by 7robert7 20 Replies latest jw friends
Robert,
I guess we're the night owls tonight. I'm off to bed, but I'm glad I read your post before retiring.
I will certainly keep your wife and her family in my prayers. I feel that I was prayed out of the Organization, so I know it will work, God willing!
Looking forward to the next installment!
outnfree
7robert7,
Great job!
Here are a few more recent quotes you may be interested in.
"We cannot take part in any modern version of idolatry-be it worshipful gestures toward an image or symbol or the imputing of salvation to a person or an organization." WT 11/1/1990, p.26
"identifying themselves with Jehovah's organization is essential to their salvation." Our Kingdom MInistry, 11/1990, p.1
"...Jehovah provides regular spiritual food to strenghthen his people. All of us need such food, but where can we receive it apart from God's organization and its meetings? Nowhere." WT Aug. 15, 1993, pp. 9-10
"...THE SOCIETY" is the visible representative of the Lord on earth..." Jehovah's Witnesses-Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, 1993, p.219
Actually there are many quotes from the WT publications refering to themselves as (the) means to salvation. The WT when it comes right down to it has substituted itself as mediator instead of Jesus. This is where people like the JWs have been led off track.
Robert
The quote from the WT.......
w81 11/15 21 'Stay Awake and Keep Your Senses'
18 We can expect a similar expansion of our preaching activity now, at this climax of the ages. No doubt, before the “great tribulation” is finished, we will see the greatest witness to God’s name and kingdom in the history of this world. And while now the witness yet includes the invitation to [bold]come to Jehovah’s organization for salvation[/bold], the time no doubt will come when the message takes on a harder tone, like a “great war cry.” Revelation 16:21 shows that “a great hail with every stone about the weight of a talent [nearly 100 pounds] descended out of heaven upon the men, and the men blasphemed God due to the plague of hail, because the plague of it was unusually great.” Hailstones are frozen, hardened water. So this pictures how, at the end, Jehovah’s judgment message sent down upon disobedient mankind will be like a barrage of hard-hitting hail. The fact that the plague of hailstones is spoken of as being “unusually great” suggests that at the very end there will be a hard proclamation of Jehovah’s “day of vengeance” by Jehovah’s servants.
qwerty
"What do you take me for, an idiot?"
General Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), when a journalist asked him if he was happy
I don't get it. You said the quote was on the front cover, knowing it was not. In what way is that not a lie? And why did you say it?
COMF
7robert7,
Nice job! You made couple of very important points to those elders. Along with praying for your family, my thoughts and prayers will be with the elders too. Don't give up on any of them!
Scorpion and qwerty,
I see you've collected some good quotes of just a few of the lies the WBTS have told. I was looking for one imparticular the other day, and I can't find it. Maybe one of you have it. I'm looking for the quote that says that ONLY Jehovah's Witnesses will survive the end of the world. (i.e. will be saved) If anyone here has it, can you post the quote and the date of the watchtower please? It would be greatly appreciated.
peace,
somebody
Somebody
I know this isn't exactly what you mean. But it say's the same thing in more words. I'll keep looking for you though.
*** w97 9/15 16-20 Who Will Survive "the Day of Jehovah"? ***
Who Will Survive “the Day of Jehovah”?
“What sort of persons ought you to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah!”—2 PETER 3:11, 12.
JEHOVAH GOD has selected from among mankind individuals who will become joint heirs with his Son, Jesus Christ, in the heavenly Kingdom. (Romans 8:16, 17) While they are still on earth, anointed Christians have worked with Elijah’s spirit and power. (Luke 1:17) In the preceding article, we noted certain parallels between their activities and those of the prophet Elijah. But what about the work of Elijah’s successor, the prophet Elisha?—1 Kings 19:15, 16.
2 The last miracle performed by Elijah was that of dividing the waters of the Jordan River by striking them with his official garment. This allowed Elijah and Elisha to cross on dry ground. As they walked on the eastern side of the river, a windstorm carried Elijah away to another location on the earth. (See the box on page 15 entitled “To Which Heavens Did Elijah Ascend?”) Left behind was Elijah’s official garment. When Elisha used it to strike the Jordan, its waters were again divided, enabling him to return on dry ground. This miracle made it clear that Elisha had become Elijah’s successor in promoting true worship in Israel.—2 Kings 2:6-15.
