Comments You Will Not Hear at the 02-23-2014 WT Study (DECEMBER 15, 2013, pages 17-26)(MEMORIAL)
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20131215/
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20131215/passover-was-a-memorial/
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20131215/memorial-is-a-remembrance/
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OPENING COMMENTS
Growing up I heard many anointed speak about Jesus as being their loving, older brother and especially in regards to the “memorial.” They felt they had a more intimate relationship with him than the other sheep. The other sheep would not become a “son of God” until passing the final test after the millennial reign. Have you ever had Jesus called your older brother? Eternal father perhaps, savior, but on the same level as a sibling? Anointed jws are brothers, first century Christians were brothers, but does the WTS include the other sheep?
Doing good to Jesus’ brothers meant doing good to anointed jws…not the other sheep. Who are Jesus’ brothers per the WTS?
*** w10 1/15 p. 5 Why Dedicate Yourself to Jehovah? ***
Jesus’ “other sheep” will not become sons of God until the end of the thousand years.
*** w04 11/1 p. 13 par. 17 Happy Servants of Jehovah ***
The peaceable “other sheep” serve Jehovah under the Fine Shepherd, Christ Jesus, who becomes their “Eternal Father.” (John 10:14, 16; Isaiah 9:6) Those who successfully pass the final test after the Millennial Reign of Christ will be adopted as Jehovah’s earthly sons and “have the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:21; Revelation 20:7, 9)
*** w82 7/1 p. 20 par. 4 What Birth of the Nation Has Meant for Mankind ***
This invisible organization is, for the remnant, a “mother,” the “Jerusalem above.” (Isaiah 54:1-6; Galatians 4:26) So, coming together again from their disorganized state during World War I, they rejoiced to be nursed, borne along and fondled by this spiritual “mother,” the celestial “wife” of God their Father. As “servants” dedicated to him through their older Brother, Jesus Christ, they were comforted to know that the “hand” of Jehovah was operating in their favor.
*** w11 5/15 p. 26 Following Christ, the Perfect Leader ***
Shortly before his death, Jesus mentioned another way in which we can follow his leadership. He said: “He that receives anyone I send receives me also.” (John 13:20) In fact, Jesus spoke of his anointed representatives as his “brothers.” (Matt. 25:40) After Jesus had been resurrected to the heavens, his “brothers” were appointed to act in his place, “substituting for Christ” as ambassadors inviting others to become reconciled to Jehovah God. (2 Cor. 5:18-20) Our recognizing Christ’s leadership involves submission to his “brothers.”
*** w07 4/15 p. 21 par. 7 Let the Congregation Praise Jehovah ***
What we read at Hebrews 2:12, 17 is significant. It shows that in an inclusive sense, Christ was a member of a congregation where he declared God’s name to his brothers. Who were those brothers? Those forming part of “Abraham’s seed,” the spirit-anointed brothers of Christ, “partakers of the heavenly calling.” (Hebrews 2:16–3:1; Matthew 25:40) Yes, the primary sense of “congregation” in the Christian Greek Scriptures is the composite group of spirit-anointed followers of Christ. These 144,000 anointed ones constitute “the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens.”—Hebrews 12:23.
So as jws look forward to the Memorial this year on April 14, Jesus will not be spoken of as their older brother, they will not be a member of God’s family for at least another 1,000 years. They will be attending what some see as the REJECT JESUS PARTY.
‘This Is to Be a Memorial for You’
“This day must serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah.”—EX. 12:14.
PP 1,2: Why is an anniversary not the same as a birthday?
Occurs annually on the same date
WTS counters with flawed “reasoning.”
*** w98 10/15 p. 30 Questions From Readers ***
As noted, it can be said that both are anniversaries because an “anniversary” is ‘the annual recurrence of a date marking some event.’ It could be an anniversary of any event—the day you had an automobile accident, saw an eclipse of the moon, went swimming with your family, and so on. It is clear that Christians do not turn every “anniversary” into a special day or have a party to commemorate it. One should consider the aspects of an event and decide what is fitting.
It thus would not be strange that a couple might on their wedding anniversary take time to reflect on the joyfulness of that event and on their resolve to work for success as a couple. Whether they focus on this happy occasion in private, just as a couple, or they have a few relatives or close friends with them would be for them to decide. The occasion should not become a mere excuse for a large social gathering.
This WT is meant to focus on jws, not people at the door. Why does the WTS then say, “But,’ you might think, ‘though Jews celebrate Passover, I am not a practicing Jew. Why should I be interested in that anniversary?”…What jw would say that?
