DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key to know Apostle Paul supported Jesus’ ministry by tent making whereas the WBTS receives donations

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower is key to know WBTS should count the cost to support ITS ministry and not depend upon donations

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key to know The Holy Bible is sufficient as God’s Word n WBTS publications r unnecessary

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key to know it uses JWs to ply its publishing interests under a ruse of advancing Kingdom interests

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key to know the “works” in the “faith without works” statement by James doesn’t mean preaching work

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key in realizing when Jesus said go make diciples He didn’t mean diciples of the WBTS Inc

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key to relief that the publishing giant WBTS hasn’t tried to add a new book within the Holy Bible

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key n realizing WBTS members’ getting “time” “hrs” is seriously missing the meaning of preaching

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS Inc is key to realizing its members criticize those who write spiritual books but WBTS writes hundreds

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS Inc is key in realizing their opening Kingdom Halls to the public is open recruitment into this cult

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key in learning that WBTS “new light” now has Jesus as the Faithful and Discrete Slave?

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society Inc is key n my realizing that, in its name, Watchtower comes BEFORE Bible

WARNING: Someome approaches us and identifies themselves as Jehovah’s Witnesses and setting us up for recruitment into WBTS Inc = Recruiter

WARNING: Someone attempting to hand us a Watchtower or Awake magazine instead of The Bible is setting us up for recruitment into WBTS Inc.

WARNING: Someone speaking more about God’s Name being Jehovah than preaching Jesus’ sacrifice is setting us up 4 recruitment into WBTS Inc.

“Any ‘organization’ which is able to convince its members that it is mediator between God and man twists the Bible 4 mind control.” – Enoch

SIGN OF WATCHTOWER INC MIND CONTROL: “I Jus feel like he is dead to me, its one thing to be that way to a friend, but I for fam its odd”

SIGN OF WBTS MIND CONTROL: “My brother is disfellowshipped and I have no desire to contact or communication even Jus to make sure he’s ok.

SIGN OF WATCHTOWER INC MIND CONTROL: “Hey did u cut ur chin hair? If so I applaud u. Your glorifying Jehovah’s name through ur appearance.”

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS Inc is key to relief that many JWs r not increasing their “World Wide Work” by protecting their tweets

SIGN OF WBTS MIND CONTROL: “Not particularly. BTW, you’ll want to unfollow me. I’m currently disfellowshiped.”

SIGN OF WBTS MIND CONTROL: “To all Jehovah’s Witnesses that follow me, I am currently disfellowshiped.”

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WATCHTOWER Bible n TRACT SOCIETY is key to question why will thinking persons die for a PUBLISHING BUSINESS

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WATCHTOWER Bible n TRACT SOCIETY OF NY INC is key to knowing it’s nothing more than a publishing business

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key to realizing JWs are used by a publishing giant, r called “Publishers”, distribute publications

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key n realizing placing trillions of publications is meaningless if we accept the mark of the beast

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key n knowing if WBTS would print ONLY BIBLES, NOT the extra pulications, they’d have “The Truth”

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key n realizing embarrassment is disfellowshipn disguised as “keeping Jehovah’s Organization clean”

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key to realizing Watchtower lessons of today r not placed w/public = hiding its brainwash

SIGN OF WATCHTOWER INC MIND CONTROL: “6 hrs of service today & placed 16 mags & 3 books. What a glorious day!”

SIGN OF WATCHTOWER MIND CONTROL: ‘If I was U I would get to know Jehovah’s name NOW, because at Amageden U sure will”

SIGN OF WATCHTOWER MIND CONTROL: “I am with U for field service, need 4 more hours!!”

SIGN OF WATCHTOWER INC MIND CONTROL: “service service service till 8pm. I feel dead but thank you Jehovah I love You”

SIGN OF WATCHTOWER INC MIND CONTROL: “Fish made his first 70+++++ hrs this month..You must be very proud of him.”

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key n REMOVING BLINDERS so the glorious Good News about Jesus NOW shines to show me WBTS deception

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key n knowing Jesus is the Faithful n True Witness, but WAS NOT n IS NOT a member of Watchtower Inc

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key in realizing its vast publishing stems from its founder’s goal of publishing HIS OWN DOCTRINE

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key to realizing WBTS claims “New Light” when doctrine changes instead of admitting wrong = PRIDE

FREEDOM FROM MIND CONTROL of WBTS is key in knowing The “Worldwide Headquarters of JWs” n NY is a HOAX when Christian Headquarters is HEAVEN

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower is key to realizing the questions presented in the Watchtower study are answered for us = CULT

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key to my rationalizing only a cult can lable one apostate then family cuts 100% contact

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of WTBS Inc is healing from a distressed mental state where n 2004 I rushed a KH platform sobbing take me back

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key to know I need to expose the WBTS without fear of WBTS reprisal because I speak truth

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower is key to know I can expose the WBTS without fear of WBTS reprisal because it’s true n necessary

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of NY Inc is key to my own thoughts, not feeling a need to lock my tweets

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower is key to my realizing WBTS uses disfellowshipping as a scare tactic to keep members in check

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key to knowing WBTS printing 42 million Watchtowers per month is Bible spin not the Bible

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key to knowing a new member typically joins while undergoing some weak point in his life

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Inc is key to my not judging others as “goats” just because they choose not to be WBTS members

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower is key to my not feeling obligated to support WBTS membership recruitment disguised as preaching

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower is key in my relationship with Jehovah because He’s our Father, not just to survive Armageddon

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower is key to my Christian light which refutes members who said I wouldn’t survive in the “world”

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Society is key to my understanding that being Christian should be 1st n being a Jehovah’s W. 2nd

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of NY is key to my learning to stop going from one extreme to the other

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Society Inc is key to my realizing I will make mistakes and shouldn’t spiral into abnormal guilt

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of NY Inc is key to my freedom from depression

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of NY Inc is key to my discovering WBTS’s annointing process is unbiblical

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Society is key to my realizing WBTS has no proof the faithful n discreet slave is with them

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of NY Inc is key to my realizing that having a beard is ok

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society is key to my learning I’m not apostate from Jehovah, only from WBTS cult

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of NY Inc is key to my learning there is hope of salvation apart from WBTS

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society is key to my being able to say thanks to WBTS for Bibles, but not the spin

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible Society is key to my now being able to say thank you to Jesus as well as Jehovah in prayer

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society is key to knowing Jesus died for us, not if He died on a stake or cross

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible Society is key to my learning it is by God’s Grace NOT by membership in WBTS we have hope

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of NY Inc is key to my not feeling a need to report my preaching activity

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society is key to my now thinking independently of WBTS, but in line w/The Bible

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society Inc is key to my recognizing WBTS is a corporation using JWs to recruit

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of New York is key to my learning forgiveness comes from Jehovah not WBTS

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society is key to my realizing the Governing Body positions themselves as mediator

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of The Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of New York Inc is key to my release of fear of being disfellowshipped

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society is key to my learning it’s not the group, it’s the individual Jehovah sees

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society is key to my learning Jesus’ Blood covers me even if Im not a WBTS member

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of New York is key to my ability to recognize my experience in this cult

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society n Tract Society is key to my studying The Bible, not a Watcbtower

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of New York Inc is key to my love of Jehovah, spouse and neighbor not WBTS

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of New York Inc is key to my realizing that Jesus is Mediator not the WBTS

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of New York Inc is key to my freedom of guilt for being labled “inactive”

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of New York Inc is key to my freedom of guilt for missing meetings.

DELIVERANCE FROM MIND CONTROL of Watchtower Bible n Tract Society of New York Inc is key to my personal relationship w/ Jehovah w/o WBTS

#SIGN OF MIND CONTROL: Eish i did not do.. my watchtower study feeling guily”

Following r twitter shorts, up 2 140 characters ea, dat may jus make u smile. Some of dese tweets inc Watchtower Society jargon.  Plse send n a comment 4 translation. : )

Sista at assembly hall tried to twerk it, fell off stage an blew a circuit; convention choked up dey had ta burp it #WitnessRap

WBTS got IPO so buy in, if ya homebound just use da tie in; lit counter is stocked an stacked, invest in WT den donate to Nasdaq #WitnessRap

Come on in there’s plenty of seatin’, I’ll be your attendant foe dis meetin’; BUT, ONLY other sheep hea, so, start yo bleatin’ #WitnessRap

Droppin big dimes on contribution boxes, shunnin pink song books like dey be toxic; rockin mic duty wit both hands in ma pockets #WitnessRap

Seen this sista twerk, didn’t infefere wit ha world wide work; den she thu up ha skirt, an ha service bag hit da dirt #WitnessRapBattles

I was reportin’ ma time when phone booth calls costed only a dime. I could place a Watchtower while still in da shower #WitnessRapBattles

May I hit chas wit Reasonin Fom da Scriptchas? I Examine ‘em Daily so ma feet wont fail me as I browse fom house to house #witnessrapbattles

Was on da scene when NWTs were still green; curing CSs like antiseptic conductin Bible studies AND convertin my skeptics #witnessrapbattles.

I’d sneak WTs unda bathroom stalls, den drag ‘em by dey necks to da Kingdom Halls. Den I’d really surprise ‘em wit baptism #witnessrapbattles

I met ‘em on da skreet o at dey doe, in a laundromat o at da sto. I let none go to r fro till dey kno ma knock knock flow #witnessrapbattles

In ma hand was 42 mil Watchtowers; placed ‘em all within 24 hours. The CO was so impressed wit ma method, he VIP’d me straight up to Bethel

Yall know ’bout da “Truth Book”, it put BSs on my hook. Den i got down to da nitty gritty, slanging WTs from city 2 city #witnessrapbattles

I was initiatin RVs befoe most yall had TVs, turning em n2 Bible Studies, yeah homeboy, dem an all dey buddies #witnessbattleraps

4 May                         Rob Kutner ‏@ApocalypseHow

{BOOM BOOM BOOM!} “Sarah Connor?” “Yes?” “May I geev you zis free copy of Ze Watchtower?”  BTW, I’ll b bock

Watchtower:

The identification of Babylon the Great is confirmed by an angel’s condemnation of her for her “spiritistic practice [by which] all the nations were misled.” (Revelation 18:23)

A graphical exposé of Illuminati infiltrators within the Church and those outside of the Church keeping up pretences.