Godly Qualities Essential
3 Centuries after the days of Elijah and Elisha, the apostles Paul and Peter associated a coming “day of Jehovah” with Jesus Christ’s presence and the then future “new heavens and a new earth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2; 2 Peter 3:10-13) To survive Jehovah’s great day—when God destroys his enemies and saves his people—we must seek Jehovah and display meekness and righteousness. (Zephaniah 2:1-3) But some additional qualities come to the fore as we consider events involving the prophet Elisha.
4 Zeal for God’s service is vital if we are to survive “the day of Jehovah.” Elijah and Elisha were zealous in Jehovah’s service. With similar zeal, the remnant of anointed Christians today render sacred service to Jehovah and take the lead in preaching the good news. Since the mid-1930’s, they have encouraged all those accepting the Kingdom message and hoping to live forever on earth to dedicate themselves to Jehovah and get baptized. (Mark 8:34; 1 Peter 3:21) Millions have responded favorably to this encouragement. Once they were in spiritual darkness and dead in sin, but now they have learned God’s truth, have embraced the hope of eternal life in an earthly paradise, and are zealous in Jehovah’s service. (Psalm 37:29; Revelation 21:3-5) By their zeal, cooperation, hospitality, and other good works, they bring great refreshment to Christ’s spiritual brothers yet on earth.—Matthew 25:31-46.
5 Those who do good things for Jesus’ “brothers” because these anointed ones are his followers have the hope of surviving “the day of Jehovah.” A married couple in the village of Shunem were greatly blessed for being kind and hospitable to Elisha and his attendant. This couple had no son, and the husband was old. But Elisha promised the Shunammite woman that she would give birth to a son, and this did occur. When this only son died some years later, Elisha went to Shunem and resurrected him. (2 Kings 4:8-17, 32-37) What rich rewards for showing hospitality to Elisha!
6 Humility is needed in order to accept Bible-based direction from Christ’s “brothers” with the hope of surviving Jehovah’s day. The leprous Syrian army chief Naaman had to show humility to follow the suggestion of a captive Israelite girl and seek a cure by going to Israel to find Elisha. Instead of coming out of his house to meet Naaman, Elisha sent him this message: “You must bathe seven times in the Jordan that your flesh may come back to you; and be clean.” (2 Kings 5:10) Naaman’s pride was hurt, and he became angry, but after he humbly went and plunged into the Jordan seven times, “his flesh came back like the flesh of a little boy and he became clean.” (2 Kings 5:14) Before returning home, Naaman journeyed all the way back to Samaria to thank Jehovah’s prophet. Determined not to profit materially from God-given powers, Elisha came out to meet Naaman but would not accept any gifts. Naaman humbly told Elisha: “Your servant will no more render up a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other gods but to Jehovah.”—2 Kings 5:17.
7 By humbly following the Scriptural counsel of anointed ones, millions are richly blessed today. Moreover, by exercising faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, these honesthearted ones have been spiritually cleansed. They now enjoy the privilege of being friends of Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. (Psalm 15:1, 2; Luke 16:9) And their devotion to God and his service will be rewarded in their being spared from the eternal destruction about to befall proud, unrepentant sinners in the rapidly approaching “day of Jehovah.”—Luke 13:24; 1 John 1:7.
“Who Is With Me? Who?”
8 Those hoping to survive “the day of Jehovah” must also be decisive in doing the divine will. Elijah boldly foretold the destruction of King Ahab’s murderous, Baal-worshiping family. (1 Kings 21:17-26) Before this execution was carried out, however, Elijah’s successor Elisha had to complete some unfinished work. (1 Kings 19:15-17) When Jehovah’s due time came, Elisha instructed an attendant to go and anoint the army chief Jehu as Israel’s new king. After pouring oil on Jehu’s head, the messenger told him: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, ‘I do anoint you as king over Jehovah’s people, that is, over Israel. And you must strike down the house of Ahab your lord, and I must avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah at the hand of Jezebel. And the whole house of Ahab must perish.’” Wicked Queen Jezebel would be thrown to the dogs and have no decent burial.—2 Kings 9:1-10.
9 Jehu’s men recognized the validity of his anointing and proclaimed him the new king of Israel. Acting decisively, Jehu raced toward Jezreel to begin his work of executing the apostate ringleaders of Baal worship. First to feel Jehu’s arrow of execution was Ahab’s son, King Jehoram. He rode out of the city to ask if Jehu had come on a mission of peace. “What peace could there be as long as there are the fornications of Jezebel your mother and her many sorceries?” replied Jehu. With that, Jehu’s arrow pierced Jehoram’s heart.—2 Kings 9:22-24.
