“Sow your seed in the morning and do not let your hand rest until the evening.”—Ecclesiastes 11:6.
[Study 37 from ws 09/20 p.8 November 09 – November 15, 2020]
This is yet another article about preaching, yet this was likely written earlier in the year during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no let-up in the banging the drum on preach, preach, preach, but have we had even one study article about how to be caring and interested in our neighbors? Have we had one study article with reminders about the Bible standards of physical cleanliness (to avoid infection) or helping others in need? You will struggle to find even one article. Even if you find one about showing care and interest for others it will only be talking about others in the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Therefore, in the midst of a global pandemic where people are losing their jobs, or greatly reduced income, and perhaps losing loved relatives to a nasty illness the key points to be discussed in this week’s study are (1) stay focused (subtext: in the preaching work), (2) be patient (subtext: Armageddon is nearly here) and (3) maintain strong faith (subtext: do not listen to those pointing out the error of the Organization’s teachings and policies).
Then the blowing one’s own trumpet session begins in paragraph 6:
“We can stay focused on the preaching work if we reflect on how much Jehovah is doing to help us. For example, he is providing an abundance of spiritual food in the form of printed and digital publications, audio and video recordings, and Internet broadcasts. Just think: On our official website, information is available in over 1,000 languages! (Matthew 24:45-47)”.
Can you think of one tangible piece of evidence that Jehovah is helping the Organization and providing spiritual food in the forms they mention? Quantity does not prove anything, there is plenty of garbage in the world, but most of it is just polluting the earth.
And if Jehovah is providing such an abundance of spiritual food, then why is he helping the Organization with all this spiritual food, but not helping them to eliminate child sexual abuse? Surely it would be better that he help them write articles and implement policies that would greatly reduce the child sexual abuse and make the Organization an exposed place for any with pedophile intent without the Organization having to compromise their requirement for “two Witnesses”.
Paragraph 6 continues: “For example, on Friday, April 19, 2019, Witnesses around the world were united in a discussion of the daily text. That evening, a crowd of 20,919,041 gathered to observe the Memorial of Jesus’ death. We are moved to stay focused on the Kingdom work when we reflect on our privilege to see and to be a part of this modern-day miracle.” Would you call it a miracle to be proud of, to succeed in duping 29 million people into rejecting to partake of the wine and bread that Jesus commanded “Keep doing this in remembrance of me” without exception and the Apostle Paul stated, “ … for as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord until he arrives.”
Rather than so much emphasis on preaching to the near exclusion of all else, why not proclaim the death of the Lord by partaking as commanded of the unleavened bread and wine in memorial of his sacrifice.
Be patient
The subtext of Paragraph 8 contains counsel against expecting Armageddon to come soon and rescue us from health problems and other problems including old age. It says “Jesus’ disciples hoped that the Kingdom would “appear instantly” and rescue them from Roman oppression. (Luke 19:11) We yearn for the day when God’s Kingdom will remove wickedness and usher in the new world of righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13) However, we need to be patient and wait on Jehovah’s appointed time.”
The question is then, Are we really living in the last day of the last days or not? Only a few months ago, a governing body member (Stephen Lett) on a web broadcast was excitedly expounding that very phrase. Which is it?
The problem is that throughout history since Jesus' death, people and religions have wanted to believe that because of world conditions at their time, that it was God’s time to bring Armageddon. True, one day it will come, but it will not be announced by a devastating earthquake, a destructive solar flare, or a deadly pandemic. Jesus said he was coming as a thief in the night, not with a fanfare.
Unpleasant and sad as it is, the present Covid pandemic has not reached anywhere near either the physical numbers, or the percentage death rate or the speed of the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic. Yet the Spanish Flu did not herald Armageddon, nor did the Black Death and the Bubonic Plague of the Middle Ages.
Just to put things in context:
As of 30/10/2020 when this review was prepared
Covid-19 (Deaths from January 2020 – October 2020)
10 months, a Total of 1.18m deaths, World Population:7,822,093,000. That is 0.015% of the world population. A minimum of a hundred times smaller death rate from Covid-19 than the Spanish Flu.
Spanish Flu (H1N1) 1918 – April 1918 - April 1919
12 months, an estimated total of 50 million according to the CDC, World Population: 1.8 billion (Estimates of deaths vary from 17.4m to 100m.) Even at 17.4m that was 1% of the world population.
Archived Comments
We have moved to the Disqus commenting system. To post a new comment, go to the bottom of this page.
