"My People Like it That Way"
"A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land-- the
prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand.
And worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the
end comes?
—Jeremiah
5:26-31 (New Living Translation)
The Watchtower
has for many years noted the horrible and shocking conditions inside the
churches of Christendom. For example, the
issue of
January 15, 1960,
page 40,
had this to say:
The fruits of
Christendom’s religious confusion are to be seen in its rising rate of
crime, its juvenile delinquency and its alarming increase in divorce and
godlessness. It is all what Jehovah foretold for ungodly Christendom in
these “last days.”
(Matt. 7:15-23; 2 Tim. 3:1-7; Jer. 5:29-31)
(bold mine)
"Millions of
people from nearly every religion and sect of Christendom have been led to
believe that they are “born again” and “saved.” Unblushing politicians
blithely make the same claim. Yes, their favorite preachers tell them that
they are at peace with God because they are “saved”—and this in spite of
their religious, political, and nationalistic divisions! And the people
love it, even as they did in Jeremiah’s day! (Jeremiah
5:31; 14:14)
They think they are beyond the
reach of God’s Armageddon judgment.—Jeremiah 6:14; 23:17; 1
Corinthians 1:10; Revelation 16:14, 16."
—w88
4/1 pp. 17-18, Christendom Exposed as the Promoter of False Worship
(bold mine)
Also, under the heading “Praise Jah, You People!” we are told:
"In fulfillment of Bible prophecy, horrible things have been happening
in Christendom. (Compare Jeremiah 5:30, 31; 23:14.) Largely
because of the permissive attitude of the clergy, their flocks are riddled
with immorality. In the United States, supposedly a Christian nation,
about half of all marriages end up in divorce. Teenage pregnancies and
homosexuality run riot among church members. Priests are sexually abusing
young children—and not in just a few instances. . .Christendom
has disregarded the apostle Paul’s warning found at 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10:
“What! Do you not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s
kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men,
nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom.”
—The
Watchtower 1996,
April 1, pages 18-19.
(bold mine)
When Jehovah instructed Jeremiah to write that
"among my people are
wicked men," who did he have
in mind by saying "my people?" Is he denouncing the people of
Christendom? (see the Box "Is Jehovah also the God of Christendom?") Amos,
one of Jehovah's prophets,
answers, "Hear this word that Jehovah has spoken concerning YOU, O sons of
Israel, concerning the whole family that I brought up out of the land of
Egypt, saying, ‘YOU people only have I known out of all the families of
the ground. That is why I shall hold an accounting against YOU for all
YOUR errors." (Amos 3:1,2) Jehovah acknowledged only the sons of Israel as
his people, and as such he was holding them accountable for all their
sins, the horrible things they were guilty of committing. But before he
was going to act in a frightful way against them he revealed their errors and his intention to do something about it. For that reason he raised
up his prophets, as Amos writes, "If a horn is blown in a
city, do not also the people themselves tremble? If a calamity occurs in
the city, is it not also Jehovah who has acted? For the Sovereign Lord
Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter
to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:6,7)
Jehovah does not execute his judgment upon his people, or anyone else for
that matter, unless he first presents all the evidence against them, just as in a court
of law, for all to see. It is as Isaiah 3:13,14 says, "The LORD
takes his place in court. He is the great prosecuting attorney, presenting
his case against his people! The leaders and the princes will be the first
to feel the LORD's judgment." (NLT)
How do we respond to the case that Jehovah is now presenting against us?
Do we dismiss the evidence, saying it applies to others, for example, to the
members of Christendom's churches? Are we also claiming that
Jehovah's people are in Christendom, thereby rejecting any charges that
God is bringing against us? If we insist that we are God's people then we must
also apply all the scriptures that Jehovah addresses to his people as
applying to us. And he tells us that there are shocking and horrible
things being done in our midst. Our marriage breakups are as high, if not
higher in some places, as they are in Christendom. (Jer. 5:8, 9) We have
men in responsible positions getting their names published in the Newspapers because of
sexually abusing children in their midst. There have been Jehovah's
Witness murderers mentioned, extortionists fleecing elderly sisters of
their savings, etc. There is nothing rotten
happening in the churches of Christendom that is not also happening among
us.
But there are "horrible" things being done in our case, that are not even
being done in Christendom. Yes, Jehovah says that
among his own people there are "wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a
blind." Who are these wicked men, and how
are they "continually
setting traps for other people?"
(Jer. 5:26-31)
They are the ones who lie in wait, set traps, for any among us who might
have doubts about their teachings, due to some contradictions because of not being solidly based on God's Word. At one time such ones
were helped to reason on the Scriptures, but for the last few
decades these doubters have been harshly dealt with. The disciple Jude, a
brother of James, wrote to those "loved in relationship with God the
Father and preserved for Jesus Christ" this counsel: "Be helpful to all
who may have doubts. Rescue any who need to be saved, as you would rescue
someone from a fire. Then with fear in your own hearts, have mercy on
everyone who needs it. But hate even the clothes of those who have been
made dirty by their filthy deeds." (Jude 22, 23; Contemporary English
Version)
The wicked hunters among God's people today do not prove to be helpful to
any doubters, as rescuing them from a fire, thus saving their lives. (see
James 5:19,20) Rather, they lie in wait for any who might entertain some
"apostate" ideas. By this they mean anything that is not in agreement with
their teachings, never mind if these "apostate" ideas are in harmony with
God's own Word. They do not shrink back from disfellowshipping "God's
beloved ones,"
even anointed ones, who "do not believe every inspired expression, but
test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God." (1
John 4:1; Rom. 1:7) Do they not understand that the sheep belong to
Jehovah, and that Christ died for them, and that they will have to render
an account to God for how they treated his sheep? (John 21:15-17; Heb.
13:17; James 3:1) Do we see that sort of paranoia in Christendom's
churches?
They tolerate no dissent! With what result? They have grown "great
and rich," and are "well fed and well groomed." Yes, they are highly esteemed within
God's household as if they are prospering because of God's blessing upon
them. But do they deserve any respect? Do they genuinely care for the
flock, the ones over whom they are ruling? (1
Peter 5:3) What does Jehovah see? They refuse
justice to "orphans," the young ones among us whose spiritual lives are
entrusted to the care of the elders. Not a few of them have been abused, sometimes
even by congregation
servants, who hide such horrible wrongdoing with the mistaken intent of not wanting to
bring reproach on God's name. Yet, they are the ones who bring
reproach on his name by covering over the wicked deeds and
by dealing
harshly with the victims, some of whom they have expelled from the
congregation for speaking out and revealing some personal abuse they
themselves suffered. They ignore the fact that Jehovah has never covered over wrong
doing. In fact, he is zealous in exposing it, becoming a "swift witness"
against them. (Prov.
28:13;
Mal. 3:5;
Luke 8:17) They show favoritism. They look
down upon the spiritually weak ones whose hours spend in the ministry might be very low, judging
them as poor examples, while heaping praises upon the ones rich in
hours. (James
2:8,9)
Is Jehovah not taking notice of all these things? He tells us that he is
and sees even more terrible things that greatly disturb him. Those who
claim to represent him and speak in his name have become powerful by promoting false
prophecies. Woe to anyone who dares question the failed predictions. And
there are those serving under these "prophets" who rule "with an iron
hand." As the
God’s Word Bible puts it, "Prophets
prophesy lies. Priests rule under the prophets’ directions." The cooperation of these "priests"
with the "prophets" is not for the
benefit of the flock. The New World Translation says it this way, "and as
for the priests, they go subduing according to their power." Yes, those
appointed by the prophets have been empowered to subdue, subjugate,
bring under control the members within their respective congregations
on behalf of the prophets, enforcing their teachings and laws.
The prophets who "give false prophecies" are not Jehovah's prophets.
Neither has he empowered any "priests" to rule over any of his
sheep. Then
how is it that the prophets and priests have come to wield so much control
and authority within God's household, having become great and rich, being
well fed and well groomed? In all of the "subduing according to
their power" why does Jehovah not mention his
anointed king? Where does he fit into all of this? In Jeremiah's day the kings
were still ruling although greatly
influenced by the princes, prophets and priests. But where is the
authority of our king, Christ Jesus, today? Would he not be just as
shocked as Jehovah at the situation among God's people? And if he were
already ruling, would he be permitting this? As the evidence shows, the prophets
and priests have supplanted the rightful king.
They have
seized rulership, albeit claiming with the king's blessing, and they are
doing so with harshness, having made themselves "masters over [our] faith."
(NWT) How unlike the
attitude of the apostle Paul, who wrote, "We
are not bosses who tell you what to believe. We are working with you to
make you glad, because your faith is strong."
