Isaiah 30:21 is an oft quoted scripture by the Watchtower. It reads: "And your own ears will hear a word behind you saying: "This is the way. Walk in it, you people, in case you should go to the right or in case you should go to the left."" The context of that verse is Jehovah's coming judgments upon the system of things. As verse 18 says: "For Jehovah is a God of judgment. Happy are all those keeping in expectation of him." Since it is the case that Jehovah's judgment is to allow this present civilization to experience a catastrophic failure, it stands to reason that even God's people and organization will be impacted. For example, in the inevitable crash of the dollar-denominated financial system, the Watchtower's vast publishing operations would effectively and immediately cease. There is simply no way that such grand industrial operation could carry on in business-as-usual fashion in the face of a collapsed economy. That no doubt would be God's means of notifying his people that their preaching work has been concluded.
Because of the mountain of accusations filed against Jehovah's Witnesses by the Accuser, echoed primarily through his earthly apostate agents, the God of judgment has apparently determined that discarding the physical apparatus associated with his spirit-begotten organization is the best way to resolve the issues. The primary accusation against Jehovah's Witnesses, articulated in various ways, is that they are blinded followers of those who claim to speak for God. Hence, the primary thrust of apostates is aimed at discrediting the Governing Body and so-called faithful slave. And it is true that Jehovah's Witnesses greatly respect such and offer the Watchtower more-or-less unquestioning acceptance of their authority to determine for them what is God's truth. So, in a sense the Watchtower organization could be seen as an idol, in that it stands in the place of God in the hearts and minds of some, or even most, of Jehovah's so-called Witnesses.
So then, returning to our original verse, if God's people are following the leading of Jehovah, then presumably he is in front of them, as any human leader would be. And yet, they then "hear a word behind" themselves, saying: "this is the way." From the point of reference of the voice, then, we would have to conclude that at the time God speaks those words to his people that they are going the wrong way and must do an abrupt about-face! Also, if deviating to the right or left, then God's counsel would steer his errant people back on course.
Some may reason that Jehovah's Witnesses have already experienced the fulfillment of that prophecy, yet the context shows that the grand fulfillment is in the future. Verse 20 says that Jehovah will reveal himself and will no longer remain hidden during a time when his people experience distress and hardship. Will anything be more distressing than the great tribulation like no other? Interestingly, as a result of Jehovah unveiling himself as the Grand Instructor of his people during that time of tribulation, verse 22 says: "And you people must defile the overlaying of your graven images of silver and the close-fitting covering of your molten statue of gold. You will scatter them. Like a menstruating woman, you will say to it: "Mere dirt."
While none of Jehovah's Witnesses would presently imagine that we are involved in any sort of idolatry, it is Jehovah, the God of judgment, whose perspective we are talking about. So God considers anything that detracts from his glory, or occupies the affections of his people to his loss, as idolatrous. It stands to reason that if things do not go according to our present expectations, as they surely won't, that the Watchtower will bring great reproach upon themselves and upon Jehovah himself. But, such a disaster will serve as the final means to winnow out the faithless ones from our midst, and purge the haughtiness from the organization, and allow Jehovah the opportunity to more directly take control of his spiritual organization. When the Scripture says that 'in that day Jehovah alone will be put on high,' we must conclude that every human and earthly institution will bow before him---including the Watchtower Society of New York! And, Jehovah's true ones wouldn't want it any other way.
According to God's good purpose then, the Watchtower has served as an effective, albeit defective, instrument that will have accomplished his will by gathering a people earthwide that are generally in expectation of his judgments. But, while we may assume that we know how his judgments will unfold, the prophecy indicates that the final test will result because of our false assumptions and blind allegiance. This scenario was played out on a small scale in the first century when the apostles assumed that Christ's kingdom was going to be a visible restoration of the Davidic kingdom. Their sifting and shaking came when the shepherd was struck and they, the sheep, were momentarily scattered.
So, the coming crash, whatever form it takes, will serve as a means of humbling and refining God's people. It will also shut the mouths of our blathering accusers; and most importantly, it will afford the Almighty an opportunity to completely take the reigns of his spiritual organization. That is indicated in verse 25 and 26, where it foretells that during the "day of the big slaughter when the towers fall" (perhaps the Watchtower included) that the light from God will shine 7 times more brightly then it does now. And then the scripture will be fulfilled that says: "Jehovah binds up the breakdown of his people and heals even the severe wound resulting from the stroke by him." / You Know
"For the dwelling tower itself has been forsaken, the very hubbub of the city has been abandoned; Ophel and the watchtower themselves have become bare fields…until upon us the spirit is poured out from on high…" --- Isaiah 31:14-15