They're either deluded, deceived or are themselves deceitful, and I don't know whether Franz ever addessed what GB members see when they look in the mirror.
Anciently, God spoke to his apostles and prophets through theophanies and angelic visitations. I would love to see the looks on peoples' faces attending a major conference during which a GB member got up and said he had been visited by an angel like John did on Patmos. Or what if one of them had a dream or vision? I wonder how many people who had left the Society would change their minds and put in for reinstatement if there was such an announcement?
Imagine if one day Gerrit Lösch got up to speak at a major convention. "My friends and brethren, for many years we have known we live in precarious times. We see the combined efforts of Satan the Devil and his angels of demons have fought Jehovah and his earthly organization and that they have increased their stride in bringing us closer to Armageddon. As the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society, we have often found that some of our decisions and statements have angered some. Such it was with the first century of Jehovah's Christians.
Anciently, the apostles, the Governing Body of its time, struggled with their own problems, and when certain issues became overwhelming, God answered their prayers through angelic ministrations. The apostles weren't perfect, my friends, and neither are we. Like anyone else we make mistakes. Well, I'm here today to tell you that last Wednesday, before our weekly meeting, I was preparing some notes regarding our continuing expectation for the coming of Armageddon. As I was checking my points, I suddenly noticed a man standing by my side. He looked as real as you or I do right now, but he was dressed in a white robe, with hair of the most lusterous white. He stood beside me just a little above the ground. He had a sparkle in his eye and I instantly recognized him as Brother Charles Taze Russell. He called me by name and put his hand upon my shoulder, and when he did so, I was completely surrounded and enveloped by understanding. I saw the beast of whom John wrote, and that he came upon this people to destroy them. Some of the wicked fell by the sword of the beast, but the more part of the people stood on their feet and resisted the dragon. Fire fell from the sky with stones that weren't hail, but rather, from the void of the heavens. It was as if one day the people of the earth were conducting their business as ususal and then, suddenly, chaos reigned! And in the midst of this chaos, I saw Jehovah's people rise into the air, and no stone could impede them, nor could the fire hurt them. And yet there were many who, for varying reasons, had left our ranks and were destroyed where they stood, their eyes and tongues being burned within them as by a strong acid. Still there were others who were spared for reasons I was not given to understand.
"When the vision departed, I found myself in my room with Elder Russell, who began to slowly ascend through the ceiling. As he did so, he told me he would visit me again; that the day of Armageddon was nigh, and that the date thereof was only known by Jehovah and that it would come not one day sooner or one day later. When I could no longer see him, I was left weak and powerless. Yet I remembered everything he had related. Subsequently, I had visitations from three of the Lord's ancient followers, Peter, Paul and Mary. I see that my time is up, so I will go into more detail later. Farewell."
If something like that happened, it might invigorate the organization.
The First Resurrection Now Under Way?
Can we say more precisely when the first resurrection begins? An interesting clue is found at Revelation 7:9-15, where the apostle John describes his vision of “a great crowd, which no man was able to number.” The identity of that great crowd is revealed to John by one of the 24 elders, and these elders represent the 144,000 joint heirs with Christ in their heavenly glory.* (Luke 22:28-30; Revelation 4:4)
John himself had a heavenly hope; but since he was still a man on earth when the elder spoke to him, in the vision John must represent anointed ones on earth who have not yet received their heavenly reward. What, then, can we deduce from the fact that one of the 24 elders identifies the great crowd to John? It seems that resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communicating of divine truths today.
Why is that important? Because the correct identity of the great crowd was revealed to God’s anointed servants on earth in 1935. If one of the 24 elders was used to convey that important truth, he would have had to be resurrected to heaven by 1935 at the latest. That would indicate that the first resurrection began sometime between 1914 and 1935. Can we be more precise?* For information on how we know that the 24 elders represent anointed Christians in their heavenly position, see Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand! page 77, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The real reason why this is important, is nothing to do with 1935 — it has to do with the demotion of the anointed to a group with “no special insight” and the promotion (or reaffirmation) of the Governing Body to having inside info from the dead!
Communication with the dead has always been a part of the Watchtower religion:
Clayton Woodworth claimed that Pastor Russell was still directing the Watchtower Society from beyond the grave:
“Pastor Russell was a man of unusual modesty. Great men usually are modest. The examination of the contents of this book will disclose the fact ... that the earthly creature made prominent therein above all others is the messenger of the Laodicean Church — ‘that wise and faithful servant of the Lord’ — CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL.
“...[T]hough Pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every feature of the Harvest work. ‘The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is the greatest corporation in the world, because from the time of its organization until now the Lord has used it as His channel through which to make known the Glad Tiding.’” (Finished Mystery, 1917, pp. 5, 144). [Source]
One reader asked, "Why is it such a stretch to believe that Jehovah is using angels nowadays? Or that the head of the Christian congregation, Jesus, might be using resurrected holy ones?" Darn good question.
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