COMMENTS YOU WILL NOT HEAR AT THE 9-28-03 WT STUDY Reviewer comments are in black and parentheses ()
WT article quotes are in
red and quotes ""Quotes from other WT publications are in
blue
WE WILL WALKIN JEHOVAH'S NAME FOREVER!
"We...shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever."-MICAH 4:5. (NWT)
(what is missing?)
For all the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we , for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever.All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.—Micah 4:5 (NIV) Opening Comments
When looking over a WT study article, I look for these things.
1. Snippets and cited scriptures.
Once again the WTS must make Micah 4:5 a snippet. Notice how they did not acknowledge the missing beginning clause. Note how many snippets and cited scriptures there are compared to quoted scriptures. Note what the WTS is steering you towards and directing you away from. Example: "Spiritual Israel" and Galatians 6:16. Only one scripture used to support this.
2. Statements made without supporting proof.
The WTS once used as much as two paragraphs to support information. Then it was a footnote directing you to another WTS publication which discusses the point in more detail. Now it is just a flat statement challenging you to disagree with them the only channel between God and humans.
Today’s article purports to be a verse by verse discussion of Micah chapters 1 to 5. Rather than a discussion, it is much the same as the most recent WTS books on Daniel and Isaiah. Comments that loosely (and sometimes not at all) try to make application to this era. No proof is presented; merely statements that must be accepted as fact since the source is the WTS.
START OF ARTICLE
JEHOVAH has something to tell his people, and he is using Micah as his prophet.
Translation: Jehovah has something to tell his people using the WTS/FDS as his prophet. Does the WTS consider itself a prophet?
4/1/72 WT p. 197 'They Shall Know that a Prophet Was Among Them'
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... Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a "prophet" of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record.It is God's purpose to take action against wrongdoers. He is going to punish Israel for her apostasy.
Translation: The WTS is going to punish the apostates in her midst.
11/15/52 WT
p. 703We are not living today among theocratic nations where such members of our fleshly family relationship could be exterminated for apostasy
from God and his theocratic organization, as was possible and was ordered in the nation of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai and in the land of Palestine.Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live
and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God’s law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship. Why, the leaders are oppressing the poor, defenseless people!Jehovah Expects Us to Be JustThere is a striking contrast between the loving Shepherd, Jehovah, and Israel's leaders .Translation: There is a striking contrast between the loving Shepherd, Jehovah, and the WTS/FDS. Because they do not exercise justice, they fail to fulfill their commission to protect the flock.God expects justice to be exercised by those taking the lead among his people. Are the abused children in JW congregations receiving justice from those taking the lead? Why not view some of the TV shows on abuse in the WTS provided at this site? http://www.dirtclod.com/ Dateline "Witness for the Prosecution"
{ part A 5.51MB, 14m 45s} {part B 3.68MB, 9m 50s}Panorama "Suffer the Little Children"
{part A 5.22MB, 22m 50s} {part B 4.36MB, 18m 03s}Fifth Estate "Spiritual Shepherds"
{Watch 13.1MB, 43m 31s} Sunday "Silent Witnesses"
{part A 6.03MB, 24m 57s} {part B 6.02MB, 24m 57s}Losing It "All Along the Watchtower"
{Watch 6.01MB, 24m 54s}CBS News "Eye on America" with Jane Clayson
{Watch 641KB, 2m 55s} *audio is slightly off from video*KSDK News - Investigative Report
{ Watch 981KB, 3m 06s}
Whose Prayers Are Answered? Can Micah's wicked contemporaries expect Jehovah's favor? Of course not! Micah 3:4 states: "They will call to Jehovah for aid, but he will not answer them. And he will conceal his face from them in that time, according as they committed badness in their dealings." Can the WTS and its representatives expect God’s favor in light of how they have treated the flock? Jehovah will not answer our prayers if we practice sin. That is certainly so if we are living a double life, concealing our wrongdoing while pretending to serve God faithfully. Have many in the congregation been leading a double life? Saying they love the new, the weak, the elderly but doing nothing to back that up? Are their prayers being answered? How much less will Jehovah answer the prayers of those who deliberately violate his Word! By lying and hiding what they are.Empowered by God's Spirit False prophets cause God's people to wander spiritually. The WTS falsely prophesied that the end would come in 1914, 1925, 1975….
http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/1925.htm
http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/1975.htm
"Therefore," says Jehovah, "you men will have night, so that there will be no vision; and darkness you will have, so as not to practice divination. And the sun will certainly set upon the prophets, and the day must get dark upon them. And the visionaries will have to be ashamed, and the diviners will certainly be disappointed. And they will have to cover over the mustache."-Micah 3:5-7a.Shouldn’t the WTS be ashamed, shouldn’t the FDS be disappointed?