10 Godly women avoid being like Jezebel or any of her kind. (Revelation 2:18-23) By the time Jehu reached Jezreel, she had tried to make herself attractive. Looking down from a window, she greeted him with a veiled threat. He asked her attendants: “Who is with me? Who?” Immediately, two or three court officials looked down. Were they on Jehu’s side? “Let her drop!” he urged. At that, they acted decisively, throwing evil Jezebel out of the window. She was trampled, presumably under the horses’ hooves. When people came to bury her, ‘they found nothing but her skull and feet and the palms of her hands.’ What a dramatic fulfillment of Elijah’s word: “The dogs will eat the flesh of Jezebel”!—2 Kings 9:30-37.
Heartfelt Support of True Worship
11 Those hoping to survive “the day of Jehovah” and live forever on earth must wholeheartedly support true worship. They must be like Jehonadab, or Jonadab, a non-Israelite worshiper of Jehovah. As Jehu continued to fulfill his commission with zeal, Jehonadab wanted to show his approval and support. So he went out to meet Israel’s new king, who was heading for Samaria to execute the remaining ones of Ahab’s house. Seeing Jehonadab, Jehu asked: “Is your heart upright with me, just as my own heart is with your heart?” Jehonadab’s positive reply moved Jehu to extend his hand and invite Jehonadab into his war chariot, saying: “Do go along with me and look upon my toleration of no rivalry toward Jehovah.” Without delay, Jehonadab accepted the privilege of showing his support for Jehovah’s anointed executioner.—2 Kings 10:15-17.
12 Heartfelt support of true worship surely is fitting, for Jehovah is the Creator and Universal Sovereign, who rightly demands and deserves our exclusive devotion. He commanded the Israelites: “You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them, because I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion.” (Exodus 20:4, 5) Those who hope to survive “the day of Jehovah” must worship him exclusively, doing so “with spirit and truth.” (John 4:23, 24) They must be firm for true worship, like Elijah, Elisha, and Jehonadab.
13 After the execution of Ahab’s house, King Jehu took other steps to identify Baal worshipers and eliminate this false religion in Israel. (2 Kings 10:18-28) Today, the heavenly King Jesus Christ has been appointed to execute Jehovah’s enemies and vindicate His sovereignty. As Jehonadab’s heart was with Jehu, the “great crowd” of Jesus’ “other sheep” today wholeheartedly acknowledge Christ as the Messianic King and cooperate with his spiritual brothers on earth. (Revelation 7:9, 10; John 10:16) They give evidence of this by practicing true religion and having a zealous share in the Christian ministry, warning God’s enemies of the fast-approaching “day of Jehovah.”—Matthew 10:32, 33; Romans 10:9, 10.
Dramatic Events Lie Just Ahead!
14 Jehu took action to end Baal worship in Israel. In our day, through the Greater Jehu, Jesus Christ, God will bring about the destruction of Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. We will soon see the fulfillment of the angel’s words to the apostle John: “The ten horns that you saw, and the wild beast, these will hate the harlot [Babylon the Great] and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire. For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, even to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished.” (Revelation 17:16, 17; 18:2-5) “The ten horns” depict the militarized political powers holding sway on earth. Though they now have a spiritually adulterous relationship with Babylon the Great, her time is short. This world’s political element will destroy false religion, and “the wild beast”—the United Nations—will have a principal role with “the ten horns” in devastating her. What an occasion for praising Jehovah!—Revelation 19:1-6.
15 After King Jehu’s onslaught against Baal worship, his royal house turned attention to Israel’s political enemies. The King Jesus Christ will take similar action. Political powers will remain after the destruction of Baallike false religion. Under the influence of Satan the Devil, these enemies of Jehovah’s sovereignty will make an all-out attack in an attempt to destroy God’s earthly organization. (Ezekiel 38:14-16) But Jehovah will have the King Jesus Christ strike them down by destroying them at Har–Magedon, “the war of the great day of God the Almighty,” completing the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty.—Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21; Ezekiel 38:18-23.
