Treasures from Gods Word – The Watchman’s heavy responsibility.
Ezekiel 33:7 – Jehovah appointed Ezekiel as a watchman (it-2 1172 para 2)
The reference correctly states that the prophet/watchman had to warn people otherwise he was blood guilty.
But what about the prophet/watchman who gave false warnings?
There is a fable (ascribed to Aesop) about the little boy who cried wolf too often. When the wolf finally came, people ignored the warning and as a result, the sheep died. In this, the little boy was complicit in the death of the sheep because of his false warnings.
Do we have a modern-day equivalent?
See for yourself: Starting with 1914, then 1925, then 1975, and more recently, before the end of the twentieth century, the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses cried wolf, the arrival of Armageddon. As each deadline passed, the story was revised. The current pronouncement is ‘it is imminent’, and ‘we are living in the last day of the last days’.
What has been the result of this ‘crying wolf’?
Many sheep have lost their faith in God as a result. There have been large exoduses of Witness’s after each of the dates past, and there is increasing evidence of one such large exodus being under way at present. When the wolf finally comes (a.k.a Armageddon), in God’s due time, rather than the time foretold by the Organization, many sheep may lose their lives as a result. As the story concludes: “Nobody believes a liar … even when he is telling the truth!”
Only God’s anointed true prophets gave true prophecies and warnings. (See Deuteronomy 13:2; 19:22.) So in the Organization’s own words (last sentence of reference) they are ‘about as useless as a blind watchman or a voiceless dog’.
Digging for Spiritual Gems
Ezekiel 33:33
Ezekiel wrote “and when it comes true, … they will have to know that a prophet has been among them”, by extension, when it fails to come true, they will know that a false prophet has been among them.
Video – Avoid What Erodes Loyalty – Fear of Man
Early in the video, which is set in the future, a scenario according to the Organization’s view of the future, is portrayed. Whether such a scenario will play out remains to be seen.
For instance, the sister mentions ‘When our message changed from the good news to a judgement message’.
Where in the Scriptures does Jesus (or indeed the apostles) say that there will come a time when the message will be changed from that of good news to a judgment message?
In fact, if you search the WT Library for PC’s you will find very little about this phrase anywhere.
One reference is w2015 7/15 p. 16 par. 8, 9 which says about the great tribulation, “Although we do not fully understand all that will happen during that time of test, we can expect that it will involve some measure of sacrifice…This will not be the time to preach the “good news of the Kingdom.” That time will have passed. The time for “the end” will have come! (Matt. 24:14) No doubt God’s people will proclaim a hard-hitting judgment message. This may well involve a declaration announcing that Satan’s wicked world is about to come to its complete end.” The only scriptural backing given for this is Revelation 16:21 where they interpret hailstones as a message of judgment. The only other references to this phrase (going back to 1999 in the publications) all refer to past messages of judgment by his prophets or to the fact that witnesses preach the good news along with the warning message of judgment currently.
What message does the Bible contain on this subject?
2 Thessalonians 2:2 says we should not be shaken from our reason to the effect that the day of the Lord is here. Galatians 1:6-9 is even stronger saying “even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond the good news we declared to you, let him be accursed”. If to declare other good news is to be accursed, what will happen to those who change the good news into a message of judgment?
The one warning message is one for the Organization to heed, as it claims to be the house of God. 1 Peter 4:17 warns that ‘it is the appointed time for judgment to start with the house of God’. Even in Revelation 14:6,7 when the hour of judgment arrives there is an ‘angel flying in mid heaven’ who will have ‘everlasting good news to declare to those who dwell on the earth..’.
Therefore there is no authorization or scriptural basis to change from a message of good news to one of judgment.
So maybe the real scenario is the brother who no longer was with them in the bunker rather than being disloyal to the Organization because of fear of man, had researched his bible and realized that preaching a message of judgment not supported by the Scriptures was wrong and, preferring to remain loyal to his God and to Christ his Savior, he declined to play any further part in the Organization’s activities.
Congregation Book Study (kr chap. 16 para 6-17)
Paragraph 7 shows how the number and format of meeting arrangements came about. There is no scriptural basis for the number, days and format. It all came from suggestions of various prominent witnesses at one time or another.
