Witchtower: May 1, 2009 - Are Jehovah's Witnesses the True Religion?
Transcript of Witchtower: May 1, 2009 - Are Jehovah's Witnesses the True Religion?
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The Witchtower 5/2009 1
WITCHTOWER TTHHEE
MM A A Y Y 11 ,, 22 00 00 99
EEXXPPOOSSIINNGG J JEEHHOO V V A A HH’’SS W WII T TNNEESSSSEESS
The Bible’s
Solution to
Poverty
The “Final Part of the Days” for the Watch Tower Socie
Are Jehovah’s Witnesses the True Religion?
Getting to Know the Warrior Who Gives Peace
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The Witchtower Downloadable in 194 countries
3 The Bible's Solution to Poverty
5 The "Final Part of the Days" for the Watch Tower Society
9 Are Jehovah's Witnesses the True Religion?
10 Getting to Know the Warrior Who Gives Peace
14 Questions From Readers
16 Keep on the Watch!
This publication is provided as part of a worldwide
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THE BIBLE’S SOLUTION TO POVERTY
“Let one drink and forget one’s poverty.” (Proverbs 31:7)
According to World Bank, as cited in Ency-
clopaedia Wikipedia, 1.1 billion people lived in“extreme poverty” and another 2.7 billion lived
in “moderate poverty” in 2001. “One of the
targets within … [the United Nations Millen-
nium Development Goal] is the halving of the
proportion of people living in extreme poverty
by 2015.” But sincere people cannot be misled
by human wisdom. Rather, they are interested
in what God‟s word, the Bible, says on this
matter. Can we realistically expect that world-
wide poverty will be eliminated?
Poverty in ancient times
Poverty was common among God‟s people at
all times. Even in the Mosaic Law, God de-
clared: “Someone poor will never cease to be in
the midst of the land.” (Deut. 15:11) And “the
law of Jehovah is perfect.” (Ps. 19:7) So, pov-
erty in Israel was not a consequence of them
not observing the law; rather, it was intended
to be a part of the Israelite‟s life. Perfection
does not exclude poverty.
God‟s servants have always been poor
Abolition of the Mosaic Law did not alte
the fact that there were many poor amonGod‟s people. The apostle Paul wrote: “In ever
way we recommend ourselves as God‟s minis
ters … as poor.” (2. Cor. 6:4, 10) Back then
poverty indicated that one was a servant of th
true God.
Poverty in God’s new world
Isaiah foretold about the future paradise
“In security the poor ones themselves will li
down.” (Is. 14:30) So, the poor will be “in secu
rity,” but still poor. The psalms also give
preview of the new world. They say of the kin
– in the ancient type Solomon, in the antityp
Jesus Christ – that “the souls of the poor one
he will save.” (Ps. 72:13) Hence, the poor mus
be pleased with their “souls” – their lives
being saved. But they will have no share of th
kingdom‟s wealth, for not to them, but to th
king “let some of the gold of Sheba be given.” Ps. 72:15.
Jesus declared clearly: “ You always hav
the poor with you, but you will not always hav
me.” (Mat. 26:11) He used the Greek wor
pántote that means “forever.” Yes, he himsel
will only rule for thousand years – after tha
time, his disciples will „not have him‟ anymore
but the poor will still be there. – Rev. 20:4.
Later, “when he hands over the kingdom this God and Father,” poverty will continue t
exist. (1. Cor. 15:24) For God‟s word clearl
says: “Jehovah is an Impoverisher.” (1. Sam
2:7) Under his rule, poverty will continue to b
a permanent feature of human society.
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Escape from poverty?
Should poor Christians try to earn money
and escape from poverty? No, for two reasons.
First, it is futile. Jesus explained multiple
times: “Whoever does not have, even what he
has will be taken from him.” (Mat. 13:12; Luke
8:18) Hence, efforts to earn money are destined
to fail. Only to one “that has, more will be giv-
en.” (Luke 19:26) But someone who is poor will
anyway remain poor forever.
