New meaning of Seed Parable

by unique1 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

unique1

I haven't been to a meeting in months. But, I recently found out my father has cancer and he came to the hall in my area and asked me to go with him, so I did. It was the CO visit. He kept talking about the mustard seed parable in a way I had never heard.
Matt: 13:31, 32 New American Standard Version.
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;

32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES."
The CO kept saying this represents an alternate kingdom. In this alternate kingdom, the tree is Christendom, because it has grown to be so much bigger than the other plants and the birds represnt the clergy. I had never heard anything about an alternate kingdom before. Was this supposedly new light that was brought out at an assembly or is this CO just off his rocker. The scripture PLAINLY says the kingdom of heaven, not the scary, alter-ego, alternate kingdom. It was just bizarre. I was raised a JW and never heard ANYONE apply that scripture that way.
JustTickledPink

It just shows that once again you can interpret the bible any way you want to.
googlemagoogle

COs like to spread their own funky ideas on their visits. never heard of anything like that.
metatron

It's very obscure but yes, the Watchtower did offer the interpretation you mention. They apply it to Christendom
along with other parables of Jesus.
metatron
Narkissos

Yep, "old light". WT 75 10/1 p. 595-604:
The
Exposing of the False Kingdom Refuge
WHAT, now, must be the intent of Jesus? parable of the mustard grain, a seed very tiny in its embryonic condition but developing into a tree? The intent must be to show something in harmony with the reference made by Jesus to the negative picture given in Isaiah 6:9, 10. (Matt. 13:13-15) In giving this third parable in a series of seven, Jesus said: "The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard grain, which a man took and planted in his field; which is, in fact, the tiniest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the largest of the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and find lodging among its branches."?Matt. 13:31, 32.
2
The issue of Zion?s Watch Tower under date of May 15, 1900, page 153, said: "The third parable-picture of the kingdom in its present embryonic condition of development is intended to show that from a very small beginning the nominal church of this Gospel age would attain to quite considerable proportions. . . . Yet this large development does not necessarily signify advantage or anything specially desirable, but on the contrary it becomes a disadvantage, in that the fowls of the air come and lodge in its branches, and defile it. The ?fowls of the air? in the preceding parable of the sower represented Satan and his agents, and we are, we think, justified in making a similar application here, and interpreting this to mean that the church planted by the Lord Jesus flourished rapidly and exceedingly, and that because of its attainments, strength. etc., Satan through his agents, came and lodged in the various branches of the Church. They have been lodging in the branches of this Gospel church for these many centuries, and are still to be found in her, a defiling element."
3
Presenting a view similar to that just quoted, the issue of The Watch Tower for June 15, 1910, page 204, went on to say: "So then the teaching of this parable would lead us to conclude that the church of Christ, at one time, was so unimportant in the world that it was a shame and a dishonor to belong to it, but that ultimately it would become honorable and great and the adversary?s servants would have pleasure in its shade. This development the Scriptures represent as being Babylon, declaring that, as a whole, with the various branches and denominations, the nominal church of Christ is Babylonish. Hearken to the Lord?s words: ?She has become the hold of every foul spirit and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.?"?See also The Watch Tower as of June 15, 1912, page 198, under the heading "Like a Mustard Seed."
4
Here we are now, in this year 1975, and the big question is, What does that grown mustard-seed tree picture? Babylon the Great, say the above-quoted two issues of the Watch Tower magazine. They do not say that this vegetable tree pictures the Kingdom class of 144,001 enthroned Christians in heavenly power. But what must we of today say? For one thing, we must bear in mind that this illustration of the mustard grain does not present a millennial picture, to show the final number of the Kingdom class reigning in heavenly glory and with all mankind taking refuge under this Messianic kingdom. It does not present a heavenly scene with regard to the heirs of the "kingdom of the heavens." It pictures an earthly state of affairs at a particular period of time.
5
