How and whom forms the Great Apostasy?
Is it not true, that for one to Apotasize from the true faith, he/she would have to have first to have fully known the Truth of the Bible; such as in the case of Judas Iscariot who deliberately betrayed the Master knowing full-well what he was doing? Would it not also be true, for any of the Twelve Apostles, had they have followed the lead of Judas, it could be said of them, that they had Apostasized? Or any of the first Century followers of the Christ for that matter? Who all knew the truth?
Of course to Apostasize one would have to actually turn away and Abandon, or renounce, his or her faith? Giving it up entirely, resigning himself/herself from it. Is that not true? While actually being in a full possession of knowledge of this Faith. Knowing full-well what they were doing, but going head-long against what they formerly believed, without thought or concern.
Is it even possible that a Great Apostasy of that fashion could even occur today? Where there were that many knowing the Truth, could turn away or abandon the true faith? In order for it to be a Great Apostasy, is it not logical this would involve a great number of individuals, and not merely a few? Since it is true that a Great number would have to be involved in this Apostasy, then something other than what one might expect was meant by Paul's words at 2 Thessalonioans2:1-12. Consider the words of Paul now. Note carefully what he's saying here:
1"BUT RELATIVE to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and our gathering together to [meet] Him, we beg you, brethren, 2Not to allow your minds to be quickly unsettled or disturbed or kept excited or alarmed, whether it be by some [pretended] revelation of [the] Spirit or by word or by letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] arrived and is here. 3Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition), 4Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and over all that is called God or that is worshiped, [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God. 5Do you not recollect that when I was still with you, I told you these things? {2 Corinthians 11:12-15} 6And now you know what is restraining him [from being revealed at this time]; it is so that he may be manifested (revealed) in his own [appointed] time.7For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one (the antichrist) will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by His appearing at His coming. 9The coming [of the lawless one, the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of [pretended] miracles and signs and delusive marvels--[all of them] lying wonders-- 10And by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (going to perdition) because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved. 11Therefore God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false, 12In order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely on] the Truth, but [instead] took pleasure in unrighteousness." {2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 AB}
I want you to notice something Paul is telling us here, about the pretended Revelation of the Spirit, first: The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses will tell us that they are, "Gods Spirit Directed Organization." They make claim that they are the Anointed Brothers of the Christ, so they have a WORD or LETTER that has the appearance of, as Paul Said: {Alledged to be from us} They will tell us the Christ was invisibly present in the year 1914 so they are telling us, as Paul said, the Day of the Lord has already arrived and is here. When they arrive at your door, the WORD they have is a very polished verbal presentation designed to involve you in a Bible Discussion. Remember too, they tell their followers to listen to them as though they were listening to the voice of God. How's that for sitting in the Temple of God professing to be God? Further they have that...
[pretended] revelation of [the] Spirit or by word or by letter
[alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] arrived and is here.
In harmony with Paul are the words of Jesus, and notice what Luke has penned to tell us:
8 And He said, "Be on your guard and be careful that you are not led astray; for many will come in My name appropriating to themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me], saying, I am He! and, The time is at hand! Do not go out after them." {Luke 21:8 AB} If the preaching work was valid, why would Jesus say: "Do not go out after them?"
Notice the words penned by Luke are in full harmony with Paul, because the Witnesses will come to your door and tell you the 'Time is at hand.' In that they believe and teach that the Christ was invisibly present in the year 1914.
