As time passed the Society realized that their predictions were not going to come true. To say that their understanding of the Bible was correct, but that their timing was out would be one possible way of saving face. But to admit this would make a mockery of all the literature published over the previous forty years. And what of the damning statements made against those who had always said they were twisting the scriptures; also their claim to be guided by God would be disproved.
Judge Rutherford came up with the answer. He claimed that Jesus had returned in 1914 and was ruling in the heavens – but invisibly! Only with the aid of the Society's books would anyone be able to see this, as Jesus was revealing himself through them. But did not the Bible state that when Jesus returned Israel would go back to its homeland even as the Society had so far taught, stating as late as 1924 that Jerusalem would become the capital of the world?
It was at this point that the entire understanding of the Bible, as taught by the Watchtower Society, did a somersault. Judge Rutherford explained that the followers of the Society had replaced Israel and all the blessings promised to Israel were to be bestowed on them.
All Bible references to Israel were a coded way of foretelling the rise of Jehovah's Witnesses, though at that time they had still not adopted this name. Due to their rejection of Jesus, Israel were to be cast away forever. This was in total contrast to the entire chapter in “The Time is at Hand” entitled “Parallel Dispensations,” where by quoting many scriptures they had attempted to show that Israel, as an earthly nation, had been promised that it would return to God’s favour and its homeland.
Many of the books written from then on set out to prove that all the promises made in the Bible, relating to Israel, had been or were about to be fulfilled on the Society and its followers.
For Israel to be permanently abandoned, as the Witnesses claim, the promise to Abraham would have to be broken. The Witnesses claim that God has done this to make way for them. However the Bible states that he would not cast Israel away forever. Most of the Old Testament and some of the New is written about Israel, ending with the achievement of God’s original purpose, to restore Israel to favour.
According to the Bible, he has sworn to do this! The promise to Israel is repeated throughout the New Testament, which states that the old covenant was abandoned for the sake of Israel, but Israel itself was to be saved.
The Apostle Paul likens Israel to a tree and shows that those who have come into favour in place of Israel are like branches that have been grafted on. He explains that it is because Israel is the root that these branches are made holy:
“I ask then, has God rejected his people? I cannot believe it! I am an Israelite myself, of the stock of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. No! God has not rejected the people which he acknowledged of old as his own.”…“For there is a deep truth here, my brothers … this partial blindness has come upon Israel only until the Gentiles have been admitted in full strength; when that has happened the whole of Israel shall be saved, in agreement with the text of scripture...” Romans 11
Taken from the book 'Opening the door to Jehovah's Witnesses.'