The special period of time is that indicated by Jesus in the parables of the wheat and weeds and of the dragnet. In the parable of the wheat field oversown with weeds, Jesus said: "The harvest is a conclusion of a system of things, and the reapers are angels." In the parable of the dragnet, Jesus said: "That is how it will be in the conclusion of the system of things: the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous and will cast them into the fiery furnace. There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their teeth will be." (Matt. 13:39, 49, 50) The "harvest" takes place here on earth, where the "weeds" that need to be separated out are located. Likewise, the separating of the suitable "fish" from the unsuitable takes place here on earth, where the fishing ?waters? are. The symbolic "weeds" and unsuitable "fish" are the professed Christians whose hearts are unreceptive, whose ears are unresponsive, and whose eyes are pasted together so that spiritual healing of such professed Christians is impossible.?Isa. 6:9, 10; Matt. 13:14. Compare Acts 28:25-28. See the article "No Healing Till Houses Are Without Man," in Watchtower issue of December 15, 1966.
6
By the "conclusion of the system of things" in our times the symbolic mustard-seed tree should be fully grown. That state of growth would correspond with the harvesttime. Since the harvest of the spiritual "wheat" or "sons of the kingdom" has been in progress since 1919 C.E., we can discern the symbolic mustard-seed tree now at its full growth here on earth. This vegetable tree claims to represent the "kingdom of the heavens," for Jesus said that "the kingdom of the heavens is like" it. For that reason the mustard-grain tree could not picture Babylon the Great, for that organization is the world empire of false religion that started with ancient Babylon. Babylon the Great as a whole does not claim to be or represent "the kingdom of the heavens" or the Messianic "kingdom of God." However, the most numerous and prominent part of Babylon the Great does claim to represent God?s heavenly Messianic kingdom. That most powerful part of Babylon the Great is Christendom, with its thousand or more religious branches and denominations.
7
Christendom claims to have sprung from the original small Christian congregation in Jerusalem during the first century C.E. Today Christendom?s congregations number into the millions. She has attained her greatest growth! But her scandalous worldliness and lack of spirituality today make it certain that her tremendous growth has not been due to her spiritual virtues and her having the advancing light of Bible truth. Religious history shows that actually Christendom was founded in the fourth century C.E. by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great, who claimed to be converted to Christianity in 312 C.E. but who remained unbaptized until shortly before his death on May 22, 337 C.E. He made the degraded Christianity of his day the State Church of the Roman Empire, using some three hundred apostate, compromising "bishops" to do so. As Pontifex Maximus of the Roman Empire, he convened the first Council of Nicaea, Asia Minor, and ruled on the doctrines that it decreed to be Church doctrine.
8
Today, what permeates the whole mass of the churches of Christendom? True Bible teaching and structure and procedure and observance? No! It is the fusion religion that Pontifex Maximus Constantine promoted, in which the Babylonish doctrines and procedures are the fundamental things rather than the teachings of God?s inspired Holy Word. Constantine was the one who as presiding officer of the Council of Nicaea settled the dispute over the personality and attributes of Jehovah God by ruling in favor of the Babylonish doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus Christ foretold this process of corrupting Christian doctrine and practice by giving the parable of the leaven. He said: "The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three large measures of flour, until the whole mass was fermented."?Matt. 13:33.
9
The fermentation of the whole mass of Christendom has now had sixteen centuries of time in which to take place. Who can deny that Christendom is completely leavened today by the corrupting influence of Babylonish doctrine and worldliness and Nimrod-like defiance of the universal sovereignty of Jehovah God? This corrupting of the tremendous mass of Christendom?s imitation "sons of the kingdom" has made the false earthly "kingdom of God" an excellent place for the agents of Satan the Devil to take refuge in, like the "birds of heaven" lodging among the branches of the full-grown mustard-seed tree.?Matt. 13:31, 32.
10
The lodging of all these symbolic "birds of heaven" in the many ramifications of Christendom has not been for the spiritual benefit of Christendom. It is just like the tree that grew from the mustard grain that the farmer planted in his garden or field. The birds of heaven that lodged in its branches were able to eat the mustard seeds, just like the birds of Jesus? parable of the four soils who ate up the seeds that fell from the sower?s hand by the roadside. (Matt. 13:4) As far as Jesus? parable went, the tree did not serve for any human benefit. For instance, the parable does not tell how, when the tree became full size, the planter came and chased those birds away and collected a large quantity of mustard seed for making a good sauce to season some foods. But, certainly, the farmer did not plant the mustard grain in his garden just to provide a lodging place for the "birds of heaven."
