Their faithfulness and spiritual wisdom in the Master's service determines their worthiness to be put in charge of all the earthly belongings of their Master. The 1988 publication Revelation--Its Grand Climax At Hand! on page 165 describes The Finished Mystery as "a powerful commentary on Revelation and Ezekiel"! And the publication entitled Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, pages 70 to 78, 89, 90 describe The Finished Mystery as "a milestone event"
What amazes me, is that the members of the Watch Tower Society actually went to prison for a short time in 1918 because of this imaginatively silly book of nonsensical material. This was mainly due to anti-war comments made. Their action of cutting pages 247-253 out of the book is considered today as a compromise, displeasing the newly enthroned king. And for this and other factors, they were brought under captivity under Babylon the Great and undergone imprisonment. All this, supposedly fulfilling Revelation chapter 11:3-7 which speaks of the two witnesses killed. At this, the Revelation--Its Grand Climax At Hand! (page 164) says: "The fact that they were symbolized by two witnesses confirms to us that their message was accurate and well founded".
Food At The Proper Time |
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"1925 Shall Mark The Resurrection of The Faithful Worthies of Old" |
This "accurate and well founded" message certainly can not be found anywhere in the talk entitled "Millions Now Living Will Never Die", first delivered in the year 1918 by Joseph F Rutherford, the president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and given throughout the 1920's. At that "proper time", Christ Jesus was supposedly selecting the Watch Tower organization because of its discreet and faithful distribution of quality spiritual food. Today in many WatchTowers it is still described as an astounding scriptural talk. They believe that it was so important that it actually fulfills Revelation 8:8 which speaks of the second blowing of the trumpet. Notice how "accurate and well founded" the quality of this food is in this talk: "Based upon the argument heretofore set forth, then, that the old order of things, the old world is ending and is therefore passing away, and that the new order is coming in, and that 1925 shall mark the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old and the beginning of reconstruction, it is reasonable to conclude that millions of people now on the earth will be still on, the earth in 1925. Then, based upon the promised set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die.Accordingly, Joseph Rutherford, purchased a house in California for the 1925 resurrection of Abraham, Isaac and
"Millions Now Living Will Never Die" |
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"Beth-Sarim", "House of Princes" in Hebrew, Was Bought For The Ressurection of Abraham, Issac And Jacob. |
Jacob. He named the mansion, "Beth-Sarim." ("House of Princes" in Hebrew). The deed was actually made out to these dead persons!! But first they had to "prove and identify themselves to the proper officers of said Society as the person or persons described in Hebrews Chapter eleven in this deed"!! Does this sound like the second blowing of the trumpet in Revelation 8:8? Obviously this was not "accurate and well founded" information. True, the Watchtower Society consists of imperfect men. But when imperfect men, make the claim that Jesus Christ selected them alone as his appointed representative and "slave class", out of the entire earth to convey his message, they are making themselves responsible for their errors. And when they shun persons and break up families and friendships, for disagreeing with their supposed divine appointment, they are even more responsible. They are also fulfilling the role of the "man of lawlessness" "who sits down in the seat of God", acting as a mediator between God and men, the only channel of communication that God is using, requiring persons to go through them. (2 The 2:1-8)The interesting thing about this quality of food, is the claim that the International Bible Students (Jehovah's Witnesses) were appointed as the "faithful and discreet slave" being given authority over all the "domestics" and all other "belongings" as a reward for their faithfulness and discreetness. Yet in 1918, they were supposedly so unclean, that God gave them up to "Babylon the Great" for a refining. Then when released in 1919 they were lifted up to the supreme position of the "faithful and discreet slave". This can be well described in an illustration by Ron Frye. "That's like going to a businessman who, through his own foolishness got himself into financial difficulty and lost a good deal of your money, having to declare bankruptcy, and your then saying to this businessman, "Well done! You lost a small fortune of mine, so now I am going to entrust my whole fortune into your hands."
A s history repeats itself, it certainly appears evident, that in years to come, the publication Revelation - it's Grand Climax, published in the year 1989,will look just as bizzare as the publication, The Finished Mystery, published in the year 1918.At that time, there will be new publications with new elaborate, detailed, prophetic scriptural explanations, including various prophetic anti-types, fullfillments and classes. Apparently, time does not teach mankind well.