(2 Cor. 1:24;
Contemporary English Version)
What makes everything so much worse, Jehovah says, is that as a whole, his
people "like it that way." Yes, it astonishes him that they actually
"have loved it that way," the deplorable conditions, heavy
handed control and all. (Jeremiah 5:31; New World Translation)
There is no outcry from them to Jehovah for aid. They mock any who may be
disturbed because of it, for they claim that speaking out
against it is the same as speaking against God. After all, if God has
allowed it, is that not prove that he is in agreement with it? And
besides, have they not taught us the truth about God and his kingdom? Yes, they have
taught us many important truths, but liberally interspersed with their own
"truths." Jehovah's allowance of their wickedness and rebellion is
no indication that he has been in favor of it. Their tyranny is quickly coming to
an end, just as soon as Jesus returns in kingdom power, at a time they do
not think to be it. (Matt. 24:44)
It is a very serious matter to reach out for glory or to covet positions that do not belong to us.
(Ex.
20:17;
Prov. 28:16) Neither
Moses, nor Aaron, nor even Christ himself, glorified themselves, nor did
they seek any glory. (Num. 12:3; Phil.
2:5-9) In this regard Paul writes: "Also,
a man takes this honor, not of his own accord, but only when he is called
by God, just as Aaron also [was]. So too the Christ did not glorify
himself by becoming a high priest, but [was glorified by him] who spoke
with reference to him: 'You are my son; I, today, I have become your
father.'" (Heb. 5:4,5)
Let us consider as a warning the example of some who coveted glory that
did not belong to them. (1
Cor. 10:11,12)
Moses, the One Entrusted With All God's House
It was an historic event when, in 1513 B.C.E., Moses was chosen by Jehovah
to lead Jacob's (Israel's) descendants out of Egyptian slavery to freedom,
to the good land that God had promised to give to Abraham's offspring.
(Gen. 15:18; Ex. 3:1-12) By divine direction Moses first led the people to
Mount Sinai, where Jehovah entered into a covenant with his people, with
Moses as their mediator. Moses was indeed used in a mighty way by Jehovah.
Concerning him Jehovah himself said: “If there came to be a prophet of
yours for Jehovah, it would be in a vision I would make myself known to
him. In a dream I would speak to him. Not so my servant Moses! He is being
entrusted with all my house. Mouth to mouth I speak to him, thus showing
him, and not by riddles; and the appearance of Jehovah is what he
beholds.” (Num. 12:6-8)
It was said that "Jehovah spoke to
Moses face to face, just as a man would speak to his fellow." (Exodus
33:11) Yes, Moses had a relationship with Jehovah that was more intimate
than that of any other prophet prior to Jesus Christ.
Moses was entrusted
with all Jehovah's house. What a privilege! In this he pictured the
prophet that he foretold Jehovah would eventually raise up, one greater
than Moses. Jehovah foretold: "A
prophet I shall raise up for them from the midst of their brothers, like
you; and I shall indeed put my words in his mouth, and he will certainly
speak to them all that I shall command him. And it must occur that the man
who will not listen to my words that he will speak in my name, I shall
myself require an account from him." (Deut. 18:18,19)
This foretold prophet proved to be Jesus Christ. (Acts
3:20-23) Jehovah used Moses to foreshadow
what Jesus would do, but in a much larger way. Whereas Moses was entrusted
with all God's house as a faithful attendant, Jesus would
prove to be the master of God's house. This is what the Watchtower
says concerning it:
"To stress the
value of Christian faith, Paul compared Jesus with Moses, whom the Jews
viewed as the greatest prophet among their ancestors. If Hebrew Christians
could wholeheartedly grasp the fact that Jesus is greater than Moses, they
would have no reason to doubt the superiority of Christianity over
Judaism. Paul pointed out that while Moses was counted worthy of being
entrusted with God’s "house"—the nation, or congregation, of Israel—he was
only a faithful attendant, or servant. (Numbers 12:7) On the other hand,
Jesus was the Son, the master over the house. (1 Corinthians 11:3; Hebrews
3:2, 3, 5) To reinforce his point, Paul cited this universal truth: "Of
course, every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all
things is God." (Hebrews 3:4) No one would dispute that God is greater
than anyone, for he is the Builder, or Creator, of all. Logically, then,
since Jesus was God’s coworker, he must be greater than all other
creation, including Moses.—Proverbs 8:30; Colossians 1:15-17." —w98
7/15 p. 11; Beware of a Lack of Faith
As we see,
Moses was entrusted by Jehovah with all his "house"—the nation, or
congregation, of Israel. In this he foreshadowed Jesus Christ. No, Moses did
not picture the twelve apostles, as a whole or individually, nor any of the anointed at some future time, individually or as
a class.
As we see,
Moses was entrusted by Jehovah with all his "house"—the nation, or
congregation, of Israel. In this he foreshadowed Jesus Christ. No, Moses did
not picture the twelve apostles, as a whole or individually, nor any of the anointed at some future time, individually or as
a class. (For a fuller consideration on how Jesus was like Moses, please
see the Box
"How
Was Jesus Christ a Prophet Like Moses?")
The account in the
Book of Numbers tells us that on one occasion Miriam and Aaron began
speaking against Moses, having found fault with him on account of the
Cushite wife he had taken. So they kept saying, "Is it just by Moses alone
that Jehovah has spoken? Is it not by us also that he has spoken?" Miriam
and Aaron started to question the authority Jehovah had given Moses; what
made him so special? After all, he was just their brother. They wanted to
have some of his glory of leading God's people. Jehovah was listening and
his "anger got to be hot against them." Miriam was struck with leprosy.
Aaron and Moses interceded in behalf of Miriam, Moses crying out to
Jehovah, saying: "O God, please! Heal her, please!" Miriam suffered the
humiliation of being quarantined outside the camp for seven days, after
which Jehovah healed her. (Num. 12:1-15)
Why did Aaron speak out against Moses? Was he not also used by Jehovah in
a mighty way, first as Moses' spokesman before Pharaoh, and then also
being anointed as the high priest? Jehovah did not smite him, as he had
Miriam, because Aaron too was a prophetic type of the Christ, in the
capacity of the high priest. He was not stepping outside the bounds of what he
foreshadowed, although he should not have spoken against Moses but rather have corrected his sister.
In the case of
Moses and Aaron Jehovah was presenting a prophetic scenario, an
illustration, a "shadow" that would lead to Christ. (Col. 2:17; compare
Galatians 4:22-26) All the things that Jehovah did in connection with
Moses and Aaron would be fulfilled in the promised Messiah. Any deviation from the role
that Moses and Aaron played would detract, yes, make void their prophetic
significance. That is why it was so vital for both, Moses and Aaron, to be
obedient to God's direction and leading of them, not stepping outside
their God assigned roles. (see the Box "Why Was Moses Not
Forgiven?") And it would also be important for all the people to act
in harmony with this fact, which was of course not understood by them at
that time. In the prophetic drama, any rebellion against Moses and Aaron would be the same
as rebelling against the greater Moses and Aaron, Christ Jesus.
Later there was an even greater, more serious rebellion against Moses,
when Korah, of the tribe of Levi, together with Dathan, Abiram, and On,
plus "two hundred and fifty men of the sons of Israel, chieftains of the
assembly, summoned ones of the meeting, men of fame," proceeded to rise up
against Moses. "So they
congregated themselves against Moses and Aaron and said to them: 'That is
enough of YOU, because the whole assembly are all of them holy and Jehovah
is in their midst. Why, then, should YOU lift yourselves up above the
congregation of Jehovah?'" (Num. 16:1-3)
Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, and all their followers, "men of fame," wanted
to have the same authority and glory that Moses had been given. They
complained: where had his leadership taken them? Why were they not yet in that promised land,
instead of wandering around in the wilderness for so many years? Again the
question was raised: what made Moses so special? Was not the whole
assembly, all of them, holy, having Jehovah in their midst? Concerning
this rebellion and the seriousness of it, the Watchtower of 1965 had this
to say:
"In the above-mentioned cases of the Israelites Korah, Dathan and Abiram,
we must remember that they were rebelling and speaking against typical or
prophetic figures. Both Moses as prophet and his brother Aaron as high
priest were types of Jesus Christ in similar offices. (Deut. 18:15-19;
Acts 3:20-23; Heb. 3:1, 2; 5:4-6; 9:23-26) When Jesus was on earth and was
being spoken against he said: “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of
man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit,
it will not be forgiven him, no, not in the present system of things nor
in that to come.” (Matt. 12:32) Korah, Dathan and Abiram were speaking
against the two men, Moses and Aaron, who were types or prophetic figures
of the Son of man, Jesus Christ."
—w65
2/1 pp. 81-82 Part Two
(bold mine)
Notice the point the Watchtower makes:
Korah, Dathan
and Abiram were speaking against the two men, "Moses and Aaron, who
were types or prophetic figures of the Son of man, Jesus Christ." Yes,
Moses and Aaron were prophetic figures of Jesus Christ, but never were
they types or prophetic figures of any of God's chosen ones, including the
twelve apostles. (Heb. 3:1-3; 5:4,5)
Professing or desiring equal authority to that what Moses and
Aaron had would be the same as anyone claiming to share in Jesus' authority,
when Jehovah had not yet given it. It would amount to the same rebellion that Korah, Dathan and Abiram
became guilty of.