11
All things taken into account, it is apparent that the symbolic mustard-seed "tree" of today is the counterfeit "kingdom of the heavens," namely, Christendom, with her clergy lording it over the laity. The full-grown "tree" could not consistently picture the remnant on earth today of the sealed spiritual Israelites, for these are merely a fraction, not the full numerical growth of the 144,000 Kingdom heirs. In fact, for more than twenty-seven years the spiritual remnant has been getting fewer in number. At the Memorial celebration of 1975 their number had dropped to 10,454.
A
MUSTARD PLANT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT
12
Quite logically, someone might raise up against the foregoing presentation the following objection: In Jesus? parable, the man who sowed the mustard grain did so with good intentions. From this grain he expected the growth of a mustard plant "according to its kind." (Gen. 1:11, 12) He did not expect something foreign to what he had sown. He had in mind no counterfeit of a mustard plant. That being the case, how can we say that such a counterfeit is exactly what the sower got? Accordingly, how can we say, as above, that the "tree" that grew from the mustard grain represented Christendom, the counterfeit of the "kingdom of the heavens"? Is that not contrary to God?s law that a seed must produce its own kind? Would not this divine law, when spiritually applied, rule out the idea of Christendom, the opposite of the "kingdom of the heavens"?
13
In this regard, things started with Jesus Christ. If there had been no Christ, there would have been no Christendom. A simple statement, but true nonetheless! In the fourth century of our Common Era Christendom pinned herself to the true Christ, not to a false Christ, a false Messiah, so as to make the counterfeit more undiscernible. She even took his official designation by calling herself Christendom. She has appropriated to herself the various things connected with Jesus Christ. She practices baptism in water, some of her churches even today practicing total immersion. She celebrates the Lord?s Supper with bread and the product of the grapevine. She has her elders or bishops and deacons. (Phil. 1:1, Authorized Version) And, as for the Holy Bible as a whole, the very Bibles that the Christian witnesses of Jehovah have used down till the beginning of the publication of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in 1950 C.E. have come to us from the Bible societies that Christendom?s churches have operated.
14
It is plainly evident that Jesus Christ is implicated with the formation of Christendom, which has professed till now to be his true Church. Furthermore, Jehovah God takes Christendom at her word and according to her own claims. For this reason Jehovah calls upon her to live up to her claims and holds her responsible for failure to live up to his requirements. For this he will bring upon her a due punishment. In this "conclusion of the system of things" he judges her as unfaithful to her religious professions. She is the modern-day counterpart of unfaithful Israel of ancient times.
15
Adding to the Scriptural proof that Jesus Christ is implicated with the growth of Christendom, there is the parable of the wheat and the weeds (tares). True, Jesus Christ, "the Son of man," did not sow those weeds in his own field. His enemy, Satan the Devil, did so. In the parable, the slaves of the Sower quickly discovered the presence of the weeds in the wheat field. They wanted to uproot the weed sprouts. But the Sower, the owner of the wheat field, would not let them do so. In his patience and long-suffering he ordered the slaves to let both the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest around Pentecost time. First then would he have the weeds, now fully grown, separated from the wheat.
16
In fulfillment of this feature of Jesus? parable, he did not have Christendom destroyed as soon as it manifested itself. He permitted it to expand. In that sense he is involved with Christendom?s growth to its present proportions, the greatest in its history. Even up till this writing, Jesus Christ has not destroyed Christendom. She is still, by his permission, occupying space in the Sower?s field, "his field," his religious "field under cultivation."?Matt. 13:24-27; compare 1 Corinthians 3:9.
17
Further illustrating Jesus? tie-in with Christendom is the parable of the dragnet. (Matt. 13:47-50) The fishermen who handle the dragnet picture the heavenly angels under the direction of the glorified Jesus Christ. But what does the dragnet itself picture? Because the parable says that "the kingdom of the heavens is like a dragnet," does the dragnet picture the 144,001 members of the "kingdom of the heavens" class? No, it could not do so, when we take all the features of the parable together. The book "Thy Kingdom Come," published in 1891, said, on page 214, that the dragnet pictured "the nominal Christian Church." The Watch Tower under date of June 15, 1912, on its page 201 and under the heading "The Parable of a Fish Net," spoke of it as "the Gospel net, with its full assortment of churchianity of every style."