Kicking things off is the Calvary Chapel movement, headed by Chuck Smith, who was funded by the Illuminati during the startup of the Jesus Rock/Charismatic Movement, and Chuck Missler, who appears to be a Mossad asset spreading the heresy of Christian Zionism

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, also known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, leadership. Founder Charles Taze Russell, a Jewish Knights Templar, and Joseph “Judge” Rutherford, a Zionist heretic.

Jesus myther Acharya S. (Dorothy Murdock)  and Theosophist Helena Blavatsky—both of whom also make up the nucleus of the Zeitgeist movement.

Suggestions for future graphics welcome. Leave comment

Although both of my parents were also members of the organization, they too disassociated themselves with the organization around the same time as the true nature of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and their flock of Jehovah’s Witnesses started to reveal itself.

If you’re currently a Witness, you need to read this. Before you do another thing, this is something you must consider: Why is it that the organization strongly encourages its members to avoid associating with those “of the world” and even shun friends and family members that have left the organization?

If you’ve got two brain cells to rub together, you should be able to realize that it is all about control. Like the vast majority of religions in the world, the leaders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t want you getting any ideas from “outsiders” in your head that may allow you to see through the fog of lies they have carefully constructed over the years to keep their members drinking the JW Kool Aid and reaching into their wallets for money to stuff into the donation box.

Why would the organization ban books such as Crisis of Conscience by former high-ranking society honcho Ray Franz? What organization that genuinely seeks truth would ban any book? The banning of a book sounds more like something we would expect from the Nazis and not from a loving organization that is supposedly aligned with God. They ban books like this because they don’t want their flock to learn the real truth.

Ask yourself this question and then answer it honestly: Why would “The Society” need to ban a book when they are the ones who claim to have the truth? After, if you have the truth on your side, what could you possibly have to fear from a book?

That should be all the proof you need to make you realize just how seriously you have been duped. The last thing “The Society” wants is for its members to allow their thoughts to stray far from the doctrine that’s constantly being fed to them at meetings and assemblies. They know that a book from a true insider represents a true threat to the stranglehold they have on their member’s freedom. Allowing members to apply a little critical thinking against the lies and fantasies they have concocted to remain in power and exercise tremendous control over millions of members is a potential threat.

I’ve been thinking about writing something like this for quite some time, but the event that finally prompted me to do it was this story. It’s no surprise that it was policy inside the JW organization to keep incidents like child molestation under wraps by directing “elders” to keep such matters internal. The pattern repeats itself. Keep it quiet. We’ll take care of it. Don’t say anything.

They don’t want the dirty truth (the real truth) emerging that exposes the true goals of those in control of the organization. What “Witness” would not be concerned after learning that there were child molesters in their midst? Other than the molesters and perverts themselves, of course!

Here’s another question for you witnesses out there? Why is it that “The Society” seems to be sitting on cash and/or assets that are impressive enough to settle lawsuits like this and apparently have enough left to continue on? What is it that they are doing with all that cash you’re putting in the donation box?

I’ve seen things through the years that turn my stomach. I still have relatives that are under the spell of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and their masters at “The Society,” which gives me a unique perspective on what goes on within the ranks.

Those who wake up and finally realize the truth about “The Society” who are not as lucky as I was to have the remainder of their immediate family wake up as well face isolation from family members who remain under the spell of the JW Organization.

I’ve seen parents shun their own children, refusing to speak with them, see them or have any contact with them whatsoever. I’ve also seen the reverse, where children will turn on their parents and cut off all contact with them. All because the shunned family members have decided to leave the JW Organization.

Does that sound like Christian behavior? Hardly! It’s behavior that’s encouraged by “The Society” to keep their mind-numbed members in check and continue to let the control freaks in New York dictate virtually every aspect of their lives. After all, if the real truth is allowed to spread among family members and others, there’s a risk that they will leave the organization, thereby reducing the number of individuals under “The Society’s” control. Needless to say, former members no longer drop folded up bills in the donation box, now do they?

Here’s the bottom of the bottom line. The group that’s firmly in control of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, “The Society,” is made up of men. Let me repeat that. It’s made up of men. Just like every other religion, it’s all under the control of your fellow humans. Their claims that they have a special “hot line” to God is just that, claims. Their string of failed predictions and internal policies like the one that keeps the incidents of child molestation under wraps is adequate proof of their true identity.

For a while I struggled a bit about the whole concept of God. I was basically agnostic for many years after leaving the JW Organization. I’ve since come to realize that God does exist and that we, as human beings, are entitled to our own personal relationships with the creator without inserting a “priest,” “pastor,” “minister,” “mullah” or “elder” in between yourself and God. What makes these people with these fancy titles any better than you or I? Nothing!

Have the courage to think for yourself and reach your own conclusions. Men, almost to a fault, are self-serving and when you align yourself with a church, synagogue, mosque or kingdom hall, you are hitching your spiritual wagon to a wagon trail being driven and directed by men who are no better than you are. They eat, drink, sleep, bleed and die just like the rest of us.

Align yourself with God if that is your choice. Just don’t align yourself with an organization of men that’s been created and corrupted. If the leaders of these various religious groups are so exceptional, let them prove it. Can they walk on water? Can they turn water into wine? If so, perhaps they really are messengers from God. Otherwise, they’re just human beings like you and me and even the Bible makes that abundantly clear. Although it reads slightly differently depending on what version of the Bible you consult, the message is clear. Don’t trust men. What more do you need to know?

Of course, in most cases  these kinds of claims do not end up with such deadly results. For example, William Miller claimed that Christ would return in 1844. Chuck Smith claimed that Jesus would return in 1981.”Mission For the Coming Days” claimed the date to be in October 1992. History is loaded with many false predictions along this vein. Although the more deadly endings are what we hear in the news (as mentioned at the start),  most often these claims end without such tragedy. And when this occurs, it is usually due to the fact that the groups simply make excuses as to why the claim didn’t come to fruition and thus continue to maintain their membership numbers.

Harold Camping

For example, it wasn’t very long ago when Harold Camping, leader of “Family Radio”, convinced his followers that  the worldwide rapture was slated for May 21, 2011 and that the end of the world would occur on October 21, 2011. Although I couldn’t find number of membership, it is notable that their ministry is  active in the United States, Russia, Turkey and South Africa. Harold Camping calculated the date in this way:

• Jesus Christ said that The End would be like in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37 ). The date of Noah’s flood was on the 17th day of the 2nd month on the Jewish calendar (Genesis 7:10-11 ). According to this group, Noah was prophetically given a seven day warning before the flood was to begin (Genesis 7:4 ), and a day to God is like one thousand years (2 Peter 3:8 ).  Therefore, they believe the event prophesied the end of the world occurring 7,000 years later. According to this group’s calculations, the flood happened in 4990 B.C.; add 7,000 years (minus one because there is no year “zero”), and you come up with the year of 2011 A.D. And, since, the 17th day of the 2nd month of the Jewish calendar falls on May 21st, they have declared that the great Rapture will occur on May 21st, 2011. AND…by further calculations and such based upon the Jewish feast days, they have also declared that October 21st, 2011 will be the actual end of the world.

The believers were so convinced of this calculation that they undertook a vast campaign to educate the public about this teaching in an effort to save as many people as possible. They spent their life savings and took to the road in their vehicles to spread the message. Billboards were erected to publicize this teaching,  “Project Caravan” was launched (a group of vehicles traveling everywhere to spread the message), teams of believers continually went and handed out informational tracts to the public.There was an urgency that compelled them to reach as many people as possible with this message. This message went international through various means; it was not limited to the United States.

AND…. when the date of May 21 came and went without incident, the church came up with a great explanation: The May 21 2011 rapture was invisible! According to Camping: “On May 21, this last weekend, this is where the spiritual aspect of it really comes through,” said Camping. “God again brought judgment on the world. We didn’t see any difference but God brought Judgment Day to bear upon the whole world. The whole world is under Judgment Day and it will continue right up until Oct. 21, 2011 and by that time the whole world will be destroyed.” (Link) It wasn’t until after October 21, 2011 also came and went without incident when Camping issued a public apology for his erroneous teachings.

What makes this even more interesting is that this was not the first time Camping falsely predicted the end of the world; the facts show that he previously made this prediction as slated for the year 1994. In other words, Camping is an established false prophet because he didn’t really have the truth of God in him.

Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda

Currently, there is another false prophet making the rounds. In fact, this man isn’t only a false prophet, but he is also a false Christ because he claims to be the Man Jesus Christ. His name is Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, and he claims a following of 2 million people in 35 countries, with a ministry present in over 100 countries, so this is no tiny group. This group teaches many unbiblical doctrines, including the belief that Satan was destroyed 2,000 years ago, sin no longer exists, and that the Jewish-based teachings from Jesus of Nazareth should be abandoned in favor of the teachings of the Apostle Paul as spoken through Miranda. This group believes that an “antichrist” is simply someone who no longer lives by the Jewish teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, and believes that the number 666 is in reference to this defined antichrist, not Satan (who is dead). As a result, many of the believers receive the number 666 tattooed on their bodies in support of Miranda’s doctrine.

At this moment, Miranda is claiming that on June 30, 2012, he and his followers will receive a transformation into immortality that will give them supernatural abilities. He further claims that when this transformation occurs, the world’s economies and governments will collapse and all who are not believers will be destroyed. By skewing Bible texts in ways that seem plausible on the surface, Miranda has convinced his followers of these things.