Paragraph 9 informs us that the public talk outlines were restricted to outlines supplied by the Organization in 1982. Just by coincidence though—which they omit to mention—is that this tighter control coincided with the unscriptural disfellowshipping of former Governing Body member Ray Franz and his friends in that same year.
Paragraphs 10-12 inform us that the Watchtower study meeting started 1922, and for many years had no questions. The conductor asked for questions from the audience, which would then be answered by other members of the audience. This at least would be much better than today’s carefully crafted questions, which avoid any in-depth discussion of the material and the Scriptures.
Paragraphs 13-14 discuss the Congregation Book study. How we would enjoy modern Berean Circles for Bible Study, with the Bible as the textbook,[1] as opposed to a congregation book study of a book containing rewritten, incorrect history and the like, such as the Kingdom Rules book.
Paragraph 15 mentions the then Theocratic Ministry School, the one meeting that has had a long term benefit on all participants and attendees. Now sadly replaced by a glorified meeting for field service, called ‘Apply yourself to the Christian Ministry’, whose material and training is a shadow of the former Theocratic Ministry School. Why was the format of this meeting changed so dramatically a few years ago? We are not told. It couldn’t possibly be because schools in many countries now have to have the teachers vetted for a criminal record particularly relating to children, could it? So scrapping the TMS would avoid this scrutiny of elder bodies and possible revelations about how some paedophiles are serving as appointed men.
Addendum
References for 20th Century end-of-world predictions:
g61 2/22 p. 5 “…a war of God against all wickedness, followed by a paradise earth without death…all will be realized in the twentieth century.”
km Dec. 1967 p. 1 “‘this good news of the kingdom,’ a work he [Fred Franz] described as ‘a startling feature of ony this twentieth century.'”
kj chap. 12 p. 216 par. 9 “Shortly, within our twentieth century, the “battle in the day of Jehovah” will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom.”
w84 3/1 pp. 18-19 par. 12 “Some of that “generation” could survive until the end of the century. But there are many indications that “the end” is much closer than that.”
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[1] If this is what you truly desire, fell free to contact this site, and join with others to meet online and discuss the bible with like minded Christians.
Just a side point on “When the wolf finally comes (a.k.a Armageddon), in God’s due time, rather than the time foretold by the Organization, many sheep may lose their lives as a result.” I don’t worry about that because no REAL sheep will be lost. Those that truly are sheep when Armageddon comes will inherit the Kingdom. The sheep are only the spirit anointed. Even still, those anointed that are alive at that time will have to give up their lives to receive their reward (Rev 6:11). If they though righteous don’t escape death, how much less the unrighteous who… Read more »
@Yehorakam. You said “The org teaches that all that die in Armageddon face eternal destruction. That in fact is true.” I’m not sure what is the backing of that claim. However, if you agree with me that Rev 19:19-21 describe the events of Armageddon then there are hints that even those killed then can be resurrected. Note that while the false prophet and the wild beast will be hurled into the lake of fire (final destruction), the rest won’t. Rev 19:19-21 19 And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to… Read more »
@tyhik
Hey Tyhik. Sorry I’m getting back to you late, but I didn’t see your post until yesterday, and shortly thereafter I drilled a hole through a water line in my house. ? So that kept me busy almost all yesterday. All is well now. I’d like to respond to your post but don’t want to get off topic on this page nor add another long comment. Do you have an email I can reach you?
Hi Yehorakam. I contacted Meleti, asking to forward my e-mail address to you.