18
More recently, in the Watchtower issue of November 15, 1967, appeared the study article entitled "Let Down Your Nets for a Catch." On page 686, paragraph six says that "the dragnet symbolizes the earthly organization that professes to be God?s congregation that is in the new covenant with God through the Mediator Jesus Christ. So it claims to be the spiritual Israel, the holy nation that is anointed with God?s spirit to reign with Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom. It includes the true professors and the false or unfaithful professors. Logically it includes Christendom, with its hundreds of thousands of professed Christians, belonging to hundreds of sects called Christian."
19
Thus in the Kingdom parables Jesus Christ illustrated his link with the formation and growth of the nominal Christian organization of Christendom. His connection with Christendom is similar to the connection of his heavenly Father Jehovah with apostate Israel of ancient times. Jehovah?s purpose in establishing the nation of Israel back in 1513 B.C.E. was good and righteous. But what happened to that nation whom he had chosen and planted in the Promised Land in Palestine? Jehovah himself replies to that question in Jeremiah 2:21-23. There he says: "?As for me, I had planted you as a choice red vine, all of it a true seed. So how have you been changed toward me into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine? But though you should do the washing with alkali and take to yourself large quantities of lye, your error would certainly be a stain before me,? is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. ?How can you say, "I have not defiled myself. After the Baals I have not walked"? See your way in the valley. Take note of what you have done. A swift young she-camel aimlessly running to and fro in her ways.?"
20
Also, in Hosea 10:1-4, Jehovah says: "Israel is a degenerating vine. Fruit he keeps putting forth for himself. In proportion to the abundance of his fruit he has multiplied his altars. In proportion to the goodness of his land, they put up good pillars. Their heart has become hypocritical; now they will be found guilty. . . . They speak words, making false oaths, concluding a covenant; and judgment has sprouted like a poisonous plant in the furrows of the open field."
21
In the days of Jesus Christ and his apostles the nation of Israel was just as apostate as in the days of Jeremiah and Hosea. In fact, it was the generation of Israel that brought about the death of Jesus the Messiah and that persecuted his apostles and first-century disciples. Such Israelites especially were the ones to whom Jesus, as well as Isaiah, referred as having their eyes plastered shut, their ears unresponsive and their hearts unreceptive so that there was no spiritual healing for them. (Isa. 6:9, 10; Matt. 13:13-15; Acts 28:24-28) Hence that apostate generation suffered national calamity in 70 C.E. So, now, does anyone ask the question, How could Jesus as the Sower of the parable plant the symbolic mustard grain and yet have it become a tree of a foreign kind, the corrupt counterfeit called Christendom? The experience of Jehovah God with the ancient nation of Israel gives the divine answer to such a questioner!
22
Jesus Christ, with his prophetic foresight, could foreknow the outcome for the symbolic mustard grain that he planted in the first century. He was acquainted with the history of Israel and knew all the prophecies. So he could tell the parable of the mustard grain and have in mind the counterfeit "kingdom of the heavens," Christendom, as being pictured by the full-grown mustard plant in which the "birds of heaven" lodged.?Note Matthew 13:25, 38, 39; 24:23-25.
23
Jesus? parable did not, in itself or as far as it went, illustrate that the thing that was symbolized by the bird-infested "tree" would be destroyed. Yet that is no argument that such destruction will not come upon the symbolic "tree," namely, Christendom. (Compare Luke 13:5-9.) The same thing may be said with regard to the dragnet: Jesus? parable does not show that the dragnet would pass out of existence. But neither does the parable show that the dragnet was ever used again. Were it to be used again, it would bring out again from the "sea" the very same mixture of sea life as was depicted in the parable. So, because the parable does not go so far as to illustrate it, this does not signify that what is pictured by the dragnet will not be done away with in God?s due time. Operations under the guidance of the angels have been carried on with that symbolic dragnet for the past nineteen centuries. But, when once the work of separating the forms of sea life that have been hauled in by that symbolic dragnet is completed, that fishing operation will not be repeated.
24