Even though these "things went on befalling them as examples," and "were
written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the system of things
have arrived," yet, today we have those in God's household who do not shy
away from doing exactly that. They covet the authority and glory Jehovah has
bestowed upon his Son, "authority in heaven and on earth." (Matt. 28:18; 1 Cor. 10:11)
Who, today, in the greater
picture leads God's people the way Moses did? The Watchtower answers: "God used
Moses to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage, even as Jesus brings about
spiritual liberation." —w91
9/15 p. 21 How Christ’s Transfiguration Affects You
Yes, it is Jesus that leads us and brings about our spiritual
liberation. But the modern day Korah, Dathan and Abiram desire the same
authority as Jehovah has entrusted to Jesus. Says the Watchtower:
"The Israelites
murmured vehemently against Moses and Aaron when 10 of the 12 spies sent
out to search the land of Canaan brought back bad reports. They even
talked about replacing Moses as their head and going back to Egypt.
(Numbers 14:1-4) Today, do we accept the leadership that is given to us
through the action of Jehovah’s holy spirit? From seeing the bountiful
spiritual table that is provided by the faithful and discreet slave class,
it is clear whom Jesus is using to dispense “food at the proper time.”
(Matthew 24:45) Whole-souled dedication to Jehovah requires us to show
respect for his appointed servants. May we never become like some
modern-day murmurers who have turned to a new head, so to speak, to lead
them back into the world."
—w95
3/1 pp. 17-18 Living Up to Our Dedication “Day After Day”
(bold mine)
If
Moses and Aaron were prophetic figures of Jesus Christ, then who
prefigured the ones who claim equal authority with Jesus today? Has
Jehovah arranged for a "faithful and discreet slave class" to have the same authority as the
greater Moses, Jesus, has? Is Christ Jesus sharing his leadership of us
with others? This is what the Watchtower says:
"How are we
blessed? Well, while millions within Christendom suffer from spiritual
famine, we can be “radiant over the goodness of Jehovah.” (Jeremiah 31:12)
Through Jesus Christ and 'the faithful and discreet slave,' Jehovah has
provided a bountiful supply of spiritual food that helps us to remain on
'the road leading off into life.'" (Matthew 7:13, 14; 24:45; John
17:3)
—11/1
pp. 28-29 “The Blessing of Jehovah—That Is What Makes Rich”
(bold
mine)
Who, besides
Moses, did Jehovah use to lead his people on the way to the promised land? In Moses' time
the above article might have read, had Jehovah allowed the rebels their
way:
"Through [Moses] and [Korah, Dathan and Abiram], Jehovah has provided a
bountiful supply of spiritual food that helps us to remain on the road
leading off [into the promised land]." O how those rebels would have
cherished that. Is that not
what motivated them to oppose Moses? They wanted to share in his glory and
authority. Did they not claim that
"the whole assembly are all of them holy and Jehovah is in their midst?"
Were they not just as good as Moses? Could they not be trusted the same
that Jehovah trusted Moses? Says the Watchtower:
"In addition,
trusting in Jehovah means trusting those whom he trusts. For
example, Jehovah has arranged for “the faithful and discreet slave” to
care for the earthly Kingdom interests. (Matthew 24:45-47) We do not
try to go it alone, and we do not ignore that appointment, for we trust in
Jehovah’s arrangement."
—w03
3/1 p. 17 Trust in Jehovah With All Your Heart
(bold mine)
Those who are leading God's people today claim to have been appointed by
Jehovah, just as Moses had been. It is said to be "Jehovah's arrangement."
Although they acknowledge that Moses
was a prophetic
type of the Son of man, Jesus Christ, they do not hesitate to apply the
prophetic figure also to themselves, for they insist that questioning
their leadership is the same as what Korah, Dathan and Abiram were guilty
of. They have clearly become presumptuous and there will certainly be serious consequences
for them.
A President
Entrusted With All God's House?
"Is it just by Moses alone that Jehovah has spoken?
Is it not by us also that he has spoken?"
—Numbers 12:2
Today Jehovah has not
appointed anyone to take the place of his Son Christ Jesus to lead his
people, as foreshadowed by Moses.
To claim otherwise
would be following the wicked example of the rebels Korah, Dathan
and Abiram, yes, even Miriam and Aaron. After the disciples had again argued among themselves over
which one of them seemed the greatest, Jesus admonished them, saying, "You
know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them and the great men
wield authority over them. This is not the way among you; but whoever
wants to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever wants
to be first among you must be your slave."
(Matthew
20:25-27)
Jesus' words to his disciples did not allow for a worldly corporation with
its President and board of directors, which is patterned after the
political system of the land and formed out
of necessity to fulfill the requirements of the law, to "lord it
over" his people. That would be bringing the way of the world into
the Christian congregation, in imitation of the "rulers of the nations."
(Luke 22:24-26) But
that is exactly what happened in the early days of the Society. Explains the
Watchtower:
"To
give the Bible Students legal status, Zion's Watch Tower Society was
incorporated in 1884 in the
United States, with headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its
directors served as a central Governing Body, overseeing the global
preaching of God's Kingdom."
—The Watchtower,
February 1, 1999, on page 17. (see Box "A
Board of Directors")
Contrary to
what it says, the directors of the Society did not form a "central
Governing Body" at that time. That did not take place until 1971 and
1975 when the operation of the Society was reorganized.
Upon the death of the first president, Charles Taze Russell in 1916, J. F.
Rutherford gained control of the corporation and began to exercise absolute
authority over God's people, claiming that he received this authority
from Christ himself, who he insisted had already returned to inspect God's people and found
him and his board of directors of the corporation "faithful
and discreet."
Anyone who opposed his actions was dismissed as an "evil slave," although
the dissenter also might have professed to have the heavenly calling the
same as Rutherford did.
Jehovah expressed his anger by sending president Rutherford and his seven associate directors to
a federal penitentiary.
During the
time the Society’s officials were in prison, a committee was named by
Brother Rutherford to act in his stead. The brothers could not function,
it seems, without having a visible leader.
(see Box "Was
there a Governing Body in Jerusalem?")
Although they acknowledged that their
suffering was an expression of God's anger they failed to get the sense
of it, even suggesting that perhaps one reason might have been because of
"the cutting of pages from The Finished Mystery," in
compromise to please those who had assumed the position of censor. (see
Box "A
New Outlook")
Although they had been sentenced for twenty years why did Jehovah allow them to be freed the following year? Because
it was not yet the time for him to judge his household. He allowed them
time to repent and make the needed adjustments. As the apostle Peter tells us: "Jehovah
is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but
he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but
desires all to attain to repentance."
(2 Peter 3:9)
Jehovah gave the rebels time to repent and this also afforded time to
have the "good news of the kingdom preached in all the inhabited earth for
a witness to all the nations," before finally the end would come. To
their credit this they did with great zeal. However, God knew
that, as the years progressed, it would become more and more evident that his approval was
not upon the arrangement of those who asserted that the master had already entrusted them
with all his belongings. (see Box
"How
the Governing Body Differs From a Legal Corporation")
With time problems would develop and increase, complicating
our lives and transforming our joyful worship into a heavy burden, as our deviation from
God's Word would become evident. (Matt. 23:2-4; Col. 2:18,19)
And as their interpretation of prophecies,
which at first brought excitement and motivated zeal, went unfulfilled and
turned to disappointment, God's people would start to wonder and question the
authority of those who had assumed it. In turn, those being
challenged would find it necessary to become ever more authoritarian,
"subduing according to their powers." (Jer. 5:31)
Yes, Jehovah foreknew all this. Wickedness within the congregations would
take a back seat to the importance of being loyal to the self-appointed
"faithful and discreet slave." In other words, as long as a person loyally
supported the arrangements, as put in place by this slave, he would
prosper within the congregation, even though he might be given to a lot of
wine, a slanderer, disorderly, unsociable, haughty, not qualified to
teach, a smiter, unreasonable, belligerent, a lover of money, greedy for
dishonest gain, poor example in presiding over his own family, etc. etc.
(1 Tim. 3:2-10)
Some congregations may have more than their share of these
types of individuals who are taking the lead among them. They would not hesitate to beat their
fellow slaves, even expelling anyone who would dare question the arrangement
and the teachings of the "faithful and discreet slave." But the
master will settle accounts with them, upon his sudden and unexpected
arrival, while finding them in the act of beating his slaves, precious
members of his household. (Matt. 24:44,48-51)
The Greatest Sin of
All
"O Jehovah our God, other masters besides you have acted as
owners of us. By you only shall we make mention of your name."
—Isaiah
26:13
By far the most serious transgression of all is that they have displaced
the holy spirit as the helper that Jesus promised to send his disciples.