Micah needs more than human strength in order to proclaim God's message of adverse judgment. Jehovah's spirit, or powerful active force, is vital.Attempts to preach are sure to fail utterly if we willfully practice sin.Have the numbers in your congregation or area gone up or stayed the same? When was the last time someone other than a family member was baptized? Do more leave through inactivity and DFing than come in? Could it be that God’s spirit is not there because of the willful sin practiced?
We certainly cannot declare our heavenly Father's judgment messages unless "the spirit of Jehovah" rests upon us .Does "spirit of Jehovah" rest on those that do not protect the flock?
Judah certainly cannot escape Jehovah's adverse judgment. In fulfillment of the prophecy recorded at Micah 3:12, Zion will be "plowed up as a mere field." From our 2lst century vantage point, we know that these things took place when the Babylonians brought devastation upon Judah and Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E.Do we know that? Has new archaeological information proven that date to be in error? Where is the WTS proof? Could the average JW explain how 607 BCE is the only possible date?
http://www.disfellowshipped.org/607eng.htm
http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/gentile1.htm
http://user.tninet.se/~oof408u/fkf/english/chronology.htm
Jehovah Sets Matters Straight What heartening words we find at Micah 4:1-4! Says Micah, in part: "It must occur in the final part of the days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains, and it will certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it peoples must stream.... And he will certainly render judgment among many peoples, and set matters straight respecting mighty nations far away. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore. And they will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble; for the very mouth of Jehovah of armies has spoken it."Where is the scriptural proof for the following statement?
Who are the "many peoples" and the "mighty nations" mentioned here? They are not the nations and governments of this world. Rather, the prophecy applies to individuals out of all nations who turn to united sacred service in Jehovah's mountain of true worship.And what WT article is complete without "soon" the end will come and "everlasting life," what really motivates JWs to serve God, not vindicating his sovereignty and sanctifying his name.
In keeping with Micah's prophecy, the clean worship of Jehovah will soon be practiced in the fullest sense earth wide . Today, people "rightly disposed for everlasting life" are being instructed in Jehovah's ways.Vomit Alert!!!!
They will survive "the great tribulation" as part of the "great crowd." (Revelation 7:9, 14) Having beaten their swords into plowshares, even today they live at peace with fellow Witnesses of Jehovah and with others. What a delight to be among them!Determined to Walk in Jehovah's Name
In our day, when fear covers the earth like an ominous cloud, we are thrilled that many are learning Jehovah's ways. We long for the time now near at hand when all such lovers of God will learn war no more but will sit under their own vine and fig tree.
Many but nowhere near 6 billion who are destined for eternal death at a "time now near at hand" if they do not listen to JWs. Of course, that doesn’t mean that JWs have to call at every door.
To enjoy divine favor and blessing, we must walk in Jehovah's name .What about Christ’s name?
John 20:31 (NWT)But these have been written down that YOU may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that, because of believing, YOU may have life by means of his name.Walking in Jehovah's name does not mean merely saying that he is our God . It calls for more than our participation in Christian meetings and the Kingdom-preaching work, although such activities are also vital.Wow, meetings and preaching are not what it means to walk in God’s name. What does it mean?
If we are walking in Jehovah's name, we are dedicated to him and are endeavoring to serve him faithfully out of whole-souled love.But how does the WTS measure whole-souled love? By getting the national average in hours and being at all five meetings.
