Q: Why are you teaching that the Watchtower Society is the man of lawlessness while at the same time you are telling us that we should go to the meetings.  Isn’t that a contradiction??  What does the Watchtower Society have to do with God’s people.  They never represented God or his people.  I don’t understand why you are still supporting them with your website.
_________________________
 


A: Were you at one time one of Jehovah’s witnesses, attending meetings? If you were, as it seems from your question, I can understand why you now doubt that the Watchtower Society has anything to do with God's people, in view of all that has happened within the organization and openly exposed, even publicized in the newspapers. (Luke 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:24)

Those of us who have lived long enough have come to realize that many of the Society’s former overly confident interpretation of prophecies — including the declaration that the generation of 1914 would not pass away before the end comes (which needed to be adjusted in 1995, and reinterpreted in 2008), and 50 years ago the promise that God’s people would not grow old in this system — have proven to be not only a disappointment to the many who had put faith in them by planning their lives accordingly, but also has now become a hardship for anyone who did not prepare for their retirement in this system on account of them. The serious failure of these predictions to come true should put all of us on notice that God's spirit was not upon the ones who made them.

Yet, instead of all these things proving that we are not God’s people, they actually provide positive evidence to the contrary, for they fulfill specific prophecies regarding God’s people in the last days. Jesus' words are pertinent in this case, for as is true with all prophecies, if these things were not happening then "how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must take place this way?" (Matt. 26:54; Mal. 3:14-18) Rather than be surprised to the point of stumbling, it should strengthen our faith, for when Jesus gave his disciples the signs regarding the conclusion of the system of things, he also told them: “Look! I have forewarned you.” This means that we must keep on the watch, and endure when it happens; and rather than give up we have reason to rejoice, “because [our] deliverance is getting near.” (Matt. 24:3, 12,13, 25, 42; Luke 21:28; John 16:4)

The reason why so many of God’s people have been poorly equipped to face the present situation within our congregations is because we have refused to apply God's prophecies regarding the bad condition within God’s household to ourselves, instead pointing the finger at the churches of Christendom with their clergy class; while we have been fooled into believing that we are actually enjoying a "spiritual paradise" on account of our wonderful and capable leaders, in spite of the evidence to the contrary. This has led many honest hearted ones to conclude that Jehovah’s witnesses are no different from the religions they condemn. And I would like you to know, that for the most part, Jehovah agrees with that! But God also sees among his people the "few names that did not defile their outer garments," and Jesus assures such ones that "they shall walk with me in white ones, because they are worthy." (Rev. 3:4) Not all of them have “exchanged the truth of God for the lie”, for there are still many who “worship the Father with spirit and truth,” in spite of persecution within their congregation as in some cases. (John 4:23,24; Rom. 1:25) 

That there are wicked men and corrupt leaders among God’s people, who refuse to listen to Jehovah, should not surprise us. Jehovah himself has told us that with few exceptions, his people have always been rebellious throughout their history. Whenever Jehovah sent his prophets in order to warn his people, their false prophets would counter God's warnings with their own false promises of peace, leading God's people astray. (Isa. 30:8,9; Jer. 5:23, 26, 29-31; Ezek. 9:4, 9,10; 13:6-10, 22,23) It is advantages for us to take note on how God dealt with them in the past, because, as he wants us to know, “these things went on befalling them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived.” (1 Cor. 10:11; Rom. 15:4)
 

Jehovah definitely tells us that he has a people, “a special property,” who are his “flock” and his “inheritance”; a “people for his name.” This is not dependent on what others think or teach, whether they agree or hotly deny such a thing. (Mal. 3:17; 1 Peter 5:2,3; Acts 15:14-17) In order for anyone to become a member of God's household, and remain there, he must meet certain requirements and abide by God’s standards, for God does not welcome just anyone into his tent. (Psalms 15:1-5; 2 Cor. 6:17,18; 1 Tim. 3:15; Rev. 20:3, 8)

