"Satanic Thoughts" in The Finished Mystery

by refiners fire 19 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • refiners fire
    refiners fire

    The organizations position, if pressed, is that they prefer dubbies not to read the FINISHED MYSTERY book, because, even though it served Gods purpose and stirred Christendoms priesthood into “a white heat of hate”, the book contains some “Satanic Thoughts” that God allowed to slip in there for some reason. Anyway, I thought I might present some of these “Satanic Thoughts” so that the household of faith can know what they need to be on guard against.

    Satan seems to have slipped in a lot of his own thinking, especially when it comes to the books interpretation of the SYMBOLS of Revelation and what these mean. A list of some of these follows.

    Revelation Chapters 2 and 3 : The Angels to the 7 churches are listed as St Paul, St John, Arius, Peter Waldo, Wycliffe, Martin Luther and CT Russell. Each of these leads prospective members of Gods household through set periods of History.

    The books interpretation of Revelation 6 is certainly CRAWLING with Satanic thoughts. Actually, its hard to find a single aspect of their interpretation of this chapter that ISNT Satanic. About the first rider, that one on a “white horse” the book says this rider is (page 106): “… The Bishop of Rome, the embryo Pope, the personal representative of Satan, and the Bow he carries symbolizes that: “They bend their tongues like the bow for lies”. There is the Pope, inserted into the position reserved for the enthroned Christ. About the “Red horse” it says: “….The color of sin, imperfection, - ‘Though your sins be as scarlet….’.

    And so on. All of these riders are interpreted as Papacy, the Roman Catholic Church and its wicked behaviours. Of course the Organization now understands this vision to be referring to Christs 1914 enthronement and the 1914 World War and 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic.

    Chapter 6,verse 12 of Revelation says : “And a great earthquake occurred and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth” The book interprets these as literal events that occurred in the 1700s, for example: “…literally the great Lisbon earthquake, November 1, 1755, which extended over 4,000,000 square miles..” and “…Literally ‘the dark day’ of May 19 th , 1780 which extended over 250,000 square miles…”

    Pertaining to Revelation Chapter 8, with its Seven “Trumpet Blasts” These are interpreted as 7 religious movements formed since the time of Martin Luther. For example on page 152 the book says: “..And the Fourth Angel sounded- The Baptist sectarian movement began….About 1644 they began making a considerable figure in England, and spread themselves into several separate congregations..” So these 7 trumpet blasts are Protestant sects that formed, starting with the Lutherans. Of Course the Organization today holds that these trumpet blasts are 7 proclamations delivered at 7 conventions between 1922 and 1928.

    Revelation 11, the “Two Witnesses” , killed, and now held to be symbolic of the 1918 killing off of the remnants ‘public preaching work’, are interpreted by the Finished Mystery as the suppression of the Bible, (OT and NewT) In France during the French Revolution.

    The Finished Mysteries interpretation of Revelation 12 is very interesting. In modern parlance a ‘woman’ (Gods Heavenly organization) gives birth to a ‘male child’ (The King, Christ Jesus). In Finished Mystery, The ‘woman’ is named as “The early Church” and the child she births is Antichrist. The book says (page 187) “And She brought forth a male child… The papacy…..Who was to rule all the nations with an iron rod… The authority given to St Peter and his successors ,excels all the power of Earthly Kings..” Certainly this interpretation is Satanic brothers, That wicked old Devil trying to inject Himself into the position appointed for Jesus to occupy. Shocking.

    The Beasts of Revelation 13. These are now understood to be A beast composed of the 7 world powers of History and the “lamb” beast is understood to be the USA / British alliance. The Finished Mystery sees differently. The Beast ‘out of the sea’ is Papacy, as to the “lamblike” beast it is the Church of England. Its two horns are declared to be England and Ireland. ( page 200) The “image” to the first beast is a composite of all the sects that have formed since Martin Luther nailed a piece of paper to a church door.

    The bowls of Revelation 16. Since 1919 Jehovah has gradually revealed that these are the same 7 proclamations and Conventions as those that fulfilled the ‘Trumpets’ prophecy. Finished Mystery declares these 7 bowls of Christendoms agony to be Pastor Russells 7 volumes of Scripture studies. Makes sense to me brothers.