3/15/55 WT p. 188Soon he was baptized and today he continues active, devoting more than twice the national average of hours each month to the field service. 11/87 Kingdom Ministry p. 2 Could set goals such as reaching national average of hours for publishers. 3/15/60 WT p. 179 The ones exerting themselves whole-souled regularly study and share in the spiritual food at meetings and so keep "strong enough." They do not forsake the assembling of themselves together regularly to incite others to love and right works. 5/1/75 WT p. 281 He may enjoy the wholesome association of those in the congregation, but he is not personally sharing with them whole-souled in doing the preaching and disciple-making work that Christ instructed his followers to do. The world and what it offers in the way of seeming material advantages may take on ever greater attractiveness. 5/15/75 WT pp. 311-312 Can your support of the preaching activity of your congregation be described as ardent, whole-souled? Have you been moved by a sincere desire to do all you can to help others to learn about Jehovah’s purposes? Or, have you been content just to participate, displaying a bare minimum of interest and effort? Have you just been ‘going through the motions’ without really being involved? 8/93 Kingdom Ministry p. 4 One who is whole-souled would not purposely limit his preaching to occasional attempts at informal witnessing rather than sharing in the door-to-door work. A whole-souled, youthful, unbaptized publisher would not go out preaching only at the insistence of his parents, demonstrating little interest in going to the doors or sharing in giving the presentation.True Refreshment for the PeopleWhere is the proof for the following statement?
Micah 5:7 promises the restoration of a repentant Jewish remnant to their homeland, but these words also apply to our day.The WTS talks about many prophecies with 2 fulfillments. Where is the proof here though?
This lovely symbolism is used to foretell that the remnant of spiritual Jacob, or Israel, will be a blessing from God to the people. Jesus' "other sheep," who have an earthly hope, are delighted to serve shoulder to shoulder with the modern-day remnant of "the Israel of God," helping to refresh others spiritually. (John 10:16; Galatians 6:16; Zephaniah 3:9)The WTS strings together 3 scriptures to support the snippets "other sheep," (John 10:16) and "the Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16) and the allusion "shoulder to shoulder" (Zephaniah 3:9). How do any of them prove that there is a spiritual Israel? And where is that explanation in the paragraph? Would a non-JW be convinced? How would you convince them?
How many JWs realize that until 1932 that the WTS taught that the literal Israel would be restored and that Abraham and the other "ancient worthies" would rule the earth from there?
The book "Comfort for the Jews" written by J.F. Rutherford says:
2/15/66 WT pp. 117-118
At that time Bible Students thought that the new covenant as foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-34 did not apply to the 144,000 spiritual Israelites but was to be made with the natural Jews after the battle of Armageddon. Lectures were given to large public audiences on "Jews Returning to Palestine," and in October of 1925 the book Comfort for the Jews was published. Under the subheading "The New Covenant," pages 97-103 discussed this covenant and reserved it for the natural Jews regathered to Palestine. The third paragraph from the end of the book said: "The day of jubilee is come; the good news must be given to the people of Israel and then to all the peoples of the earth.—See Psalm 89:15."Proclaimers Book p. 141
The Bible Students were well aware of the many prophecies of restoration that were delivered to ancient Israel by God’s prophets. (Jer. 30:18; 31:8-10; Amos 9:14, 15; Rom. 11:25, 26) Down till 1932, they understood these to apply specifically to the natural Jews. Thus, they believed that God would show Israel favor again, gradually restoring the Jews to Palestine, opening their eyes to the truth regarding Jesus as Ransomer and Messianic King, and using them as an agency for extending blessings to all nations. With this understanding, Brother Russell spoke to large Jewish audiences in New York as well as in Europe on the subject "Zionism in Prophecy," and Brother Rutherford, in 1925, wrote the book Comfort for the Jews.What have you gleaned from chapters 3 through 5 of Micah's prophecy?
What does the WTS want you to get?
The next article will help us to draw practical lessons from the last two chapters of Micah's faith-strengthening prophecy.Yes another pseudo examination of a Bible book verse-by-verse.
Translation: "practical lessons" another modern-day application of a prophecy that has already been fulfilled.
Concluding CommentsNothing earthshakingly different here. Another weak attempt at making the WT study seem like a study of the Bible. But there are several places where statements are made that are not supported by proof, scripturally or through logical reasoning.
There is a thread on this discussion board that is discussing the "dumbing down" of JWs. Is this another example of it? Do you want to hand over your intellectual and spiritual life to the WTS? To do your thinking for you? Will they be doing the suffering and dying for you and your family members when their decisions are bad?
Blondie