Yehorakam I pretty much agree with those statements , the witnesses think they are going to sail through Armageddon because they belong to the organisation , but the bible says it is reserved for all mankind to die once and then a judgement, jesus said prove faithful o death and I wil give you the crown of life , we have to follow jesus into death , after all the hope of a christian is the THE RESURRECTION , nothing else
IOHAB, WT often reiterates the Rutherford mantra, “millions now living will never die”. They have the idea that JWs living through Armageddon won’t die. But your statement “we have to follow Jesus into death” got me thinking. Suppose resurrected people did not look like they did when they died, but were all resurrected as young adults in good health with a sound mind and body? That would sure simplify their future lives, by not having to gradually get better. Imagine how hard it would be to ‘fix’ someone who had some deadly disease, or had an amputation or something really… Read more »
It will be interesting to see what directions Christ will give during that time. My joy overflows to think of how Christ’s rule will surpass that of Solomons by like a 1000x. Christ is the truly “beloved” of Jah (Jedidiah) who will build an everlasting house. He is the “King of Peace” (Salem) and the “King of Righteousness” (Melquizedek). What he does will leave even the heavenly family in awe, never mind humans!
The Watchtower Study has been an “assimilation” (make the Truth your own) since at least 1932. The photo in the “Bible Study” portion from Ghana 1931 has a photo of Charles Taze Russell on the wall. Clearly until the name change away from Russellites in 1931, this virtually all male group of Africans were studying with that influence of a man and his philosophy. So in 1931 we changed names, but we did not escape the homage to one man and his wandering thoughts. Today that man has seven heads, but the assimilation of his thoughts continues.
Rufus, You wrote, ” in 1931 we changed names, but we did not escape the homage to one man [Russel] and his wandering thoughts. Today that man has seven heads [the GB of today]”. I just had a really creepy thought. Please read Revelation 13, reproduced below. Now, consider this interpretation of it: (1) Wild beast = WT organization (2) Seven heads = 7 members of GB (3) Ten horns = current GB + Russell, Rutherford and Knorr (4) Blasphemous names on their heads = self-proclaimed role as “FDS, sole channel of communication between God and men, replacement of Mediator… Read more »
Perhaps you should leave Russell out of this. Post-1919 the three extra heads might be identified as Rutherford, Knorr and Franz through 1975. On Jan 1, 1976 the GB took control, and they have seven heads.
You may be on to something. After all, Russell was a Bible Student, and Rutherford (for all intents and purposes) waged war against Russellites/Bible Students, saying that anyone that believed Russell was engaging in creature worship, etc. Rutherford hated Russell’s legacy, and did everything in his power to destroy it. Rutherford also ‘set up’ those in Germany during WW2, infuriating Hitler and then abandoning those people to prison camps and gas chambers. Why? They were not JWs, but BIBLE STUDENTS. WT adopted the JW name in 1931, but in 1945 – 14 years after the supposedly “united organization” took on… Read more »
No mean to offend Robert, but your interpretations gave me a laugh because to me they seem so stretched, they sound like a Watchtower explanation. You certainly have an active imagination, and I suppose we all have the freedom to speculate. It was an interesting post anyways. ?
No problem; no offense taken. I didn’t mean for it to be taken all that seriously, but when I started looking for parallels, there were just so many of them. You’re right; this is how crazy bible interpretations get started. People just make stuff up out of thin air.
Like I said above, it was just a creepy thought that jumped into my head after I read what Rufus wrote.
Robert never thought of Rev 13 that way before. If you can come up with this thought it just shows how man can interpret the scriptures and make it fit whatever he fancies. So the WT Org has been doing this for many many years- hence their changing of ‘this generation’ and Armageddon being ‘ imminent’ .
Excellent review. How can a message change to judgement when Jesus said he did not come to judge the world, but that would be future when he returned. John 12:47. Again if no one knows day or hour and the day will come as a thief in the night, how will they know when to change this message to judgement? 2 Peter 3:10 and 2 Thess 5:2. Aesops fable about the boy who cried wolf is one I always remembered. This Organization fits it. Can’t be a true prophet if your message is wrong. By their own admission the are… Read more »
Unbelievable ! After all the calls for dates, and changing the “generation” teaching to the ridiculous “overlapping generation” version, the annual conventions use the word “imminent”. Guess what ? The R & F and elders quote this in their talks and comments saying the F & DS say it is imminent. No doubt in some years time they will blame everyone for not relying on Jesus words – that no one knows the day or the hour – when “imminent” comes back to bite them. The end will come when Jehovah and Jesus decide. No earlier and no later. When… Read more »
@Leonardo. I’m afraid ‘imminent’ won’t come back to byte them. It’s a conveniently stretchable term compared to concrete times predicted in the past. After all, people have been waiting for the end for about 2000 years, so ‘imminent’ may well be stretched over decades. But then there is a new GB and a new generation of witnesses, who won’t have learned a thing from their past and everything will repeat. I can imagine it was much harder for the GB to sell the overlapping generation theory in the first place than to extend the overlapping generation from fathers-sons to grandfathers-grandsons… Read more »
Thanks for correcting ‘imminent’ for me. Should have worn my glasses to override the various predictive texts that popped up.