    One wonders how an organization that is currently so RIGHT could get it so Totally WRONG. I think it fair to say that the vast majority of their former interpretation of Revelation pre 1919 was in gross error. Satan certainly pulled one over the Org prior to 1919.That’s for sure.

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  • minimus
    minimus

    I have this book and I recently re-read it. This book is as "Satanic" as all the other wrong thoughts the JW's have had and still do have. I see nothing especially "satanic" in this book. I see false reasonings, false prophecies and idiotic beliefs. If this is what you think is "satanic", then I agree with you.

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  • lauralisa
    lauralisa

    Hey Refiners,


    Sometimes you post stuff that blows me away. This is one of them. Thank you for all the effort and time you have put into this - awesome stuff -

    Thought-promotion-advocate,

    lauralisa

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  • refiners fire
    refiners fire

    Laura. The WTs abandonment of old, former doctrine is on the biggest scale Ive ever seen. Its all encompassing. No wonder they are so concerned to establish 1919 as a cut off point to another time, another church, a church that existed before they were "selected" .1929 would be a better cut off point beyond which you didnt go back in time, but i suppose they couldnt find any time calculations to make that one fit.So, its no wonder they are so absorbed with destroying their old books, examination of those old books is detrimental to keeping faith.

    Of course, they could always fess up. Admit they were self deluded. But if they did that theyd have to get jobs in the real world.

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  • greven
    greven

    RF,

    A very interesting essay you wrote!

    I have read the finished mystery myself and found it stunning that all the negative symbols are now explained as symbolising them in some period. A good example are the locusts, a symbol of blindly following leaders depicted the Methodists. Now it depicts them!

    about Satanic thoughts...

    C. J. Woodworth, who wrote the Revelation part of The Finished Mystery, wrote something very interesting on page 126 and 127:

    Have you enjoyed this work so far? Are you convinced it is of the Lord-- prepared under His guidance? Have you carefully and prayerfully read the comments on Rev. 7:1? Then brace yourself for the truth that it is evidently God's purpose soon to allow the minds of many of His little ones to become an open battle ground, upon which the fallen angels shall be judged, and the manner in which we meet the tests will prove our worthiness of crowns at the same time that it proves these disobedient spirits unworthy of life on any plane. This is something with which some but not many are yet familiar.... without actual experience it is quite impossible to conceive of the intensity of such struggles.... The base of the brain is seized as in a vise. Interpretations of Scripture, ingenious, but misleading beyond description, are projected into the mind as water might be projected through a hose. Visions may be tried, wonderful illuminations of the mind as by a soft but glorious greenish or yellowish haze. Seductive suggestions may be made, based on circumstances of the environment. Offers of inspiration may be made. The privilege of sleep may be taken away for days at a stretch. All this with the object of forcing the unfortunate into at least a temporary insanity.... the mind may be flooded with thoughts that are vile beyond description. THEN REMEMBER THE VOW.

    He refers back to some quotations of Russell on Rev 7:1 from 1911 and 1914 Watch Towers. In them Russell said the fallen angels that have been chained or restrained in darkness since the flood will be let loose soon and be judged by the church and by their actions. Russell said they will first attack his followers and try to invade their minds. For example on page 124 of The finished Mystery we read:

    There is only one way, so far as we can see, in which these fallen angels can have a trial, their trial consisting in having a fuller opportunity to sin, if they so desire, or an opportunity to show, if they wish, that they are sick of sin and desire to return to harmony with God.... we reach the conclusion that the trial of these fallen angels is in the near future; perhaps to some already begun.
    C. J. Woodworth claimed such an atack and fulfilled this "prophecy" by Russell. In his comments quoted above he appears to be speaking of personal experience. His description of demon possession is quite disturbing: The base of the brain is seized as in a vise. Interpretations of Scripture,... are projected into the mind as water might be projected through a hose. Visions may be tried,... as by a soft greenish or yellowish haze... He did even say that without personal experience it is impossible to grasp the intensity of the struggle one could have against demon possession.

