Warning: This is
rather lengthy. I thought I would post this information that I took with me to my judicial committee. The elders promised
that we would talk about everything that was bothering me, yet, we ended
up talking about less than 10% of it. If you can bear it and read it all the way through, I give you an XJW high five, LOL.
A. WTBTS has
used questionable authors and material to support our beliefs.
To begin, please read the 2011 Yearbook of Jehovah’s
Witnesses, p. 9, subheading “Tracing All Things with Accuracy.”
I researched the book Those
About to Die by Daniel P. Mannix. You can read many reviews of this
book on Amazaon.com and other online book stores. Would this be a book you would read with your mate or children? Would you take a copy of this book to the kingdom hall and quote
from it in a talk to support your ideas? Would you share it with other friends
to help with their research?
You may be asking, why? Where did I find out about this book?
1.
Watchtower, 1968, June 1, p.351-352, paragraph 8.
2.
Awake, 1972, December 8, p.18-23, paragraph
20.
3.
Awake, 1975, December 8, p.3-4, paragraph 6.
4.
Watchtower, 1975, August 15, p.493-498, paragraph
20.
5.
Awake, 1979, December 22, p., Under the
Subheading “Is all disco bad?” Mannix is mentioned, but I doubt it is referring
to the author. I just thought it was interesting to see how much things change
over time in our organization, even in 34 years.
6.
Brochure: Jehovah
Witnesses and Education, 1983, under
the chapter “Flag salute, anthems, and voting.”
7.
Watchtower, 1983, May 1, p.12-17, paragraph 8.
8.
Book: Reasoning on the
Scriptures, 1989, p.269-276
(Neutrality)
9.
Watchtower, 1993, January 15, p.25-30, paragraph
21.
10.
Book: Insight on the
Scriptures, Volume 1, 1988,
p.1195-1196 (Incense)
11.
Watchtower, 2002, September 15, p.21-25, paragraph
8.
12.
Book: Learn from the Great
Teacher, 2003, p.146. (Only time
quoted as a “Historian.”)
13.
Watchtower, 2013, January 15, p.7-11, paragraph 16.
Please look at the picture illustration in the book What Does the Bible Really Teach,
p. 158. (Lollipop in the gutter)
From the 2011 Yearbook, if the WTBTS took extensive time to thoroughly
research if a spider web would indeed stop an airplane, whether Gandhi or Sir
Isaac Newton really said something, which has no real significance to our
everlasting life, could they not do the same thorough investigation about whom
or what they are quoting from? It matters where things come from, see the lollipop illustration!
Our
literature is supposed to be spiritual truth and above reproach, vindicating
Jehovah’s name. This book may contain true data, and that is debatable, but the
real question is: Would it be appropriate for a Christian to be reading a book
that goes into gory detail about the sheer brutality of Roman society: public
executions, throwing women and children to animals to be eaten alive, the
training of professional human and animal killers, gambling on who would die
first in a fight-to-the-death match, public sexual orgies including
homosexuality, and the teaching of animals to engage in bestiality?
A quote from the 2011 Yearbook: “The
Writing Department looks to standard reference works, articles written by
recognized experts, and books produced by respected publishers.” Would this
book be considered a standard reference book, coming from a recognized expert,
produced from a respected publisher? I certainly hope that a brother or sister
didn’t read this sick book just to get a quote to support our convictions Jehovah’s
Witnesses have today.
What is also interesting is that from 1968 until 2002, on
the WT Library CD, Mannix is referred to as an author, or simply by his name 10
different times. It wasn’t until 2003, in the children’s book Learn from the Great Teacher
that Mannix was referred to as a historian. Then, afterwards in the 2013
Watchtower, Mannix was referred to again simply by his name. This implies to me
that adults would be able to research that Mannix is not a historian, so he was
not called such. But children would never come to that conclusion, and
therefore he can be cited as a historian.
B.
WTBTS lied about the use of spiritistic material. They also lied about when they
(WTBTS) knew about Johannes Greber.
Please research the books The New
Testament: A New Translation Based on the Oldest Manuscripts and Communication
with the Spirit World by Johannes Greber. Would this be a book you would read with
your mate or children? Would you take a copy of
this book to the kingdom hall and quote from it in a talk to support your ideas?
