FLASHES OF LIGHT
By B. J. Kotwall and B. Stett.
Comments on The Watchtower 1995 May 15
MISUSED PROVERB
THE WATCHTOWER (WT) Magazine of May
15, 1995 appeals to Psalm 97:11 and Proverbs 4:18 as justification for past
errors and subsequent newer doctrines.
In THE NEW WORLD TRANSLATION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES of THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY
(WTS) Psalms 97:11 reads:
Light itself has flashed up for
the righteous one, and rejoicing even for the one upright in heart.
The WTS interprets this to mean that they regularly
receive "flashes of light" from Jehovah (God).
That this interpretation is convenient though false is seen by reading the entire
chapter of Psalm 19. Also PEAKE'S COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLE explains:
...light and life are synonymous.
Hence 'see light' should not be taken in the sense of mental illumination,
but as denoting the experience of a full, free and satisfying life (p. 420)
Proverbs 4:18 reads:
The path of the righteous one is
like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day
is firmly established.
Reading the entire chapter shows that verses
18-19 contrast the benefit to the "righteous" of obeying the instructions
of a wise father with the damage to the wicked who forsakes such wisdom. Proverbs
4:18 does not - taken in context - justify the need of any individual or organization
replacing doctrines and failed prophecies with new doctrines and prophecies.
False teachings can be called "false words" and Proverbs 13:5 says:
"A false word is what the righteous
hates."
The first of three "Flashes of Light"
articles in the May 15 WT summarises various New Testament teachings and calls
them "brilliant light", "flashes of light", "stream
of light", etc. This is done with the resurrection stories of Lazarus,
Jesus being recognized as Messiah, circumcision seen as unnecessary, etc.
The second article applies the same "light" phrases to modern WTS
doctrines, for example that Holy Spirit is a force, Christ's return would be
invisible, the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matthew 24:45-47 is
a class dispensing Christian truth etc. About 60 times WTS doctrines are called
"light", "striking flash of light", "brilliant light",
etc. By using Proverbs 4:18 for New Testament statements and for WTS doctrine
as well the WTS leaders imply they are as infallible as they teach the Bible
to be!
INFALLIBLE LEADERS
The following claims of WTS leaders amount to
claims of infallibility:
Nothing is interpreted but the interpretation
comes from God and is then published.
(WT 1943 July 1 pp. 202-203)
Angels deliver what is published.
(PREPARATION 1933 pp. 36-37,
64)
THE WATCHTOWER publishes "no man's opinion".
WT 1931
November 1 p. 327; 1936 March 15 p. 85)
"To it (this organization) alone...the Bible is not a sealed book."
The WTS is "the only organization on earth that understands the 'deep
things of God.' "
(WT 1973 July 1 p. 402)
The leaders are "spirit directed" (WT 1988 March 1 p. 10)
and "God's channel."
(WT 1969 January 15 p. 51; 1960 July
15 pp. 439, 442)
"It is vital that we appreciate this fact and respond to the directions
of the 'slave' as we would to the voice of God, because it is His provision."
WT 1957 June 15 p. 370)
C. T. Russell founder of the WTS, called himself "God's mouthpiece"
(WT 1906 July 15 p. 229); claimed that compared to reading his books Bible
reading is "a waste of time" (WT 1910 September 15 p. 298), and
that his books "harmonize...every statement in the Bible." (DIVINE
PLAN OF THE AGES 1886 p. 348)
God uses and directs the WTS.
(VINDICATION Book 1 1931 p. 77)
"The 'slave' class has served as God's sole collective channel
for the flow of Biblical truth to men on earth. Just as the early Christian
congregation collectively served as the channel of communication from heaven
to earth, so in our time." (WT 1960 July 15 p. 439)
"As Jehovah revealed his truths by means of the first-century
Christian congregation so he does today by means of the present-day Christian
congregation. Through this agency he is having carried out prophesying on
an intensified and unparalled scale. All of this activity is not an accident.
Jehovah is the one behind all of it."
(WT 1964 June 15 p. 365)
"Therefore, in submitting to Jehovah's theocratic organization,
we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic
procedure and requirements."