The critical issue that involves your question is this: What happens when a formerly righteous person within God’s household turns wicked, even apostate, by turning away from the true God? Will Jehovah then strike him dead, on the spot, upon his sin of rebellion? Although he has done so — such as when he struck two of Aaron’s sons with fire, “so that they died before Jehovah” — as a rule he gives the wicked one time to repent, with the hope that he turns back from his ruinous course. (Lev. 10:1,2; Luke 15:7) This merciful attribute of our God helps to explain why he has permitted wickedness, even the existence of a wicked slave within his temple, although causing suffering and trials to his loyal people. At the same time he has promised that he will make it up to all those who continue to faithfully endure, by rewarding them with everlasting life. You see, his patience in tolerating the wicked among us also affords us the opportunity to demonstrate our own love, proving that we truly are like our heavenly Father, as Jesus said we must: “Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you; that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous. For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? And if you greet your brothers only, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:44-48; 1 John 4:17-21)

Please consider what Jehovah says about the reason he tolerates the wicked among his people, according to the New Living Translation:
   “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. 24 However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. 

   25 “Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? 26 When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. 27 And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. 28 They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die.” (Ezek. 18:21-28, NLT; Jer. 8:5,6; compare 2 Chron. 36:15,16; Rev. 2:5, 16, 21; 3:3, 19)

Yes, Jehovah gives us time to think it over, and to analyze why we have lost his holy spirit and he no longer seems to listen to our prayers. His Word helps us to do that! And as he makes known to us our sins, we need to repent and turn away from them, making whatever changes are necessary. But if we fail to appreciate his patience and mercy, then eventually we will unavoidably reap the consequence. (Eccl. 8:11; Romans 2:4; Gal. 6:7-9; 2 Peter 3:9) This becomes perhaps even more important for anyone who has been chosen by God and anointed with his holy spirit, as he has much to lose if God were to reject him. For example, the apostle Peter "stood condemned," because he, along with others who were influenced by him, "were not walking straight according to the truth of the good news." Thankfully Peter was not immediately struck dead (like Aaron's sons), but he accepted the discipline from Paul and repented. All of us are at risk of getting into a similar situation if we are not discerning. (Gal. 2:11-14)

Consider two other examples: that of Saul, the first king of Israel; and Jeroboam, who received the ten tribes; both of whom were chosen and anointed by Jehovah. (1 Sam. 15:17; 1 Kings 11:11, 29-31) Although both of them became apostate shortly after their anointing, Jehovah allowed them to continued in their position that he had given them, until they were eventually removed as unrepentant sinners. (compare 1 Samuel 26:9-11) This will help to explain the relationship between the Watchtower Society and God's people, for it involves the foretold "man of lawlessness" whose presence within God's temple is "according to the operation of Satan," and why God has not speedily acted to remove him.


God's temple, which came into existence at Pentecost, has survived throughout the centuries to the present day. That temple includes Jesus, as the foundation cornerstone, and the 144,000 who make up the foundation with him; plus the countless others who are built upon that foundation and become part of the temple, wherein they render sacred service to God. It is the foundation that determines where God's temple is and where God has directed us to worship him. The foundation of his temple is rock solid, and he does not need to start over by laying another foundation! (Eph. 2:19-22; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Acts 13:48; Rev. 7:14,15; 14:1) Throughout all these many centuries there have always been some member stones of that foundation on earth, being added to the ones already put in place prior to them, and to whom God has directed his worshipers; most of whom we know nothing about because they are lost to history, but known to God. He will bring them back in the first resurrection. (Luke 20:38; Rev. 20:6; Isa. 26:19)

Another important fact to take into consideration is that God's prophetic word applies to his people, and is fulfilled during two separate and distinct periods: the first takes place during the First Century, while the second in "the time of the end." (Dan. 12:4, 9,10; Matt. 13:16,17; 1 Peter 1:10-12) In the First Century God's prophecies were fulfilled in connection with the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ; the establishment of the new covenant, as prophesied by Jeremiah; and also the forming of the Christian congregations, telling us how quickly they grew on account of the power of the holy spirit. All these things happened according to God's reliable prophetic word.