Second, poverty can help us to inherit God‟s
kingdom. Jesus said: “How difficult a thing it
will be for those with money to enter into the
kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23) He did not men-
tion “the rich” but “those with money” – not
necessarily much money. Thus, whoever has
any money will have a hard time entering
God‟s kingdom. But “Jehovah is listening to the
poor ones.” (Ps. 69:33) David declared: “I am
afflicted and poor. Jehovah himself takes ac-
count of me.” – Ps. 40:17.
It would be even worse to strive for wealth.
The apostle Paul wrote: “Those who are deter-
mined to be rich fall into temptation and a
snare and many senseless and hurtful desires,
which plunge men into destruction and ruin.”
(1. Tim. 6:9) Interestingly, he did not mention“some who are determined to be rich” but “those
who are determined to be rich.” So, everyone
who tries to escape from poverty and “to be
rich” – without exception – will surely get into
“destruction and ruin.”
The poor should drink, not complain
A real solution
The Bible provides a clear instruction to th
poor: “Let one drink and forget one‟s poverty
(Prov. 31:7) True, alcohol is a gift from God
(Ps. 104:15) The poor should make an extensiv
use of it! Then, they can even more clearl
understand Jesus‟ saying: “Happy are you poor
because yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luk
6:20) Not only will be poor be allowed to liv
under Jesus‟ kingship in due time; no, in thei
drunkenness they can even today see “th
kingdom of God,” they can be “caught awa
into paradise” and hear “unutterable words.”
2. Cor. 12:4.
Therefore, Paul advised Timothy: “Do no
drink water any longer, but use a little wine
(1. Tim. 5:23) Likely, Timothy abandoned high
er education and became a missionary; hence
he was poor. With “a little wine,” he could bet
ter cope with his situation and “forget” hi
poverty.
What we can do
If we have a little money, we should do ou
best to support poor fellow Christians. W
must guard against giving them money, which
would be contrary to God‟s purpose. RatherGod‟s word instructs us: “Give intoxicatin
liquor, you people, to the one about to perish
and wine to those who are bitter of soul.” (Prov
31:6) So, we should “give them the cup of conso
lation to drink.” (Jer. 16:7) “Let them drink an
forget how poor and miserable they feel.”
Prov. 31:7, CEV .
Are we not looking forward to the tim
when God‟s kingdom will rule over all th
earth? Without doubt, poverty will then bmore equally distributed than today. Hence
everywhere on the world, one can have th
privilege of going to the poor‟s rescue with “th
cup of consolation.” How wonderful is tha
prospect!
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THE “FINAL PART OF THE DAYS”
FOR THE WATCH TOWER SOCIETY“He is changing times and seasons, removing kings.” (Dan. 2:21)
We all want to know what the future holds.
So did King Nebuchadnezzar. He had a dream,
which is nothing uncommon per se. All people
have dreams time and again. But Nebuchad-
nezzar took his dream for a sign from God.
Hence, he consulted “ all the wise men of
Babylon [the Great],” but none of them was
able to interpret his dream. (Dan. 2:12) After
some time, Daniel, a servant of Jehovah, had
a similar dream and could tell the king it‟s
meaning.
As the November 1, 1993 Watchtower
pointed out, “we know that some of Daniel‟s
prophecies were to be fulfilled in our time.”
(p. 8) That applies to Nebuchadnezzar‟s dream
– it fulfills right in front of our eyes. Thus, it is
of paramount importance for us to scrutinize it
and take appropriate steps.
An Image
Daniel explained: “ You, O king, hap-
pened to be beholding, and, look! a certainimmense image. That image, which was
large and the brightness of which was
extraordinary, was standing in front of
you, and its appearance was dreadful.”
(Dan. 2:31) What does that “immense image”
illustrate? The December 1, 1976 Watchtower
gives an important hint: “There is an image,
however, that has been looked to for more than
thirty years as man‟s best hope for peace. It is
not some figure of a human or an animal but is
an international organization. … What is that
organization?” – p. 709.
Which “international organization” claims
to have “man‟s best hope for peace”? As Awake!
wrote in its December 22, 1995 issue, only
Jehovah‟s Witnesses “advocate God‟s Kingdom
as the only hope for true peace.” (p. 24) Hence,
the “image” is the Watchtower organization.