The Watchtower Society’s View

Of course, these claimants to the end times are false and deceptive as they do not have the truth of God within them. The Watchtower Society agrees with this, as they’ve stated :

“…there have been those in times past who predicted and end to the world, even announcing a specific date. Yet nothing happened. The “end” did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing?… Missing from such people were God’s truths and evidence that he was using and guiding them” (Awake! October 8, 1968)

Therefore, it is surprising that they themselves were making similar false statements at the same time in which they published this blurb. As far back as 1966, and until 1975, the Watchtower Society heavily promoted the teaching that the “end” would happen in late 1975. You can see evidence of this in the following links: Link 1 and Link 2 .
Since the end obviously did not happen in 1975, this means that their claim was no truer than those of Camping or Miranda.

And this wasn’t the first time the Watchtower Society promoted a false date for the end. It is documented that as far back as 1890 the Watchtower Society was heavily touting the year 1914 as the end. Afterward, they heavily promoted the year 1918 as the year of destruction, and  1925 as the year in which the restoration and the resurrection of the ancient worthies would occur. Truly, the Watchtower Society has had a sketchy track record in their claims.

Has the Watchtower Society made any more recent claims? Actually they have, though these claims aren’t quite as blatant as those in their past. For example, in the December 15, 2003 Watchtower magazine (pp.14-19), there is an article titled “Our Watchfulness Takes On Great Urgency”. This article teaches that it was a 120 year period between Noah’s calling and the actual flood. This article continues on, heavily alluding to a parallel between that 120 time period and a similar time period between 1914 and the end of the world, implying an end happening in 2034.

What does all of this mean?
It means that one shouldn’t take a lot of stock in such claims no matter where they come from. Remember, the Bible clearly tells us that nobody knows when the “end” will occur, not even the Son Himself  (Matthew 24:36). And thus, nobody know, don’t let anyone fool you.

Who is [referred] to prophetically at Prov. 8:22-31?

Let’s review the content of the passage:

“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
(Proverbs 8:22-31 ESV)

Sadly, this passage has been hotly debated throughout the course of church history. It’s one of the chief passages from which Arius argued for during the council of Nicea in 325 AD. As the understood by the JWs, Proverbs 8 “prophetically” speaks of Jesus, the “first of [God's] acts of old.” According to Watchtower Bible and Tract Society doctrine, Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel, and the first created being of God. Through Michael/Jesus, on their view, God created all other things.

Though others have responded to this challenge is ways quite different from my own, I remain persuaded in thinking that the proper response is straightforward. The JW insistence that Lady Wisdom is Jesus reveals a glaring ignorance of Hebrew poetic literature. Proverbs 8 is not speaking of the pre-incarnate Christ; it is a Hebraic literary device known as personification. Leland Ryken define personification as follows:

Personification—ascribing personal action or characteristics to a nonpersonal thing—is a prevalent figure of speech in the Bible. From the blood of Abel that cries from the ground (Gen.4:10) to the tongues of the arrogant that strut through the earth (Ps.73:9), biblical writers use personification often. Rivers clap their hands (Ps.98:8), God’s light and truth guide pilgrims to the temple (Ps.43:3), Babylon is a prostitute (Rev.18), and money is a rival deity (Matt.6:24).

In much the same way, “wisdom” is portrayed as a female. And surely we don’t want to apply that literary device to say that Jesus was a female!

Now, I would leave my response there, if I didn’t know better. But I’ve discussed this answer to real Witnesses and I’ve been frustratingly impressed with their ingenuity. And this is how it’s done: above I’ve claimed the JW error in regard to Prov. 8 is a mistaken reading of metaphorical and anthropomorphic language as 1) as a prophecy, and 2) as semi-literal. To (some creative) Witnesses this is exactly what orthodox Christians do in regarding to the Holy Spirit. We claim that Scripture addresses the Holy Spirit in personal ways (he feels, speaks, can be lied to, can be grieved, etc.), therefore the Spirit is, contrary to JW theology, a He, not an it. JWs may be tempted to think that personalized language of the Holy Spirit is likewise a case of personification. Therefore, some may argue, we’re doing the very same thing that we accuse them of doing.

But this isn’t the case. Why? They aren’t playing by the rules. The claim that Jesus is doing with the Holy Spirit what I claim the author of Proverbs is doing with Lady Wisdom (personification) is guilty of genre confusion. Proverbs is poetic literature (that’s why it’s grouped along with the Psalms of other like books in our Bibles) and thus communicates using the standard tools of poetic literature: personification, metaphors, similes, parallelism, etc. The various literary genres of Scripture dictate the proper means of interpreting them. In contrast, the Gospels are historical narrative. The “rules” of interpretation are different, though the astute reader is probably aware of more rules for interpreting narrative than they’re aware of. When Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit, he does so in the same fashion he would speak about Peter, James, or John. There is no literary cue that something else is going on. In closing, Ryken notes the counterintuitive nature of this type of genre confusion:

Is the Holy Spirit a personification? Well, did that possibility ever occur to you until it was suggested by someone? The plain meaning of the passages is that they describe a divine person. There is nothing in the passages to signal that they are figurative rather than literal. They do not obey the ordinary rules of personification. In fact, to read them as personifications is beyond most people’s power of comprehension.

I agree. Orthodox Christians aren’t employing a double standard when they interpret Prov. 8 as personification and accept Jesus’s (and Paul’s, and Peter’s, etc.) language of the Spirit as literal and historical.

Here is the article by Leland Ryken titled, “Is the Holy Spirit a Personification?” (though his target is not the JWs)

This is not what the Christian church, nor the Bible, teaches. Nevertheless, JWs insist this is what we believe. In personal conversations with the Witnesses I have had to politely correct them time and time again. So, if this theme pops up in my answers, you’ve been warned.

So, on to our first question:

1. Why is he called the “firstborn” of all creation? Col. 1:15, Rev.3:14

In Colossians 1, Paul refers to Christ as the Creator of all things yet also refers to Him as “firstborn” (Col. 1:15). Jehovah’s Witnesses understand the term firstborn to mean Christ was the first created being. But, to belabor the point, Paul specifically says Christ is firstborn, not first created. First, let’s take a look at the larger context of Colossians 1, and then we’ll zero in on a word study of the specific term firstborn.

If Paul wanted to say Jesus was the first created being of God there was a perfectly acceptable Greek term he could have used, but he didn’t.

According to The Arndt and Gingrich Lexicon of the New Testament the Greek term for “firstborn” (prototokos) means simply the first-born child or sheep, etc. Yet during the period of the NT writings, “it is uncertain whether the force of the element –tokos ["born"] is still felt at all.” During the New Testament period the force of “born” in firstborn was dropped and the emphasis centered on the primacy and preeminence of the person referred to, i.e. first, head, leader, etc.

And this clarifies what Paul (and I would include John in Rev. 3:14) is saying. To call Jesus the “firstborn of all creation” refers to his preeminence over all things. ‘All things’ and ‘all creation’ are parallel terms. He (Christ) is over all things “created, in heaven and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities” (v.16). Christ is “before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (v. 17). Paul bears out this interpretation when He states in verse 18 “that in everything [Christ] might be pre-eminent.” Psalm 89:27 refers to David as God’s firstborn. But clearly David is not the first king. Firstborn here is interpreted by the very next half of the verse, ” the most exalted of the kings of the earth.”

If we allow Paul to define his own terms, and not force our own meaning unto them, we see that Paul doesn’t in any way think of Christ Jesus as a mere creature, a junior partner in creation with the Father.

So the underlying presupposition of this question is fatally flawed, at the linguistic, contextual, and theological level.

Lamp

Unto My

Feet

(Bible Study Notes

For J.W. Ministry )

The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

April 2^nd, 2012

Studies in the Scriptures

With

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Dear WatchTower friends;

When I first began committing my Bible notes to a document page, I was trying to write it as a book, from a third person perspective and it just didn’t feel right. Thankfully, I didn’t get too far into the project…not even a page, and so I was able to start from scratch. This way, it reads more like the opening of a conversation than someone who’s trying to sound KNOWLEDGEABLE when I’m pretty much learning as I go.  As this study progresses, please feel free to let me know (politely, constructively) as I hope I will be, as I go along.  One great thing about a written ‘conversation’ is that we both have time to think before answering and so there’s no stress or post-conversational remorse, “Gee, I wish I’d said….” I don’t know about you, but I do that quite a bit. Especially if I’m in a debate with someone. This way, we can add stuff that a face to face discussion might leave out. That said, let’s get started.

First Things First;  Before we go any further, I need to ask, What do you, personally, believe to be THE FIRST authority in religious matters?  The Watchtower or the Bible? Over the years, I’ve heard this one scripture quoted quite a few times, so when I needed it, I was able to check out the reference in a good concordance.  2 Timothy 3:16 and 17.

16) All scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17) That the man (or woman~italics, mine.)  may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Now, before you get into a panic about the word ‘perfect’, it simply means COMPLETE. There is a verse that says, “We are Complete (perfected,) in Him (Christ), who is the head of all principality and power.”~Colossians 2:10.  I’m reading from the King James Bible (Standard, 2012, Color Coded) with a Nelson House Three in One Bible Reference Companion. It’s a concordance, Dictionary and Topical index in one book. Trust me, when you live in an apartment, and have an over-sized desk, these compact jobs come in handy!

Anywho, back to the subject. 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17 says, simply that the BIBLE can and should be our source for all religious instruction, and any other religious book and/or teaching that claims to get its inspiration FROM the Bible needs to be tested BY the Bible. (1 Thess 5:21/2 Tim 4:1-4) because, if the Watchtower is teaching the truth, then it should not be worried about your testing their teaching by THE first authority; (i.e. The Bible).  Remember, too, that the BIBLE precedes the WATCHTOWER by roughly two thousand years, give or take.