“command given to all Christians” only anointed jws is what the WTS means.
PP 3,4
The WTS insults non-jws but suggesting there experience with the Passover was only in a movie.
PP 5
The Israelites started preparations 4 days before Nisan 14. Hebrew days run from sunset to sunrise. The WTS has started days before April 14 to condition jws for the memorial. But the Jews did not gather in a central location, but celebrated at home. What are the herbs at the KH memorial? There is the lamb (Jesus), the bread, the wine, but no herbs? Did you know that the “circumcised alien resident” ate of these things at the Passover? Does that mean that the other sheep should partake? Did Jewish proselytes become anointed Christians?
(Numbers 9:14) 14 “‘And in case an alien resident should be residing with YOU as an alien, he also must prepare the passover sacrifice to Jehovah. According to the statute of the passover and according to its regular procedure is the way he should do. There should exist one statute for YOU people, both for the alien resident and for the native of the land.’”
*** it-1 p. 320 Bitter Greens ***
The bitter greens were apparently intended to remind the Israelites of the bitterness of the experience during the Egyptian bondage.
PP 6
How many jws realize that the Passover was more than one day, was followed by a 7-day festival? Where does that fit in the WT pattern for the memorial? Are there 8 days of the memorial? More than one day – anniversary. Note the WTS quotes from a non-jw bible.
PP 7
His apostles, why no mention that Judas was not present?
PP 8
“last valid Passover”
“some modern calendars (including Jewish) may differ one or more days from the date”
“Moses specified WHEN on Nisan 14 they were to do so” Have you noticed that the WTS is using italics more and more as if the rank and file are too stupid to get the point?
PP 9
“The Pentateuch and Haftorahs”
“Jewish Tanakh”
Who and when?
http://home.earthlink.net/~byls-press2/atla_PresentationJune2006_notes.pdf
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Bible/jpstoc.html
Now that the WTS has the magazines/books/etc online on their site why not a link to the non-WT citations? What jw has access to the publications above to see the context or use it later for research?
PP 10
“In later times (when), some Jews (who) thought it would have taken hours”
“was understood (by who)” “end (italicized)”
Who is Joseph Klawans that we should believe him or think that he agrees with the WTS on other points (source, italics, ellipsis) good place for a link…
http://www.bu.edu/religion/faculty/bios/klawans/
But as demonstrated by the late Baruch Bokser in his book The Origins of the Seder, practically everything preserved in the early rabbinic traditions concerning the Passover Seder brings us back to the time immediately following the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. It’s not that rabbinic literature cannot be trusted to tell us about history in the first century of the Common Era. It’s that rabbinic literature—in the case of the Seder—does not even claim to be telling us how the Seder (brackets WTS? Passover meal) was performed before the destruction of the Temple. - See more at: http://menachemmendel.net/blog/was-the-last-supper-a-seder/#sthash.HZqN0UE2.dpuf
PP 11
How many times has the WTS directly or indirectly said that only they have the right date, that even the Jews have it wrong? But then the WTS hasn’t exactly been correct about dates (1874, 1878, 1881, 1914, 1920, 1925, generation of 1914, 1975?
Italics: “our Passover”
Brackets: [was] (1 Corinthians 5:7) . . .For, indeed, Christ our passover has been sacrificed.” So why did the WTS have to alter scripture; r&f too dumb?
PP 12
Does the memorial eventually end? When?
*** w10 3/15 p. 27 par. 16 One Flock, One Shepherd ***
He said to anointed Christians: “For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.” (1 Cor. 11:26) When does the Lord ‘arrive’? When he comes to take the last of his anointed bride class to their heavenly home. (John 14:2, 3) Clearly, the annual observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal is not to continue endlessly. “The remaining ones” of the woman’s seed yet on earth will continue to partake of this meal until all of them have received their heavenly reward. (Rev. 12:17)
PP 13
What about today, does the WTS know who all the anointed are on earth considering that count them and post the numbers each year? Is it important to know the number of the anointed on earth.
*** w11 8/15 p. 22 Questions From Readers ***
Memorial partakers. This is the number of baptized individuals who partake of the emblems at the Memorial worldwide. Does this total represent the number of anointed ones on earth? Not necessarily. A number of factors—including past religious beliefs or even mental or emotional imbalance—might cause some to assume mistakenly that they have the heavenly calling. We thus have no way of knowing the exact number of anointed ones on earth; nor do we need to know. The Governing Body does not keep a list of all partakers, for it does not maintain a global network of anointed ones.