Would you share it with other friends to help with their research?
Where did I find out about this book?
w55 10/1 p. 603 par. 33 Part 3—What Do the Scriptures Say
About “Survival After Death”?
33
Is such official Catholic teaching as the above an impenetrable defense against
the invasion of spiritism? No! It is an invitation to spiritism, and the
conditions in Roman Catholic lands, such as Peru, Costa Rica, Cuba and Haiti,
show Roman Catholicism to be no bulwark against this spreading peril. In such
lands the Catholic people, even up to 90 per cent, mix spiritism or voodooism
right in with Roman Catholicism, practicing both at the same time with no objection
or penalty by the priests. It comes as no surprise that one Johannes Greber, a
former Catholic clergyman, has become a spiritualist and has published the book
entitled “Communication with the Spirit World, Its laws and Its Purpose.”
(1932, Macoy Publishing Company, New York) In its Foreword he makes the typical
misstatement: “The most significant spiritualistic book is the Bible; for its
principal contents hinge upon the messages of the beyond to those existing in
the present.”
w56 2/15 pp. 110-111 pars. 10-11 Triumphing over Wicked
Spirit Forces
10
Says Johannes Greber in the introduction of his translation of The New
Testament, copyrighted in 1937: “I myself was a Catholic priest, and until I
was forty-eight years old had never as much as believed in the possibility of
communicating with the world of God’s spirits. The day came, however, when I
involuntarily took my first step toward such communication, and experienced
things that shook me to the depths of my soul. . . . My experiences are
related in a book that has appeared in both German and English and bears the
title, Communication with the Spirit-World: Its Laws and Its Purpose.” (Page
15, ¶ 2, 3) In keeping with his Roman Catholic extraction Greber’s translation
is bound with a gold-leaf cross on its stiff front cover. In the Foreword of
his aforementioned book ex-priest Greber says: “The most significant
spiritualistic book is the Bible.” Under this impression Greber endeavors to
make his New Testament translation read very spiritualistic.
11
Spiritualism claims that there are good spirits and bad spirits and that it
does not want to have anything to do with the bad spirits but tries to
communicate only with the good spirits. At 1 John 4:1-3 the Bible says:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye
the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof
ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
Greber’s translation of these verses reads: “My dear friends, do not believe
every spirit, but test the spirits to learn whether they come from God. For
many false spirits have emerged from the abyss and gone out into the world, and
are speaking through human mediums. This is how you can find out whether a
spirit comes from God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ appeared on
earth as a man, comes from God. While every spirit who seeks to destroy belief
in Jesus as our Lord incarnated does not come from God, but is sent by the
adversary of Christ. You have been told that such spirits would come, and they
are already appearing in the world.” Very plainly the spirits in which
ex-priest Greber believes helped him in his translation.
Make Sure of All Things, p.489
w62 9/15 p. 554 par. 5 “The Word”—Who Is He? According
to John
Aid to Bible Understanding, 1969, p1134 and 1669
w75 10/15 p. 640 Questions From Readers (WTBTS asked its readers to compare the NWT with an occult bible!)
w76 4/15 p. 231 Insight on the News
w83 4/1 p. 31 Questions From Readers
Questions From Readers
■ Why, in recent years, has The Watchtower not made use of
the translation by the former Catholic priest, Johannes Greber?
This translation was used occasionally in support of
renderings of Matthew 27:52, 53 and John 1:1, as given in the New World
Translation and other authoritative Bible versions. But as indicated in a
foreword to the 1980 edition of The New Testament by Johannes Greber, this
translator relied on “God’s Spirit World” to clarify for him how he should
translate difficult passages. It is stated: “His wife, a medium of God’s
Spirit world was often instrumental in conveying the correct answers from God’s
Messengers to Pastor Greber.” The Watchtower has deemed it improper to make use
of a translation that has such a close rapport with spiritism. (Deuteronomy
18:10-12) The scholarship that forms the basis for the rendering of the
above-cited texts in the New World Translation is sound and for this reason
does not depend at all on Greber’s translation for authority. Nothing is lost,
therefore, by ceasing to use his New Testament.