Tadua you say the TMS has gone , what of the weekly bible reading it contained ,? I’ve been half expecting them to do away with that in favour of a more tailored approach , I haven’t been in ages .
Hi Brain The weekly bible reading is still done. Reading only, no meaning/explainations put into it.
Cheers , from brother brain , haha haha . Let’s have a laugh , as well , after All we have a “happy god “
Well written Tadua – couldn’t put it better myself. Good scripture to remember Ezekiel 33:33 if we want to try to ‘wake up’ others when they tell us Armageddon imininent . As for the school being taken out of the title of Mid week meetings – well spotted! Looking forward to next weeks article.
“Only God’s anointed true prophets gave true prophecies and warnings. (See Deuteronomy 13:2; 19:22.) So in the Organization’s own words (last sentence of reference) they are ‘about as useless as a blind watchman or a voiceless dog’”. With the track record of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, it is painfully apparent that they are NOT Yah’s true anointed prophet, nor are they a Watchman. I would venture to say that since 2000 up til now, the WTB&TS has exerted itself more in matters of exercising control over the ‘rank and file’ JW’s, gaining glory and praise for themselves, (The… Read more »
“See for yourself: Starting with 1914, then 1925, then 1975, and more recently, before the end of the twentieth century, the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses cried wolf, the arrival of Armageddon As each deadline passed, the story was revised. The current pronouncement is ‘it is imminent’, and ‘we are living in the last day of the last days’. What has been the result of this ‘crying wolf” Something cannot be considered ‘late’ unless lines were drawn with events expected to transpire on certain ‘dates’. That would necessitate ‘beating’ fellow slaves, to keep them in line, after each of these ‘dates… Read more »
Dead right mate , I was waiting for a bus , the other day , it didn’t turn up at all , so how can it be late ! Hahaha ha ok a minus for that one then , ok so they didn’t give an actual date but suggested Armageddon was likely due sometime in 1975, so we have a time frame , the post office ……… there’s a parcel here we are delivering on between the hours of 8 and 5 ,,,,,,,,,,,, ok ill stay in all day and wait for it, but it doesn’t come ,,,, is it… Read more »
What reference do you have in mind when you say “more recently, before the end of the twentieth century,…”
I don’t recall an article about that.
And if the wicked system of this world survived until the turn of the century, which is highly improbable in view of world trends and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, there would still be survivors of the World War I generation.” Watchtower 1980 Oct 15 p.31 “Shortly, within our twentieth century, the “battle in the day of Jehovah” will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom.” The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah p. 216 “Some of that “generation” could survive until the end of the century. But there are many indications that “the end” is much closer… Read more »
Hey Dajo. Good point. You know, I just woke up this morning, had my coffee and had a revelation ?…Aren’t we already 17 years into the 21st century? Yikes! Off by a century in their predictions. Can’t even pick the right century. Naaah…nothing to fuss over. Here a century, there a century…
I lost 40 years with them. I’m just glad I got out while I still have a few years left…and glad that the WT is no longer my retirement financial adviser!
Much love,
Good question, Thaddeus. I should have included the references in the article. I’ll do that now, but here are the references. g61 2/22 p. 5 “…a war of God against all wickedness, followed by a paradise earth without death…all will be realized in the twentieth century.” km Dec. 1967 p. 1 “‘this good news of the kingdom,’ a work he [Fred Franz] described as ‘a startling feature of ony this twentieth century.'” kj chap. 12 p. 216 par. 9 “Shortly, within our twentieth century, the “battle in the day of Jehovah” will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom.”… Read more »