Luke was making reference to those involved in this preaching work of this good news of the kingdom, which work involved telling everyone that the Christ has been invisibly present ever since the year 1914. So, this Organization would look and sound exactly like the true Apostles of the Christ, and because it did would mislead, as it has, many Millions of unwary individuals. Jesus himself warned of such an Organization being on the earth while the sign of his coming was in progress. Notice now, the words of Jesus, and take heed:
24"For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders so as to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the elect (God's chosen ones)." {Matthew 24:24 AB}
I was in association with them for Twenty-One years, before I began to get the sense that I was being misled. That in itself is a story all of its own. But listen what else Paul has to tell us about this very oppressive Organization:
28 "Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed YOU overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own [Son]. 29 I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among YOU and will not treat the flock with tenderness, 30 and from among YOU yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves." {Acts 20:28-30 NWT}
Anyone that knows anything about the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their bullying Elder arrangement, knows all about the disfellowshipping practice they involve themselves in that is as cruel a treatment as you can get, in not treating the flock with tenderness, as Paul foretold. I remember years back I watched a young girl being centred out in the congreagation by the Elders, being disfellowshipped. I was sitting there doing a slow burn, as mad as hell because this little gal was in tears. I sincerely wanted to go up on the platform and punch the Elders lights out. Remembering back the disposition I had back then, that Elder was one lucky man, I didn't go up. I honestly wanted to kick the crap out of him, but left the Hall in a rage.
In their scriptural igornance they do not know that practice is not even authorized today; is a work reserved for the Christ and his Angels. They do not understand the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. Jesus in that parable told his followers who had asked him, if he wanted them to collect out the Weeds; he told them: NO! There was as danger of pulling out the wheat class by mistake. He told them: "Let them grow together until the Harvest season at which time, he would tell the reapers, the Angels to do that clean-up." {Matthew 13:24-30--36-43}
The Governing Body has exalted themselves so high as to take over the Work of the Christ and his Angels. Through the Pen of his Prophet Ezekiel Jehovah foretold this bullying self exalted type, and they are all in dire peril for carrying on that disfellowshipping practice today. {Ezekiel 34:1-31} That practice actually constitutes them as the evil Slave Jesus foretold. The one who beat his fellow Slaves. {Matthew 24:48-51}
They have lifted themselves so high they have even taken over the position of the Faithful Slave which position belongs only to the Christ.
They have forgotten, or did they even know, that Jehovah is the source of all knowledge? That in the first Century he sent his only Son to lead and to teach, and to chose the Twelve Apostles; Luke 6:12-16} to form the Christian Congregation over which he was the head? To make known everything his Father had taught him to all of his first Century Followers? {John 15:15} That even after his ascension to the right hand of his Father, he continued to teach them by means of Revelations from the heavenly Spirit Realm? {Galatians 1:11,12} {Ephesians 34:3} {Revelation 1:1,2}That even now, today he does his teaching by means of the Holy Spirit only in his hands, and yet THEY are the Faithful Slave? {Acts 2:33} {John 14:26;16;13} {1 John 2:27} Has the position of Jesus as the One leader and one teacher suddenly changed and been handed over to the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society? After Paul has told us that Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever? {Hebrews 13:8} {Matthew 23:8-11} {1 Corinthians 11:3} {Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; 5:24} Has the Holy Spirit now changed hands, from the Christs over to the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, and now we have no need to be taught by the one leader and one teacher? Is the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society now, like the Christ, seated at the right hand of the Father? Must be a touch crowded on that Heavenly Throne about now, wouldn't you say? {John 3:16,17}
So, now, how would we describe this great Apostasy after considering what I have set forth thus far? What I have shown, is, we have as we look closely at the Governing Bodies Watchtower Society an Organization that looks and sounds like the true Apostles, but is, in actuality a deviation from the true faith, even though it looks for all the World to be the genuine article. That being the case, it is in actuality an apotasy from the true faith; not genuine at all. An imposter. A masquerade. A pretense.
The Governing Body will tell us that they are God's visible Organization on earth today. Not knowing that Jehovah no longer has an Orgaization on earth any longer. Jehovah's Organization now, is Heavenly Mount Zion, Heavenly New Jerusalem, the City of the living God. This of course is solidly based on scripture, if anyone cares to look up the following verses of scripture that prove what I'm saying. {Hebrews 12:18-24} {Revelation 3:12; 14:1;21:2,10} All by themselves those scriptures prove beyond all doubt that what I say is true. Don't believe me, believe the scriptures. Which proves all the more, the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society is a presumptuous false Prophet; even more Paul showed us all that they are the foretold Man of Lawlessness, and the seven Million now following them are following, without knowing it of course, the foretold Man of Lawelessness. With as I understand it now, another 17 Million waiting in the wings. Whichever path they all will take no one can say, at the moment. If they join ranks with them it truly will be a great Apostasy. All believing the lie, as Paul predicted.