Please read the articles listed and ask yourself: When did
the WTBTS know exactly what kind of person Johannes Greber was? When did the
WTBTS know what kind of bible translation they were quoting from? They knew exactly who Greber was back in 1955. Was it OK to
be reading from a book about communication with spirit world, or have them in
their possession in the first place? And did they live up to their promise to
stop quoting from his book?
It is interesting that in
the Spanish WT Library CD, in the WT 4/1/83, the Questions from Readers dealing with Greber is the ONLY article
that is NOT translated. But yet, in 1987, just 4 years after promising the
readers that the WTBTS would no longer use Greber as support, the WTBTS again uses
Greber in support in the Spanish translation of the “Aid to Bible Understanding”, 1987, p.
1258. Being deceitful about when the WTBTS actually knew about Greber is bad
enough, but to continue using a KNOWN spiritistic source after 1983 is
considered a gross sin in the eyes of Jehovah.
Greber was exposed and condemned
three times, in 1955, 1956, and 1983. Yet, just 4 years after WTBTS promised
not to use him again since he had a close rapport with spiritism, he was use
once more in a different language. How many OTHER languages has Greber been
used to support our beliefs after 1983? How many other languages deleted the
1983 Questions from Readers, since it was not translated into Spanish? What is
translated is another topic altogether. In Spanish, there are only 2 references
to Greber. Both references use Greber in support WT doctrine, leaving the
Spanish user of the WT Library CD in the dark about the person being quoted.
Again, if this was just a mistake, it is a gross mistake on the part of the
writing and translation department.
This is not the first time the WTBTS was caught dabbling in
the occult. Even Charles Taze Russell himself quotes from sources that he
claims come from demonic astrologers, and agrees with their astrology since it
is in harmony with his pyramidology based prophecies. See Watchtower, 1905, October
1, page 3637, subheading Devils Also Believe and
Astrological Predictions of Our Time.
Later, CT Russell
sanctioned a book called Angels and
Women, that was later published
by Rutherford in 1924. This is a quote from the forward:
“All students,
familiar with the Bible teaching concerning spiritism, will read this book with the keenest interest
because it shows the method employed by Satan and the wicked angels to debauch
and overthrow the human race. The reviser of this book is of the opinion that
the original manuscript was dictated
to the woman who wrote it by one of the fallen angels who desired to
return to divine favor. It is believed that reverential persons now examining
the revised edition of this book will have a better understanding of the evil
influence about us and be better fortified in the Lord's word and grace to
shield and protect themselves from these evil influences. Spiritism, otherwise
named demonism, is working great evil amongst men. It should be studiously
avoided.”
This dictation from
the author is known as auto-writing, where a demon causes the person to write
something down, without communicating it. This sounds eerily similar to how
Johannes Greber received his information, from a spirit-medium wife.
There are also
photocopied letters of correspondence between the WTBTS and the Greber
Foundation, where the WTBTS is requesting additional copies of Greber’s two
spiritstic books! From the evidence, the WTBTS has dabbled in the occult since
it’s infancy. Even in modern times, not only does WTBTS seem to support spiritism,
they engage in it as well, by implying in a belief called necromancy – the
communication with dead spirits.
Revelation chap. 20 pp. 124-125 par. 17 A Multitudinous
Great Crowd ***
From the time of the apostle John and on into the Lord’s
day, anointed Christians were puzzled as to the identity of the great crowd. It
is fitting, then, that one of the 24 elders, representing anointed ones already
in heaven, should stir John’s thinking by raising a pertinent question. “And in
response one of the elders said to me: ‘These who are dressed in the white
robes, who are they and where did they come from?’ So right away I said to him:
‘My lord, you are the one that knows.’” (Revelation 7:13, 14a) Yes, that elder
could locate the answer and give it to John. This suggests that resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be
involved in the communicating of divine truths today. For their part,
those of the John class on earth got to learn the identity of the great crowd
by closely observing what Jehovah was performing in their midst. They were
quick to appreciate the dazzling flash of divine light that emblazoned the
theocratic firmament in 1935, at Jehovah’s due time.
w07 1/1 p. 28 par. 11 “The First Resurrection”—Now
Under Way!
