Hello everyone,
Few times there has been a request to prove that
what the WTBS Inc. has been printing on a regular
base i.e.
"Jehovah God is blessing His people with increase"
What better way than , to verify this claim, from the WTBS Inc. , own publications?
Let's begin with a quote from a magazine:
The Watchtower 15 th January, 2001 page 17 3:
Of course , the number of those associated with Jehovahs Witnesses is not a criterion for determining if they enjoy
divine favor, nor do statistics impress God.
So according to this statement numbers, statistics are not
really the factor to link to divine favor.
But, wait a second , in the same magazine, page 12 the
WTBS Inc. wrote with a different style:
"Millions of Kingdom proclaimers - a mighty nation -are now associating with more than 91,000 congregations in 235 lands around the earth. Unquestionably, this confirms that Jehovah is speeding up the ingathering of true
worshippers before the outbreak of the" great tribulation," now so near at hand.- Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:9-14. "
Notice also that Jehovah God is involved, actually is
Him that provokes the " speeding up the ingathering of true worshippers.."
Hold on, and let's go ahead in timejust one month:
"The Watchtower " 15 th February, 2001 page 27, paragraph 17 :
" In his book These Also Believe, Professor Charles S.Braden said:' Jehovah's Witnesses have literally covered the earth with their witnessing. It may truly be said that no single religious group in the world displayed more zeal and persistence in the attempt to spread the good news of the Kingdom than Jehovah's Witnesses.
This movement will very likely go on from strength tostrength.'
How right he was! When he wrote those words 50 yearsago, only some 300,000 Witnesses were preaching around the world. What would he say today, when about 20 times that number-some six million-are preaching the good news?"
Again the tone has changed. You might have noticed a certain pride even boasting about number!
Let's continue and we arrive at the month of May
"The Watchtower " 15 th , May 2001 page 13 18
Question : What evidence is there that Jehovah is blessing the preaching work?
(answer)
"Consult the current Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses,
and note the lands now reporting from 100,000 to nearly 1,000,000 Kingdom publishers. This is powerful proof
that the Kingdom-preaching work is being blessed by Jehovah."
Now it's very clearthe increase is a "powerful proof "
Jehovah's blessing.
Since the WTBS thinks that the R&F needs a quick reminder on this subject, they publish - 15 days
later the following:
The Watchtower June 1 st , 2001 page 19, 8,
question (first part):
What has been the result of Jehovahs blessing on his people..?
***Answer , for paragraph 8 :
Jehovahs Witnesses have been blessed with increase because they have continued seeking first the Kingdom and (Gods) righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) .And the end is not yet. Just during the past decade , the number of active proponents of Kingdom rule increased by over 1,750,000 persons.
Again the increase is considered a "blessing" , naturally from Jehovah .
Yet in all this self-praising attitude the WTBS Inc., has,
to use a familiar expression, shot itself on the foot!
Infact, what the WTBS Inc.s writers failed to add, in
The Watchtower June 1 st , 2001 page 19, 8,
is that during that same period decade i.e. from the year 1990 to the year 2000, they did register, officially a total of 3,523,718 new baptisms, or to use their expression , a total of 3,523,718 active proponents of Kingdom rule symbolized their dedication by water baptism.
In conclusion in that decade so much highlighted, the actual increase of active proponents of Kingdom rule was only 50% of the total whosymbolized their dedication, to Jehovah God , by water baptism.
This fact suggests logical questions :
1) Is it really Jehovahs blessing, behind all the
" increase "???
2) If it is really " the result of Jehovahs blessing on
his people .." what happened to the othe 50%
of the total of active proponents of Kingdom rule
who symbolized their dedication by water baptism??
I do hope that the defenders of the 'mighty' WTBS Inc.
ideas or opinions or everchanging doctrines, will be able
to come up with a "Bible - based " answer.
Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp
"Historia est testis temporum, lux veritatis, vita memoriae, magistra vitae, nuntia vetustatis".
(Cicerone , De Oratore, II)
(P.S. Thanks to Somebody for
some of the quotes ).