So, Doesn’t it make sense that, if the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was needed to interpret the Bible, God would have made this organization available to people as soon as Old Testament Scrolls were accessible? All I’m saying is that God gave YOU the same brain He gave the Watchtower elders, and He expects you to use what He gave you. You can’t be responsible for their actions but you ARE responsible, both personally, and before God, one day, for what you believe. Problem is, how can you ‘Make Sure of All Things’   unless you are able to TEST IT.  If you are wondering about something you were taught by the Society, then, for your own peace of mind, you should be able to check something out, on your own.  I won’t tell the elders if you don’t.

The Watchtower (Jehovah Witnesses) has over the years promised their followers that Armageddon was just around the corner.  If they are found worthy to have survive Armageddon, and only those who are members of the Watchtower have received this promise.  They will get the privilege of entering paradise.  But what sort of paradise is this going to be?  Will this be a completely new earth or simply a resorted earth?  One that is likening to a man that gradually gets over the flu it just gets better?

“These “new heavens” and “new earth,” according to the Bible, are not a new material heavens or new literal earth. The physical earth and heavens were made perfect

God’s Kingdom will bring earthly benefits beyond compare, accomplishing everything good that God originally purposed for his people to enjoy on earth. Hatreds and prejudices will cease to exist, and eventually everyone on earth will be a true friend of everyone else. In the Bible, God promises that he will ‘make wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.’ “Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore

Never again will people hunger for lack of food………. In God’s new world, no longer will people be crammed into huge apartment buildings or run-down slums, for God has purposed: “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy . . . They will not build and someone else have occupancy. In time, God’s Kingdom will even restore the peaceful relations that existed in the garden of Eden between animals, and between animals and humans” 

Life in a Peaceful New World   Publhttp://www.watchtower.org/e/t15/article_01.htmished  Published in 1987

HOW NEW IS THE NEW?

Rev 21: 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  

THE WORD “NEW”  (2537)denotes “new,” of that which is unaccustomed or unused, not “new” in time, recent, but “new” as to form or quality, of different nature from what is contrasted as old. “‘The new tongues,’ kainos, of Mar 16:17 are the ‘other tongues,’ heteros, of Act 2:4. These languages, however, were ‘new’ and ‘different,’ not in the sense that they had never been heard before, or that they were new to the hearers, for it is plain from Act 2:8 that this is not the case; they were new languages to the speakers, different from those in which they were accustomed to speak. (Vines)

Math 9: 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break , and the wine runneth out , and the bottles perish : but they put new wine into new ⁽²⁵³⁷⁾ bottles, and both are preserved

The word for NEW is the same.  Do we place the new world in the old creation?

1) new

a) as respects form

1) recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn

b) as respects substance

1) of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of

(Strongs)

Mar 14: 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new ⁽²⁵³⁷⁾ in the kingdom of God.

So Jesus says he will drink it NEW in the kingdom of heaven, otherwise it seem to say exactly what it is meant to say.  New as in something that is not old or has been seen before. 

Luke  22: 20 Likewise also the cup after supper , saying , This cup [is] the new ⁽²⁵³⁷⁾ testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Is that an absolute NEW or just a rehash of the OLD.  The New Testament was a complete New and perfect covenant. The Old Covenant passed away.  In like manner this earth will pass away and it will be replaced by a brand new earth 

1 Peter 3: 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt 3089  with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.²⁶¹⁸

This simply does not give the idea that a group of people are going to survive the calamities of this world and continue to live on it.  Where are they going to hide in the basement of some kingdom hall? 

The word for “melt” here implies that what was once bound together will come apart in this process. They will break apart and dissolve. Otherwise eventually the very atoms that bound the fabric of this earth together will be pulled apart.

Math 3: 12 Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up²⁶¹⁸ the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The language is clear that this earth will be burned up with unquestionable fire

Acts 19: 19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together , and burned them²⁶¹⁸ before all [men]: and they counted the price of them, and found [it] fifty thousand [pieces] of silver.

These false teachers who were converted came and burned their books.  Same word is used.  They did not recycle them, they did not renew them, but DESTROYED THEM.  In so doing put these books beyond their use.  NO ONE could see these books again.  The same language is used of this Old earth.

Now the watchtower often point to the flood and Noah as the destruction of the old world and yet it was still this same world. 

2 Peter 2: 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

The watchtower is very amp at the subtitles of how to word things.  They have become well adapt at what to say and what not to say to those who around them.

Noah civilisation was indeed destroyed by a flood, but the actual planet remained.    NO where does it say there was a new world and a new heaven was created afterwards.  The heavens remained untouched by the flood.

The water did indeed destroy the world at that time and had it not been for an ark none would have survived.  In the Watchtower mentality the ark is now the Organisation itself.  Only those who are joined to this ark can look forward to being saved.  Such an illustration falls apart when one realises that that the Watchtower organisation is firmly based on the earth.  And unlike the ark which floated above the waters this organisation cannot.  We are encouraged to place our faith in Christ Jesus, not in a physical organisation with CEO’s in boardrooms and offices in downtown Brooklyn.

In the New Testament Jesus is the only true ark there is.    Jesus says He is the door through which you have to go through and not the local Kingdom Hall.

“Well, consider the fact that such ideal conditions were part of God’s original purpose for this earth. He placed the first human couple in the earthly Paradise of Eden and gave them a marvelous assignment: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) Yes, God’s purpose was for them to have children and eventually to spread their Paradise over all the earth. Although they later chose to disobey God, thus proving to be unfit to live forever, God’s original purpose did not change. And it must be fulfilled in a new world!—Isaiah 55:11. (Life in a Peaceful New World   Published in 1987)

It seems clear that in their definition of the New Paradise sex and reproduction will continue and therefore the earth will be repopulated.  I have to wonder what they will do once the earth begins to be over populated again with humans that cannot die. Very quickly we will have an even greater problem of the earth straining at the seams with overpopulation, or has the watchtower thought that far ahead.

Scripture make it clear we shall be as the angels that neither indulge in sex or given in marriage.  What we will see is a mature society of all the faithful throughout the centuries resurrected or ruptured.  There will be no need to repopulate the earth. 

Is 65: 17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Is 66: 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain

 The word NEW means 1) new, new thing, fresh.  Translated in AV  “NEW”  48  times.  “New thing” 4 times.  “Fresh” 1

The emphasis is that the Former things will be remembered no more.

“In God’s new world, no longer will people be crammed into huge apartment buildings or run-down slums, for God has purposed: “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy”   (Life in a Peaceful New World Published in 1987)

Does the Bible actually say WE will build  our own houses or does it say that God has already build us a new city and that city is called the new Jerusalem?

“new heavens” will be a perfect heavenly kingdom, or government, that will rule over this earthly society of people. But is it realistic to believe that “a new earth,” or glorious new world, is possible?

So the new heavens is nothing more than a perfect heavenly Kingdom that will rule over the earth.  Unfortunately this beggars the question has God been doing an imperfect job up till now.  Has his kingdom been “IMPERFECT” and as such is God himself “IMPERFECT”, because that is the logical conclusion to such a statement.  Above in some heavenly domain we have the elite class, Charles T Russell, Judge Rutherford , Knorr and the other unknown worthy elect. Who will somehow take over the day to day business running the planet?  Sorry Jehovah move over and we will show you how to get it right.  

SOMEHOW I DON’T THINK GOD NEEDS THE HELP!!!!

_____________________________________________________________

Over the years the Jehovah Witnesses (Watchtower) have published a unique set of pictures which are often easy recognised.  These pictures reflect their own prophetic ideas on what “PARADISE” will look like.  A concept which is very far from reality.

This is their prophetic conclusions to their theology, but is it right?  Check the article out in my Box account or press to actual look at the PDF file.  See “what’s wrong with these  picture.”

Gal 5: 22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

When you debate with someone face to face, and look into their eyeballs you can get to know a lot about them.   However when it’s on another media  you can only see the printed word.

Now I mention this because from time to time individuals come across your path that make outlandish claims of being former Christians.  They left because they saw the light and are now happy as something else.  The trouble is that when ask them some simple basic questions about their former faith, they will inevitably have a memory collapse.  They are unable to give clear Biblical definition to what they formerly believed.  Even briefly debating  it becomes clear that there is a lack of understand of a subject, which as former Christians they would have some rudimentary understanding. 

One such individual claimed to be a Pentecostal tongue speaking believer who had received visions, but is now quite content to become a member of the Watchtower.  Yet in discussing with them the simple principles that God is omnipresent, they simply have no clue about it.  There responses were not just gibberish but infantile.   In further debating the question as to the many false predictions made by the Watchtower over the years .the basic response was that people make mistakes.  Again they lacked the basics understanding of the seriousness of false prophecy.  If truth be told I don’t think they cared.  In fact in the face of clear and precise information regarding the lies that the Watchtower has told over the years, there was little if any concern.

Now I mention all this because had they been a true believer certain traits of nature would have manifested.  You see the true believer over a period of time begins to become more and more like Jesus.  We begin to inherit by nature those same qualities which Jesus has.  If those qualities are not within the believer life then it should be question are they a true believer.  Now I don’t mean by necessity that those qualities are all present immediately upon salvation.  But we should be able to look back and see a steady growth.   If such growth is not evident then the question arises are they genuinely saved. 

In the Biblical definition” LOVE” appears first.  Now love is not just a general liking for something.  But it is a passionate love for the truth. 

Ps 51: 16 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

God’s truth becomes our greatest joy.  Nothing less than the whole truth will do.  That means we cannot rest with just any truths thrown at us.  It has to be Gods truth grounded settled and established.  Otherwise we will feel uncomfortable and unsettled. 