Why would they all believe the lie? Paul already told us the reason for that, but look again anyway:
"God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false,
12In order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely on] the Truth, but [instead] took pleasure in unrighteousness."Try and tell any one of the Witnesses that the Governing Body is not what they make claim to being, is not the Faithful Slave of the Parable in Matthew 24:45 you will run into a brick-wall, every time you try. Tell them that, their minds will close like a steel trap, and they simply will not listen to you. I know! I tried it with my ex-Wife who has been a Witness for over fifty years. She is not even willing to do what she expects those at the doors to do; that is reason logically and sensibly using the scriptures and allowing them to speak to her, and there is very good reason for that stubborn attitude. It is that misleading influence, that working of error, that strong delusion, God sends upon them, making her believe what is false, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot crack through that wall of disbelief.
I remember a Book the Society published quite some time back, called: "God's Kingdom of a Thousand years has approached." There was a very long article in it dealing with the Man of lawlessness. They concluded that this Man was Religious Christendom, but Religious Christendom never had a message or a letter that appeared to come from the anointed Brothers of the Christ, because they never taught a doctrine of the Trinity, the immortal soul, torment in a fiery Hell doctrines, so that man could not have been Religious Christendom; even though one might believe that to be true, because it may have looked that way. Sometimes looks can be very deceiving as it turned out in this case; turning out as it did, to be actually themselves.
As the Governing Body contiues with their preaching activity, what they are gathering is Apostate believers, and from them will this great Apostasy come into full fruition.
In conclusion then, I should mention I have already put an article on the Board showing the Governing Bodies caculations on the appointed times of the Nations are seriously flawed reasoning. They did not begin running in 607 BCE! They did not run for a period of 2,520 years! They did not end in the year 1914! The Appointed times of the Nations did not end in 1914. The Christ was not invisibly present in that year. Nor was the generation of 1914 the generation the one that would not pass away. Paul also had something to say about teachings such as these. Note now what he did say, showing what this Apostasy was all about:
"However, the inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, marked in their conscience as with a branding iron;"... {1 Timothy 4:1,2 NWT}
The Seven Million now going door-to-door are paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, listening to the hypocrisy of men who speaks lies, whose conscience are like burned away seared flesh, and rather than being IN the Faith, have, in that it is a deviation of the true faith, have in actuality fallen away from the true Faith. They are, in point of fact, Apostate Christian's! Recall Paul said, "Men would rise and speak twisted things, to draw away the deciples after themselves?" and because Jehovah sends a strong delusion, a working of error, a misleading influence, they would believe these liars. Isn't it a fact that they do exactly that? Are not those seven Million, followers of the Governing Body, and not the Christ? Say anything at all about THEIR Faithful Slave, and stand back and watch the sparks fly! They are not even aware who the Faithful Slave Really is. Remember the words of Jesus? "Who Really is the Fathful Slave?" It's a sure fire bet it isn't the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Man of Lawlessness foretold by the Apostle Paul, is who they really are. The one with the verbal message and letter that appears to come from the true Apostles of the Christ.
From these will develope this foretold great Apostasy. How Great? We'll just have to sit back, wait and see. But we see it is formed by the unauthorized work of preaching this Good News of the Kingdom throughout all the inhabited earth for a witness to all Nations, before comes the end. Done by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Man of Lawlessness. {Matthew 24:14}
I think, too, when we factor in the entire realm of Religious Christendom, we could say the Great Apostasy is very nearly all in place now at this time; so the Day of the Lord Paul was talking about, could very well be close at hand, now, at this time. How close? No one knows that! We remain watchful, and keep our eye on the sign of the coming of Christ. That sign when in full evidence will tell the story.Wannabe