Serving With Elisha’s Zeal
16 Until “the day of Jehovah” brings an end to Satan’s entire wicked system of things, God’s servants will be as courageous and zealous as Elisha. Besides his work as Elijah’s attendant, Elisha served alone as Jehovah’s prophet for over 50 years! And Elisha was zealous to the very end of his long life. Just before his death, he was visited by Jehu’s grandson, King Jehoash. Elisha told him to shoot an arrow out the window. The arrow sped to its mark, and Elisha exclaimed: “Jehovah’s arrow of salvation, even the arrow of salvation against Syria! And you will certainly strike down Syria at Aphek to the finishing point.” At Elisha’s request, Jehoash next struck the earth with his arrows. But he did this with a lack of zeal, striking only three times. Elisha then said that, as a result, Jehoash would be granted only three victories over Syria, and that is what happened. (2 Kings 13:14-19, 25) King Jehoash did not strike the Syrians down fully, “to the finishing point.”
17 With zeal like that of Elisha, though, the anointed remnant keeps up the offensive against false worship. Their companions with earthly hopes are doing the same thing. Moreover, all hoping to survive “the day of Jehovah” do well to bear in mind zealous Elisha’s words about smiting the earth. Let us take the arrows of truth and zealously strike with them—again and again—yes, until Jehovah says our work with them has been completed.
18 “The day of Jehovah” will soon bring an end to the present wicked system of things. Let us therefore allow ourselves to be spurred on by the apostle Peter’s heartening words. “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved,” Peter exclaimed, “what sort of persons ought you to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah!” (2 Peter 3:11, 12) When every part of this system is dissolved by the fire of God’s anger expressed through Jesus Christ, only those with a record of upright conduct and godly devotion will escape. Moral and spiritual purity is essential. So is love for fellow humans, shown by responding to their needs, especially in a spiritual way through our Christian ministry.
19 Do your words and deeds identify you as a faithful and zealous servant of God? If so, you can entertain the hope of surviving “the day of Jehovah” into God’s promised new world. Yes, survival may be your experience if you do good to Christ’s spiritual brothers because they are his followers, as the Shunammite couple were hospitable to Elisha. For survival you must also be like Naaman, who humbly accepted divine instruction and became a worshiper of Jehovah. If you yearn to live forever in an earthly paradise, you must demonstrate heartfelt support for true worship, as Jehonadab did. Then you may be among Jehovah’s faithful servants, who will soon experience the fulfillment of Jesus’ words: “Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world.”—Matthew 25:34.
7Robert7,
Oh dear, Robert, you had it right the first time !
Go back on this and tell your wife that if she would go to the Kingdom Hall library and take out the 1979 Watchtower volume.
There the issue of March 1st has on the FRONT PAGE an illustration of people of all tribes streaming from a burning mountain and entitled "PUT FAITH in a VICTORIOUS ORGANISATION" [Emphasis not added]
Sorry, COMF, we needn't shoot him yet!
ounfree and uncle_onion: you may like to note the reference.
Cheers,
ozzie
Somebody
sorry about all these quotes, it's took me a while to find them, I didn't want them to go to waste!
***1986 world wide security 153 19 The Impending "War of the Great Day of God the Almighty" ***
3 Prior to the outbreak of God’s war, Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, will have been destroyed. Satan the Devil and the irreligious political demolishers of Babylon the Great will resent the fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses will be the only religious group to survive. World rulers will not have attained their goal of a godless world. So, now, forward to the all-out attack upon the worshipers of Jehovah, whose universal sovereignty they deny and defy! Thus they will actually be fighting against God.-Revelation 17:14, 16; compare Acts 5:39.]*** w66 5/1 263 "You Will Be with Me in Paradise" ***
Though the evildoer in Jesus’ time did not have opportunity to enter into a spiritual paradise, multitudes of people of all nations and races have such an opportunity today. They can do so by associating themselves with the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. That evildoer took his stand on Christ’s side during the last moments of his life. Persons who love righteousness today can range themselves alongside Christ’s spiritual brothers and the organization of which they form the nucleus, doing so for whatever time yet remains before this wicked system of things is swept to its destruction. Doing so, they not only will enjoy spiritual blessings now with Jehovah’s people, but may also survive unscathed into the righteous new order wherein the earthly paradise is to be restored.*** w59 6/1 336 "Look! I Am Making All Things New" ***