From this love comes a joy which is deeply rooted in my relationship with God.  With it comes the knowledge of belonging.  Something that’s says I am welcomed into his family as one of his own.  Out of that relationship comes this spring of joy that bubbles up from a deep well of Gods well being.

When the person I  previously mentioned claimed that they had  now found peace with the Watchtower despite all the false prophecies.  It proved beyond doubt that they were never a true believer.  A true believer would be terribly uncomfortable with error.  Now the other side of the coin is that the true believer having developed a love for the truth will also develop a hatred for deception and lies.  The believer cannot rest and becomes grieved by lies and deceit.  The number of times in debating with people, they will openly and knowing lie. They feel no hindrance or qualms about it.  They may even openly acknowledge that deception is excusable under certain conditions. Yet for the true believer no such exceptions are acceptable.  We just find such acts deplorable and wicked.  A passion for the truth comes from the inward working of the Holy Spirit who continues to work out that love within our lives.  The Holy Spirit is not there to let us get away or excuse us in our frailties, but to change us into the image of the second Adam Jesus.

Many can know about the queen of England, but they have no intimate knowledge of her.  Further more the queen does not know them.  What we are talking about is coming to know intimately the one that the Bible speaks about.  But also even more importantly that he might also know us.  It’s good to know that God has my number.

Rom 14: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to produce within us the nature and qualities that were in Jesus. So they we begin to shine with those same qualities. 

Because the Holy Spirits work is continuous and the change becomes more and more over a period of time, patience is also worked out within the believer’s life.   We may not see completely the finished work but we desire with a passion to be complete within ourselves to be fully conform to the image of Gods son.  Something like a half done cake, almost there but not quite complete.  From time to time we get a glimpse of the eternal glory that will surround us.  Like a darken room where a window is slightly open to let the outer light shine through.  It aluminates the room and in such manner our souls are radiated by its glow.  It speaks of greater things but we have yet to express its fullness.  But we are nevertheless filled with hope that it will come to pass.

Mat 11: 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls

In olden days a young Ox would be yoked to a mature oxen in order to learn from the other.  So we are to be yoked to one who has matured and from him we learn to be meek and lowly.  His example is the one to follow.

Meekness does not mean weakness. Even though Jesus was meek he could still take on the money changers and overturn tables.  There is strength in meekness that comes from submitting our lives to Gods control and acknowledging his rule over us.

Strongs puts it like this

Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time (Isa 41:17, Luk 18:1-8). Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will (Gal 5:23).

1 Peter 3: 4 But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

At every turn who and what we are is the product of the ministry of the Holy Spirit within our lives.  It is he who brings out the characteristics that God wants to see developed. We in turn cooperate with his leading,  and learn from him. Just as the young Oxen learns from the older more mature oxen.

Temperance (self control)  So much of today’s Christology is based on the opposite theology.  The idea that the Holy Spirit goes against the grain.  Seeks to produce a drunken euphoria where men are not in control of their faculties.  This in turn has developed the concept that there can be no move of the spirit without such manifestations.  That is not what the Bible teaches.  Self control is the product of the inner working of the Holy Spirit.

 Strongs says  1) self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites)   Anything contrary to this has to be questionable.

As we grow in the knowledge and relationship with God.  Out of this comes an appreciation of how Gods operates.  He is a God of order where chaos goes against his nature.  That does not mean we are unable to express our worship to God is a glorious manner, and expressing great joy in both song and dance.  But even within this there can be clear and precise definitions.  Paul spoke at great lengths about such confusions within the church at Corinth.  The need for reasonable and clear guidelines on how the service should operate.

Raymond Victor Franz(May 8, 1922 – June 2, 2010) was a member of the  Governing body of Jehovah Witness from 20 October 1971 until 22 May 1980, and served at the organization’s  headquaters for fifteen years, from 1965 until 1980.   Raymond Uncle was Fred Franz who was vice president of the Watchtower and later to become its president.  From 1945- 1977 and was replaced by Nathan H. Knorr in 1977.  So Raymond was well placed to tell it like it was.

In his book Crisis of conscience  he had this to say:

“In many cases it was not some unkind treatment they themselves experienced that disturbed them; it was seeing such treatment meted out to others, seeing people suffer because of the rigidity, narrow-mindedness, even arrogance of men in charge, elders and others, or recognizing the hurtful effects of certain edicts of the organization that did not rest on a solid Scriptural foundation. Rather than disgruntled, vindictive complainers, they have simply pleaded for greater compassion, a closer adherence to the example of God’s own Son, the Master of the Christian household of faith. This feeling for others is, I believe, a decisive factor as to the genuineness of motive. Similarly, a concern for truth, a concern not to be guilty of misrepresenting God’s own Word, a concern not to be hypocritical in appearing to believe what they do not believe, support what they cannot conscientiously support, condemn what they cannot see that Scripture itself condemns—such concern is, I think, also determinative as to genuineness of motive of any taking such a stand. I know many persons who clearly evidence such concern, yet who are labeled as “apostates,” “antichrists,” “instruments of Satan.”

 In case after case after case, the sole basis for such demnation is that they could not honestly agree with all the organization’s teachings or policies. I feel an obligation toward such persons. In virtually every instance, a small group of three to five men (a “judicial committee”) met with them in secret meetings, where those who came as witnesses could only give their testimony but not stay to witness the discussion.Later a brief disfellowshiping announcement was read to the congregation that presented none of the testimony and none of the evidence in support of the disfellowshiping action. After the reading of that announcement no Witness was supposed to talk with thepersons disfellowshiped, thereby shutting down any possibility of their expressing themselves by way of an explanation to friends and associates. For them to have done so before the disfellowshiping would have been counted as ‘proselytizing,’ ‘undermining the unityof the congregation,’ ‘sowing dissension,’ ‘forming a sect.’ For anyone to talk to them afterward would jeopardize that person’s own standing, make him liable for similar disfellowshipment” (Raymond V Franz CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE page 37-38)

For the full article  regarding this subject press>>>>

This is not where it ends!!!

Jehovah Witnesses on the subject of life after death will always post or use the same verses, usually to the exclusion of all others.  Like some mantra that has been pounded into them by the organisation.    They do not believe in an immortal soul, and therefore upon death the person simply ceases to exist.  Nothing transpires for the soul afterwards.

Here are a few quotes I was given recently. 

Ecclesiastes 9:5  The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.

Ecclesiastes 1:11 There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow

Ecclesiastes 2:16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

Isaiah 26:14 They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them

The implication is that once the person dies he simply ceases to exist. The dead are buried and after that there is no more hope.  Nothing is carried on and there is no immortal soul.

But do these verses or even the Bible as a whole support this concepts?  Let’s take a closer look and judge for yourselves.

Ecc 9: 6   Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun

Taken out of context any verse can be made to say something else. Such terms as “perish” would imply an extinction, until we place the verse back into context.

Ecc 9:4-7   For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun

Solomon used a phrase which he repeated often.  >>> UNDER THE SUN<<< He uses it to refer to what happens to mankind in general.  The emphasis then in this chapter is again on what happens to people who are alive on this earth.  It is from that perspective that he talking about.  The dead don’t know what is happening in THIS LIFE!!  They have moved on and have no contact with what goes on IN THIS LIFE!!  The dead have no interaction with those who are alive on this earth.  Living have no interaction with the dead.

So the dead do not come back to haunt people or places.   Nor can they send messages back from beyond the grave to comfort the Living.   A good example has to be the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.  The rich man had an awareness of where he was at, he had feelings and he was in a position to experience bodily sensation.  But at no time was he in a position to know what his brothers were doing or even to contact them.  Even when he pleaded for someone to send his brothers a message no such message could be sent.  They have Moses and the prophet was the reply.

Reward:  There is no more reward.  The Bible says it appointed unto man once to die and then the judgement.  Whilst a person is alive he still has time to find God, receive salvation.  Know the truth.  Once dead that opportunity passes.  Their fate is sealed forever. Every opportunity to interact with the living for good or bad has passed.  Whatever one has in worldly goods money fame honour is gone.  You can’t take it with you.

Ecc 1:11   [There is] no remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.

Again this verse is open to abuse.  What things have “NO REMEMBERANCE OF FORMER THINGS” REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS TO COME”  What things?

This verse might give us a clue >>>Ecc 1:9   The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.  Notice the common term is repeated once again “UNDER THE SUN”   Solomon is not talking about what happens after one is dead but what happens when one is still alive.

Ecc 1:13   And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done UNDER HEAVEN: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

Solomon is not exploring what takes place after one is dead but what is the wisdom of those who are alive.  History unless one is famous and it is recorded is forgotten by those who come after. In many cases the experiences that have been experienced by many are not always remembered or valued by future generations.

Ecc 2:16   For [there is] no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now [is] in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise [man]? as the fool.

Again there is no mention here of how the dead exist, but in how they lived.  Both the wise man and the fool will die.  Death is the inevitable consequences of the fall. Both will die and both will one day be forgotten.  The sad reality is that one day all who have lived will be forgotten.

Isaiah 26:14 They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them

Does this verse say that the departed are no more?  Poof gone!!!

Ecc 2:17   Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought UNDER THE SUN [is] grievous unto me: for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

Again Solomon uses this phrase  “UNDER THE SUN”. At no time is Solomon exploring the realities of the departed other than the knowledge that what comes to all men under the sun.  The dead do not come back to speak to the living unless resurrected

Ecc 2:18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken UNDER THE SUN: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

Otherwise the wealth we labour for will one day be owned by someone else.    Solomon’s preoccupation is about all that took place UNDER THE SUN, NOT WHAT TOOK PLACE UNDER THE GROUND.  You can build a kingdom and accumulation of wealth, but you can’t take it with you when you die.

Jesus said much the same thing about not laying up treasures on this earth where moth and rust can devour, But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven. However unless ones survives death such wealth accumulated will serve no purpose.

