Posts by raymond frantz

6

KING OF THE NORTH ATTACKs 0.001% OF JWS

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/qn2dewyxlzu.

forget about ufos and orbs darting through the skies of new jersey, or the peculiar fog and bizarre weather gripping parts of the world lately.

none of that is on the watchtower’s radar.

raymond frantz

Thanks @Journeyman at your detailed analysis, I agree that Russia is the KoTN today my issue is that in the end he won't prove to be the biggest player on persecuting Christians in the same way other previous empires did in the past like Romans,Babylonians or Egyptians the ultimate final prayer is the Antichrist and neither the KoTN or KoTS as I will prove soon with another video based on Daniel chapter 11. Thanks again for your insightful analysis

6

KING OF THE NORTH ATTACKs 0.001% OF JWS

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/qn2dewyxlzu.

forget about ufos and orbs darting through the skies of new jersey, or the peculiar fog and bizarre weather gripping parts of the world lately.

none of that is on the watchtower’s radar.

raymond frantz

https://youtu.be/Qn2dewyXLZU

Forget about UFOs and orbs darting through the skies of New Jersey, or the peculiar fog and bizarre weather gripping parts of the world lately. None of that is on the Watchtower’s radar. Their focus? The King of the North. The latest article on JW.org, penned by Nicholas Achladis, asks the riveting question, “Who is the King of the North today?” While the rest of the world ponders mysteries of cosmic significance, the Watchtower is obsessing over one solitary player in a prophecy that feels increasingly out of place in modern discussions.
Why this narrow focus? Because, quite frankly, the Watchtower has practically canceled the book of Revelation. Once considered the definitive guide to the Bible’s most thrilling future events, Revelation has been sidelined for years. The last time Jehovah’s Witnesses attempted to tackle it in their book *Revelation—Its Grand Climax at Hand!* the results were far from triumphant. That book went through so many revisions, updates, and awkward reinterpretations that it was quietly shelved. They even stopped studying it in congregations.
Revelation, for all its terrifying plagues, marks, and beasts, was simply too messy for the Watchtower to handle. They don’t believe in literal plagues or the Antichrist. The mark of the beast? It’s just a metaphor. Essentially, they’ve written themselves out of 99% of the prophecies that have captivated believers for centuries. What’s left is Daniel 11’s King of the North—a pale, overly simplified substitute for the grandeur and complexity of Revelation’s apocalyptic visions.
Let’s get back to this King of the North. For years, the Watchtower has played a guessing game with its identity, changing it as world powers shift. Today, it’s Russia and its allies. The logic behind this is simple: Russia banned Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2017, labeled them an extremist organization, and began cracking down on their activities. But how much of a threat is this, really?
Currently, fewer than 100 Jehovah’s Witnesses are reported to be in prison in Russia. Out of a global membership of 9 million, that’s 0.001%. Yes, any form of persecution is unjust, and those individuals deserve compassion and support. But does this minuscule fraction of Jehovah’s Witnesses represent the grand fulfillment of biblical prophecy? If the King of the North’s defining act is imprisoning 0.001% of a religious group, it’s hard to see this as the apocalyptic showdown the Bible describes. The numbers simply don’t add up.
Now compare this to what Revelation says about the Antichrist. The Antichrist, identified in Revelation as the "wild beast," is described as wielding immense power and causing catastrophic loss of life. Revelation 13:7 states, “It was permitted to wage war with the holy ones and to conquer them.” This is no minor crackdown—this is global persecution on a scale unimaginable compared to Russia’s actions. Revelation 20:4 further highlights the brutal toll, mentioning those who are beheaded for their faith and their refusal to accept the mark of the beast. These verses paint a far grimmer picture than the King of the North narrative, which pales in comparison.
Revelation’s Antichrist is not a regional player; it’s a global force demanding worship and allegiance. Those who refuse to comply will face severe consequences, including death, as described in Revelation 13:15: “It causes those who refuse to worship the image of the wild beast to be killed.” The death toll among faithful believers in the last days is clearly immense, a stark contrast to the relatively minor persecution experienced by Jehovah’s Witnesses under Russia’s ban. The Watchtower’s neglect of this prophetic figure and its global implications leaves a glaring gap in their eschatology.
Making matters worse, by persistently criticizing Russia on their website, the Watchtower unwittingly validates President Putin’s accusations. Putin has accused Jehovah’s Witnesses of being an NGO that promotes United Nations directives that Russia views as counterproductive and even subversive. This, he argues, is why the religion was banned. Whether his claims are fair or not, the Watchtower’s relentless focus on Russia while tiptoeing around other global powers only reinforces his narrative.
When was the last time the Watchtower directed this kind of scrutiny toward the King of the South, their supposed Anglo-American world power? Unlike Russia, the Anglo-American alliance is a far greater aggressor against Christian values and traditions. Just look at what’s happening in Britain, where attacks on Christianity are steadily increasing. The country is shifting into what some describe as a “communist caliphate,” where Islam is protected at all costs while Christian values are eroded. Traditional Christian holidays, symbols, and even speech are increasingly censored or marginalized, yet the Watchtower is silent about these developments.
This glaring inconsistency raises questions about the Watchtower’s priorities. Why the constant criticism of Russia, where the impact on Jehovah’s Witnesses is minimal in the grand scheme, while ignoring the far-reaching cultural and spiritual erosion occurring in the West? The Bible speaks of a time when “the wild beast” will demand total submission, and Revelation 13:16-17 warns of a system where “no one can buy or sell except a person having the mark.” Such developments seem more in line with what’s unfolding in secular, increasingly anti-Christian Western nations than with the relatively minor actions of Russia.
The Watchtower’s obsession with the King of the North while avoiding substantive discussions about Revelation or the King of the South leaves their theology feeling unbalanced and hollow. They’ve abandoned the dramatic and awe-inspiring prophecies of Revelation in favor of a narrow, uninspired focus on a single geopolitical player. And while this approach might simplify their narrative, it sacrifices depth, relevance, and a true engagement with the complex and sobering events the Bible predicts for the last days.

