(The following information is an excerpt taken from the book called The "Report" Volume I, pages 41-63.) |
FACT: IN THE YEAR OF 1931, JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES (FORMERLY INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS) BEGAN THE DIVINE NAME MOVEMENT. In that year, the Jehovah's Witnesses as a nation and people, became the only organized people INTERNATIONALLY SPEAKING, on the face of the earth who actually carried God's Name (Jehovah) upon themselves in the world. (See link below for detailed discussion on Jehovah's Witnesses and use of the Divine Name.) In fact, the teachings listed on the accompanying chart (page 64 of The "REPORT" Volume I.) are indeed official teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses themselves, for many years now. |
See Link: 70 Years of "Declaring" The Sacred Name Completed -- October 1931 thru October 2001 |
Take for example, the Ten Commandments. The first and second commandments in particular, were often visible within the ranks of small Christian groups, down through the centuries. (Exodus 20:3,4; Deut. 6:4) These same characteristics can actually serve, in our day and time, to identify: Modern-day Israel, or Jerusalem of our times, Jehovah's Witnesses. The table or diagram below highlights these characteristics. |
See if you, the reader, can pick out the similarities between "Israel" of old, and modern-day "Israel" spoken of in Bible prophecy — Jehovah's Witnesses. Remember, it is the "framework of Truth" that differentiates them from all other religions upon the face of the earth today. (Romans 2:20) The following characteristics distinguish them as modern-day Israel. They are: |
We also cannot help but notice, that the Jehovah's Witnesses have become known, the world over, for their relentless attacks upon the doctrine of the great main-line religions of our time. And this is much to their credit, make no mistake about that. Based upon the foregoing, we notice that the Jehovah's Witnesses have scripturally demonstrated the church's failure in: |
"...Opponents describe the Albigenses as rejecting the sacraments, the Mass, the veneration of images, the Trinity ... They made the Sermon on the Mount the essence of their ethics. They were taught to love their enemies, to care for the sick and the poor, never to swear, always to keep the peace, force was never moral, even against infidels, ... one should quietly trust that in the end God would triumph over evil, without using evil means." |
" ... denied that the [Catholic] Church was the Church of Christ; St. Peter had never come to Rome, had never founded the papacy; the popes were successors to the emperors, not the apostles. Christ had no place to lay His head, but the pope lived in a palace...these lordly archbishops and bishops (of the Catholic church), these worldly priests, these fat monks, were the Pharisees of old returned to life! The Roman Church, they were sure, was the `Whore of Babylon,' the clergy were a Synagogue of Satan, the pope was Antichrist." |
Therefore, the evidence proves that many fundamental teachings that Jehovah's Witnesses presently believe, did not actually originate with Charles Taze Russell as some believe, but were beliefs previously held by Christian groups such as the Arians, Waldenses, Lollards, Albigensiens, Annabaptists, early Unitarians and numerous other groups of Christians for centuries. Yes, there is a common thread of truth that has been maintained down throughout the years since Jesus. But remember, these truths only represent the "framework of Truth." However, the great "sacred secrets" or "mysteries" [Greek: mysterions] of the Bible would continue to be held in secret until the "time of the end." (Daniel 12:4,9) To be sure, as Jesus said at John 16:13, the day would come when the following would be true: |
"However, when that one arrives, the spirit of the truth, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak of his own impulse, but what things he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things coming." |
Vines Expository of New Testament Words states that the word morphosis means: |
We notice from what Paul states here that the "Law" given by Moses, actually became a "tutor" or literally a "child-leader" for the nation. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance describes the Greek word for "tutor" [pedagogue] as meaning: |
"For Sadducees say there is neither resurrection nor angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees publicly declare them all." |
And were the Pharisees any better? No, Josephus, the Jewish historian who at one time described himself as a Pharisee, according to Harper's Bible Dictionary reports: |