Comment by Dissident Fairy on 2020-11-08 12:03:39
You bring up a lot of good points in your article but when I came to the "cleanliness" part I had to do a double take as I remember reading numerous JW articles on cleanliness over the years, so I decided to do a quick search. I typed in JW cleanliness and found this>>>Cleanliness—What Does It Really Mean? - JW.org How Important Is Cleanliness? - JW.org Cleanness—Physical, Spiritual, & Moral Standards ... - JW.org Cleanliness—Why Is It Important? — Watchtower ONLINE ...Cleanliness Honors God - Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY - JW ...God's Laws on Hygiene Were Ahead of Their Time - JW.org Clean, Cleanness - Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY - JW.org
Cleanliness Makes Sense — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY
Cleanliness Brings Honor to God — Watchtower ONLINE ...God Loves Clean People | God's Love - JW.org God Wants His People to Be Clean and Pure - JW.org
I could keep listing articles but I think you get the point. You more than likely were referring to cleanliness articles related to the pandemic, right? If so, nothing instantly popped up on that, but I didn't search very deep. As a bit of a germophobic myself, I've kind of seen the organization as sticklers for cleanliness over the years, and in fairness, I think it was, Stephen Lett, that reminded people to wash their hands and social distance during one of his recent pandemic presentations, so I was a little taken back by the "cleanliness" part:-)
Reply by Tadua on 2020-11-09 04:28:08
Hi Dissident
Many thanks for your comment. I was referring to physical cleanness, and have amended the article to make it clear.
However I would point out that the articles you found and cited are old. Of specific articles you mention that I could find in WT library they were from 2002, 2002, 2008, 1971. Hardly food at the proper time, (the most recent article being 10 years old) when we have articles about preaching many times a year. That was the point I was making.
Comment by yobec on 2020-11-08 17:21:37
What is it that makes us so one-track minded when it comes to the preaching work, as though somehow if we neglect to preach ,some honest hearted people might perish.? That is absurd.
Jesus said that the angels were in charge of doing the reaping. This was demonstrated with Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch. An angel directed him to go to the eunuch ,as he , the angel and not Phillip,could see that he was reading from the book of Isaiah and wanted to know more. Also,
Jesus said that no one comes to him unless the father draws him. And we know that the father will never allow a righteous one to totter. It is indeed a privilege to be used as an instrument to teach about Christ for sure. But we are not in charge of this work. I think that to believe otherwise simply shows that we might" be thinking of ourselves more than is necessary. Rather than trusting in this angelic arrangement we have taken it upon ourselves to divide most of the entire earth into territories and to keep track of its coverage , not at home etc.. The angels lead by Christ do not need that. and to understand that, might help to keep us humble.
Comment by Chet on 2020-11-09 16:22:31
Even as a child, I was always struck by the surreal nature of the pantomime of Memorial. I understood the reason, as they explained it, but it always seemed strange to me, and even more considering that many of the Memorials I attended had no one partaking. I have since learned that there is a ritual where people pantomime Communion, but reject the wine and bread, as a way of rejecting Jesus.
Even though I had quit attending meetings, for the most part, in 2003, I continued to attend Memorials. In 2016, I missed the Memorial, due to weather. In 2017 I bought my own matzahs and wine and held Memorial at home. In 2018, perhaps one day ahead of time, it occurred to me that I should take communion, and I have since that time. Surprisingly, I didn’t have a profound experience when I did that, but I definitely felt that I had done the right thing and I am thankful for my calling.
Now, with the lockdown, they have instituted another pantomime. In a time when no one can go door-to-door, they are pushing “Field Service”, in the form of letter writing. From what I’ve heard, there is a sewing bee nature to this, as publishers gather in Zoom meetings and yak it up while they write letters.
Do they really think that this accomplishes anything? Most of these letters will be discarded, after just a few lines are read. If they wanted to do a letter writing campaign, they could generate personalized letters using a mail-merge, print them and send them by bulk post. The results would be about the same.
So, once again, they are going through the motions, but not really accomplishing anything. Perhaps a tiny fraction of these letters will be read and an even tinier fraction of these will actually be met with interest, but for the most part, it’s a waste of time, energy, and money. Of course, the same could be said about the door-to-door work. Since the ‘80s, the chance of reaching someone at home had dwindled to nearly zero. Even if they were home, they probably wouldn’t answer the door, much less listen to an entire presentation.
During my last flourish of JW activity, it became very evident to me that that was make-work. Dig a hole, fill a hole, dig another hole, etc. etc. There was accomplishment, in the form of fellowship. But I also noted that these people were not like the Witness I remembered from my youth, but were much more “programmed”; prone to parrot what they had been taught instead of reasoning. I remember one car group where I listened to a discussion of an innocuous common aphorism, while they dissected it, looking for hidden meanings that didn’t exist. (I didn’t leave voluntarily; I had to go in order to preserve my sanity.)
The only thing that was accomplished by Field Service, at that time, was team building. Isolating a group of people, having them perform an unpopular activity, and then they could get back together in the car and support one another, against the rejection they experienced. Now, they can accomplish the same thing, using Zoom in place of the car group and the rejection is all but painless, because it comes in the form of the letters being discarded, by most recipients. But it still serves a purpose, because even such impersonal rejection validates their groupthink and increases their bond.
