Great post Alan,
I have always had a problem with the Watchtower’s teaching on sovereignty, and the supposed test—it goes something like this:
They state:
“The Main Issue-Sovereignty: When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, they challenged his sovereignty, that is, his right to rule. Jehovah could have destroyed them and started over with another couple, but that would not have settled the issue of whose rulership is right and best for people. Granted time to develop their societies according to their own ideas, humans would demonstrate beyond any doubt whether rulership independent from God could ever be successful….The 20th century saw a peak of scientific and industrial achievements. But it also saw the worst suffering in the entire history of the human race.”—Watchtower 2001, May 15 ( http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2001/5/15/article_02.htm)
1. Where in the Bible does God grant independent rulership to humans to basically do their own thing for X amount of years—circa 6000—as part of a sovereignty issue/test?
I cannot find any scriptures where God hands over rulership to mankind, and mankind is told to formulate its own governments and rulership independent of God for the purpose of a sovereignty issue. The article then goes on to say: “God’s Sovereignty Asserted Once and for all time, this tragic experiment in independence from God has demonstrated that rulership by humans apart from him can never succeed. Only God’s rulership can bring happiness, unity, health, and life.”
2. Besides there being no scriptures to say there ever has been a sovereignty issue being resolved. How can this assumed [but not scriptural] test be fair and reasonable when God has deliberately made it an impossible test, and therefore cannot be a valid test in the first place?
Right from the start of mankind's sin there has been no respect for rulership given to mankind by God. There are no scriptural accounts of any issues of sovereignty, or rulership being debated in the Bible. All the scriptures tell is that God is the rightful ruler of the universe—period.
The unfairness of this hypothetical Watchtower’s current claimed “sovereignty issue” is apparent under a little analysis. Before mankind sinned, Satan was apparently the guardian of the earth—pure, perfect in form, wisdom, and beauty. (Ezekiel 28:12–19; Matthew 4:8) After Satan corrupted Adam and Eve he was allowed to keep the rulership of the earth by Yahweh God. At no point did God hand over rulership to Adam and Eve as far as the scriptures tell us.
The problem with the Watchtower's claim of the settling of a “sovereignty issue” is that God has never declared a fix period when man would be allowed to prove his independent worth—and therefore settle the issue of whether God's way and rulership is best, or man's way.
The first downfall of any chance at independent rulership is the fact that Satan rules the earth; he was never removed to give any clean slate for rulership by Adam and Eve, and their children to come. The situation of a fair chance is totally wiped out when we read that God apparently complaisantly watched as many thousands, possibly millions of his sprit sons came to earth and took over, and married those whom they desired. (Genesis 6:2) This then lead to them ruling the earth, and not humans at all. Later we read that the humanised angels and their hybrid children, the Nephilim, became violent and corrupted the earth.—Genesis 6:5, 6
This account in the Bible clearly proves to us that God has never given rulership to man, or pronounced any issue, or test of sovereignty. God allowed his sons to come to earth and totally corrupt it to the point where God eventually acts, very late in the scene, and wipes almost all of humanity out of existence.—Genesis 6:11–13
The situation is made a lot worse for mankind when God cursed mankind, and removed even the imperfect inheritance that they inherited from Adam and Eve of nearly one thousand years of life. Mankind suddenly lost their inheritance and were demoted to live around seventy years—thus increasing their pain, suffering, diseases, ageing, and very early death. All of this proves beyond any doubt that God has never given man his freedom to do as he chooses freely for approximately 6,000 years. Leaving Satan in charge, allowing millions of angels to come to earth, allowing their demonic children to exist and rule, and then cursing mankind to lose 90% of their lifespan all proves that there was never any sovereignty issue; and that man has certainly never been given even the most basic chance to self-rule independently, and free from Satan, demons, and God’s curses.
The situation after the great flood proves even more that God never gave man any respect for self-rule, therefore proving that there never was a sovereignty issue. Soon after the flood, some people chose to build a tower, but instead of just letting them get on with it, and do as they wished; make their own plans, governments, and technology etc. God interfered and destroyed all their plans by confusing their language. (Genesis 11:1–9) The absolute destruction of their plans proves totally that humans were never: “Granted time to develop their societies according to their own ideas….” As the Watchtower society article claims.
God clearly says about man and his abilities: “Why, now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be unattainable for them.” (Genesis 11:6b) Showing that man's achievements would be without limit, and a success. This also shows that God absolutely refused to allow man to do as he wills, or to self-rule; thus showing also that there is no sovereignty issue in the process of being settled. Once the language had been split in to many, this would also have had some influence on national wars and conflicts, making it all the more impossible for man to succeed.
The problems get far worse in the 20th century [according to the Watchtower] when God cast down Satan and the fallen angels to the earth. The scriptures clearly tell us that this will bring terrible suffering and woe to mankind. (Revelation 12:12) We are also told: “We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) All of these things completely prove beyond any doubt that God never had an issue with sovereignty, and has never allowed mankind any chance at independent self-rule.
Therefore, I cannot understand why the Watchtower society claims there was a sovereignty issue, and that: “God's Sovereignty Asserted Once and for all time, this tragic experiment in independence from God has demonstrated that rulership by humans apart from him can never succeed. Only God's rulership can bring happiness, unity, health, and life.” This is clearly not the case at all, and never has been the case as the inspired scriptures prove perfectly.
The Watchtower claims that God has now settled the issue, but we can see this is most certainly not the case at all, and never was. The only issue that has been demonstrated is that of Satan's rulership, and its failure to bring peace and prosperity to mankind. Unfortunately, we will never know how far man could have gone if left to his own devices for 6,000 years. It will always be an unanswered question, especially when God said of man: "Why, now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be unattainable for them."—Genesis 11:6b