Therefore, just as the Jewish nation had the teachings of the "Law" covenant that would act as a "tutor" leading to the Christ, so also the "framework of truth" down through the centuries would also act as a "tutor," "child-leader," until God's time to reveal the "sacred secrets" of the Bible. (Galatians 3:24) Remember, these are only the ABC's of religious truth, you might say. The Jehovah's Witnesses revived, yes revived many of these teachings during the time of C.T. Russell (the first President of Watchtower Society) in the early 1870's, but have progressed no farther. Nevertheless, these basic truths have served to make the Jehovah's Witnesses a people separate, distinct, and different from all the other forms of worship on earth today. These truths really make them: Modern-day "ISRAEL." |
PROPHECY — FAR BEYOND FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS |
Now, let's pay close attention to the main point of their explanation. It says: |
CHECKING THE CONTEXT??? |
"For this is what the Lord Jehovah has said, `I also must do with you just as you have done, because you despised the oath in breaking [my] covenant. And I, I myself, must remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I must establish for you an indefinitely lasting covenant... And you will certainly remember your ways and feel humiliated ... And I, I myself , will establish my covenant with you; and you will have to know that I am Jehovah, in order that you may remember and actually be ashamed and you may no more come to have any reason to open [your] mouth because of your humiliation, when I make an atonement for you for all that you have done,' is the utterance of the Lord Jehovah." |
And so we can see that if an individual were to do exactly as suggested by the Watchtower Society, he would find the same prophetic "woman" spoken of as an "adulterous," "Hittite," and "Amorite," is also the same "woman" that is to be `atoned for' and subsequently receives an "indefinitely lasting covenant." Now, does that sound like the religions of Pagandom and/or Christendom to you? |
Because of the hypocrisy |
Also, many prophecies demonstrate that the same "Jerusalem" [or Israel] who previously had a good standing before Him, later embark upon an unrepentant course of sin and are the very ones that ultimately bring on an estranged relationship with God, and finally become the recipients of severe discipline from His hand! And finally, it is from this "Lo-ammi" or disowned state, that they [Israel] have to be "restored." (Hosea 1:8, 9) Think about it. |
Now keep in mind, that the Watchtower Society has never explained the remaining five verses in their publications, namely verses 5 - 9, which shows us that the same "Jacob" [or Israel], who in verses 1-4 has great increase and people streaming to Jehovah's Mountain, in these verses are spoken of as being polluted, and completely unclean before Jehovah in these same "last days." Now, how could "Israel" picture God's people [Jehovah's Witnesses] in the first 4 verses, and someone else [like Christendom] in the remaining 5 verses? And what's more, the prophecy shows that those who refuse the invitation to `come and walk in the light,' away from such a bad environment, will ultimately lose his favor totally! And so we can see that the Jehovah's Witnesses as a people will be faced with a grave situation in the very near future, according to PROPHECY! Think about it. |
However, keep in mind, that this is not to suggest that there are no discerning ones among them. To the contrary, no doubt, there may be many who are searching the scriptures because they have many, many questions concerning what is being taught them by the Watchtower Society. Neither, is this said to imply that there are none who are sincere among them either. No, because prophecy clearly indicates that many from among the family of Jehovah's Witnesses will prevail in the end. Daniel 11:32-35 clearly indicates this fact! |
This same lack of spiritual progress will ultimately cause them to fail, again according to prophecy, as a light-bearing organization according to the standard set by Jesus Christ himself, our exemplar. And this will be despite the fact that they now carry the Name of God, Jehovah, upon themselves. Remember: it is this Name that has set them apart from all other religions. And, on the other hand, it is this same Name that carries with it grave responsibilities as we have seen. Yes, Jehovah's people must live up to that Name! — See Deuteronomy 28:58-62. Written By: Donald C. Burney |
© 1994 - 2023 Donald C. Burney |
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Ancient Israel |
Jehovah's Witnesses as "Modern-Day Israel" |
1) Called by God's Personal Name |
1) Called by God's Personal Name |
2) Mono-theistic (one God concept or non-Trinitarian) |
2) Mono-theistic (one God concept or non-Trinitarian) |
3) Iconoclastic (no images in worship) |
3) Iconoclastic (no images in worship) |