There is a measure of cognitive dissonance at
work in all those that believe in evolution, being the origin of life. I
believe that if there is a god, and if he is fair and just, he will clear things
up in his own time. Allow me to use the hypothetical case of prophecy,
specifically Rev. 11:3-12. The JW interpretation of this prophecy is that it
happened during the Great War (1914-1918). This is indeed a long shot. Even if one
interprets the vision as purely symbolic, one will have a hard time foisting above
interpretation on the vision. But let us say, we interpret the vision in a more
literal sense:
3 And I will cause my two
witnesses to prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days dressed in
sackcloth.
4 These
are [symbolized by] the two olive trees and the two lampstands and are standing
before the Lord of the earth.
5 And
if anyone wants to harm them, fire issues forth from their mouths and devours
their enemies; and if anyone should want to harm them, in this manner he must
be killed.
6 These
have the authority to shut up heaven that no rain should fall during the days
of their prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into
blood and to strike the earth with every sort of plague as often as they wish.
7 And
when they have finished their witnessing, the wild beast that ascends out of
the abyss will make war with them and conquer them and kill them.
8 And
their corpses will be on the broad way of the great city which is in a
spiritual sense called Sodom and Egypt, where
their Lord was also impaled.
9 And
those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their
corpses for three and a half days, and they do not let their corpses be laid in
a tomb.
10 And
those dwelling on the earth rejoice over them and enjoy themselves, and they
will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those
dwelling on the earth.
11 And
after the three and a half days spirit of life from God entered into them, and
they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon those beholding them.
12 And they heard a loud voice out
of heaven say to them, Come on up here. And they went up into heaven in the
cloud, and their enemies beheld them (Rev. 11:3-12 NWT).
If
these two prophets do make their appearance on the world scene, effecting
miracles, how many will believe that they are from God? Are they using delusion
or special effects or are they the real thing? Even Witnesses will find the
above hard to fathom, because their GB says otherwise. I believe this prophecy is
to occur in the near future. If I am wrong, the joke’s on me. If I am right,
then the joke’s on all skeptics out there. Interestingly, the Chapter ends
off:
18 But the nations became
wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time for the dead to be
judged, and to give [their] reward to your slaves the prophets and to the holy
ones and to those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to
ruin those ruining the earth (Rev. 11:18
NWT).