He said: "But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in
my name, that one will teach YOU all things and bring back to YOUR minds
all the things I told YOU." (John 14:16,17,26; 15:26) Note what the
Watchtower says about how the holy spirit was active in the first century:
"Through his powerful holy spirit, Jehovah, along with the resurrected
Jesus, directed the preaching activity. (John 14:28; 15:26) When the
spirit was poured out on Cornelius, his relatives, and his intimate
friends, the apostle Peter recognized that uncircumcised Gentiles could
qualify to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 10:24, 44-48)
Later, the spirit played a key role in appointing Barnabas and Saul (the
apostle Paul) for missionary activity and in directing where they should
and should not go. (Acts 13:2, 4; 16:6, 7) It directed the decision-making
process of the apostles and older men in Jerusalem. (Acts 15:23, 28, 29)
Holy spirit also guided the appointment of overseers in the Christian
congregation. —Acts 20:28."
—The Watchtower,
April 1, 2001, on page 13,
The Word of Jehovah Went On Growing.
Note how it acknowledges that Jehovah had send the helper, the holy
spirit, as Jesus had promised, to direct the preaching activity in the
first century. It was not a central governing body in Jerusalem, but
rather the holy spirit that appointed Paul and Barnabas for their
missionary activity. Please notice how the holy spirit appointed Barnabas
and Paul in a real way. At Acts 13:2 it reads, "As they were publicly
ministering to Jehovah and fasting, the holy spirit said: "Of all
persons set Barnabas and Saul apart for me for the work to which I have
called them." It was the holy spirit in action, communicating, making a decision.
That is why the account goes on to say, "Accordingly these
men, sent out by the holy spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from
there they sailed away to Cyprus." (verse 4)
Further, it was the holy spirit who directed them as to where they should
or should not go. "Moreover, they went through Phrygia and the country of
Galatia, because they were forbidden by the holy spirit to speak
the word in the [district of] Asia. Further, when getting down to Mysia
they made efforts to go into Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus did not
permit them. So they passed Mysia by and came down to Troas. And
during the night a vision appeared to Paul: a certain Macedonian
man was standing and entreating him and saying: 'Step over into Macedonia
and help us.' Now as soon as he had seen the vision, we sought to go forth
into Macedonia, drawing the conclusion that God had summoned us to
declare the good news to them." (Acts 16:6-10)
Yes, the holy spirit was a real force, a helper to Jesus' disciples, under
his direction even communicating by means of visions. And it was
the holy spirit who appointed the overseers in the congregations, not
merely guiding the appointments, as the Watchtower suggests. Paul
said: "Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which
the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the
congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son."
(Acts 20:28)
How did the holy spirit appoint elders? Not just any man was appointed to
that position. In the various congregations that were being formed the
holy spirit indicated who among the brothers would qualify as overseers.
It was at work in the individuals, energizing and creating in them the
power and desire to work for the good of the congregation. (Phil.
2:13; Amplified Bible) Paul wrote down the qualifications to look for in such men when writing to
Timothy and Titus, in order for the holy spirit not to be grieved by
perhaps side-stepping what it was indicating, and not appoint just any
man due to favoritism. (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) Such men who were appointed by holy spirit were a real blessing to
all the members in the congregation, for they had in abundance the
fruitage of the spirit, namely, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control." (Gal.
5:22,23;
Eph. 4:30;
1 Thess. 5:19)
Today, who appoints the elders in their various congregations, even when
some don't meet the scriptural qualifications, for we have added as more
important some of our own, such as a certain amount of hours spent in the
preaching activity? We have come to accept that the holy spirit is no
longer active in the way that it was in the first century. And is it any
wonder? Is there any room for the holy spirit to direct us
today? What if it set aside and appointed certain ones to preach in a
particular area, like it did Paul and Barnabas? What if Jehovah chooses
to use an anointed servant apart from the governing body members? Who
would allow that? Does not the governing body have greater authority
today than the holy spirit?
Many among us are convinced that we need a governing body because
we "should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be
divisions among [us], but that [we] may be fitly united in the same mind
and in the same line of thought." (1 Cor. 1:10,11) But is listening to a group of men
really what ensures our unity? Is it not rather
Jehovah through his spirit who teaches us and unites us to be "in the
same mind and in the same line of thought"? (Eph. 4:3-6)
"God's Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything,
even what is deep in the mind of God. You are the only one who knows
what is in your own mind, and God's Spirit is the only one who knows
what is in God's mind. But God has given us his Spirit. That's why we
don't think the same way that the people of this world think. That's
also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us.
"Every word we speak was taught to us by God's Spirit, not by human
wisdom. And this same Spirit helps us teach spiritual things to
spiritual people." —1
Corinthians 2:10-13, Contemporary English Version.
The governing body has "resisted" God's spirit in
their attempt to unify his people. (Acts
7:51) For the sake of unity loyalty to the organization is demanded,
equating it with loyalty to God.
Unity at All Cost?
Unity, or oneness of the faith, is important for God's people if they are
to enjoy peace. Deviating from God's Word of truth will disrupt any
unity. Therefore, is it not vital that we unitedly listen and obey the
ones who are taking the lead over us? Regarding this the
Watchtower notes:
First, since
“oneness” is to be observed, a mature Christian must be in unity and full
harmony with fellow believers as far as faith and knowledge are concerned.
He does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbor private
ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather,
he has complete confidence in the truth as it is
revealed by Jehovah God through his Son, Jesus Christ, and “the faithful
and discreet slave.” By regularly taking in the spiritual food
provided “at the proper time”—through Christian publications, meetings,
assemblies, and conventions—we can be sure that we maintain “oneness” with
fellow Christians in faith and knowledge.—Matthew 24:45. —w01
8/1 p. 14, Make Your Advancement Manifest
(bold mine)
If our unity is disrupted, who really is the one responsible for that?
If someone were to tell you that you must trust him the same as you trust
God and Christ, would that not raise your eyebrows? Is that not already an
untrustworthy statement? Should we have the same confidence in them as we
have in Jehovah and Jesus? What if what they reveal to us as truth
contradicts what God tells us? For example, they tell us that we must have
"complete confidence" in them, yet Jehovah tells us, at Psalms 146:3,4:
"Do not put your trust in nobles, Nor in the son of earthling man, to whom
no salvation belongs. His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; In
that day his thoughts do perish." Rather, in whom should we put our
confidence? It goes on to say: "Happy is the one who has the God of Jacob
for his help, Whose hope is in Jehovah his God." (verse 5)
Jehovah tells us that our salvation does not depend on any son of
earthling man, no human being, except Jesus who died for us. (John
3:16) We must trust only in Jehovah. The apostle Paul emphasizes that
fact by saying, "But let God be found true, though every man be found a
liar." (Rom. 3:4) Does the so-called "faithful and discreet slave" agree
with that? Do you? For the sake of unity should we accept everything they
do and teach? Could that not actually hinder us from worshipping "the
Father with spirit and truth"? (compare
Matt. 23:2-5; John 4:23,24) Is it not presumptuous on their part to seat themselves beside
Jehovah and Jesus, in effect making themselves equal to them, demanding
that we all must have the same confidence in them as we do in Jehovah? (Isaiah
42:8; 2
Thess. 2:3, 4) Can you think of anyone else who had that ambition? (Ezek.
28:2) Did not
Korah, Dathan and Abiram desire to be equal to Moses? But at least, they did not
demand to
be equal to God.
If you feel that this assessment of the
self-appointed "faithful and discreet slave" is too harsh, perhaps you
should stop and reflect on whether you share Jehovah's view on the matter.
While
what they do
is
"horrible and shocking"
to our God, are you among those of his people who "like it that way?"
Remember that the religious leaders in Jesus' day also were held in high
esteem by the people, but that in no way agreed with Jehovah's and Jesus'
estimation of them.
"How terrible for you, teachers of the law
and Pharisees! You pretenders! You are like tombs that are painted white.
They look beautiful on the outside. But on the inside they are full of the
bones of the dead. They are also full of other things that are not pure
and clean. It is the same with you. On the outside you seem to be doing
what is right. But on the inside you are full of what is wrong. You
pretend to be what you are not." —Matt.
23:27,28, (New International Reader's Version)
The religious leaders represented God before the people.
The priests were officiating at the temple as
Jehovah had instructed, they were offering up the sacrifices on behalf of
the people, and they kept the Sabbath and all the festivals. They taught
the people the Law, although liberally injecting their own commandments.
So, why did Jesus condemn them? Is there anything for us to learn from
that? You must realize
that if Jesus condemned people for certain matters two thousand years ago then surely he will still feel the
same about it today, in our modern age, for he and Jehovah have not
changed. Shouldn't you be bothered, yes, shocked, that we have come to
accept all the things being done in our midst, even "loving" it (NWT), and defending it,
yet at the same time denouncing the same things in Christendom? Is that
what unity is about?