    He had such battles with demons, or at least thought he did. This is also documented by his own testimony of it at the 1913 Convention of the Bible Students in Asheville, North Carolina. His confession came during his talk on the Vow. From the Thirteenth Souvenir Convention Report, page. 274 and 275:

    I WISH to speak to you of something that I certainly never intended mentioning at this convention. I presume you have all taken the vow, but perhaps some of you have not.

    He said he didn't accept the Vow at first and thought it was something Russell "brought up himself" and that he wouldn't accept it unless he found it in Scripture. He then says:

    Then began my troubles. I began to pray and to fight it in my own way with the Scriptures. After a few months the Scriptures apparently began to open up... demonstrating its unscripturalness. I thought that... Brother Russell was wrong...
    After corresponding with Russell on the issue he said his nonacceptance of the vow led him to eventual demon possession and even automatic writing:
    There was a time for five consecutive nights when I never slept a wink; then came a time when the strain was too much; my mind became unbalanced, and I came directly under the influence of evil spirits, so much so that for three days I was as completely under demonical control as was Mrs. Eddy when she wrote "Science and Health."
    Previous to this time I had prepared a 36-page book against the Vow, printed in double column, in which all scriptures which seemed to be directly or indirectly against the Vow were arranged. I know now that all these Scriptures were suggested to my mind by the evil spirits. One of the suggestions was... (and this I believe was a truth, for these "lying spirits" do sometimes tell the truth) that in the fifteenth chapter of Numbers where it mentions the "Ribband of blue," it had reference, anti-typacally, to the Vow. But then these lying spirits turned the truth into a lie by claiming that the Vow had been suggested to Brother Russell by the evil spirits. See how clever they were!

    He goes on to say that after Russell pointed out a "mistake" in his book he took all his copies and burned them. He then said:

    Until this time I had never settled in my own mind that Brother Russell was "That Servant.".... I never settled the matter until I yielded and took the Vow which he advised all the Lord's saints to take.... I firmly believe that this "ribband in blue" is the Vow and inspired of God...

    So there is something really weird with this book! It is not strange the society wishes to remove this book from public knowledge...

    By the way, Rutherford made Woodworth editor of The Golden Age from its inaugural edition in 1919 up until 1946.

    Greven

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  • Maverick
    Maverick

    Did these guys live on laudanum? I doubt you would find any active J-dud that would admit their FDS could write such total fiction. How could this even fit their 'old light/new light' justifying mind bend? Great job! Maverick

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  • minimus
    minimus

    According to the latest information, ( the QFR) Woodworth, was schizophrenic. He wasn't demonized. If you take away the "satanic thoughts" idea and instead insert schizophrenic thinking, it is very easy to accept that this book was simply written by a crazed person. The real problem is that JW's all over the world accepted this nutty thinking as true. Think about it. Do you think that it's the deminz again? Like I said earlier, then every publication written by the Society, is in effect, written with "satanic thoughts".

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  • badboy
    badboy

    I understand he(Woodworth)once said at a meeting c.1953 that he was possessed by demons!

    I am back and as bad as ever!

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  • refiners fire
    refiners fire

    Greven.. Im totally blown away by what you posted. I never saw that before, or if I did it didnt register, that is damn creepy. The guy who wrote that is obviously a guy thats got big issues in his own head about who is thinking his thoughts. Himself or Satan. Poor Bastard. When I originally asked a local elder for a copy of FM he told me it wasnt advised reading because the book contained "Satanic thoughts" .Now we know where that notion came from, Woodworth himself. Its almost like the org is suggesting that Woodworth WAS possessed. Theres a lot of hidden stuff in this organizations history, thats for sure. Sick.

    And that notion of the demons being unleashed to possess everyones minds at Armaggedon.... that is bent! Wierd.

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  • greven
    greven
    When I originally asked a local elder for a copy of FM he told me it wasnt advised reading because the book contained "Satanic thoughts"

    Ofcourse it wasn't advised...When I started doing research on the borg and still had some doubts wether it was the truth or not, I read this book. It was like a point blank shotgun blast to the head. After reading that I had no doubts whatsoever about the 'truth'. I actually recommend JW's to read this book. It's a true killer. (and then to think they teach that christ selected them 1 year later as communication channel!!)

    Greven

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