The Watchtower will often point to Genesis by saying:  This from their own web site

Genesis 2:7 states: “Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul.” The first man, Adam, was a soul. Source article titled :  (DO YOU HAVE AN IMMORTAL SOUL?) http://www.watchtower.org/e/20070715/article_01.htm

The idea here is that Adam body was called a Soul.  However as we all know the Body of Adam had already been created and was lying motionless on the ground until God breathed the breath of life into him.  It is only then he became a living Soul and not before hand.

The understanding that the word “soul” can mean the whole person is supported by other scriptures. For example, the Bible speaks of a soul’s doing work. (Leviticus 23:30) The soul is spoken of as being impatient, irritated, sleepless, fearful, and depressed. (Judges 16:16; Job 19:2; Psalm 119:28; Acts 2:43; 1 Thessalonians 5:14) Referring to a soul as a person, Romans 13:1 states: “Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities.” And at 1 Peter 3:20, we read: “In Noah’s days, . . . a few people, that is, eight souls, were carried safely through the water.” Nothing in these scriptures indicates that the soul is some immaterial entity that lives on after death

However nor does it say that the soul was equal to the Body.  If the soul and the body meant the same thing why bother to make such a difference.  Why not simply change all the reference to the soul and place it with the word “body”>>>>  Let every BODY be subject to the higher powers.  Or only eight Bodies were carried safely through the waters.  Why make a difference between the term BODY and soul.  Could it be because there is a difference?

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

If the soul is just another word for the body then why does Jesus make a clear and precise separation between them?  Is not killing the Body the same as killing the soul?  Jesus says Fear not them which >>>KILL THE BODY >>> But ARE NOT ABLE TO KILL THE SOUL<<<<

If Jesus himself says that there is a difference between the two than it would seem logical to take heed to what Jesus says.

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now again why bother to make any difference if the soul was the body.  In fact why does it not simply say that your whole spirit and body be preserved blameless, But they don’t believe in the spirit either.  That is nothing more than ones breathe.  How can ones breath be preserved blameless?   So Paul would have to change that verse to say that your whole Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus.  However as they don’t believe anything exists after death what is there to preserve anyway?

Clearly, the Bible shows what man is. He does not have a soul; he is a soul. Because of what man is—his nature—any hope for future life for the dead depends on a resurrection, a raising up. The Bible promises: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [Jesus’] voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28, 29) That sure promise of a resurrection—not the teaching of the immortality of the soul—is the basis for real hope for the dead.

Yet the very fact that scripture makes such a separation would say otherwise.  What hope does the watchtower offer ?  Absolutely Nothing!!!!!  So what is resurrected if there is no immortal soul?  I mean  if nothing survives death what is there to resurrect.  The term often used IS GODS REMEMBRANCE OF THE DEAD.  So what gets resurrected is only Gods memory of an individual.  The individual is therefore never resurrected.  What you have is a fact simile, a look alike.  They try to persuade people to call this a HOPE!!!!

Without a immortal soul there can not be a resurrection to speak off.  It would therefore be called a recreation.

Jesus in sharing about the rich man and Lazarus make it quite clear that these two men had died,  Did they cease to exist ?  No Jesus says that the rich man wakes up in hell,  He has ceased to live among the living.  His brothers have no way of contacting him.  Though he was dead yet he was alive.  So what died?  His body was in the grave but the rich man was clearly not in the grave. Was there a separation being made between the Body and soul here?  Absolutely!!!!

…in his resurrection he ‘became a life-giving spirit.’ That was why for most of the time he was invisible to his faithful apostles… He needs no human body any longer… The human body of flesh, which Jesus Christ laid down forever as a ransom sacrifice, was disposed of by God’s power.”—“ (Things in Which it is Impossible for God to Lie,” pp. 332, 354)

“So the evidence indicates that the Son of God was known as Michael before he came to earth and is known also by that name since his return to heaven where he resides as the glorified spirit Son of God.”—(Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, 1989, p. 218)

 1Cr 15:12-15- Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not

1Cr 15:17-19   And if Christ be not raised, your faith [is] vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Yet is this not the very argument which the Watchtower uses that the dead are not raised.  That Christ was not actually raised from the dead but was a created spirit being.

Whilst many believers in those early days wondered about what happens to a love one that has died.  Are they resurrected or was that a furlong hope.  It was made clear that the dead do indeed live on.  One day they will be reunited with a new resurrected body.

1 Cor 15: 35-40 But some [man] will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? [Thou] fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other [grain]: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh [is] not the same flesh: but [there is] one [kind of] flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, [and] another of birds. [There are] also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial [is] one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial [is] another.

1 Cor 15: 42-44 So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1 Cor 15: 45-48  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit. Howbeit that [was] not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven. As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly.

1 Cor 15: 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly

Now Paul is trying to tell us something here that should blow our socks off.    The carnal seed is the Body we know have.  Its sown into the dust of the earth and decomposes.  The same goes for many seeds that are planted.  The outer shell dies and out from it comes a plant.  Even so our bodies are returned to dust.  Its only the carnal shell.  However there seems to be this aspect that the soul needs a body to house the soul in. Paul compares the first Adam with the second.  The first reproduced the carnal flesh we live in now.  The second Adam will reproduce a spiritual body.  All who are of second Adams seed will be raised in glorious body that will be immortal.  We cant say exactly what it will look like all we know is that when his body was raise it had been changed.  It was the same body but it had been altered.  Even those whose bodies have long since decomposed to nothing or destroyed will be housed.  This new Body will have none of the imperfections of the last.  It will not age and therefore can’t succumbed to decay.  I suspect that its make up will be radically different from the one we have now.  Otherwise the laws which confine us to this earth will be changed.  It will bear the image of the heavenly.  We will have a completely different perspective on what is going on around us. 

Rev 7: 9- 10  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Now if we are to stand before the throne and the throne is in heaven, then it sure makes sense that we will have bodies that can do so.  We will be able to behold what is until now veiled.  At present only angels behold the throne and the few who were taken up in heavenly visions.   Those that did recalled at the awesome glory and majesty that touched their souls.  Man by nature because of the fall recoils from such a purity and holiness.  On that day we will be as pure and holy as Jesus is.  We will not recoil at its brightness or its warmth.  But rejoice in its glow.

There is something about lying that God really hates.  Not just because it was a lie that deceived Eve into eating from what she was told not to, but principally because it involves lying first to ones self.  Deception has to start in ones own heart.  It betrays something more noble and great.  It takes what is pure, holds it up to contempt and spits on it.  That’s how vile Gods sees lying.  It becomes the betrayal of all that is pure good and honest.

Notice the cross in the top left hand corner,

God desires truth in the inwards parts, but with a liar there can be no truth. When we lie we betray the one who only speaks the truth. God desires more than anything to develop within his people a love for truth and that is to be the nature he develops within us.

Recently I came across this:

Watchtower Doctrine of Taqiyya (Religiously-Sanctioned Lying)

“In time of spiritual warfare it is proper to misdirect the enemy by hiding the truth. It is done unselfishly; it does not harm anyone; on the contrary; it does much good” (Watchtower, May 1, 1957, p. 284-285).

According to Watchtower doctrine, one is only considered to be “lying” when one is “saying something false to a person who is ENTITLED to know the truth” (Franz, Vol. 2, 1988, p. 244; Rutherford, 1936, p. 177).

Now I have always known that Watchtower members lie, because I have had Watchtower elders do so, but I never realised to this degree that it was a doctrine deliberately set out to deceive others.

So it seems lying and deception is now considered righteous?  Is this not calling evil good and good evil?  Is this not a total perversion of everything which we would call righteous?  Some have compared Rahab hiding the spies as the same as hiding truth and lying.  On this basis no one will hear the real truth before joining the ranks of the Watchtower organisation. Often people don’t get to know the truth about the Watchtower until after they have joined.  Especially as to what happens to those who leave this organisation. The wickedness of “shunning” where disfellowshipped members are ignored even by ones own family who have stayed within the Watchtower ranks. This hangs over the members like an axe.

The epistle of James has also been used to justify Rahab actions and indirectly justify the lies propagated by the Watchtower.

Apparently Rahab action in hiding the Jewish spies has been held up to justify lying. One individual who claimed to be a Watchtower member attempted to use this verse to justify  his actions.

James 2: 24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way?

The Book of James is often misunderstood to teach that good works save.  But it is made clear by James that our works is our faith in God.  Good work does not save.  But our faith in God is demonstrated by a changed life.  As James says if there is no change to one’s life then ones faith is vain.  Even the devil believes  and tremble.  But it does not produce a change life.  The fruit of a genuine faith is a changed life.  That change is demonstrated is forsaking ones sin to looking unto Jesus  (Heb 12: 1-2).

Rahab works was her faith in God and not her actions in deceiving those who came to arrest the spies.  Eventually she came into the covenant with God. She ceased to be a harlot, and ceased to worship other Gods.  Nor did she stay in a place of wickedness.  Her faith took her out of Jericho and into a better place.  However according to some faith was not the virtuous thing here but any lies she might have used to misdirect the soldiers.   What is highlighted by the Watchtower is not saving faith but her lies and deception.  The need to deceive others becomes more important than honesty.  In such a case where is the difference between what the snake did in the garden and the lies the watchtower use?

When men sinned in the Bible  there was room for repentance, a recognising  of their faults and a change of direction. But to establish an actual theology that actually commends lying is something altogether different.  We may fail but God does not expect us to continue in that failure. 

(Proverbs 4:18) 18 But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.

A common excuse which many Watchtower members fall back on when they can’t find an answer, however it falls back on them when one realises that it’s really an open admission that their foundations are rotten.  The verse is not about improving false teachings or false predictions but growing in one’s character.  The path is about  righteousness in ones personal life and not about a human organisation which claims to be Gods prophet on earth,  A claim that has seen more failed predictions than most people have had hot dinners.