To many of Jehovah's people our worship of him has become burdensome. Have you heard anyone
expressing himself to the effect that if Armageddon were to come tomorrow
they would not "make it?" Do you, perhaps feel that way too, because you
can no longer keep up with all the meeting attendance, preparing for them,
personal study, reading all the literature, getting your expected quota of
hours for the month which is at least the congregation average? And
juggling this with your family obligations, financial difficulties,
struggling with poor health, old age or other infirmities? Jesus invited
his disciples to accept his yoke, as he said, "Take
my yoke upon YOU and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in
heart, and YOU will find refreshment for YOUR souls. For my yoke is kindly
and my load is light." (Matt. 11:29,30) If you no longer find refreshment in
worshiping Jehovah, because your load has become burdensome and heavy, it
is not the yoke that Jesus has offered us.
The assignment that Jehovah has given us to do is enjoyable and refreshing. You
probably at one time rejoiced in it, even singing with happiness. What has
changed? The work has become oppressive because of having to be
accountable to others for the amount we do, when we can no longer do it to
the same extent we once were able. Regarding our "making gifts of mercy" Jesus
told us not to "let your left hand know what your right is doing." (Matt.
6:3) Concerning the making of gifts of mercy the Watchtower says that there is no
better way we can do that than by sharing the good news of the kingdom
with others. Why then are we required to report what we do in the
way of "making gifts of mercy" when Jesus exhorted us not to do that? If
there is a need to know how the preaching work is progressing in various parts
of the world, why not report time anonymously? But if that were the case
how could they judge our spirituality? As one elder said, if we don't
report our time, how would we know who qualifies as elder? I am not aware that much time spend in the
preaching work is a scriptural qualification to be an elder. There must be
a good reason why the holy spirit omitted that. I have seen elders who pioneered,
yet at the same time boast about the quality and size of their homemade wine cellar, which
rivaled that of any wine store. Does this not matter to Jehovah? How do you feel
about it?
Another thing that makes us worse than the self-righteous religious
leaders of Jesus' day is in connection with reporting small amounts of time
spend in the preaching work.
When Jesus observed a needy widow drop two small coins of very little
value into the treasury chest, she did not first have to seek the priests' approval
for her contribution. The priests may have
sneered at her insignificant offering but at least she did not need their
consent. (Luke
21:1-4) Not like the poor publishers today who have to get the elders'
permission for dropping in only an insignificant 15 minutes of service for
the month. Is it right for anyone to place himself between Jehovah and
his people and decide on behalf of God what is and is not acceptable
offerings? There are those who view this arrangement as a blessing
from Jehovah. Is that how you view it? Do you like it that way?
If someone wants to share in the preaching of the good news he first has
to get the permission of the elders. Who is it that has commanded us to
preach in the first place? Does anyone have the authority to stop or
hinder us? (compare
Acts 4:18-20;
5:29) The same is true when a person wants to get baptized. Although
the elders know full well that baptism originated with God when he first
commissioned John the Baptist, and is a command that Jesus gave to his
disciples as part of their assignment, having to do with their relationship with God and their very
salvation, the elders have been instructed that the person who wants to
get baptized can only do so after meeting with them and getting their
approval. (Matt.
3:1-6;
28:19) Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me." And yet another voice is heard at the
top, declaring, "And also only through us!" (see also
John 10:7-15)
What should we do? For the sake of unity should we accept their form of
worship, believing, as they say, that it is from Jehovah, and going
against them is the same as opposing God? Jehovah has made it very plain
how he feels about all this. He is shocked, not just at the
wickedness being committed among his people, but even more at the fact
that his people "like it that way." Are you among them?
"Sitting Content" or "Sad and Sorry"?
Jehovah tells us that before the coming of his great day, his day of fury
at Armageddon, he will carefully examine his people and expose those who
are content with the way things are. Through his prophet Zephaniah he
foretold, "At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish
those who are so contented. They are like wine that has not been shaken
up. They think, 'The Lord won't do anything. It doesn't matter whether
it's good or bad.' Their wealth will be stolen. Their houses will be
destroyed. They will build houses. But they will not live in them. They
will plant vineyards. But they will not drink the wine they produce." —Zephaniah
1:12-13; (New International Reader's Version)
Yes, Jehovah will expose all those within his household who are sitting
content like a bottle of wine that has not been shaken and the dregs (NWT),
which is the least desirable part of the wine, has not been disturbed. He
will maneuver events that will bring to light and reveal all the ones
among his people who are not disturbed by the things that he finds horrible and
shocking. They do not believe that Jehovah is still doing good things for his
people the way he did in "Bible times." Not seeing much evidence of holy
spirit in their lives or the congregations they feel that God is not doing
anything. Neither do they fear that he will do anything bad
to them. They are unconcerned by the thought of any future judgment, for
they have been convinced that they have already been judged, even though
nearly ninety years have passed. They are sitting at ease while waiting for God to destroy the
wicked in Christendom and the rest of this world. But suddenly Jehovah's
foretold judgment will come upon them, and they will
lose everything they have. Has Jehovah not warned them?
While exposing those who are sitting content Jehovah is also taking note
of those among his people who are disturbed over all the terrible things
he sees. Regarding them he foretold by the prophet Ezekiel, "Then the Lord
called to the man who was dressed in linen clothes. He had the writing
kit. The Lord said to him, 'Go all through Jerusalem. Look for those who
are sad and sorry about all of the things that are being done there. I
hate those things. Put a mark on the foreheads of those people.'" (Ezek.
9:3-6; NIRV)
Are you among those who are "sad and sorry" (sighing and groaning, NWT)
because of the conditions within God's household? Don't let anyone beguile
you with their twisted reasoning to the effect that for the sake of unity
and in order to be loyal to Jehovah
you must like things the way they are. Make sure that you share Jehovah's attitude of the
situation. He hates those things. But all you who are sitting content, who
like it that way, take Jehovah's warning to heart. You will not be
concealed in the day of his anger unless you seek righteousness and
meekness, two things sorely lacking among his people today. Having
Jehovah's approval will mean our survival at the time when
his judgment starts with his own household, and he will preserve alive
only
those who had the mark of being sad and sorry. (Zeph.
2:2,3; 1
Peter 4:17,18) Already a clear distinction is becoming evident between those
who sigh and groan and those who are sitting content, undisturbed, liking
it the way things are.
Jehovah is not requiring any action on our part, such as laying bare the
faults of our brothers, as if we have been empowered by him to judge
anyone. That would not be evidence of meekness. (Psalms
50:20-22;
Rom. 14:10) He wants us to keep busy in the preaching assignment, for
that
honors him and it is the means by which he draws people to himself, while
at the same time proving to be a source of great joy to those engaged in
it, in
spite of the troublesome time we are living in. (2
Tim. 3:1-5)
Attend the meetings to the extent possible for they are still valuable for
training us for the preaching work, and there you can be a source of encouragement to others who are likewise in need of being
strengthened. Keep in mind that if Jehovah has not yet made present practices
and teachings an
issue, neither should we. He realizes that it is hard enough for us just
to endure. Paul encourages us this way, "Moreover [let us also be full of
joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our
sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce
patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops
maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character
[of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of
eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us,
for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit
Who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5; Amplified Bible; Luke
21:19; Heb. 10:36)
Jesus' words to the congregation in Ephesus are especially applicable to
us today, "I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and
your patient endurance. I know you don't tolerate evil people. You have
examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You
have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without
quitting." —Revelation 2:2-3 (New Living Translation)
Don't let the present situation within God's household be a cause of
stumbling to you. Expect things to get worse, but don't allow that to rob
you of your joy. (2 Tim. 3:12,13) Continue to suffer "without quitting."
There is no need for endurance when times are good. Those of us who have
worshiped Jehovah for many decades can remember the good times, when we
wondered about the need to heed the scriptures about endurance. If you are
among those who are now "sad and sorry," those scriptures have taken on
new meaning. There is also a real need now to express in a positive way
our love for our fellow brothers. It is our love that unites us,
much more so than our teachings and practices. "But I don't need to write
to you about the Christian love that should be shown among God's people.
For God himself has taught you to love one another. Indeed, your love is
already strong toward all the Christians . . . Even so, dear brothers and
sisters, we beg you to love them more and more." (1 Thessalonians 4:9,10; New
Living Translation) Elders in particular should heed those words of
the apostle Paul.
There is no need to make things harder for yourself by being righteous
overmuch. (Ecclesiastes 7:16) Are you required to report your hours spent in
the ministry? Then doing so is not a sin for you, but rather for those who
demand it. And so it is with many other things they have put in place.
Perhaps Jesus' words to the crowds and his disciples can help us to have
some balance in this respect, "Do what they tell you to do and keep on
doing it. But do not follow what they do. They preach but do not obey
their own preaching." (Matt. 23:1-3) Patiently wait on Jehovah to rectify matters in his due time, and
be assured that he will.
7 Be still. Be patient. Wait for the Lord to
act.
Don't be upset when other people succeed.
Don't be upset when they carry out their evil plans.
8 Keep from being angry. Turn away from
anger.
Don't be upset. That only leads to evil.
9 Sinful people will be cut off from the
land.
But it will be given to those who put their hope in the Lord.
10 In a little while, there won't be any
more sinners.
Even if you look for them, you won't be able to find them.
11 But those who are free of pride will be
given the land.