The second period during which Bible prophecies are fulfilled takes place during the time leading up to the return of Jesus, and deals with the condition of God's temple at that time. Jesus himself kept pointing to that future time, telling his disciples to keep in expectation of his return. (Matt. 24:42, 44-51; 25:13-19; Rev. 1:1, 10) In connection with the return of the Lord Christ Jesus, the apostle Paul wrote: "However, brothers, respecting the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be excited either through an inspired expression or through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah* is here. Let no one seduce you in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called 'god' or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god. Do you not remember that, while I was yet with you, I used to tell you these things?" (Please read 2 Thessalonians, all of Chapter 2; For a discussion on God's temple and household, please see "Does God Have an Organization?")

As we all know, there obviously was no Watchtower Society in the first century to manage the affairs of God's people. The holy spirit, under the direction of Christ Jesus, was very active and powerful back then. Since the Bible is silent on the years in between the two periods, we do not know exactly how things transpired among God's people during these almost two thousand years, although history tells us that Satan had infiltrated the congregations resulting in many different sects. (1 Cor. 1:10-13; 2 Cor. 11:12-15) In spite of the many counterfeit religions claiming to worship Jesus as God, towards the end of the nineteenth century God's temple was still in existence, and Jehovah knows the ones whom he had chosen at that time as stones in the foundation. Charles Taze Russell has been considered by many as an outstanding faithful servant of God, who founded the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. He may very well at one time have been one of the chosen foundation stones in God's temple, to whom God directed his true worshipers; but evidently he, like Saul and Jeroboam, and many others before him, did not remain faithful. (2 Tim. 2:16-19) He became fascinated with certain knowledge that Jesus said does not belong to us (in fact, knowledge that even Jesus had not received; Matthew 24:36), but that did not deter him from wanting to interpret "the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction," thereby rebelling against God. We do not want to be guilty of minimizing the seriousness of Russell's action, for taking something that God has told us does not belong to us is just as much a sin as what Adam and Eve became guilty of. (Acts 1:7; Gen. 2:16,17) Not receiving any help from God and his holy spirit, Russell turned to "demonic signs of astrology to confirm the witness given in the Bible," in order to interpret the times or seasons of the Scriptures that did not belong to him. (Compare 1 Samuel 28:6,7) This is what one Watchtower article confessed regarding Russell:

   In 1886 when C. T. Russell published a book that came to be called The Divine Plan of the Ages, this volume contained a chart linking the ages of mankind with the Great Pyramid of Egypt. It was thought that this memorial of Pharaoh Khufu was the pillar referred to at Isaiah 19:19, 20: “In that day there will prove to be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Jehovah beside its boundary. And it must prove to be for a sign and for a witness to Jehovah of armies in the land of Egypt.” What relationship could the pyramid have with the Bible? Well, as an example, the length of certain passages in the Great Pyramid was said to indicate the time for the beginning of the “great tribulation” of Matthew 24:21, as it was then understood. Some Bible Students became engrossed with measuring different features of the pyramid to determine such matters as the day they would be going to heaven!
   This so-called Bible in Stone was held in esteem for some decades, until the Watchtower issues of November 15 and December 1, 1928, made clear that Jehovah needed no stone monument built by pagan pharaohs and containing demonic signs of astrology to confirm the witness given in the Bible.—The Watchtower 2000 1/1 pp. 9-10 Serving With the Watchman.


If Russell was indeed one of Jehovah's anointed servants, in a prominent and responsible position as a member of the foundation of God's temple, he turned to "demonic signs of astrology to confirm the witness given in the Bible," according to the Watchtower article quoted above. Is that not what king Saul had also been guilty of, besides rejecting God's specific instructions; as Russell likewise did when he acted on what Jesus said does not belong to us but only to God? (Compare 1 Chron. 10:13,14)

Some may be offended for assailing the character of such a seemingly godly man! And yet they may have no problem understanding the seriousness of the sins of Saul or Jeroboam. God has not changed his standards with the passing of time! How would Jehovah deal with the apostasy in this case, committed within his temple by one of his chosen foundation stones? Remove him immediately? In king Saul's case Jehovah allowed him to continue to rule over his people for an extended time, although having already replaced him by anointing young David; and during those years there existed two anointed kings, one who had been rejected, and the other waiting to succeed Saul upon his death. Do you think God's people were affected by all this? Might some have come to the conclusion that the nation of Israel could not possibly be God's people; or that God does not even have a people? What lesson is there in all this for us, "upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived"? (1 Cor. 10:11)