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 Governing Body believes that resurrected 24-elder group
from the 20th century communicate, or reveal spiritual truth to
them. Greber stated that good spirits revealed truth to him also. The author of
Angel and Woman stated that an evil spirit communicated with her. Where does
the bible say that these resurrected elders would reveal spiritual truth to the
Governing Body left on earth?
1 SAMUEL
28:3-25
Remember, Saul sought out a spirit
medium to seek advice from the prophet Samuel, who was already dead. The spirit
looked and sounded like Samuel, but it was a wicked demon misleading him. In
verse 9, the witch said she feared for her life because Saul had rid the land
of spirit medium and fortune tellers. But Saul promised in the name of Jehovah she would not incur guilt. Is that really
how Jehovah felt? Again, Jehovah tells us that this kind of communication is
detestable to him. This is strikingly similar to how Greber received his
“inspired” truths, how the author of Angels and Women receive her inspiration
to write, and from which the WTBTS sought to support our similar teachings to
Greber’s and their communication with the 24-elders who have died and are in
heaven.
After researching about Daniel P. Mannix, is it a
coincidence that he also has ties to the occult? Mannix wrote a biography about
the occultist/satanist Aleister Crowley. This man
is thought to be Satan in the flesh.
DEUTRONOMY
18:9-13
Again, please look at the picture illustration
in What Does the Bible Really Teach, p. 158.
It was extremely difficult to find information
on Johannes Greber that isn’t tied to spiritism, or wasn’t written in German.
When I typed his name into an internet search engine to research about him and
his books, numerous websites were spiritistic or dealing with the occult. As I was scrolling through these websites to
find a suitable one to read from, I could see descriptions of these spiritistic
websites. Without clicking a spiritistic website, one description stated:
Jehovah’s Witnesses champion our occult bible!
C. The International
Bible Students and WTBTS have been wrong on numerous occasions such as the
rapture, Armageddon and Jesus Christ’s invisible return.
·
1897 "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present,
since October 1874," (Studies in the Scriptures, vol. 4, p. 621).
·
1899 " . . . the 'battle of the great day of God
Almighty' (Revelation
16:14),
which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present
rulership, is already commenced," (The Time Is at Hand, 1908
edition, p. 101).
·
1916 "The Bible chronology herein presented shows that
the six great 1000 year days beginning with Adam are ended, and that the great
7th Day, the 1000 years of Christ's Reign, began in 1873," (The Time Is
at Hand, forward, p. ii).
·
1918 "Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will
mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old,
particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of
human perfection," (Millions Now Living Will Never Die, p. 89).
·
1922 "The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by
the Scriptures than 1914," (Watchtower, Sept. 1, 1922, p. 262).
·
1923 "Our thought is that 1925 is definitely settled by
the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base
his faith than Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge,"
(Watchtower, Apr. 1, 1923, p. 106).
·
1925 "The year 1925 is here. With great expectation
Christians have looked forward to this year. Many have confidently expected
that all members of the body of Christ will be changed to heavenly glory during
this year. This may be accomplished. It may not be. In his own due time God
will accomplish his purposes concerning his people. Christians should not be so
deeply concerned about what may transpire this year," (Watchtower,
Jan. 1, 1925, p. 3).
·
1925 "It is to be expected that Satan will try to inject
into the minds of the consecrated, the thought that 1925 should see an end to
the work," (Watchtower, Sept., 1925, p. 262).
·
1926 "Some anticipated that the work would end in 1925,
but the Lord did not state so. The difficulty was that the friends inflated their imaginations beyond reason; and
that when their imaginations burst asunder, they were inclined to throw away
everything," (Watchtower, p. 232).
·
1931 "There was a measure of disappointment on the part
of Jehovah's faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1917, 1918, and 1925,
which disappointment lasted for a time . . . and they also learned to quit fixing dates," (Vindication, p.
338).
·
1968 "Why are you looking forward to 1975?" (Watchtower,
Aug. 15, 1968, p. 494).
The
“Proclaimers” book and the new book, “God’s Kingdom Come!” state that The
Bible Students pointed to 1914 decades in advance as the invisible return of
Jesus Christ in heaven as King decades, when in reality they taught that the last days started in 1799, and that Jesus began ruling invisibly as king in 1874. When these
dates were not fulfilled, CT Russell received “new spiritual light” and
adjusted his prophecies that the rapture would begin in 1910 and culminate with
the war of Armageddon in 1914.
