Tribulation, Hardship and Jehovah: Will He Manifest Himself?

by Cold Steel 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Cold Steel

  What are the expectations of JWs regarding future tribulation and "the Church"? Do they expect that at some point Yahweh will manifest himself to the Faithful and Discreet Slave to bring about the temporal salvation of his people? And if a member of the GB claimed to hear from Jehovah in some way, like an angel, light or voice, how would the general membership react to the news?

  Would they be suspicious, skeptical, exuberant?

  The GB members speak with authority, freely giving instruction as though they'd just finished speaking with the Almighty. I don't know if they're good or bad people, but what do the people at Bethel think? Do they rave about how great these men are? Do they feel honored to sit at the feet of the Slave? And do they feel they're being led by the Holy Spirit?
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  Listener

  Watchtower 14 11/15

  They stated this in the article that God will give them instructions during the GT, although they don't say how they can't already be included in the Bible because they would already know these instructions (or before the GT) as they specifically say they will be given them during the GT.
  
  Sorry but I am having trouble with the quotations and this is an edit to say that the second quote is about the scrolls of Revelation being opened after Armageddon with instructions. It seems a bit of a contradiction that they say he will give them instructions during the GT but after the GT, they will be in scrolls.

  When Gog begins the assault, Jehovah will tell his servants: “Go, my people, enter your inner rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a brief moment until the wrath has passed by.” (Isa. 26:20) At that crucial time, Jehovah will give us lifesaving instructions, and the “inner rooms” might well be connected with our local congregations.
  18 If, therefore, we wish to benefit from Jehovah’s protection during the great tribulation, we must recognize that Jehovah has a people on earth, organized into congregations. We must continue to take our stand with them and remain closely associated with our local congregation. With all our hearts, may we join the psalmist in proclaiming: “Salvation belongs to Jehovah. Your blessing is upon your people.”—Ps. 3:8.

  Likewise, the Bible informs us thatscrolls will be opened to give us directions in new world living. (Read Revelation 20:12.) These scrolls will most likely set forth Jehovah’s requirements for mankind at that time. By studying these, all people, including resurrected ones, will be able to know God’s will for them. These scrolls will surely give us further insight into Jehovah’s mind. Guided by an ever-increasing understanding of God’s inspired Word along with what will be revealed in the new scrolls, inhabitants of the earthly Paradise will certainly treat their fellow man with love, respect, and dignity. (Isa. 26:9)
  
  
  
  

  
  Then there is this very interesting article from the Watchtower 07 01/01 where they are telling us that they know someone is communicating with them but they don't know who.
  
  

  Watchtower 07 1/1
  11 What, then, can we deduce from the fact that one of the 24 elders identifies the great crowd to John? It seems that resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communicating of divine truths today. Why is that important? Because the correct identity of the great crowd was revealed to God’s anointed servants on earth in 1935. If one of the 24 elders was used to convey that important truth, he would have had to be resurrected to heaven by 1935 at the latest. That would indicate that the first resurrection began sometime between 1914 and 1935. Can we be more precise?
  
  
  

  
  The Bearing Witness Book claims that they are the only organization being led by HS
  

  This should not surprise us, for no other organization on earth is led by holy spirit in “bearing thorough witness” worldwide regarding Jehovah God, his Messianic King, and the established heavenly Kingdom!—Acts 28:23.

  
  

  
  
  
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  DATA-DOG

  Jeehipity-hop is in the Mothership, right behind Nibiru.

  DD
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  Vidiot

  Xenu's riding shotgun. :smirk:
  
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  Cold Steel

  Fascinating stuff, Listener.

  In 1964 the Watchtower repoted:

  As Jehovah revealed his truths by means of the first-century Christian congregation so he does today by means of the present-day Christian congregation. Through this agency he is having carried out prophesying on an intensified and unparalleled scale. All this activity is not an accident. Jehovah is the one behind all of it. The abundance of spiritual food and the amazing details of Jehovah's purposes that have been revealed to Jehovah's anointed witnesses are clear evidence that they are the ones mentioned by Jesus when he foretold a 'faithful and discreet slave' class that would be used to dispense God's progressive revelations in these last days.(Watchtower, June 15, 1964, p. 365)

  In 1919, the Society teaches, Jehovah chose them as his earthly organization. Of course this begs the question of how it was made known to them. Anciently such things came through apostles who received it through revelation. If God never changes but is the same yesterday, today and forever, shouldn't the way he communicates be the same? In the quote above, we see that God would use the "faithful and discreet slave class...to dispense God's progressive revelations in these last days."

  Yet elsewhere the Society stresses it does not receive revelation as the apostles did. Adding to the word of God seems to be repugnant to them, but the early Christians were strangers to the concept of a closed canon. They were not opposed to adding to the word of God, but only to adding to the words of certain books. Progressive revelations from God constituted new scripture. Yet even though the Society once went so far as to proclaim Jehovah as the Editor of the Watchtower, and the articles the messages of Jehovah to his people, it stops short of declaring the "progressive revelations" of the "last days" to be scripture.

  So how can this be? Isn't it true that the GB considers itself to be a collective prophet?

  Here again is what the Watchtower says:

  In ancient times he sent prophets as his special messengers. While these men foretold things to come, they also served the people by telling them of God's will for them at that time, often also warning them of dangers and calamities. People today can view the creative works. They have at hand the Bible, but it is little read or understood. so, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? ... These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet? ... This 'prophet' was not one man, but was a body of men and women. it was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as international bible students. today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses. (Watchtower April 1, 1972 p. 197)

  I guess new light reveals the small group to be the GB.

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