(WT 1967 October 1 p. 593)
"FAITHFUL" SLAVE - "RIGHT SORT
OF FOOD"
The May 15 WT says that:
"Jesus...returned and found
'the faithful and discreet slave' giving the 'domestics' their food at the
proper time. As a result Jesus Christ appointed that slave 'over all his
belongings'."(p. 15)
That appointment was made in 1919
(WT
1977 January 1 p. 14) .
The basis was that the message at that time was "accurate and
well founded"
(REVELATION - IT'S GRAND CLIMAX AT HAND! 1989 p.
164)
and the "slave" was "faithful" and: "proclaiming
Jehovah's kingdom and announcing its establishment in A.D. 1914."
(WT 1943 January 1 p.7)
Also: "the serving of food, the right sort of food, at the proper
time was the issue. It had to be according to this that a decision must
be rendered by the returned master." (GOD'S KINGDOM OF A THOUSAND YEARS
HAS APPROACHED 1973 p. 350)
Let us review the "right sort of food",
the "brilliant light" of "God's mouthpiece" compared to
which Bible reading is a "waste of time", and which got the "faithful
slave" appointed:
"RIGHT SORT OF FOOD" SAMPLED
The WTS taught:
"The 'Time of the end,' a period
of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914 is particularly
marked in the Scriptures."(THY KINGDOM COME 1891 p. 23)
The WTS taught:
"Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to
appear for the second time in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt
that he did appear in 1874."
(WT 1922 November 1 p. 333)
"Beyond a doubt" but it was wrong!
The WTS taught:
we present proofs that the setting
up of the Kingdom of God is already begun, that it is pointed out in prophesy
that as due to begin the exercise of power in A.D. 1878, and that the 'battle
of the great day of God Almighty' (Revelation 18:14)...will end in A.D.
1915, with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership ... ."
(THE TIME IS AT HAND 1889 p. 101)
The fake kingdom of 1878 was proclaimed until
1926!
The WTS taught that the Great Pyramid of Gizeh is "inspired" and "God
designed" (THY KINGDOM COME 1891 p. 362; WT 1922 June 15 p. 187)
This was taught for 47 years from 1881. In 1928 the Pyramid became "Satan's
Bible" and its devotees had: "turned away from Jehovah and his Word."
(WT 1928 November 15 pp. 341, 344)
The WTS taught:
"In the year 1918... Christendom
shall go down as a system to oblivion..." (THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917
p. 513)
This same book THE FINISHED MYSTERY, has been
estimated to contain 1,500 interpretations rejected by later WTS writers. (JEHOVAH'S
WITNESSES: A STATSTICAL SURVEY 1992 p. 204)
Consider again the claim in May 15 WT that:
"Jesus ...returned and found
the...slave giving...food at the proper time." (p. 15)
The WTS has only since 1927 understood the "slave"
as referring to a large group collectively. Prior to 1927 the doctrine was that
the "slave" or "servant" is one man - C. T. Russell . (WT
Reprints 1916 December 1 p. 5998; THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917 p. 418)
His teachings were "Divinely appointed teachings..."
(THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917 p. 426)
The same book says:
"though pastor Russell has
passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every feature of the Harvest
work." (p. 144)
The WT in 1922 stated:
"to repudiate him and his work
is equivalent to a repudiation of the Lord... ." (May 1 p. 132)
Then in 1927 Russell was repudiated as "that servant" (WT February
15 p. 56) and thousands of his interpretive points were gradually repudiated
as well. Therefore, using WTS's own words, they "repudiated the Lord."
The May 15 WT mentions some past doctrines such as Armageddon being a social
revolution and the Bible predicting a literal restoration of Israel as things
"once thought." (pp. 18-19) Such things weren't just "thought"
but had entire books about them and were promulgated as "divine light"
and "Bible truth"! (THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON 1897; COMFORT FOR THE
JEWS 1925)
FALSE PROPHECY CAUSED BY JEHOVAH
At the time Christ supposedly appointed the
"slave" (i.e. the class or group) in 1919 the WTS promulgated the
absurd public lectures MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE. This was published
as a book in 1920 and taught:FALSE PROPHECY CAUSED BY JEHOVAHFALSE PROPHECY
CAUSED BY JEHOVAH At the time Christ supposedly appointed the "slave"
(i.e. the class or group) in 1919 the WTS promulgated the absurd public lectures
MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE. This was published as a book in 1920 and
taught: "We may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old." (pp. 89-90) The WTS claims
that this was a message "Jehovah caused to be preached"! (WT 1955
November 15 p. 698) Obviously the "Jehovah" of the WTS is not the
Jehovah of the Bible but is a man or men who stole the name. MORE CREDIT TO
JEHOVAH
The May 15 articles contain many more deceptive assertions. For example p. 21
gives the impression that in 1962 the WTS got a bright flash of light that subjection
to the "superior authorities" of Romans 13 is relative not absolute.