DEUTERONOMY
18:20-22
It is interesting when reading the Reasoning from the Scriptures
book under the topic of "False Prophets", that these scriptures are not
mentioned. In fact, one would think that there would be a subheading, a
paragraph, or even a sentence about how to identify a false prophet, because
that is what the topic is all about. There is plenty of information on how to identify
a true prophet, but you cannot find information on how to identify a false
prophet.
D.
WTBTS was involved as a member of the United Nations, under the branch called Department
of Public Information / Non-Government Organization, from 1992 to 2001.
In 2001, a newspaper called The Guardian, based
in the United Kingdom, published an article that exposed the WTBTS as being
members of the UN for the past 9 years. Due to the high number of inquiries to
the UN about this matter, the UN posted their response to the inquiries that
the WTBTS applied in 1991 for membership and was required to renew membership
each year. WTBTS claimed that their membership was solely to have access to
their extensive library. Another WTBTS representative in Spain admitted that it
was part of a humanitarian work in third world countries.
Do we need to review who exactly the UN
represents in the book of Revelation, and who is riding that beast? Without
going into detail, this scarlet-colored wild beast is full of blasphemous
names, and is under the control of the Great Harlot, the world empire of false
religion. Yet, WTBTS thought it was OK to “pet” such a wild beast full of
blasphemous names by having a “library cared” or claiming “to do humanitarian
works in third world countries.” Does the UN have books that can only be found
in THEIR library? You judge for yourself what constitutes hypocrisy.
WTBTS decided to disassociate themselves with
the UN (DPI / NGO) when their membership was made public in 2001 through The
Guardian newspaper story. If their membership was just for a library card, or
to help in aiding third world countries, why the sudden disassociation just
before a newspaper was going to publish the story?
Upon researching about this, there are plenty
of free public UN libraries, including several in the New York and New Jersey
area that were available without signing a membership with the UN as an NGO. So,
they didn’t need the library card in the first place. I also find it hard to
believe that, after having to sign a membership form with its creed on the very
first page that the WTBTS were ignorant as to what they were signing,
especially with a legal department readily available each year the membership
was renewed. Part of the stipulations were that the NGO provide printed
material that supports the UN. You can see a difference in the style of writing
in the Awake articles as opposed to other publications that were written about
the UN during 1991-2001. In fact, to this day, there are still MANY other legal
corporations worldwide that are still members of the UN disguised as NGO’s. This is unacceptable and hypocritical in my
viewpoint, as it appears that the WTBTS is trying hard to have a seat at
Satan’s world political table, behind the backs of all its faithful followers.
E. The
WTBTS founder, Charles Taze Russell, may have been involved with the Freemasons
and promoted teachings that are diametrically opposed to what is taught today.
Although there is no concrete evidence of CT
Russell’s membership, he did say in his own words in a 1912 convention that he
was a “Mason.” Freemason teachings and terminology are clearly seen through
symbols and expressions used in his publications: Millennial Dawn, Golden Age,
New World Society, the crown, cross and wreath, and the knights Templar were
used on the cover Watchtower until the 30’s. The Egyptian winged-sun-disk
symbol was used on all six of the Studies in the Scriptures and The Final
Mystery.
CT Russell had an obsession with the pyramid of
Giza and used the pyramid figure when explaining prophecies. First, in his book
“Thy Kingdom Come” p. 342, he uses a measurement of the Great Pyramid to
calculate his 1914 prophecy. He then began prophesying that the Rapture would
begin in 1910 and end at the end of 1914 when Armageddon would happen. He
claimed that these were God’s dates and not his, and that if he were silent on
these matters, Jehovah would cause the stones to preach these dates. When these
prophecies were slowly not being fulfilled, he used another measurement to push the end out another year. Since Watchtower, 1907, October 1, p.4067, and an even bigger retraction in Watchtower, 1911, January 15, p.4751,
the WTBTS has been constantly changing the Armageddon date and updating their understanding,
even blaming the Lord and the friends for incorrect dates that were "surmisings",“based on
faith alone” and not based on chronology or facts, with no blame going to the
prophet for sounding an incorrect warning.