They will enjoy great peace.
—Psalm 37:7-11 (New International Reader's Version)
*************
Is Jehovah also the God of Christendom?
In Matthew, Chapter 13, Jesus gave an
illustration about God's kingdom, saying that it was "like a man
that sowed fine seed in his field. While men were sleeping, his
enemy came and oversowed weeds in among the wheat, and left. When
the blade sprouted and produced fruit, then the weeds appeared
also. So the slaves of the householder came up and said to him,
‘Master, did you not sow fine seed in your field? How, then, does
it come to have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy, a man, did
this.’ They said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go out and
collect them?’ He said, ‘No; that by no chance, while collecting
the weeds, YOU uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together
until the harvest; and in the harvest season I will tell the
reapers, First collect the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn
them up, then go to gathering the wheat into my storehouse.’"
(Matt. 13:24-30)
Later, in explaining the illustration to his disciples, Jesus
identified himself as the sower of the fine seed, and the fine
seed as "the sons of the kingdom;" whereas the weeds were "the
sons of the wicked one," and the enemy that sowed the weeds as
"the Devil." (Matt. 13:37-39)
True to Jesus' illustration, early in the development of the
Christian congregation the Devil was busy sowing his weeds in
among the sons of the kingdom. (Acts 5:1-11; 20:29,30; 2 Cor.
11:4,5,13-15, 26; 1 Tim. 4:1) Those weeds, the sons of the Devil,
continued to multiply rapidly in numbers among the wheat,
threatening to choke out the sons of the kingdom. Satan introduced
misrepresentation about Jesus' relationship to his father, thus
raising questions about the identity of the Christ. He imported
popular lies from his other religions about the resurrection, the
condition of the dead and the true nature of the soul. Soon pagan festivals were adopted and
made acceptable by attaching Christ's name to them. In a few short
centuries the Devil had succeeded in oversowing the field with his
own form of worship that had their origin in his religion of
ancient Babylon. All the while the sons of the kingdom were
struggling to hold on to their worship as taught by Christ Jesus.
On May 20, 325 C.E., at Nicaea in Asia Minor, Satan came to have
his own form of Pentecost, when Roman Emperor Constantine
inaugurated the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, and "the sons of the
wicked one" were organized into Satan's household, growing into
what is now commonly referred to as Christendom.
Reading like a news report of the day, Chronicle of the
World (1989) says the following about that historic
occasion:
The Emperor Constantine,
dressed in purple robes to stress the sacred nature of his power,
today inaugurated the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. He has
summoned bishops from all over the empire to meet here to settle
the violent controversies which have been raging in the church for
the past seven years.
The split has arisen because of the doctrine of an Alexandrian
priest, Arius, who questions the full divinity of Christ. Arius
argues that if Christ is the Son of God he cannot be eternal since
he had a beginning. Therefore he was not wholly God, but was
inferior to God the Father. What began as an academic theological
debate has spread to Christian congregations throughout the empire
and there is a real danger of a lasting schism. Constantine is now
using his skills as a peacemaker in the spiritual sphere; his
advisers have devised a compromise solution which looks likely to
carry the Council.
He is urging the adoption of a new creed which affirms that Christ
"is of one substance with the Father". Superficially this looks
like a victory for the orthodox church over the Arians. In fact
the cleverly-worded creed is much more ambiguous, and many leading
Arians have already said that they are prepared to adopt it. As
the Council opens there is a hard core of 200 Arians opposing it,
but Constantine should win and achieve a strong unified church
barely 12 years after the persecutions.
In view of the developments in
fulfillment of Jesus' illustration of the two sowers, the question
arises: Has Jehovah ever considered the weeds, the sons of the
Devil organized in Christendom, as belonging to him? Would he ever
express himself as being their God? To suggest that he does would
be highly offensive to him. In the time of his people the
Israelites, Jehovah never referred to himself as the God of
the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, or Midianites, although they
were all related to the Israelites. Jehovah is a faithful God.
Unlike his unfaithful people, who turned to other gods, Jehovah
never acknowledged or referred to other people as "my people." (see Amos
3:1,2; Psalms 147:19,20)
If there are any in Christendom who want to worship the only true
God Jehovah they must first "get out from among them, and separate
[themselves]." Only then can they be his people, his sons and
daughters, and he be their father. Why? Because there can be no
harmony between Christ and the Devil and the two types of seeds
sown by them. (2 Cor. 6:14-18)
"How
Was Jesus Christ a Prophet Like Moses?"
How Moses and Jesus Were Alike in Their Early Years
Both Moses and Jesus escaped the slaughter of very young male children. The infant Moses was concealed among the reeds on the banks of the Nile River and thus escaped the slaughter of Israelite male babies as ordered by Pharaoh of Egypt. As a young child, Jesus also escaped the slaughter of males up to two years old in Bethlehem and its districts. This massacre was ordered by King Herod the Great, who, like Pharaoh, was an enemy of God and His people.—Exodus 1:22–2:10; Matthew 2:13-18.
A mild-tempered, or meek, spirit was displayed by both Moses and Jesus. Though he was reared as a son in the household of a powerful king of Egypt, Moses came to be “by far the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground.” (Numbers 12:3) Comparably, Jesus had served as the mighty prince Michael in heaven but humbly came to the earth. (Daniel 10:13; Philippians 2:5-8) Moreover, Jesus had compassion for people and could say: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls.”—Matthew 11:29; 14:14.
For the sake of Jehovah’s service, both Moses and Jesus left behind prominent positions and great riches. To serve Jehovah and His people, Moses gave up wealth and a prestigious place in Egypt. (Hebrews 11:24-26) Similarly, Jesus left behind a greatly favored position and riches in heaven so as to serve God and His people on the earth.—2 Corinthians 8:9.
Moses and Jesus both became God’s anointed ones. The prophet Moses served as Jehovah’s anointed one to the nation of Israel. As the apostle Paul said, Moses “esteemed the reproach of [being] the Christ [anointed one] as riches greater than the treasures of Egypt.” (Hebrews 11:26; Exodus 3:1–4:17) When did Jesus become the Christ, or anointed One? This occurred when he was anointed with God’s holy spirit, or active force, upon being baptized. To the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s fountain at Sychar and before Israel’s high priest when on trial, Jesus testified that he was the Messiah, or Christ.—Mark 14:61, 62; John 4:25, 26.
Both Moses and Jesus fasted for 40 days. Early in his career as God’s spokesman, Moses fasted for 40 days while in the mountain of Sinai. (Exodus 34:28) Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness and then resisted satanic temptation early in his career as the promised Messiah.—Matthew 4:1-11.
Both Men Glorified Jehovah
Jehovah used both Moses and Jesus to magnify His holy name. God told Moses to go to the Israelites in the name of ‘Jehovah the God of their forefathers.’ (Exodus 3:13-16) Moses represented God before Pharaoh, who was kept in existence so that Jehovah’s power could be shown and His name declared in all the earth. (Exodus 9:16) Jesus likewise came in Jehovah’s name. For instance, Christ said: “I have come in the name of my Father, but you do not receive me.” (John 5:43) Jesus glorified his Father, made Jehovah’s name manifest to the men God gave him, and made it well-known on the earth.—John 17:4, 6, 26.
By divine power, Moses and Jesus both performed miracles that glorified God. Moses performed miracles to prove that he was commissioned by Jehovah God. (Exodus 4:1-31) Throughout his career, Moses, who was used by God to part the Red Sea, continued to perform miracles that glorified Jehovah. (Exodus 5:1–12:36; 14:21-31; 16:11-18; 17:5-7; Psalm 78:12-54) Similarly, Jesus brought glory to God by performing many miracles. So much was that the case that Jesus could say: “Believe me that I am in union with the Father and the Father is in union with me; otherwise, believe on account of the works themselves.” (John 14:11) Among his miracles was that of causing a violent windstorm to abate, so that the Sea of Galilee became calm.—Mark 4:35-41; Luke 7:18-23.
Other Important Similarities
Moses and Jesus were both associated with a miraculous provision of food. Moses was Jehovah’s prophet when food was miraculously provided for the Israelites. (Exodus 16:11-36) Similarly, on two occasions of Bible record, Jesus miraculously fed multitudes with material food.—Matthew 14:14-21; 15:32-38.
Manna from heaven was linked with the service of both Moses and Jesus. Moses was leading the Israelites when they were provided with manna from heaven, as it were. (Exodus 16:11-27; Numbers 11:4-9; Psalm 78:25) In a comparable but highly important way, Jesus provided his own flesh as manna from heaven for the life of obedient mankind.—John 6:48-51.
Both Moses and Jesus led people out of bondage into freedom. Moses was used by God to lead the Israelites out of bondage to the Egyptians and into freedom as His people. (Exodus 12:37-42) Similarly, Jesus Christ has been leading his followers into freedom. Christ will yet lead obedient mankind into freedom from bondage to the organization of Satan the Devil, as well as from sin and death.—1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Colossians 1:13; 1 John 5:19.