Truth it seems is first on the sacrificial altar.

A rebuttal to what has been said another Christian injected this  “According to Watchtower doctrine, one is ONLY considered to be “lying” when one is “saying something false to a person who is ENTITLED to know the truth” (Franz, Vol. 2, 1988, p. 244; Rutherford, 1936, p. 177

This clearly shows that a JW can GIVE false information (not just conceal the truth) in order to further the Watchtower’s interests. This is taqiyya. A doctrine of demonic lies perpetuated by liars.

Romans 1:18 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who SUPPRESS THE TRUTH by their wickedness…”

The fact that the Watchtower member in question continued to insist that he had done nothing wrong, His statement say otherwise. Maybe this is the worst part of lying.  They have to lie to their own conscience first and foremost.

 1 Tim 4: 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron

Compare this to what the Bible has to say

Heb 13: 18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly

1 peter 3: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ

Eph 4: 25 Wherefore putting away lying, SPEAK EVERY MAN TRUTH with his neighbour: for we are members one of another

To have a good conscience is to be honest and to speak the truth.  No such encouragement can be found within the Watchtower.  In fact the truth is something that is played fast and loose with, distorted and changed at whim.

Watchtower quotes on this subject:

“When evil men are seeking to do injury to God’s organization and they come trying to pry into private affairs, is it necessary […] to answer such evil men? If you know an evil man is trying to inflict harm on a brother and he asks you where the brother may be found, it is not necessary to answer. under some circumstances one may choose to remain silent and face contempt charges. No harm is practiced, however, by withholding incriminating information from one who is not entitled to know. An example of this in English-speaking countries is, when one is under arrest, he can, if he chooses, legally refrain from giving information to a police officer who may ask incriminating questions . No answer need be given him, as it is none of the officer’s business. Various characters of the Bible have been accused of lying, such as Jacob, Rahab, the Gibeonites, David and others, but there is no record in the Bible that they came under divine disapproval for this”. The Watchtower, October 1, 1951 Issue, Pages 596-598

So does God approves and sanctions such behaviour?

Psa 31:18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Psa 120: 2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, [and] from a deceitful tongue.

Pro 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

“Theocratic war strategy: hiding the truth by action and word for the sake of the ministry. At times [a Jehovah's Witness who takes the witness stand in court] may prefer to refuse to speak and suffer the consequences rather than betray his brothers or the interests of God’s work hiding the truth, which he is not entitled to know, from an enemy does not harm him So in time of spiritual warfare it is proper to misdirect the enemy by hiding the truth. It is done unselfishly; it does not harm anyone; on the contrary, it does much good. Today God’s servants are engaged in a warfare, a spiritual, theocratic warfare, a warfare ordered by God against wicked spirit forces and against false teachings. God’s servants are sent forth as sheep among wolves and therefore need to exercise the extreme caution of serpents so as to protect properly the interests of God’s kingdom committed to them. At all times they must be very careful not to divulge any information to the enemy that he could use to hamper the preaching work”. - The Watchtower, May 1, 1957 Issue, Page 285

It must be noticed that it is the interests of the organisation that they are protecting and not Gods interest.  That is one area that they betrayed a long time ago.  Whilst cloaking their language in scriptural terms they betray the very one they claim to honour.

“We must tell the truth to one who is entitled to know, but if one is not so entitled we may be evasive. As a soldier of Christ he is in theocratic warfare and he must exercise added caution when dealing with God’s foes. Thus the Scriptures show that for the purpose of protecting the interests of God’s cause, it is proper to hide the truth from God’s enemies.” - The Watchtower, June 1, 1960 Issue, Pages 351-352

“Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth while malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it”.- Aid to Bible Understanding Book 1971, Pages 1060-1061

The truth is that all are entitled to the truth and nothing but the truth.

“Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth while malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it. Jesus Christ counseled: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open.” That is why Jesus on certain occasions refrained from giving full information or direct answers to certain questions when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm. Evidently the course of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, and Elisha in misdirecting or in withholding full facts from nonworshipers of Jehovah must be viewed in the same light”.- Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2 (Published in 1988), Pages 244-245

“Of course, being truthful does not mean that we are obligated to divulge all information to anyone who asks it of us. …Jesus did not always disclose the full truth, especially when revealing all the facts could have brought unnecessary harm to himself or his disciples. He chose either to say nothing or to divert the conversation in another direction”.- Awake! February 8, 2000 Issue, Page 21

Sarai could say that she was Abram’s sister because she really was his half sister. (Genesis 20:12) Furthermore, he was not under obligation to divulge information to people who were not entitled to it. Faithful servants of God in modern times heed the Bible’s command to be honest. (Hebrews 13:18) They would never, for instance, lie under oath in a court of law. When the physical or spiritual lives of their brothers are at stake, such as in times of persecution or civil distress, however, they heed Jesus’ counsel to be “cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves.” - The Watchtower, August 15, 2001

If anything the Watchtower condemns itself as a fraud.

 “A religion that teaches lies cannot be true”. – The Watchtower December 1, 1991 p. 7

 John 8: 44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it

The watchtower has been exposed as liars by the very fact they have covered up for false prophecies; false teachings; the deliberate and twisting of scriptures;  Lying to court officials , and even the child abuse that goes on behind closed doors. 

It has long been realised that dark secretes exist within this organisation which have since been exposed.  Child abuse is one of them.  The grou.  Sometimes the darkness runs very deep.

http://silentlambs.org/

Has done enormous amount of work to expose protect and to bring Watchtower paedophiles to court.  Thanks to their courage in lifting the dark and murky world that many call the Watchtower organisation.  Some of those who have been convicted are high up.  Like this one man who was sentenced to 40 years

 Presiding Overseer in his congregation (Chairman of Elder Body) and regularly gave talks at the Circuit and District Conventions for JWs. (This is a key group of about thirty elders who are looked to as examples)

  Cockerill was on the Circuit Judicial Committee, which means he was in a elite group of ten major elders in the Circuit.  This means any complicated judicial matter that a congregation could not handle such as child abuse issues etc…Cockerill would be involved in making the final decision on judicial appeal hearings that would be approved by the home office.

 Cockerill served on the Charity Commission in his local Kingdom Hall.

Ron Drage and George were good friends according to JWs in their local congregations.

  Cockerill was not disfellowshipped when his victim went to the elders or assistance and this caused the victim to leave the religion.  Only when another victim went to the doctor and he reported it, Cockerill was arrested and convicted, then he was disfellowshipped

Abused Lambs stories

When the media was first approached with this story the Home Office of Jehovah’s Witnesses immediately sprang into a misinformation campaign.  They informed members there was no problem with current abuse policy and anyone who spoke to media was in effect speaking against God. Members were required to inform the public there was no problem with the abuse policy and anyone that spoke to media were liars. This was the basis for the start of the silentlambs website which began in March 2001. The following pages are a place for you to tell your story anonymously as a testament to the truth.  When you tell about what happened in your life it lets many others know they are not alone and encourages them to summon the courage to come forward and no longer be silent.  The following pages are the real Heros of silentlambs for without their collaboration of truth, their courage in wanting to help others, we would not exist

The November 8, 2001 issue of the Awake magazine of Jehovah’s Witnesses had a special article entitled, “Help For Battered Women”. In our opinion, this article offers suggestions that will keep women in abusive situations and prevent them from getting proper assistance. It is another Watchtower policy that hurts the vulnerable lambs that need help by offering in the article examples of women who take twenty years of abuse and “wait on Jehovah” for relief.  This article describes women that had their teeth knocked out and guns held to their heads while they remained in abusive environment.  The solution? After accepting abuse for twenty years the man finally became a Jehovah’s Witness and this supposedly solved the problem.  This article is an insult to anyone living in an abusive situation and the solutions it suggests puts the victims in danger.  Yet elders must support wt policy in this regard.

SILENT LAMBS HAD THIS TO SAY: ANY SUGGESTION FOR A WIFE TO ACCEPT PHYSICAL ABUSE FOR YEARS IS A MORAL AND ETHICAL CRIME AGAINST WOMEN.   I could not put it better myself

 Watchtower war strategy: when lies are made into a virtue.

A watchtower member is only recognised as lying, when it is to other members of their cult, but to any one else its fair game.  This is not taught anywhere in scripture, or encouraged.  Even when men have told lies as when Peter did when he denied his Lord after his crucifixion, he realised his mistake and repented.  However to have a theology where lying is commended all in the name of protecting a human organisation goes completely against the grain of scriptural truth.

I have no doubt that to the average member of the Watchtower they has been made to feel that they are at war with the world, and the world is at war with them.  Even if such a picture does not exist, it’s is this perception which is being fostered by the leadership.  Anyone who even remotely disagrees with the Watchtower view is immediately seen as fostering persecution upon the helpless members of this cult.  So a mindset is fostered that the world cannot be trusted, yet in reality it’s the watchtower itself that cannot be trusted with the truth. 

IS JESUS A MERE ATTRIBUTE?

Watchtower members will often quote Proverbs 8 to try to associate Jesus with the subject of wisdom and by context suggest Jesus is a created being. 

Pro 8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

However this poses a number of problems. 

 Pro 8:1-3  Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth HER voice? SHE standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. SHE crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.

Wisdom is spoken of as a she “HER VOICE”   Where in scripture has Jesus ever been referred to in the female gender. In fact where in scripture are angels referred to in a female gender?   The fact that WISDOM is referred in this matter should make any sincere searcher of the truth stop and think.

Compare the language here:

Pro 8:24- When [there were] no depths, I was brought forth; when [there were] no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.

Now in these verses the watchtower would like to give the impression that Wisdom was created. Hence the Watchtower tries to use these verses to assume that Jesus was this wisdom and thus the first created being.  Now if this is all we had to go on someone might get the idea the wisdom was indeed created.  However by putting these verses back into context we get a better and clearer picture.