Since the dragnet pictured "the nominal Christian Church" or ?the organization of professed Christians, including the true and the false,? the symbolic dragnet will actually be done away with. Such a religious device that includes Christendom will be cast away and never be used again. By the end of the "conclusion of the system of things" Jehovah God will have gotten all his good "fish" for the true "kingdom of the heavens." (Matt. 4:17; 13:47-50) So the failure of the parable to illustrate it does not prove that the figurative dragnet will not accomplish its purpose and be done away with, be laid away, never to be used again. And yet Jesus said that "the kingdom of the heavens" was like that dragnet. Certainly, then, the dragnet did not itself picture the Kingdom class of 144,001 members.
WHAT
ABOUT LEAVENED THINGS OFFERED TO JEHOVAH?
25
There is no question about whether the nominal Christian organization, pictured by the bird-infested mustard-grain "tree," has become corrupted with Babylonish teachings and practices. In the foregoing discussion it was pointed out that this corrupting of the professed Christian organization was pictured in Jesus? parable in which a woman hid a bit of leaven in three large measures of flour, in order to leaven the whole mass. (Matt. 13:33) Yet someone might still find difficulty with that explanation of the parable. He might ask himself, Does the leaven in that parable really picture something bad, corruptive of religion? Might it not picture the power that permeates the true Christian congregation of Kingdom heirs with righteousness, holiness? Why, look at the things that were offered to Jehovah God according to the law of Moses and that contained leaven with acceptance by Him! Does this not indicate that the Holy Scriptures use leaven as a symbol of goodness and righteousness? Might this not also be the case in Jesus? parable of the leaven buried in a large batch of dough?
26
A prominent instance, that might be referred to, of where leavened things were offered to Jehovah under command by him and with acceptance by him, is the two loaves of leavened wheat bread that the Jewish high priest offered on the day of the Festival of Weeks, or Pentecost, which fell on the sixth day of the spring lunar month of Sivan. This was the fiftieth day from Nisan 16, when the high priest offered up the firstfruits of the barley harvest. (Lev. 23:15-17; Deut. 16:9-12; Acts 20:16; 1 Cor. 16:8) In view of all the respect given to those two loaves, one?s reasoning might go in the following way: Jehovah on the festival day accepts the two wheat loaves containing leaven. Does not, then, Jehovah?s acceptance in this case of something leavened signify that there the leaven takes on a favorable meaning? Does this not prove that at times leaven does take on a good symbolic value with God? Why, look at how leavened bread was a favorite bread among Jehovah?s ancient chosen people, whereas the unleavened bread was called "the bread of affliction." (Deut. 16:1-3) Surely that must impart a favorable aspect to leaven when being used as a symbol in the Bible!
27
If we follow such a line of reasoning regarding the two leavened wheat loaves presented on the festival day of Weeks, then where does it consistently lead? To this: Those two Pentecostal loaves were typical, foreshadowing things to come according to God?s purpose. So in the antitype of that presentation of the two leavened loaves on Sivan 6, the thing symbolized by the leaven in the loaves must be something good, righteous, virtuous. Hence we ask, What do those two loaves of leavened wheat bread themselves typify? They typify the true Christian congregation of imperfect human believers that came into existence on the day of Pentecost of the year 33 C.E. (Zion?s Watch Tower as of March 1, 1898, page 68, paragraph 4) So, now, if, on the day of Pentecost, the leaven pictured something on the good side, then consistently the new Christian congregation is pictured as starting off with an antitypical leaven of goodness in itself, some special "grace of the holy spirit." All of this, before the holy spirit was poured out!
28
However, did the human members of the Christian congregation start off with some inward merit of their own on the Pentecostal day of the outpouring of God?s holy spirit upon them? No; they had no righteousness of their own. So, the leaven found in the offering of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest has long been explained to mean sin, the sin that the members of the Christian congregation of Kingdom joint heirs inherited from disobedient Adam. (Rom. 5:12; see The Watch Tower as of June 15, 1912, page 198, the second paragraph under the heading "Parable of the Leaven.") However, back there on the day of Pentecost, 33 C.E., it became true of the imperfect members of the Christian congregation that "the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."?1 John 1:7; see page 229, paragraph 1, through page 231 of the book The Temple, by Alfred Edersheim, edition of 1881.
29