Beyond that, it is a way for the Organization to exert control, even though the situation has changed drastically. Actually, from the perspective of the Organization, loss of control is probably the greatest risk the Organization faces, due to the lockdown. Zoom meetings do not have the personal impact of face-to-face meetings. While I hear that they are very insistent that attendees keep their cameras on, even so, it’s a lot easier to conceal one’s actions in a Zoom meeting, as opposed to an in-person meeting. Just the ability to check other translations and to fact check with online searches, could be a game changer.
Whether Christ’s return in imminent, or not, is not something I would have any way to know, but the year 2020 has seen enormous change, in many areas of life. The JW Organization has had its share of problems and seemed to be at a tipping point even before this year started. Now, they are facing a new set of challenges that could not have been anticipated. Assuming that the COVID situation passes, they are likely to find that rounding up all the active members and getting them back to meetings will become all but impossible. This, is going to be interesting to watch.
My estimation is that the Organization will never return to what it was in the past. They were already hemorrhaging members as it was and many of those leaving were not on the fringes, but solid, experienced JWs. It may be that the lockdown is what finishes them off.
Comment by marielle on 2020-11-10 03:15:31
- À qui Jéhovah, et sur la base de quel verset, va t-il DIRE que l’activité de prédication est terminée ?
Comme tu le dis justement, nous devons « annoncer la mort du Seigneur jusqu’à ce qu’il vienne » et pour cela, prendre le pain et le vin, est ce que Jésus nous a commandé de faire.
Ce début d’étude, comme à l’accoutumée, laisse entendre que Jéhovah transmettra des directives au GB pour ce qui est du moment où il leur dira d’arrêter de prêcher.
Comme d’habitude, au § 10 le GB, en citant Jacques 5 : 7,8
Ne parle que de la patience, sans expliquer qu’elle s’exerce... « jusqu’à la présence du Seigneur » qui marque le terme, la fin.
7 « Patientez donc, frères, JUSQU’À LA PRÉSENCE DU SEIGNEUR. Voyez ! Le cultivateur attend le précieux produit de la terre, il l’attend patiemment jusqu’à ce qu’arrivent la pluie d’automne et la pluie de printemps+. 8 Vous aussi patientez+ ; affermissez vos cœurs, parce que la présence du Seigneur approche ».
Jacques ne dit pas :
Patientez jusqu’à ma présence invisible, puis patientez encore jusqu’à ce que je vienne avec puissance et grande gloire pour juger les nations.
Si Jésus est avec nous jusqu’à la fin, c’est la fin qui déterminera d’elle-même, que les choses ont changé.
Révélation 11 : 15
Le royaume du monde « sera devenu » le royaume de Dieu et son Christ, et il règnera à tout jamais.
Comment by Frankie on 2020-11-11 16:55:20
Tadua, thank you for very good review.
I would like to point out the eisegetical manipulation of Jacob 5:7-8, which is determining for paragraphs 10-14. The picture shows a hard-working farmer and next to him are hard working preachers (she works especially hard :-). So the reader is prepared in advance for the following text and the pictorial information is engraved into his/her mind and into subconscious - this is part of programming, likewise all the videos during conventions.
The interpretation of Jacob 5:7-8 in paragraphs 10-14 applies exclusively to the preaching, which is confirmed by all the questions under the individual paragraphs.
"Be patient while working hard at preaching". It is typical for WT to omit the context of the following verses. Jacob 5: 7-8 is not about preaching at all. Only after reading the following verses, we will find out what Jacob is actually talking about.
The first century Christians often experienced tough times. And in times of distress, it could happen that the brothers were irritated against each other, perhaps anger prevailed over love. And the Lord still did not come. Therefore Jacob calls: "Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." Be patient - and as an example, he shows a farmer patiently waiting for the harvest. Even in difficult times, the Christians wait for the harvest of eternal life.
In these verses, Jacob does not emphasize working hard at preaching and be patient while sweat drips from you. No. Jacob encourages patience during tough times because the Lord sees everything, He will come soon, and He will not be late (Hebrews 10:37). Jacob tells his brothers and sisters to strengthen their hearts so that they can be seen to be the letter from Christ (2 Cor 3: 3).
These verses in James 5: 7-11 also speak to us today, after 2,000 years. Jacob gives us hope, and hope to those who might stumble, because times are hard and our Lord still has not come. So what is the message of James 5: 7-11 for us?
Brothers and sisters, let's be patient. We have examples of Job and the prophets. Let's strengthen our hearts and don't skimp on love. The Lord is coming soon. He sees our suffering and He is compassionate and merciful. And He will surely set us free.
Love to all
Frankie
P.S. Marielle, thank you for another look at Jacob 5: 7-8.