Moses and Jesus both mediated covenants. Moses was the mediator of the Law covenant, between Jehovah God and the Israelites. (Exodus 19:3-9) Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant, between God and spiritual Israel.—Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6-13.
Judging was committed to both Moses and Jesus Christ. Moses served as judge and lawgiver to fleshly Israel. (Exodus 18:13; Malachi 4:4) Jesus serves as Judge and has given the spiritual “Israel of God” its laws and commandments. (Galatians 6:16; John 15:10) Christ himself said: “The Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”—John 5:22, 23.
Both Moses and Jesus were entrusted with headship over God’s house. Moses was faithful as the head over the house of God in ancient Israel. (Numbers 12:7) Comparably, Jesus was made the Head of Jehovah’s spiritual house of sons and has proved faithful over it. Indeed, Jesus “was faithful to the One that made him such, as Moses was also in all the house of that One. For the latter is counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who constructs it has more honor than the house. . . . Moses as an attendant was faithful in all the house of that One as a testimony of the things that were to be spoken afterwards, but Christ was faithful as a Son over the house of that One. We are the house of that One, if we make fast our hold on our freeness of speech and our boasting over the hope firm to the end.”—Hebrews 3:2-6.
Even
as to death, Moses and Jesus
were alike. How so? Well, Jehovah removed Moses’
body, thus preventing men from either profaning it or idolizing
it. (Deuteronomy 34:5, 6; Jude 9) Similarly, God disposed of
Jesus’ body, not allowing it to see corruption and thus preventing
its becoming a stumbling block to faith.—Psalm 16:10; Acts
2:29-31; 1 Corinthians 15:50.
—The Watchtower, November 15,
1991,
pp. 28-31,
"How
Was Jesus Christ a Prophet Like Moses?"
Jehovah used Moses and Aaron as
prophetic types of Christ Jesus, and for that reason it was
absolutely vital for them to remain within the bounds of whom they
prefigured. Of course, they did not understand that, as Jehovah
had not revealed it to them, but they did not need to know
everything for as long as they followed God's instructions
carefully they would prove faithful. On one occasion, though,
Moses and Aaron failed to do that. Concerning what happened
Insight On the Scriptures, page 438, says:
"Because of a water shortage the people began to quarrel bitterly
with Moses, putting the blame on him for leading them up out of
Egypt into the barren wilderness. Moses had endured much, putting
up with the perverseness and insubordination of the Israelites,
sharing their hardships, and interceding for them when they
sinned, but here he momentarily lost his meekness and mildness of
temper. Exasperated and embittered in spirit, Moses and Aaron
stood before the people as Jehovah commanded. But instead of
calling attention to Jehovah as the Provider, they spoke harshly
to the people and directed attention to themselves, Moses saying:
"Hear, now, you rebels! Is it from this crag that we shall bring
out water for you?" With that, Moses struck the rock and Jehovah
caused water to flow forth, sufficient for the multitude and their
flocks. But God was displeased with the conduct of Moses and
Aaron. They had failed of their primary responsibility, namely, to
magnify Jehovah’s name. They "acted undutifully" toward Jehovah,
and Moses had ‘spoken rashly with his lips.’ Later Jehovah
decreed: "Because you did not show faith in me to sanctify me
before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore you will not
bring this congregation into the land that I shall certainly give
them."
—it-2
pp. 438-439 Moses
Moses and Aaron had not just
failed to magnify Jehovah's name, they had stepped outside their
prophetic role of prefiguring Christ Jesus. In his moment of angry
outburst Moses took on Jehovah's role, namely that of claiming to
be the source of the water. It was Jehovah who was
the source of living water, not Moses. In Jeremiah's day Jehovah
told his apostate nation, "They have left even me, the source of
living water, in order to hew out for themselves cisterns, broken
cisterns, that cannot contain the water." (Jer.
2:13;
17:13)
Jehovah later used Jesus, like Moses, to provide life giving water. To
the Samaritan woman at the well Jesus said: "Whoever drinks from
the water that I will give him will never get thirsty at all, but
the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of
water bubbling up to impart everlasting life." On another occasion
he told the crowd, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and
drink. He that puts faith in me, just as the Scripture has said,
‘Out from his inmost part streams of living water will flow.’"
Here Jesus made application to himself of how Moses was used at Meribah.
(Exodus 17:5-7; John 4:14; John 7:37; see the New World Translation with
marginal
references.)
The apostle Paul also makes this application: "I don't want you to
forget, dear brothers and sisters, what happened to our ancestors
in the wilderness long ago. God guided all of them by sending a
cloud that moved along ahead of them, and he brought them all
safely through the waters of the sea on dry ground. As followers
of Moses, they were all baptized in the cloud and the sea. And all
of them ate the same miraculous food, and all of them drank the
same miraculous water. For they all drank from the miraculous rock
that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ." (1 Cor.
10:1-4; New Living Translation) Clearly, Moses did not
picture Jehovah but rather Christ Jesus.
Unlike Moses' failure on this one occasion, Jesus always gave Jehovah the credit for what he was
providing. (John
7:16,29,37;
8:26-29;
12:49) Had Jehovah simply dismissed and forgiven Moses' act of stepping out
of his prophetic role, even though momentarily, Moses would no
longer have been a suitable type of Christ Jesus, in spite of all
that Jehovah had done for him. But by not forgiving Moses this one
act of indiscretion the prophetic type remained intact.
On the other hand, because of whom Moses pictured, Jehovah was
willing to do things for him that he would not have done for
anyone else, such as the occasion when Moses asked to see
Jehovah's glory. Jehovah granted him the request because in the
greater fulfillment Christ would also see his glory when he would
appear before the person of Jehovah. (Ex. 33:18-23; Heb. 9:24)
The five members of the Editorial Committee as named in Russell’s
will were William E. Page, William E. Van Amburgh, Henry Clay
Rockwell, E. W. Brenneisen, and F. H. Robison. In addition, to
fill any vacancies, others were named—A. E. Burgess, Robert Hirsh,
Isaac Hoskins, G. H. Fisher, J. F. Rutherford, and John Edgar.
Page and Brenneisen, however, promptly resigned—Page because he
could not take up residence in Brooklyn, and Brenneisen (later the
spelling was changed to Brenisen) because he had to take up
secular work to support his family. Rutherford and Hirsh, whose
names were listed in the December 1, 1916,
Watch
Tower,
replaced them as members of the Editorial Committee.
According to the charter of the Watch Tower Society,
the board of directors was to be composed of seven members. The
charter provided for the surviving members of the board of
directors to fill a vacancy. So, two days after Russell’s death,
the board of directors met and elected A. N. Pierson to be a
member. The seven members of the board at that point were A. I.
Ritchie, W. E. Van Amburgh, H. C. Rockwell, J. D. Wright, I. F.
Hoskins, A. N. Pierson, and J. F. Rutherford. The seven-member
board then elected the Executive Committee of three.
At the annual meeting held on
January 5, 1918,
the seven persons receiving the highest number of votes were J. F.
Rutherford, C. H. Anderson, W. E. Van Amburgh, A. H. Macmillan, W.
E. Spill, J. A. Bohnet, and G. H. Fisher. From these seven board
members, the three officers were chosen—J. F. Rutherford as
president, C. H. Anderson as vice president, and W. E. Van Amburgh
as secretary-treasurer.
—jv
chap. 6, A Time of Testing (1914-1918)
Was there a Governing Body in Jerusalem?
The Society claims that there
existed a governing body in Jerusalem, made up of the apostles and
older men who exercised authority over all the congregations
throughout the Roman Empire. As evidence they like to refer to
what happened when the matter of circumcision became an issue for
the Gentile Christians and the apostles and older men ruled on the
matter with the help of the holy spirit. This is what Insight
on the Scriptures says on this:
"Organization of
the Christian Congregation. While Christian
congregations of God were established in various places, they did
not function independently of one another. Instead, they all
recognized the authority of the Christian governing body at
Jerusalem. This governing body was comprised of the apostles and
older men of the Jerusalem congregation, there being no rival
bodies elsewhere seeking to supervise the congregation. It was to
the faithful Christian governing body of the first century C.E.
that the issue of circumcision was submitted for consideration.
When the governing body made its decision, as directed by the holy
spirit, that decision was accepted and became binding upon all
Christian congregations, these willingly submitting to it.—Ac
15:22-31." —it-1 pp. 498-499 Congregation
Was the matter of circumcision taken to Jerusalem because there
was a “governing body” there? The apostle Paul and Barnabas had
been appointed to preach to the nations, not by any governing body
in Jerusalem, but directly by holy spirit. (Acts 13:2-4) Jehovah
had been blessing their preaching work among the Gentiles so that
many congregations were being formed. Now a problem arose. What
does the account in Acts tell us?
1 And certain men came down from Judea and began to teach the
brothers: “Unless YOU get circumcised according to the custom of
Moses, YOU cannot be saved.” 2 But when there had occurred no
little dissension and disputing by Paul and Barnabas with them,
they arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go
up to the apostles and older men in Jerusalem regarding this
dispute.
