Daniel 12:10 & Malachi 3:3
DANIEL: “Many will cleanse themselves and whiten themselves and will be refined.”
MALACHI: “(Jesus) must sit as a refiner and cleanser of silver and must cleanse the sons of Le’vi;’ and he must clarify them like gold and like silver.”
Here are a couple examples of what James Penton said about using the Bible to “explain almost anything that Witness writers want it to.” In this case the Witness writers want to explain away all of organization’s former teachings that were not true (including the 48 mentioned in Chapter 3).
The usual way of thinking is that the more false teachings a religion has had the more they prove that it is NOT the true religion. But the Governing Body has figured out a way to interpret the above Scriptures in such a way so that the more false teachings the Society has had the more they give the opportunity to prove that it IS the true religion.
Here is how they do it…
“The Bible speaks of a very vital and important prophecy, that is, the refinement. (Daniel 12:10 and Malachi 3:3) We can be glad that some of the teachings the Society had taught (“down till 1919”) are no longer taught now.”
“This is evidence that Christ is truly refining his temple as the Bible had prophesied. Whenever it is pointed out that a teaching was incorrect, we can be thankful we’re being refined.”
Just as Proverbs 4:18 says nothing about how God “gradually” and “progressively” has revealed the truth to the Watchtower Society, the above
Scriptures say nothing about how Jesus has “cleansed” or “refined” the Society’s teachings that have not been true.
The only possible way the Society’s interpretations of what Solomon, Daniel and Malachi said even have a chance of being correct would be if it really is “God’s organization.” But as many of us know, "Captives of a Concept” seems to pretty well eliminate that possibility.
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Footnote: Since when did anyone connected with the Society become "the sons of Le’vi"?
Don Cameron