Such explanation of the leaven in the two Pentecostal wheat loaves is supported by another fact. It is this: Pentecost, the festival day of Weeks (Shabuoth), is linked by the count of time to the day for offering the firstfruits of the barley harvest. That offering was made on Nisan 16, the third day from Passover. (Lev. 23:9-17) When, on Nisan 16, the high priest waved to and fro the "sheaf of the firstfruits of [Israel?s] harvest" of barley, no leaven was offered along with it. Two tenths of an ephah of fine flour moistened with oil was offered along with the fourth of a hin measure of wine, but no leaven. (Lev. 23:13) In fact, this ceremony fell within the seven-day festival of the unleavened bread, during all of which time no leaven was to be around or to be eaten. Why, now, was there an absence of leaven at this ceremony on Nisan 16 whereas on the related festival of Pentecost there was the presence of leaven?
30
If leaven were to be regarded as a favorable symbol because God accepted it on the day of Pentecost, why was it not permitted in the offerings that were made along with the waving of the sheaf of the firstfruits of the barley harvest? If the leaven were a symbol in a good sense, then would not the absence of leaven indicate that there was something good missing at the offering of the sheaf of barley by the high priest? Yes, it would typify that in the fulfillment of this prophetic picture there would be absent some virtue or some "grace of the holy spirit." But is that actually the case? For an answer we have to consider what was typified by the sheaf of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. It is no one else but the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ himself.?1 Cor. 15:20.
31
In harmony with that fact, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on Sunday, Nisan 16, 33 C.E., in the midst of the week-long festival of the unleavened bread or cakes. Certainly at his glorious resurrection he was not missing out on something good, some virtue or "grace of the holy spirit," a fact that would be pictured if the missing leaven were to be viewed as a favorable symbol, as a so-called ?leaven of righteousness.? To the very contrary of that, the absence of leaven on Nisan 16 at the waving of the sheaf of the firstfruits of the barley harvest typified that Jesus Christ was resurrected as a perfect, righteous, sinless spirit person. At his resurrection he was, as 1 Timothy 3:16 says, "declared righteous in spirit." There was no symbolical "leaven" about him.
32
Related to this, there is this fact: Nisan 16, the day when the firstfruits of the barley harvest were presented to Jehovah God, was the third day from Passover. After Jesus Christ celebrated the Passover supper on Nisan 14, 33 C.E., he took a loaf of unleavened bread and broke it and said to his faithful apostles: "Take, eat. This means my body." (Matt. 26:26) Since there was no leaven in the loaf used, does this mean that, by reasoning on the basis that leaven is a good symbol, Jesus? fleshly body lacked something vital, lacked righteousness, lacked some "grace of the holy spirit"? Absolutely not! The unleavened quality of the loaf that Jesus said typified his body pictured that Jesus? fleshly body was free from all sin and imperfection.?Heb. 7:26.
33
In agreement with all the foregoing, the issues of the Watch Tower magazine for May 15, 1900, and June 15, 1910, were correct in saying that, as a symbol, leaven or sour dough is used throughout the Scriptures in an unfavorable sense or on the negative side. From the Bible?s very first mention of leaven or sour dough, in Exodus 12:15-20; 13:7, down to the last mention in Galatians 5:9, the Holy Scriptures have used leaven as a symbol of what is bad. If we need witnesses to that fact, we have at least TWO witnesses to testify to the fact that the Bible unvaryingly uses leaven to symbolize something bad, unrighteousness, error, sin. Jesus referred to the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. (Matt. 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1) The apostle Paul warns against the leaven that leavens the whole lump or mass. He refers to the typical festival of unleavened bread and clearly defines what leaven symbolizes, for he says: "Christ our passover has been sacrificed. Consequently let us keep the festival, not with old leaven, neither with leaven of badness and wickedness, but with unfermented cakes of sincerity and truth."?1 Cor. 5:6-8; see Deuteronomy 17:6, 7; 19:15; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:28.
34
In the face of this, Jesus did not make an exception with regard to the meaning of leaven when he gave the parable of the woman who hid a bit of leaven in three large measures of flour. In his consistency of teaching, he there used leaven to symbolize something unfavorable. So the parable must illustrate something unfavorable about matters having to do with the "kingdom of the heavens." There the leavening of the big batch of dough pictures prophetically the corrupting of the professed Christian congregation with Babylonish error of teaching and practice. It pictures the symbolic leavening of what is illustrated by the full-grown mustard plant. Appropriately, then, both Matthew and Luke put the parable of the leaven right alongside the parable of the mustard grain, and Luke does so right after a stinging rebuke of hypocritical religionists.?Luke 13:10-21.
eyeslice