51 Do you hear this witness? Do you realize its urgency? Do you want to survive out of this old world of confusion and sorrow into God’s new world of peace and joy? Then you must act, and act immediately! You must study to find the true religion. It is no longer safe to regard religion as a kind of furniture, something that has always been in the house but is necessary in your life only as it performs some social function. Nor can you afford to think that all religions are good and that all have the same goal. Many religions are selfish, and modern religion has failed to teach the hope of God’s new world, with its paradise earth. You must learn the Bible religion! Just as a proper secular education is necessary to fit a person for a place in everyday society, so a proper Bible education is necessary to equip one for entering the society that will survive to live in the paradise earth. (John 17:3; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17) Your safety and the whole future of yourself and your family depend on now studying the Bible, associating with the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses, dedicating yourself to your Creator, Jehovah God, and witnessing for him. Do not let the pursuit of material things or the cares of life rob you of this wonderful opportunity of life. Said Jesus: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things [the material necessities] will be added to you.”—Matt. 6:33*** w50 11/15 438 Paying Back God's Things to God ***
12 Extreme nationalists, exasperated at the faithfulness of Jehovah’s witnesses to him, want to drive them off Jehovah’s own property and territory. They talk like godless totalitarians and loudly clamor for Jehovah’s witnesses to be deported from the country, as if these witnesses were living on soil where they did not belong. In fact, they would deport them from the face of the earth. Little do they appreciate that the faithful servants of Jehovah are the only ones who now have a right to occupy the earth. God will demonstrate that right in the battle between the Lamb and the worldly nations. There Jehovah will clear the earth of these fanatical superpatriots of this world and will let only his faithful witnesses survive on earth into the new world where all creatures will pay back to God the things belonging to God.
qwerty,
Thank you SO much for your help!...The quote I was looking for is not in what you provided BUT....I never knew that there was so many more quotes that prove one certain FAQ on the jw-media site is a huge lie. I was trying to find it in print, and you've just provided me with even extra quotes to prove it, and that the WBTS lie constantly to the public/media. remember the question on the site that asks if JWs believe they are the only ones who will survive the end? the FIRST sentence/answer to that question on the JW-media site was, "No." go check it out, and then check these quotes from the articles you just provided me:
w50 11/15 438 Paying Back God's Things to God
Little do they appreciate that the faithful servants of Jehovah are the only ones who now have a right to occupy the earth.
w59 6/1 336 "Look! I Am Making All Things New"
Your safety and the whole future of yourself and your family depend on now studying the Bible, associating with the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses, dedicating yourself to your Creator, Jehovah God, and witnessing for him.
I could not help but notice the order in which the WBTS lists what peoples' future depends on it that quote. #1 reading the Bible...#2 assiciating with Jehovah's witnesses. #3 dedicating yourself to God. Notice that even though the Bible says that the way to salvation is with Jesus, Jesus was never metioned at all !
1986 world wide security 153 19
Satan the Devil and the irreligious political demolishers of Babylon the Great will resent the fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses will be the only religious group to survive.
One more thing I noticed is that in print, the WBTS will tell it's members that the hope of living in paradise on earth shouldn't be the main reason they should be serving Jehovah/WBTS. Just read the articles you posted over again and see what the MAIN message of all of them were! sheesh!
thank you so much again, for your time that you spent searching for me. If I find the quote I was looking for ( it was kinda recent, I believe), I'll post it for you so you can add it to your research collection.
I hope you're keeping your grunts and noises and foot shaking to a low volume at the meetings. Try nail biting. believe it or not, it works. and it's less obvious to others. .....my prayers are with you and yours.
stay strong my friend.
peace,
somebody
To qwerty and scorpion:
Thanks for providing those quotations for us. It's so amazing to me, the more I discover from these kind of posts, I wonder how we couldn't put it all together back then and see how these statements kept piling up.
Is it because they kept us hopping around from subject to subject at each meeting...a 5 minute talk on Daniel..then a 10 minute talk on the assembly ...then 20 minutes on 1Cor. "bad associations" etc. etc.and a 20 min. part on the service presentations with several different subjects to go over. I guess that made it harder to see the whole picture of how much they harped on these kind of statements.
hey somebody
Thanks for bringing up about the WTS statement on only JWs will survive. It used to make me feel funny to have someone ask that because I knew that the pubs. like the ones above said "yes", but we weren't supposed to tell them that outright..just skirt around it by saying only God can read hearts so it isn't up to us to judge.
So it's great to have all these references pulled together and I too have started a file on "How do you explain this?" Someday I hope to be able to use it with my family. At least it's getting all filed together instead of floating around in my head.
Had Enough