Russell borrowed language and artwork from
the Adventists, Freemasons, Egyptians, John Taylor (the pyramids.) He even
looked to astrology in support of God’s prophecies in Watchtower, 1903,
May 1, page 3184, An Astrologer’s Outlook.”
So, from researching from the publications
themselves, the Bible Students believed in: paganism, Egyptology, pyramidology,
astrology, numerology, as well as engaging in greedy commercialism by swindling
thousands of dollars selling miracle wheat and miracle beans. Russell was buried in a cemetery owned by the Freemasons. A 7ft
pyramid was built as a memorial for Russell. Engraved on it are Masonic
symbols.
The Israelites in bible times were also borrowing and copying from
false religions, though not seen to the public. Notice how Jehovah felt about
their actions, although hidden from plain sight, in Ezekiel chapter 8.
Russell also believed in phrenology, mental
ability based on the shape of your skull. He also believed in a form of rascim,
that dark skinned people would be restored to lighter skin tone when Jehovah’s
Kingdom is fully established on earth. He also went to court for pedophilia,
for which his own wife testified against him and eventually divorced him for infidelity.
Did Jehovah select this man as his mouthpiece?
Did Jehovah select this organization as His visible organization and only
channel for communicating and dispensing spiritual truth?
F. This
is just scratching the surface as to our religion.
I have also researched the topic of the Gentile
times and 607-537-1914, the use of the name Jehovah in the Christian Greek
Scriptures, the Tetragrammaton YHWH, the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses and other
things we base our religion on. I urge you to do an honest and thorough examination
of these subjects. We claim to be the ONLY true religion, but we are far from
it. Jesus did not select this organization as the only religion dispensing food
at the proper time. They were neither faithful, nor discreet, but as Deut 18:20
says, presumptuous.
Why is our understanding on certain bible
doctrines constantly changing? In fact, looking at our religion today as
opposed to our early beginnings, our religion today looks nothing like our
beginnings.
Many of these changing doctrines mostly have to
do with Armageddon and the structure of our organization.
The new, clearer thinking is attributed to “new
light.” (Proverbs
4:18) Outdated
teachings are discarded and considered “old light” and not to be taught
anymore. This means that, as newer light was revealed, we were being led with
old light. Some teachings have been discarded as old light, only to be
re-taught again as new light, such as the teaching of “this generation” and the
“superior authorities.”
Ask yourself: Has Jehovah EVER led his people
with old light, or changed his thinking? (Malachi 3:6) Would you not agree that being led by “old light” would amount to
being misled?
w76 5/15 p. 298 Preaching
Christ—Through Envy or Goodwill?
“It
is a serious matter to represent God and Christ in one way, then find that our
understanding of the major teachings and fundamental doctrines of the
Scriptures was in error, and then after that, to go back to the very doctrines
that, by years of study, we had thoroughly determined to be in error.
Christians cannot be vacillating—‘wishy-washy’—about such fundamental
teachings. What confidence can one put in the sincerity or judgment of such
persons?”
G.
Other teachings
No amount of works for ANY religious
organization, true or false, can earn the gift of everlasting life, for it is ONLY
through Jehovah’s underserved kindness that we receive that gift.
ROMANS 11:6
Organized religion has been, and will always be
corrupt because it is run by imperfect men. Even though Jehovah chose the
Israelites as his special property, they were discarded because of
unfaithfulness, idolatry and apostasy. Since the birth of Christianity, we do
not need an organized religion to worship Jehovah acceptably. Our perfect
exemplar, Jesus Christ himself, tells us this.
JOHN 15:1-5
This makes sense that organized religion is not
needed to worship Jehovah acceptably. We have Jesus Christ. He is the vine and we
are the branches. There is NO need for another mediator. Apart from Jesus, you
can do nothing at all. Our salvation is dependent on our relationship with YHWH
and our faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, not dependent upon living up to the
standards of a man-made organization. We will never feel true refreshment
living up to man-made religious standards and rules.