The apostasy that Russell introduced took firm root when Joseph Rutherford succeeded him as president upon his death in 1916. (Jer. 12:1-3; Mal. 3:15; 4:1) He continued in Russell's course (as did the successors of apostate king Jeroboam), and although he rendered as obsolete much of what Russell had taught, he held to "the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction," and build an entire structure of worship upon the date 1914. It was Rutherford, as president and ruler of the Watchtower Society, who brought all the congregations under its control. The "man of lawlessness," who consisted of the Watchtower Society's president and his board of directors, was now sitting in the "temple of The God," publicly showing himself to be a god, as Paul had prophesied. (Eph. 2:4) From this time onward, and until Jesus' presence, other prophecies regarding God's people in the time of the end would see their fulfillment. Their significance would become ever more evident as time progressed.

Many have been impressed and influenced by the seeming accuracy of Pastor Russell's pointing to the year 1914, and the start of the first world war. They ask, if this was not from God then how could he have possibly known about this forty years in advance? We could reply by asking similarly: How could the Mayas point to the year 2012 hundreds of years ago, as is being publicized today, in view of the present crises facing the world? If anything major happens in December of this year, will that be proof that God had revealed his "times and seasons" to the Mayas also? Or do we perhaps find the answer in what the apostle Paul wrote, when he said: "The inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons." (1 Tim. 4:1) We have already seen that Russell was greatly influenced by "demonic signs of astrology," which has to do with determining times and seasons as revealed by the stars and planets. Russell was actually a year off in his calculations, for had he realized that there was no zero year between 1 BCE and 1 CE, he would have been preaching 1915 instead of 1914. When this error was discovered after his death, there was an adjustment made to the year from when Russell started the count of his 2,520 years, thus 606 BCE became 607 BCE, keeping the historic year of 1914 intact. All this may help us better understand how and why teachings that are "inspired expressions of error," found their way into God's household, and which have posed a real challenge to sincere lovers of truth. Our determination to "obey God as ruler rather than men" has become an issue in our worship. (1 John 4:1, 6; Acts 5:29; For further details on this, please see the article "What Does 607 B.C.E. Mean to You?")

Over the decades, the Society has managed to acquire much property in order to facilitate the preaching of the good news in all the earth. In time (after Rutherford's passing) the board of directors of the Society were given a greater voice, and eventually became the governing body, presented to God's people as the "faithful and discreet slave." Everything that proceeded from the Watchtower Society, everything they taught, and everything they owned and accumulated, came to be viewed as proceeding from God and as prove of his blessings upon them. Since they claimed to have been appointed by Jesus, they made it mandatory for God's servants to submit to them. Love of truth was no longer the vital issue, for submission had replaced it. We can now better understand much of what was happening in the light of God's prophetic Word that had foretold it. But God's people as a whole have failed to get the sense of it all, because we have been taught that "the man of lawlessness" has his fulfillment in the clergy of Christendom, thus placing them within God's temple. (For further information regarding this, please see the article, "Distinguishing Between the Sacred and the Secular")

For a long time it seemed that true worship was prospering under the direction of the Watchtower Society. The preaching of the good news was being accomplished according to Jesus' instructions, in all the inhabited earth, resulting in many different sort of people being brought into God's household. (Matt. 24:14; 13:47-50) But the further along we have advanced into the time we are now living in, the more it has become evident to lovers of truth that there is something terribly wrong within God's temple. Not only has the identifying love for each other become conditional, but we have also discovered that we have replaced the truth of God's word with manmade doctrines and traditions, thereby making God's word invalid and our worship in vain, as Jesus said. (John 13:34,35; Matt. 15:3-9) We may be excused for thinking that today there are no true worshipers of Jehovah left within his temple. Yet, God has always had some servants who remained faithful under the worst conditions, such as the few faithful ones who kept their integrity in a congregation where the majority were pronounced spiritually "dead" by Jesus, as was the case with the Sardis congregation. (1 Kings 19:18; Rev. 3:1-5) We will all be judged according to the person Jesus discovers us to be at his presence. Once he has arrived, it will be too late to repent, in case there was need for it! (Matt. 7:21-23; 25:31-46) But isn't that the very reason Jehovah has provided us with all this information, to give us the needed time to make any necessary changes? In the meantime we need to put up with the ones who refuse to do so. (Matt, 24:37-39; Acts 17:30,31; 2 Peter 3:11,12)