10

Pella

by peacefulpete in

this short thread addresses the often-repeated legend that christians fled jerusalem to pella and escaped the destruction of jerusalem.

the legend is based upon two 4th century comments.. .

the whole body, however, of the church at jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine revelation given to men of approved piety there before the war, removed from the city to a certain town beyond the jordan called pella.

raymond frantz

So based on your research @peacefulpete , do you agree with the following?

Epiphanius wrote **Weights and Measures** in the late 4th century, approximately 300 years after the events of the Roman siege of Jerusalem (70 CE). His account adds the detail of an angelic revelation, which is not mentioned in earlier sources like **Eusebius of Caesarea** (*Ecclesiastical History*, 3.5).

Epiphanius' account may reflect a theological interpretation or later tradition rather than a historical fact. The earlier and more widely accepted tradition (e.g., Eusebius) attributes the Christians' departure to a divine warning or prophetic revelation without mentioning an angel.

The claim that an angel instructed the Christians to leave Jerusalem comes specifically from **Epiphanius of Salamis** in *Weights and Measures*. However, it should be treated with caution as it is a later embellishment not found in earlier, more historically grounded sources.

10

Pella

by peacefulpete in

this short thread addresses the often-repeated legend that christians fled jerusalem to pella and escaped the destruction of jerusalem.

the legend is based upon two 4th century comments.. .

the whole body, however, of the church at jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine revelation given to men of approved piety there before the war, removed from the city to a certain town beyond the jordan called pella.

raymond frantz

It would seem to me that both accounts are correct and do not contradict themselves ,that Christians had already created an outpost in Pella and at the same time the ones remaining in Jerusalem prior to 66AD where told by an angel to leave. Also, is this your personal research or do you borrow from a book and if so which one? Thank you

31

Wythenshawe Kingdom Hall - Sold

by AdamCzarnobay in

jw
friends

the theme of my recent comment in another thread demonstrated how in some circles the 'word/logos' had become understood to be implied within ot texts that mention an angel or destroyer (in the case of ex 12).

the comment got no response so i'll repost it now as a springboard for a further observation:.

here's another example of the extreme personification of the logos/word from the wisdom of solomon (approx.

raymond frantz

You are relying on the book Wisdom of Solomon to make the case that Jesus is Satan this is problematic as the book is not included in Jewish or Modern Bibles and for a good reason, the book was written by a Jewish scholar familiar with Greek culture, likely in Alexandria, Egypt, during the Hellenistic period (between the 2nd century BCE and 1st century, the book was written in Greek, not Hebrew, and contains sophisticated Greek philosophical ideas and expressions.