3 Accordingly, after being conducted partway by the congregation,
these men continued on their way through both Phoenicia and
Samaria, relating in detail the conversion of people of the
nations, and they were causing great joy to all the brothers. 4 On
arriving in Jerusalem they were kindly received by the
congregation and the apostles and the older men, and they
recounted the many things God had done by means of them. 5 Yet,
some of those of the sect of the Pharisees that had believed rose
up from their seats and said: “It is necessary to circumcise them
and charge them to observe the law of Moses.” —Acts 15:1-5.
Notice where the problem originated! Certain men from Judea, the
Jerusalem congregation, were visiting the Gentile brothers in
Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, causing them and the apostle Paul and
Barnabas much trouble by insisting that they, people of the
nations, needed to be circumcised and observe the law of Moses. As
the apostles and older men acknowledged, “some from among us have
caused you trouble with speeches, trying to subvert your souls,
although we did not give them any instructions.” (Acts 15:23,24)
The problem needed to be dealt with at the source. If there was a
governing body in Jerusalem then they were part of the problem.
Jehovah had provided clear evidence by “the many signs and
portents” that he did through Paul and Barnabas among people of
the nations, that he was accepting them with no need for
circumcision or observing the law of Moses. Because of relating
their experiences, and the testimony of Peter and James, the holy
spirit enabled them to come to a unanimous decision. This decision
was then sent to all the congregations that had been affected by
the trouble makers. There is no evidence here of a governing body
that supervised all the congregations. The account in Acts simply
states that a problem arose in Jerusalem that was exported to the
brothers in other areas and it was handled by those where the
problem originated, as it should be.
It is noteworthy that the apostle Peter (Cephas) and James (Jesus’
half brother) were instrumental in being used to settle the
circumcision issue. Perhaps the holy spirit chose those two men
because it seems that they may well have been
part of the problem. This is evident in what Paul wrote in his
letter to the Galatians.
11 However, when
Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him face to face, because he
stood condemned. 12
For before the arrival of certain men from James, he used to eat
with people of the nations; but when they arrived, he went
withdrawing and separating himself, in fear of those of the
circumcised class. 13
The rest of the Jews also joined him in putting on this pretense,
so that even Barnabas was led along with them in their pretense.”
—Galatians 2:11-14.
Paul had to severely criticize Peter before all the brothers
“because he stood condemned” for his hypocritical attitude toward
the uncircumcised people of the nations, which was affecting the
other brothers in Antioch, including Paul’s companion Barnabas.
Peter himself was influenced in this by the men from James. And
this even after the circumcision issue had been settled. Yes, even
after Jehovah had sent Peter to the uncircumcised army officer of
the Italian band, Cornelius years earlier, and he saw the holy
spirit fall upon him and those with him, he still had a problem in
having God's view on matters. (Acts chapter 10) Because of Peter’s
influence “[the brothers] were not walking straight according to
the truth of the good news.” He had become a danger of corrupting
the brothers and was causing division. To Peter's credit, he
allowed himself to be corrected.
There is no evidence at all to suggest that any of the apostles or
older men in the Jerusalem congregation, as a governing body,
supervised any other congregations outside their district. If
anything, they sometimes contributed to the problems of the
brothers in other areas when they meddled in their affairs. And
there certainly is no evidence that Jesus ever acknowledged a
governing body. He himself appointed Saul to become the apostle
Paul, and he dealt with each individual congregation also
personally, such as when he wrote his letters to the seven
congregations in Asia Minor. (Acts 9:3-19; Rev. 1:10,11; 2:1-3:22)
A NEW OUTLOOK
As written in the 1975 Yearbook
"After their
trialsome period of 1917-1919, Jehovah’s people subjected
themselves to scrutiny. Realizing that they had acted in ways that
did not meet with God’s approval, they sought forgiveness in
prayer repenting of their former course. This led to Jehovah’s
forgiveness and blessing.—Prov. 28:13.
"One compromise had been the cutting of pages from The
Finished Mystery, this to please those who had assumed
the position of censor. Another occurred when The Watch
Tower of June 1, 1918, stated: “In accordance with the
resolution of Congress of April 2nd, and with the proclamation of
the President of the United States of May 11, it is suggested that
the Lord’s people everywhere make May 30th a day of prayer and
supplication.” Subsequent comments lauded the United States and
did not harmonize with the Christian position of neutrality.—John
15:19; Jas. 4:4.
"During World War I questions arose among the Bible Students as to
the position they should take regarding military service. Some
refused to participate in any way, whereas others accepted
noncombatant service. Related questions arose about whether to buy
war bonds and stamps. Failure to do so sometimes resulted in
persecution, even brutal treatment. When Jehovah’s servants of
today consider any program or activity of the nations, they act in
harmony with such Scriptural principles as that set forth at
Isaiah 2:2-4, which concludes with the words: “And they will have
to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning
shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will
they learn war anymore.”
"A new outlook. That is what Jehovah’s people had as they entered
the 1920’s. They had gone through difficult years, but Christ’s
anointed followers, the symbolic “two witnesses,” were alive again
spiritually and ready for action. What led up to this? What took
place in the months immediately following the release of Brother
Rutherford and his seven associates from prison?"
—yb75
p. 119
United
States of America (Part Two)
How the
Governing Body Differs From a Legal Corporation
from the Watchtower, January 15, 2001, pp. 29-30
". . . These questions were answered at the annual meeting held on
October 1, 1971. On that occasion, one of the speakers pointed out
that the governing body of “the faithful and discreet slave”
preceded the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
by hundreds of years. (Matthew 24:45-47) A governing body was
formed at Pentecost of 33 C.E., more than 18 centuries before the
Pennsylvania corporation came into existence. At first, the governing body consisted
of, not 7 men, but 12 apostles. Evidently, its number was enlarged
later, for “the apostles and older men in
Jerusalem” were taking the lead.—Acts 15:2.
"In 1971 the same speaker explained that the members of
the Watch Tower Society could not vote in the members of the
anointed Governing Body. Why? “Because,” he said, “the governing
body of the ‘slave’ class is not appointed by any man. It is
appointed by . . . Jesus Christ, the Head of the true Christian
congregation and the Lord and Master of the ‘faithful and discreet
slave’ class.” Clearly, then, the members of the Governing Body
cannot be voted into office by the membership of any legal
corporation.
"Continuing, the speaker made this very significant
statement: “The governing body does not have officers such as the
Society’s Board of Directors has, namely, president, vice
president, secretary-treasurer and assistant secretary-treasurer.
It has merely a chairman.” For many years, the president of the
Pennsylvania corporation was also the foremost member of the
Governing Body. This would no longer be the case. While not equal
in experience or ability, Governing Body members would be equal in
responsibility. The speaker added: “Any member of the governing
body can be chairman thereof without being at the same time the
president of the . . . Society . . . It all depends upon the
rotation system for the chairmanship in the governing body.”
"At that unforgettable annual meeting in 1971, a
distinction was clearly drawn between the spirit-anointed members
of the Governing Body and the directors of the Pennsylvania
corporation. Still, members of the Governing Body continued to
serve as directors and officers of the Society. Today, however,
the question arises: Is there any Scriptural reason why the
directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of
Pennsylvania must be members of the Governing Body?
"The answer is no. The Pennsylvania corporation is not
the only legal entity used by Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are
others. One is the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York,
Incorporated. It facilitates our work in the United States.
Jehovah’s blessing has clearly been upon that corporation, though
its directors and officers have been mainly of the “other sheep.”
The International Bible Students Association is used in Britain.
Other legal entities are used to promote Kingdom interests in
other lands. All of them harmoniously assist and have a role to
play in getting the good news preached earth wide. No matter where
they are located or who serve as directors or officers, these
entities are theocratically guided and used by the Governing Body.
Hence, such entities have assigned tasks to perform in furthering
Kingdom interests.
"It is beneficial for us to have legal entities. We
thereby conform to local and national laws, as required by God’s
Word. (Jeremiah 32:11; Romans 13:1) Legal entities facilitate our
work of spreading the Kingdom message by printing Bibles, books,
magazines, brochures, and other material. Such entities also serve
as legal instruments to handle matters related to property
ownership, relief efforts, contracts for the use of convention
facilities, and so forth. We are thankful for the services of such
legal entities.
—w01
1/15 pp. 29-30 How the
Governing Body Differs From a
Legal Corporation
And so they came to
make minor adjustments in their structure of ruling over God's
people. Instead of all authority continuing in the hands of the
President of a Legal Corporation of the land, as the case had been since
Pastor Russell's time, now the authority would be shared by other members
making up a Governing Body. This change cannot be said to have been made because of desiring to bring themselves into
harmony with God's way, for there was no "Governing
Body" among the early Christians, as they claim.
You Are Fired!
Since the Society has been run like a
worldly corporation since the days of Rutherford, rather than
"disfellowshipping" someone should he not be "fired" instead?