There is nothing happening within God's household today that Jehovah is not aware of, or that he did not foresee. (2 Timothy 3:1-7) He continues to direct his sheep to his temple, the foundation of which remains standing, although the chosen and anointed stones are at the present time overshadowed by the lawless one, who "lifts himself up over everyone who is called 'god' or an object of reverence, showing himself to be a god." (2 Thess. 2:4; Jude 8, 10,11) Because Jehovah keeps his eyes on his sheep they are safe, and no one can snatch them out of his hand. (John 10:27-29) Peter assures us that "Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off." (2 Peter 2:9)

Jehovah is still teaching us by means of his holy spirit, and therefore we are able to understand that this lawless presence did not originate with him, and why he has allowed it. (Lam. 3:33; 2 Thess. 2:9-12; 1 Peter 5:2-4) Tolerating the man of lawlessness within his temple serves God's purpose in judging his household, as Paul explained, for it makes it possible for him to clearly distinguish between "the righteous and the unrighteous," between the ones who genuinely love the truth, remaining loyal in the midst of wickedness; and all others who profess to worship God but in reality are followers of men, putting faith in their leaders with no regard for the truth, and in this proving to be no different from the world. (2 Thess. 2:11,12; 1 Peter 4:17-19; Psalms 118:8,9; Jer. 17:5) Soon we will be set free from the yoke imposed on us by these men, when the lawless one within God's temple is removed, as Paul says: "Then, indeed, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence." (2 Thess. 2:8; Gal. 5:1) All the evidence shows that this will happen in the very near future, and very unexpectedly.

Jehovah does not require anything unusual of his people at this time, but to continue to listen to him by doing the things he has told us are necessary. That includes patiently waiting on him while we have intense love for one another. (Psalms 62:5-8; 1 Peter 1:22; Rev. 2:3,4, 24,25) He is not going to confuse us by telling us to do anything that he hasn't already told us. He knows that would leave us wide open to deception by false prophets. (2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1) All of us can rest assured that God is adding nothing new to his holy Word the Bible. (Rev. 22:18,19) And he would certainly never tell his loyal ones to leave his household. On the contrary! We have been told that the wicked people in our midst will be removed, foremost among them the man of lawlessness. (Ezek. 13:9; Matt. 13:40-43, 47-49) After the dust has finally settled, and God has judged his people, the only ones remaining within his temple will be those who truly belong there, all of them recognized by God as his true worshipers. There was no Watchtower Society in the first century, and yet God's temple existed and functioned back then. And that is how it will be again! Once the final number of the foundation stones of God's holy temple have been sealed, and is completed, then there will be no more need for God to hold back the four winds of destruction from blowing upon the earth. At that time God's true and faithful worshipers will experience God's favor in a special way, as he delivers them through the great tribulation. (Rev. 7:1-4, 9,10, 13-17)

In conclusion I would like to add that if nothing of the above information, including applicable Scriptures, makes any sense to you, then that is because they do not apply to you. Yet, if you care about your relationship with God, and want to worship him within his temple, you need to humbly approach him in prayer, for only he can help you enjoy the close relationship that leads to everlasting life. (James 1:5-8)


(* In the New World Translation this should read "day of the Lord" and not "day of Jehovah," in harmony with vs. 1 and 8. Because the Society believes that Jesus already returned in 1914, and therefore we are no longer in expectation of the "presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him," they translate this as "day of Jehovah," since they believe that his day is still future. But according to the Scriptures, Jesus has not yet returned, and therefore they have not yet been identified as any "faithful and discreet slave," nor been appointed over all of Christ's belongings. We can expect them to be absolutely shocked when, instead of hearing the words, "Well done, good and faithful slave," they will suddenly be removed from their position within God's temple and have their portion assigned with the hypocrites. —Matt. 25:21; 24:50,51) 



http://www.perimeno.ca/Index_A.htm