The WTS teaches that the Armageddon survivors will know all the names of the anointed in heaven. Will those whose names aren’t on the list who claimed to be anointed be alive.
*** w89 8/15 p. 20 par. 23 Paradise Restored Glorifies God ***
It is within the realm of possibility and of likelihood that, some day in the future, the names of all those anointed Christians who have made their “calling and choosing” to the heavenly Kingdom sure and who have been blessed by this supernal resurrection will be published in full for the information of the human family in their earthly Paradise. (2 Peter 1:10; Psalm 87:5, 6) Thus, the absence of the 144,000 spirit-begotten anointed disciples of Jesus Christ from the earthly Paradise will be fully understood to the satisfaction of everybody and with a wholehearted rejoicing over them and together with them.
PP 14
THE REAL THEME OF THIS ARTICLE: “This same lesson that God protects his people” (only as a group though)
*** w08 9/15 p. 9 par. 8 Jehovah Is “the Provider of Escape” for Us ***
As individuals, we know that our immediate physical protection is not guaranteed. We take the position expressed by the three faithful Hebrews who refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold. Those God-fearing young men did not presume that Jehovah would miraculously protect them from physical harm. (Read Daniel 3:17, 18.) As matters turned out, Jehovah did deliver them from the flames of the fiery furnace. (Dan. 3:21-27) Even in Bible times, however, miraculous deliverance was the exception rather than the rule. Many faithful servants of Jehovah died at the hands of opposers.—Heb. 11:35-37.
*** w12 7/15 pp. 25-26 par. 14 “Of Whom Shall I Be in Dread?” ***
Jehovah has promised to help, protect, and deliver his people, as a group, physically and spiritually, and we trust in him. (Ps. 37:28; 91:1-3) The crowd that survive “the great tribulation” must indeed be great. (Rev. 7:9, 14) Thus that crowd, as a group, will be shielded from extinction throughout the remainder of the last days.
COLD LECTURE—Must be a lot of parents lecturing their children
PP15
So the WTS resorts again to the OT for examples of saving a group (despite the fact that the memorial is not a Seder/Passover)
And this scripture leaves Jesus out of the salvation picture.
(Philippians 3:20) 20 As for us, our citizenship exists in the heavens, from which place also we are eagerly waiting for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
PP16
Teaching children to trust in God as a deliverer, yet is it Jesus shown leading the angels in battle…what does the WTS think parents are doing that would not convince their children the parents believe? What kinds of hypocrisies?
Family Worship or family worship (why capitalized?)
Will—italicized…God will deliver only as a group not as an individual
PP17
True Christians do not memorialize Passover…are there non-jw Christians who do?
If jws make Jesus the center at the memorial, how often is he mentioned, talked about as an individual,
(2 Timothy 1:9, 10) . . .He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not by reason of our works, but by reason of his own purpose and undeserved kindness. This was given us in connection with Christ Jesus before times long lasting, 10 but now it has been made clearly evident through the manifestation of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death but has shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news,
PP18
Preserve life permanent (but no individual protection) Christians (jws) that hope to live forever on earth…should regularly remind themselves
“by means of him” Jesus or God?
PP19
Does the prophecies fulfilled on Jesus mean that people should trust the WTS interpretations of prophecy?
http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/revelation-daniel-prophetic-interpretation.php
PP20
Differences: Passover, ate lamb, not blood (did Christians eat blood)
Symbols (italicized) (explained later in next article…serious assertion to make with explanation right after)
PP21
We as Christians (the only true Christians per the WTS)
*** w89 9/1 p. 19 par. 7 Remaining Organized for Survival Into the Millennium ***
Only Jehovah’s Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the “great crowd,” as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil. (Revelation 7:9-17; 2 Corinthians 4:4) They will make up the “flesh” that Jesus Christ said would be saved through the worst tribulation of all human history. As it was in the days of Noah, said Jesus, so it would be in the day when He would be revealed.
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
This is the first “cold” lecture from the WTS about the memorial. It reminds me of a term that was used by the elders and others about jws that hadn’t been to meetings for years except the memorial, Submarine Witnesses, they only surfaced once a year. But it gave families hope, I guess, false hope. Thinking that as a family member sat in the audience they would be moved to come back…the worst meeting to move someone, the Reject Jesus meeting.
Love, Blondie
....OUTLAW