MATTHEW 11:25-30
Have you ever wondered about the great crowd
mentioned in Revelation? How is it that the Apostle John says no man would be
able to number them, yet we have yearly reports on all of our work, even the
number of hours spent in the ministry, the number of pioneers, the number of
publishers, how many auxiliary pioneered? Do you remember what happened to King
David for taking an unauthorized census?
Also, the great crowd is also mentioned as
“standing before the throne of Jehovah”, along with the 24 elders, the angels,
the Lamb Jesus Christ. (Revelation 7:13-15)
Jehovah’s throne is in the heavens. The 24 elders are in heaven, the Lamb is in
the heavens. But it is interesting that nowhere in that chapter does the
Apostle John “see” the 144,000. He only hears the number. He does see the great
crowd, and they are standing BEFORE the throne of Jehovah, along with the
angels, 24 elders, and Jesus Christ himself. So, are there really two different
hopes, anointed and other sheep?
When Jesus spoke the words at John 10:16, he was speaking to Jews. In fact, he himself said that he was
not sent to preach to the Gentiles. So when he said that he has other sheep
which are not of this fold, and that he would also bring these into him, he was
speaking of Gentiles. He was not speaking of another hope, only that Gentiles
would also enjoy the same privileges as Jews, thus fulfilling the Abrahamic
covenant.
Ephesians
4:4-6 One body there is,
and one spirit, just as you were called to the ONE hope of your calling one
Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all
and through all and in all.
True, in speaking these words, Jesus was speaking of those
with the heavenly calling, which at that time were all Jews. But let me ask:
Are you led by Holy Spirit? I feel that on an individual basis, yes, I am led
by that spirit. I hope that you too feel the same way.
Notice what Romans 8:12-16 says:
So, then, brothers, we are under obligation, not to the flesh to live according
to the flesh; 13 for if you live according to the flesh,
you are sure to die; but if you put the practices of the body to death by the
spirit, you will live. 14 For all who are led by God’s
spirit are indeed God’s sons. 15 For you did not
receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but you received a spirit of
adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: “Abba, Father!” 16 The
spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 If,
then, we are children, we are also heirs—heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs
with Christ—provided we suffer together so that we may also be glorified
together.
Yes, all who are led by the Holy Spirit are considered
God’s sons – HIS children. We suffer with the anointed ones together. We follow
the rules given to the anointed. But to not enjoy the benefits of the anointed
goes contrary to what Jehovah has promised to all those who are led by the Holy
Spirit. (Matthew
23:14)
Hebrews
2:10-12 10 For
it was fitting that the one for whom and through whom all things exist, in
bringing many sons to glory, should make the Chief Agent of their salvation
perfect through sufferings. 11 For both the one who is
sanctifying and those who are being sanctified all stem from one, and for this
reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 as he
says: “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the
congregation I will praise you with song.” 13 And
again: “I will put my trust in him.” And again: “Look!
I and the young children, whom Jehovah gave me.”
Imagine Jesus huddling up the myriads and myriads of angels
with his great authority, announcing YOUR name (an imperfect human who makes
mistakes and feels unworthy of being in heaven with him) to all his brothers,
singing a song just for you, telling all the angelic family that he, Jesus
Christ himself, trusts you, and that you are now part of Jehovah’s family as
one of His children! What a grand introduction! This is what Jesus promises to
those who are led by Holy Spirit, since all who are led by it are God’s sons. Yet, WTBTS takes away this from all the members of the great crowd.
CONCLUSION
It pains me to come this this conclusion about
the religion I have spent my entire life dedicated to. I went on a deep search
for spiritual truth and tried my hardest to prove the WTBTS true, but in doing
so it seemed all too easy to disprove them as false.
Romans
9:1, 2 - I am telling the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as my conscience bears
witness with me in Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great grief and unceasing pain in
my heart.
Romans
12:1, 2 - Therefore, I appeal to you by the compassions of God, brothers, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred
service with your power of reason.
2 And stop being molded by this system of things, but be
transformed by making your mind over,
so that you may prove to yourselves
the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1
Corinthians 2:14-16 - But a physical man does not accept the
things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot get
to know them, because they are examined spiritually. 15 However,
the spiritual man examines ALL things,
but he himself is not examined by any man. 16 For “who
has come to know the mind of Jehovah, so that he may instruct him?” But we
do have the mind of Christ.