Pro 8:23   I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

Yet as in verse 23 says Wisdom IS FROM EVERLASTING.  So how can wisdom be created if it is EVERLASTING?  Now once we realise that wisdom is the principle attribute of God things begin to become clearer.  There could never be a time that wisdom did not exist, any more than there was a time that God himself did not exist.  Just a holiness Righteousness love and purity are all attributes of God. 

However for a moment let’s turn this about and view this from the watchtower perspective for a brief moment and then see where this gets us.  What would we have if Wisdom was created?  Well it would mean that at some time there was no wisdom and so God had to create wisdom, but hold on a minute does that mean GOD was at some time dumb and then needed to create some common sense aka wisdom?  But does it not take wisdom to create Wisdom?  Hmm you can see where all this goes.  Right up the garden path.  If wisdom is speaking about Jesus it must also be concluded that he too is from everlasting. So any idea of Jesus being Michael an angel a created being is simply knocked on its head.

THE WORD “BEGINNING” IS NOT ALWAYS FIXED IN TIME

Now at no time does Proverbs 8 actually say that Wisdom was created, all it says that wisdom was there from the beginning.  Now because we are finite creatures who have a beginning and an end physically, so we have this tendency to view the term “beginning” as just that.  So that for us to have a beginning means that there is a line before which something does not exist, and after that beginnings there is an existence.  However with God when he talks about a beginning there is no starting point.  That starting point does not exist.  He was always there and always will be. 

Ps 50: 17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee

Prov 1: 7 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Ex 31: 3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

Jer 10: 12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

This is not speaking about a person, but an attribute.  The fact that the psalmist and the poets often personified verses does not detract from what they really mean.

Does beginning always mean a beginning?

 John 1: 1 In the Beginning was the word

For many this means a starting point.  But in reality there is no starting point with GOD.  The WORD was always there.  Now for God to communicate that point he has to limit himself to our vocabulary.  So how far back do we go?  Well without a starting point, His origins just keep going back into infinity and eternally.  The word was always there and will always be.

John 1: 1 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1: 2 The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

1 john 1: 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life

Now in all these verses we see this continual theme being unravelled.  “From the beginning” >>>> “From the beginning”>>>  Beginning with GOD”

The moment we take away that starting point and realise there is no point in which Jesus did not exist, then we begin to see that Jesus was indeed creator.  He was there from the beginning; he was always there and always will be.

That is why he can say am I the first and the last, Alpha and omega.  This speak about Gods eternal enduring existence.

HOW DO ANGELS SPEAK TO SATAN

(A) Jude 1: 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee

MICHAEL QUOTES GOD IN THIS INSTANCE

(B) Zech 3: 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire.

How does Jesus deal with Satan  A or B

Mat 4: 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve

Otherwise  GET LOST!!!  That just does not sound like Michael the archangel does it?

WILL THE REAL CREATOR PLEASE STAND UP?

Heb 1: 203  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The contrast cannot be so obvious. Jesus is the creator  and sustainer of all creation.

When we look at Genesis 1; In the beginning GOD.  Does it tell us that God created the world through a subordinate?  In fact it is made quite clear that God was in every way the architect and builder in creation.  Why would he even bother to leave his own creation to a mere angelic subordinate?  Does God want to start taking credit for the work of someone else, clearly not?  Nor does God turn to his subordinate and declare that all that this angel created was good?   

Another major problem with believing that Jesus was some mere angel then an angel becomes the key and central focus of heavens hopes and earths salvation.

If we give our gratitude to an angel for saving us, then that is in direct conflict with scripture.  We would indeed be worshipping a lesser being and taking glory from God, and that would also be idolatry.  The fact that Jesus is God means we neither detract from honouring God, nor worship a lesser creature.

Another interesting fact is that Jesus would send the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit would testify about Jesus.  According to the Watchtower the Holy Spirit is not a person but a form of GODS (power) energy.  NOW how can a mere angel command Gods powers?  How can God himself be subservient to an angel?  That runs totally contrary to everything we know about God.

DO ANGELS WORSHIP OTHER ANGELS?

 Hbr 1:5-6 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Now if Jesus was just a mere angel then we will see God commanding angels to worship a fellow angel.  Yet God makes it clear that Angels were not to be worshipped. 

Phil 3: 3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Exd 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a jealous God:

Now at no time is worship ever offered up to angels, Yet the watchtower would believe that God has exalted an angel to a place of prominence.  It does not matter if they try to play around with words by replacing worship with obeisance because it still places one angel in a prominent position as creator and sustainer. 

Heb 1: 14  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Mat 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

ANGELS MINISTER TOO OTHERS, BUT ARE NOT THE OBJECT OF MINISTRY, HOWEVER AS WE HAVE SHOWN ANGELS DID INDEED  RENDER MINISTRY TO JESUS.

By definition God does not and has never placed an angel central to his plan of redemption.  Nor does it imply creative ability to them.  They are ministers to those who are heirs.  At no time does God ever imply that angels are saviour and redeemer to the lost.

Isa 43:11 I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] NO SAVIOUR

Is 43: 11  I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.” (NWT)

Isa 45:15 Verily thou [art] a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

Isa 45:21 Tell ye, and bring [them] near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? [who] hath told it from that time? [have] not I the LORD? and [there is] no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; [there is] none beside me.

Is 45: 21 Is it not I, Jehovah, besides whom there is no other God; a righteous God and a Savior, there being none excepting me? (NWT)

Isa 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD (Jehovah NWT) [am] thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Just how clear can this get >> There is no saviour and redeemer except God. Are we suddenly to expect that God suddenly changes his mind and leaves redeeming mankind to some subordinate creature?  NO!!!  Time after time God makes it clear that he is saviour and redeemer.

Hbr 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Now if Jesus was made a little lower, the context implies that he was higher than the angels.  It also implies that Jesus was not an angel.

 Heb 2: 16  For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.

Now if Jesus did not take upon himself the nature and appearance of an angels , that is because he never was an angel. 

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

For verily – Truly.

He took not on him the nature of angels – Margin, “He taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold.” The word used here – ἐπιλαμβάνεται epilambanetai – means, to take hold upon; to seize; to surprise; to take hold with a view to detain for oneself. Robinson. Then it means to take hold of one as by the hand – with a view to aid, conduct, or succour; Mark 8:23; Acts 23:19. It is rendered “took,” Mark 8:23; Luke 9:47; Luke 14:4; Acts 9:27; Acts 17:19; Acts 18:17; Acts 21:30, Acts 21:33; Acts 23:19; Hebrews 8:9; “caught,” Matthew 14:31; Acts 16:19; “take hold,” Luke 20:20, Luke 20:26; “lay hold,” and “laid hold,” Luke 23:26; 1 Timothy 6:12. The general idea is that of seizing upon, or laying hold of anyone – no matter what the object is – whether to aid, or to drag to punishment, or simply to conduct. Here it means to lay hold with reference to “aid,” or “help;” and the meaning is, that he did not seize the nature of angels, or take it to himself with reference to rendering “them” aid, but he assumed the nature of man – in order to aid “him.” He undertook the work of human redemption, and consequently it was necessary for him to be man.

But he took on him the seed of Abraham – He came to help the descendants of Abraham, and consequently, since they were men, he became a man. Writing to Jews, it was not unnatural for the apostle to refer particularly to them as the descendants of Abraham, though this does not exclude the idea that he died for the whole human race. It was true that he came to render aid to the descendants of Abraham, but it was also true that he died for all. The fact that I love one of my children, and that I make provision for his education, and tell him so, does not exclude the idea that I love the others also – and that I may make to them a similar appeal when it shall be proper.

JHN 5:39 SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES; FOR IN THEM YE THINK YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE: AND THEY ARE THEY WHICH TESTIFY OF ME.

Hbr 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

 Now if scripture testifies to anyone who would that person be, God or angels?  I think we can all agree that scripture is not about angels.  The central focus is on GOD.  From the first pages of Genesis to the last pages of the Book of Revelation.  So Jesus makes it clear that scripture is speaking about him.  By connection he is saying that he is indeed God manifested in the flesh.

Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

It would seem that some people did indeed worship angelic beings, but Paul makes it clear that this was not to be the case.  Yet in Hebrews 1 God himself tells  angels to worship Jesus.  The word obeisance as used in NWT and worship used by every other translation is the same Greek word.  There is no difference despite the dishonesty of the watchtower to play around with words.

Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and GLORY, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and GLORY, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the LAMB FOR EVER AND EVER And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four [and] twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

11 And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “The Lamb that was slaughtered is worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. 13 And every creature that is in heaven and on earth and underneath the earth and on the sea, and all the things in them, I heard saying: “To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.” 14 And the four living creatures went saying: “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.  (NWT)

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.

Worship is ascribed to the lamb.

Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and GLORY, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

The same language is used of God as it is of the lamb.

Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and GLORY, and blessing

What is ascribed to one is also ascribed to the other.  Now are we to believe that a mere angel should be given such honour and worship?

Rev 10: 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer

Rev 1: 18 I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Is 42: 8 I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my GLORY will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

This is one area that God cannot share because it’s something that’s peculiar to his nature.  It is his by right of who he is.  No man or angel could attain to this loft position. Now what does the book of revelation says again? 

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and GLORY” 

The Watchtower may try to argue that Jesus was given “a” glory but not thee glory. (more playing around with words on their part) However as we can see the same glory is given to both the father and the son. There is no mention of a greater GLORY and a lesser glory. To honour the father one has to honour the son. Same glory is ascribed to both. If we don’t give full honour to the son then the father is not honoured. That fact alone shows just how much they are tied together.

Now either GOD got it wrong or the Watchtower did. Personally I know who I am going to trust. It will not be the Watchtower

FOR THAT REASON JESUS COULD NEVER BE AN ANGEL