The second article of discussion in this issue is titled: "Moving Ahead To Final Victory!". The article starts to talk about Christ’s enthronement as King and in paragraph one, along with an illustration of crowned Jesus riding on a white horse, it states: "We today, have clear evidence that this foretold enthronement took place in 1914.”
Since Watchtower article discussions are always a one way dialogue, where the Society speaks and the rank and file just listens, it is easy to make assertions. In a normal two way dialogue, when one says "I have clear evidence" for something, the other party will not just nod his head in agreement, but would rather demand to know and see what this clear evidence is and would want to proceed and examine it thoroughly.
Unfortunately, a two way dialogue with the Society cannot be had and for that reason, it has gotten away with the following: (Notice the dates)
The 1921 Harp of God, page 239:This is without question a fulfilment of the prophecy testifying to the "time of the end." These physical facts cannot be disputed and are sufficient to convince any reasonable mind that we have been in the "time of the end" since 1799.
March 1, 1922 Watch Tower:The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the "time of the end" began in 1799; that the Lord’s second presence began in 1874.
The book Prophecy, 1929, pages 65-66:.... the second presence of the Lord Jesus Christ began in 1874 A.D. This proof is specifically set out in the booklet entitled Our Lord’s Return.
"Clear evidence", "Physical facts cannot be disputed", "indisputable facts", and "proof” are but few examples of the Society’s liberal use of assertions. When they go unchallenged, the Society will continue to use them.
Since Watchtower inception and until the mid to late 1930s, the Society announced that in 1799 the "time of the end" began and that 1874 is the year of the Lord’s presence and enthronement. And 1878, is the year that the resurrection started. Later, when it became obviously embarrassing to keep on holding to such dates, the Society changed all these dates to 1914 and 1918 for the resurrection. They have kept on holding to 1914, although they have discarded a number of teachings associated with it. The separation of the sheep and goats is one of them and in 1995, the "generation" teachings also got adjusted.
Even if we assume that 1914 had some divine relevance, we are talking about the presence and enthronement of a King, and not just any King, but the King of Kings. Surely, this would be a world shattering event. The first to know about this event, should at least be the King's own slave, more so, if the slave is the King's only "approved" one. The question would be is, why this “approved slave” and supposedly only "channel", held an erroneous date 40 years before the event, and continued to hold it for 20 years Afterwards?
More importantly, just because a major war started in 1914, has the "approved slave" applied Jesus the King's counsel recorded in Mathew 24:6 “you are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see to it that you are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet.” ? Or, was the “approved channel” engaged in a publishing frenzy of "end time" chronologies, which was contrary to the King's explicit instructions, proclaiming that the due time has approached?
Just which role was the Society trying to emulate in Jesus' admonition in Luke 21:8 when he said: “lookout that you are not misled; for many will come on the basis of my name saying ‘ I am he’ and, ‘The due time has approached’. Do not go after them.”?
Paragraph 3, under the subheading “A New World Society in the Making” starts by saying “Once the Kingdom was born, it was time to bring the restored Christian congregation – now with increased Kingdom responsibilities – more closely in line with the pattern of the first-century Christian congregation.”
Just in a relatively small number of sentences the writer have introduced concepts that are very foreign to scriptures. Just where exactly did Jesus talk about setting up a “New World Society”? He rather mentioned that his kingdom is not of this world. Concerning the restoration of the Christian congregation, the Society have always contended that from the first century down to our time, a true Christian congregation had always existed, so then, why was there a need to restore it?
Going along, the article goes on to describe how WT issues of 1938 and then later in 1971 made the necessary adjustments of how the Christian organization should operate. Since the kingdom was born in 1914 and the priority was to restore the Christian congregation a.s.a.p in order to take on more kingdom responsibilities, why then did it take close to 60 years 1914 – 1972 to do those adjustments? Just what exactly was the King doing during all that time?
What is so troubling about all of this, is not only introducing terms like; “Christian organization”, “Governing Body”, “Legal Corporation”, and “the restoration of proper oversight”, none of which is ever mentioned in the Bible, but ascribing divine intervention and fulfillment of prophecy for these man-made organizational changes. This could only serve to promote the authority structure of the Society in the minds of the rank and file.
Furthermore, all these organizational terms confuse the issue. More than 1900 years ago, Jesus set out a very simple method by which the Christian congregation should operate, and it was this; “..all you are brothers.” And “Your leader is one, the Christ.” Mathew 23:8, 10.