However in 1886 such subjection was viewed as relative. (THE DIVINE PLAN OF
THE AGES p. 266) Until 1929 the "superior authorities" were interpreted
to mean secular governments; then this changed and they were God and Christ
this being taught as "truth" and "light"; then in 1962 they
became the secular governments again!
The May 15 WT calls Russell and his followers "part of the faithful and
discreet slave" and "those Jehovah used" and "anointed".
(p. 17) Also: "they took no credit to themselves. ...All credit went to
God." This misleads since Russell claimed he alone was the "slave"
not "part of". Also besides his numerous failed prophecies he, in
1881, urged his followers to give all spare money to "the Lord's service"
- mainly Russell's service - and thereby avoid sickness and even death. (WT
Reprints p. 187) Reports of miraculous cures, even old people restored to youth,
appeared in the WT until the 1890s! For the WTS to praise a fraud like Russell
as "Jehovah used" and "anointed" while insulting all other
religions as "false" and do this as an ongoing policy clearly constitutes
double standards - religious hypocrisy. By giving "credit...to God"
the WTS leaders wish readers to view them as humble, sweet, faithful and wise
but instead really blame God for the false prophecies they could have avoided.
There are hundreds of "flashes of light" the May 15 WT could have
mentioned but didn't. For example: "...vaccination is a direct violation
of the law of Jehovah God." (THE GOLDEN AGE 1935 April 24 p. 471) Jehovah's
law got the boot in 1952!
EVER BRIGHTER: NO LIGHT EXTINGUISHED
The light-getting-brighter doctrine existed
in 1881 when Russell wrote: "New light never extinguishes older light but
adds to it. ...So it is with the light of truth; the true increase is by adding
to, not by substituting one for another." (WT Reprints p. 188) At that
time (February 1881) Russell taught that he and the "saints" would
rise physically to heaven in Autumn. Afterwards this "light" was extinguished
and Russell substituted the doctrine that the general selection for heaven ceased
in 1881 and they'll ascend by 1914!
WT 1976 says:
"as the light of understanding
shines even brighter, old ideas have been replaced. Now, in these 1970s,
it can truly be said that 'the day is firmly established' among Jehovah's
people... ."
(July 1, 1976 p. 400)
However, numerous doctrinal changes since 1976
show that "the day is not firmly established after all!" For example
tissue transplants stopped being "unscriptural" in 1980, Armageddon
is no longer in 1970s, the "Communist king of the north" is currently
not Communist, and "this generation" of 1914 has a new starting date!
REPETITIOUS TRICKY PROPHET
Why do Jehovah's Witnesses follow men who attach
God to lots of lies and who then keep changing this so-called "bright spiritual
light" almost like traffic lights?
One reason is repetition. As already mentioned the May 15 article calls WTS
doctrines "light" about 60 times. In the course of a year WTS doctrine
is called "light", "education", "accurate knowledge",
"truth", "genuine Christianity", "loyal to God's word",
and similar things several thousand times! Christianity is summed up negatively
"apostate", "Babylonish", "deceitful", "fraudulent",
"false", etc., also thousands of times yearly. Also Jehovah's Witnesses
have to shun all who criticise them or their publications.
The leaders of WTS claim to be a prophet. (WT 1959 January 15 pp. 40-41; WT
1972 April 1 p. 197) To claim to be God's prophet and then hide behind Proverbs
4:18 when prophecies fail is a trick since the Bible says that prophets who
make false predictions in God's name deserve death. (Deuteronomy 18:21- 22;
Jeremiah 28)
Jesus once warned:
"If then the light in you is
darkness, how great is the darkness!"
(Matthew 6:23)
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