any fruits from Theocratic victories should go to Jehovah’s honor, and not to the exaltation of any ... organization.

LaFrancia

Very interesting W 50 6/15 pp. 179-187

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The general principle shown is that any fruits from Theocratic victories should go to Jehovah’s honor, and not to the exaltation of any individual or organization. The Israelites stripped the Midianites of their fine raiment and jewelry; so the truth declared against the world leaders, whether religious or political, commercial or military, strips them of the “higher powers” claim in which they clothe themselves, removes them from their exalted position, plunders the prestige and adoration they once enjoyed, and they lose the flattering titles that allowed them to glitter and shine. Any treasures of service they might have enjoyed are gone, because they used their offices to make a show of themselves. These attention-grabbing things are not transferred to truth-telling witnesses, but are lumped together and given over for Jehovah’s honor. As men of good-will learn the truth they strip these formerly honored ones of their improper titles and adornments and give all praise to Jehovah, and attribute to God and Christ all honoring titles, such as “Father” and “Higher Powers”.—Job 32:21, 22; Ps. 150:6; Isa. 42:8; Matt. 23:9.

37. What object lesson is contained in the ancient happenings? and what should it make Christians today aware of?

37 The object lesson in the ancient happenings that followed the prophetic part of the drama is that the fruits of victory should never be idolized. Any increases or gains in numbers of publishers that come from the work of gospel-preaching should never be credited to men or to a visible organization, nor should the volume of work accomplished be a cause for creature boasting; all of this is due to Jehovah God and Christ Jesus and should be dedicated to them and to the vindication of Jehovah’s name. To illustrate, a farmer sows seed and waters and cultivates, but does he make the seed sprout and grow and eventually bear fruit? Is not credit for the growth due to the Creator? The apostle Paul deflated those looking to creatures as responsible for organizational increases by such an illustration, saying: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) Ministers may plant the seed of truth and water it by back-calling and conducting home Bible studies, but it is God who gathers in new ones to give growth and increase to the visible organization of preachers.

Exelder

Not really on topic but I just shuddered at thought of the old very long WT's with 30 or more paragraphs.

In the days when timing wasn't really classed as important we used to have WT studies that were about an hour and 45 minutes (really) and each paragraph was dra-aggggged out. I hated.

Young ones have it so easy these days when 22 paragraphs are considered long. lol

PS. I admire people hunting through old litrature trying to find things, but personally, I never want to see another single WT again in my life.

zeb

Hi Exelder,

I recall a wt that went forever telling us we 'we not ministers' then some time later another that went forever telling us 'we are ministers'.(or the other way about) as I and my little family we up at night time when they should have been in bed; to hear this babble was a first crack in the edifice for me.

waton

Even if God would be credited for success, it still would glorify , amplify the role of wt as the channel that brought it about

a wt win win propaganda ploy, --- by feigning humility.

Half banana

Theocratic victories? This is cult talk!

Theocracies don't have a good track record. ISIS being an example, they have proved to be the most inhuman and blood-thirsty type of regime denying their subject's natural rights to self determination and effectively enslavement to their leaders who are entrusted to interpret "God's will". Theocracy is dystopian.

If God was truly leading JWs then he surely would have not mangled his timing promise. . . and there would only have been one of them!

How then could anyone today claim a theocratic victory? The Watchtower during the course of the 20th century, led by the religious 'certainties' from the mouth and pen of Fred Franz, appeared back then to have a direction and a goal. However with the debacles of 1975 and the "generation of 1914" all of the pronouncements and the hope and religious conviction which went with them lie self evidently disproved and useless.

Jehovah's Witnesses have never had a visible or provable victory except the highly questionable triumph of belief over reason, demanding and getting blind faith from their flock in spite of the availability of factual information and knowledge of the Watchtower's history of total failure.

stillin

What might be considered a "Theocratic Victory?"

i mean, for instance, a country like Rwanda deciding to drop the ban on JW's? Or, maybe, acquiring a fierce of coveted property to build a KH on?

I don't get it. It seems like neither of those things mean much to the Highest God in the Universe. No contest.

OK, the Abyssing of Satan and establishment of peace on Earth. That would be one. But even in that scenario it's doubtful that the Organization would have any trouble attributing the power and glory to the proper place.