Mustard seed, drag-net, whatever, the vast majority of the rank and file are confused about what the WTB&TS acually believes. Another classic, the difference between New Jerusalem and the Jerusalem above - 9 out of 10 won't have a clue.
Regards
Mike
Room 215

Eyeslice: These two instances are among those for which ignorance (or cluelessness, as you put it) is bliss; your head hurts far less.
unique1

Wow, and I was in the truth in 2001. I guess I didn't pay attention then, just like the rest of the droids. That scripture couldn't be more plain. How can they screw it up like that and everybody just go along with it? Thank god I left.
Elsewhere

Interesting. Once again they set themselves in opposition to the god of the bible. The parable clearly states that the tree is the kingdom of heaven, yet they place themselves in opposition to this tree.
Another time they did this was in the their Revelations book:
They claim that JWs are the swarm of locusts that come from the Great Abyse and under the authority of "Abaddon", also known as the greek name of "Apollyon". They try to say that Jesus is "Abaddon" and "Apollyon".
Every reference in the bible to "Abaddon" and "Apollyon" refer to someone or something evil, yet somehow they try to say that Jesus is "Abaddon" and "Apollyon".
This is one of the more fun things to stump a JW with at the door. Most do not realize that their leader is "Abaddon" and "Apollyon" - the Destroyer and ruler of Hell. All you have to do is point out this scripture and then ask them who the locusts refer to. The vast majority of JWs will tell you that it is satan's organization, and "Abaddon" and "Apollyon" are a reference to satan... but you get to correct them and tell them that THEY are the locusts and then refer them to their own book Revelation?Its Grand Climax at Hand!
***
Revelations - Grand Climax at hand chap. 22 pp. 144-148 The First Woe?Locusts ***
9
What battle instructions did those locusts receive? John reports: "And they were told to harm no vegetation of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And it was granted the locusts, not to kill them, but that these should be tormented five months, and the torment upon them was as torment by a scorpion when it strikes a man. And in those days the men will seek death but will by no means find it, and they will desire to die but death keeps fleeing from them."?Revelation 9:4-6.
10
Notice that this plague is not directed first against the people or prominent ones among them?the ?vegetation and trees of the earth.? (Compare Revelation 8:7.) The locusts are to harm only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, those in Christendom who claim to be sealed but whose record belies that claim. (Ephesians 1:13, 14) Thus, the tormenting utterances of these modern-day locusts were directed first against the religious leaders of Christendom. How these self-assuming men must have been tormented at hearing it publicly announced that not only were they failing to lead their flocks to heaven but they themselves would not get there! Truly, it has been a case of ?the blind leading the blind?!?Matthew 15:14.
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The torment lasts for five months. Is that a relatively short time? Not from the point of view of a literal locust. Five months describes the normal life span of one of these insects. Therefore, it is for as long as they live that the modern-day locusts keep stinging God?s enemies. Moreover, the torment is so severe that men seek to die. True, we have no record that any of those who were stung by the locusts actually tried to kill themselves. But the expression helps us to picture the intensity of the torment?as though by the relentless assault of scorpions. It is like the suffering foreseen by Jeremiah for those unfaithful Israelites who would be scattered by the Babylonian conquerors and for whom death would be preferable to life.?Jeremiah 8:3; see also Ecclesiastes 4:2, 3.
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Why is it granted to torment these ones, in a spiritual sense, and not to kill them? This is an initial woe in the exposing of the lies of Christendom and her failures, but only later, as the Lord?s day progresses, will her deathlike spiritual state be fully publicized. It will be during a second woe that a third of the men are killed.?Revelation 1:10; 9:12, 18; 11:14.
Locusts
Equipped for Battle
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What a remarkable appearance those locusts have! John describes it: "And the likenesses of the locusts resembled horses prepared for battle; and upon their heads were what seemed to be crowns like gold, and their faces were as men?s faces, but they had hair as women?s hair. And their teeth were as those of lions; and they had breastplates like iron breastplates. And the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle."?Revelation 9:7-9.
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This well illustrates the loyal group of revived Christians in 1919. Like horses, they were ready for battle, eager to fight for the truth in the way described by the apostle Paul. (Ephesians 6:11-13; 2 Corinthians 10:4) On their heads John sees what seem to be crowns as of gold. It would not be proper for them to have actual crowns because they do not begin ruling while they are still on earth. (1 Corinthians 4:8; Revelation 20:4) But in 1919 they already had a royal appearance. They were brothers of the King, and their heavenly crowns were reserved for them provided they continued faithful to the end.?2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4.