In paragraph 5, we read that in 1931 this small group of Christians went on public record that they were more than just “Bible Students”, but in accordance with Isaiah 43:10, they are to be known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. A casual reader will think that this group of Christians must have met and thought this out before making this momentous move. In reality, this renaming was the brainchild of the then president of the Society Judge Rutherford. Since he held absolute power, what the Judge said was law. It was also Rutherford that introduced the concept of "organization". Very few JWs know that what Rutherford did was in fact contrary to the wishes and teachings of the initial founder Charles Russell. This is what Russell had said concerning renaming the “Bible Students’ and the setting up of an organization;
"Q. Could not an earnest, aggressive organization (or sect), built upon Scriptural lines, be the best means of spreading and publish the real good tidings...A. We believe that a visible organization and the adopting of some particular name would tend to increase the numbers and make us appear more respectable in the estimation of the world. The natural man can see that a visibly organized body, with a definite purpose, is a thing of more or less power [...] But the natural man cannot understand how a company of people, with no organization which they can see, is ever going to accomplish anything." (Zion's Watch Tower, 1883, page 6.)
"Beware of "organization." It is wholly un-necessary. The Bible will be the only rules you need. Do not seek to bind other consciences, and do not permit others to bind yours. Believe and obey so far as you can understand God's word today, and so continue to growing in grace and knowledge day by day." (Zion's Watch Tower, 1895, p. 216.)
it is plain that the forming of a visible organization of such gathered out ones would be out of harmony with the spirit of the divine plan. (Zion's Watch Tower, 1894, p. 384.)
"There is no organization today clothed with such divine authority to imperiously command mankind. There is no organization doing this today; (Zion's Watch Tower, 1893, page 266.)
More seriously though, when the Bible Students were renamed to Jehovah’s Witnesses, their Christian identity was diluted. Being a Christian denotes a number of things. First, it denotes that the person has accepted Jesus Christ as his redeemer and leader and that he is to follow in his footsteps and obey his commands.
Second, being a Christian denotes acceptance of the direction of the Holy Spirit. Because it was by divine inspiration back in the first century that the name “Christian” was adopted.
Third, bearing the name "Christian" is an instrument to further the Good News of Christ.
By becoming "Jehovah’s Witnesses", they have diluted the main theme of the Good News, which is the person of Jesus Christ. For this reason, many people wrongly believe that JWs actually, do not believe in Jesus. I remember countless times I had to explain to people at the door, that JWs do believe in Jesus Christ. This would not have been necessary had we followed Jesus’ counsel.
Fourth, it was Jesus who told his followers that they will become His witnesses. Acts 1:8, Rev 17:6. By becoming someone else’s witnesses, even Jehovah’s witnesses, they were acting in direct opposition to the Holy Spirit and to the one who is supposed to be their leader.
Then it is clear that it was God’s wish that those who would come to serve him should carry the name of his Son “Christ” and not his own. For some reason, Rutherford was not content with that. He wanted to represent the Big Guy himself, why should he go through the middleman?
It is true that not all those that are called "Christians" are living according to the responsibilities of that name. And that there are thousands of denominations, divisions, sects, and cults within the "Christian" religion. But by adopting a name like “Jehovah’s Witnesses”, they have in fact formed yet another denomination, division or a sect, something which the apostle Paul denounced as works of the flesh. Gal 5:20.
The next few paragraphs go on to describe various persecution and events.
In paragraph 8, it talks about how JWs were blessed with increase because they have continued "seeking first the kingdom and God's righteousness." In the past and to this date, the Society loves to compare it’s increased growth versus the diminishing number of attendants in the pews of the Catholic Church. The Society even ascribes biblical prophecy to this with the drying up of the waters of Babylon.
Even if we assumed that the pews of the Catholic Church are emptying day by day, what about the other 4,999 Christian denominations beside the Catholic Church? Why are they NOT suffering from decreases?
Also, if the increase in number is a sign of God’s blessing, and JWs are the only true religion, then how come these other churches, who presumably are members of Babylon the Great, are experiencing similar if not even greater growth? The Society never tackles these issues.
Additionally, if increase and growth is a sign of God’s blessing, then how do we interpret the latest decrease of JWs numbers in several countries around the world?
The paragraph cites that there was an increase of 1,750,000 active members in the past decade alone. When reviewing the published statistical numbers, we find that in the past decade, more than 3,200,000 were actually baptized. In effect, then the number of active members should have increased by that number. So what happened to those missing 1,500,000 members? If we accounted for 1% mortality rate and about 40,000 annual disfellowshipping cases, assuming that none of them repented, that still keeps around 1,000,000 members who, in the past decade, simply walked out. Why?