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In the vision, the locusts have iron breastplates, symbolizing unbreakable righteousness. (Ephesians 6:14-18) They also have men?s faces, this feature pointing to the quality of love, since man was made in the image of God, who is love. (Genesis 1:26; 1 John 4:16). Their hair is long like a woman?s, which well pictures subjection to their King, the angel of the abyss. And their teeth resemble a lion?s teeth. A lion uses its teeth to tear meat. From 1919 onward, the John class has again been able to take in solid spiritual food, particularly the truths about God?s Kingdom ruled by "the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah," Jesus Christ. Just as the lion symbolizes courage, so great courage has been needed to digest this hard-hitting message, to bring it forth in publications, and to distribute it around the globe. Those figurative locusts have made a lot of noise, like "the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle." After the example of first-century Christians, they do not intend to stay quiet.?1 Corinthians 11:7-15; Revelation 5:5.
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This preaching involves more than the spoken word! "Also, they have tails and stings like scorpions; and in their tails is their authority to hurt the men five months." (Revelation 9:10) What could this mean? As they go about their Kingdom work, Jehovah?s Witnesses leave behind them publications?books, magazines, brochures, timely tracts. These contain authoritative statements, based on God?s Word, for the people to read in their homes, and they have a scorpionlike sting because they warn of Jehovah?s approaching day of vengeance. (Isaiah 61:2) Before the present generation of spiritual locusts lives out its life span, its divinely ordained work of declaring Jehovah?s judgments will be completed?to the hurt of all stiff-necked blasphemers.
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That locust band was overjoyed when a new magazine, The Golden Age, was announced at their 1919 convention. It was a biweekly magazine, designed to intensify the sting of their witnessing. Its issue No. 27, of September 29, 1920, exposed the clergy?s duplicity in persecuting the Bible Students in the United States during the 1918-19 period. Through the 1920?s and 1930?s, The Golden Age tormented the clergy with further stinging articles and cartoons that exposed their crafty dabbling in politics, and especially the Catholic hierarchy?s accords made with the Fascist and Nazi dictators. In response, the clergy ?framed mischief by law? and organized mob violence against God?s people.?Psalm 94:20, King James Version.
World
Rulers Put on Notice
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The modern-day locusts had a job to do. The Kingdom good news had to be preached. Errors had to be exposed. Lost sheep had to be found. As the locusts went about these tasks, the world was forced to sit up and take notice. In obedience to the angels? trumpet blasts, the John class has continued to expose Christendom as deserving of Jehovah?s adverse judgments. In response to the fifth trumpet, a particular aspect of these judgments was emphasized at a convention of the Bible Students in London, England, May 25-31, 1926. This featured a resolution, "A Testimony to the Rulers of the World," and a public talk at the Royal Albert Hall on "Why World Powers Are Tottering?The Remedy," the complete text of both of these being printed in a leading London newspaper the following day. Later, the locust band distributed worldwide, as a tract, 50 million copies of that resolution?a torment indeed to the clergy! Years later, people in England still spoke of this stinging exposé.
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At this convention, the symbolic locusts received further fighting equipment, notably a new book entitled Deliverance. It included a Scriptural discussion of the sign proving that the ?man child? government, Christ?s heavenly Kingdom, had been born in 1914. (Matthew 24:3-14; Luke 21:24-26; Revelation 12:1-10) Thereafter, it quoted the manifesto published in London in 1918 and signed by eight clergymen, who were described as being "among the world?s greatest preachers." They represented the leading Protestant denominations?Baptist, Congregational, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Methodist. This manifesto proclaimed that "the present crisis points toward the close of the times of the Gentiles" and that "the revelation of the Lord may be expected at any moment." Yes, those clergymen had recognized the sign of Jesus? presence! But did they want to do anything about it? The book Deliverance informs us: "The most remarkable part of the affair is that the very men who signed the manifesto subsequently repudiated it and rejected the evidence which proves that we are at the end of the world and in the day of the Lord?s second presence."
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Rather than announce the incoming Kingdom of God, Christendom?s clergy have chosen to remain with Satan?s world. They want no part with the locust band and their King, concerning whom John now observes: "They have over them a king, the angel of the abyss. In Hebrew his name is Abaddon [meaning "Destruction"], but in Greek he has the name Apollyon [meaning "Destroyer"]." (Revelation 9:11) As "angel of the abyss" and "Destroyer," Jesus had truly released a plaguing woe on Christendom. But more is to follow!
unique1

Yeah, this is proof I never really payed any attention to what they were saying at the meetings.
I think they can't liken themselves to the tree because their organization is still too small to be a large tree. Perphaps that is why they claim it is christendom.
Now that I pay attention to things, they really twist the scriptures around. AND the always choose the most straight forward ones. It is like they are testing us to see if we will go along with something so ABSURD and WE DID!!!!!!

New meaning of Seed Parable

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