This organization is really “immense” and
“large,” for it floods the whole earth with it
pamphlets. Its “brightness” is “extraordinary,
since by their own admission, their publica
tions always contain “brighter light,” for man
decades now.
Since the image is so extraordinarily bright
why does Daniel say: “Its appearance wa
dreadful”? That does not refer to the Watch
tower organization itself, but to their followers
Many of them wear clothes that could only b
purchased at a flea market even hundred yearago. They don‟t care much about themselves
their appearance and their health (becaus
Armageddon is at hand anyway); hence, the
look miserable and “dreadful.” They are derid
ed, but they take the mockery as a proof fo
being true Christians. (2. Pet. 3:3) That‟s wh
they think that „their brightness would be ex
traordinary‟ though their fellow men view
them as “dreadful.”
The Beginnings
Daniel describes the image: “ Its head wa
of good gold, its breasts and its arms wer
of silver, its belly and its thighs were o
copper, its legs were of iron, its feet wer
partly of iron and partly of molded clay.
(Dan. 2:32, 33) That the materials got cheape
and cheaper shows that an initially good organ
ization would more and more diverge from it
ideals.
Their ideas of proper dress are “dreadful”
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Then Daniel says to Nebuchadnezzar:
“ You, O king … you to whom the God of
heaven has given the kingdom … you your-
self are the head of gold.” (Dan. 2:37)
Whom did God charge with proclaiming “the
kingdom”? It was Charles Taze Russell, of
whom Jehovah‟s Witnesses think that he is
now ruling as heavenly “king.” According toProf. S. A. Ellis, “he is without a parallel in
this Age. Without a blemish in his character,
with the loftiest ideals of God, and the possibil-
ities of man, he towers like a giant, unmatched.
… [He] is stamping his opinion on the world as
no other man has done since the days of the
Reformation.” (quoted from The Finished Mys-
tery, p. 126) There can really be no doubt that
“the head of gold” is C. T. Russell, the first
president of the Watch Tower Society.*
Daniel continued to tell Nebuchadnezzar:
“ After you there will rise another king-
dom.” (Dan. 2:39) Indeed, there rose another
“king” after Russell‟s death, Judge Rutherford.
But his “kingdom” was of “another” kind than
Russell‟s, as he did not emphasize on the indi-
vidual Christian‟s freedom but rather laid the
foundation for an all-dominating centralized
organization.
Global Expansion
After that, Daniel mentioned “ another
kingdom, a third one … that will rule over
the whole earth.” (Dan. 2:39) That indicates
a time of global expansion. Indeed, Nathan
Homer Knorr, the third president of the Watch
Tower Society, delivered the lecture “The Prob-
lems of Reconstruction and Expansion” in
1946. He became president in 1942, and ac-
cording to the April 1, 1972 Watchtower “espe-
cially from 1945 onward, global expansion was
truly under way.” – p. 403.
* According to worldly sources, William Henry Conley was
the first president of the WTS and Charles Taze Russell the
second one. But there is no reason why we should doubt the
writings of the “faithful and discreet slave” which call Rus-
sell consistently “the first president of the Watch Tower
Society.” (compare Jehovah’s Witnesses – Proclaimers of
God’s Kingdom, p. 576)
Hence, the third “king” is N. H. Knorr, wh
like a clever businessman turned Jehovah‟
Witnesses to a tightly organized preacher or
ganization. Hundreds of thousands of publish
ers dedicated all their spare time to sellin
their organization‟s books from house to house
Even a “Theocratic Court” was held under hi
presidency (see page 7).
“Strong like Iron”
N. H. Knorr was still president of th
Watch Tower Society in 1975. This year cam
and went, but the foretold end of man‟s rule di
not occur. Thus, a firm hand was required t
keep the Watchtower followers together. Exact
ly this type of leadership had been foretold b
Daniel: “ As for the fourth kingdom, it wil
prove to be strong like iron. Forasmuch a
iron is crushing and grinding everything
else, so, like iron that shatters, it wilcrush and shatter even all these.” – Danie
2:40.
The fourth “king” and fourth president o
the Watch Tower Society was Frederick Wil
liam Franz. He made sure that all “marplots
who doubted his ideas were disfellowshipped
including his nephew Raymond Victor Franz
Even Carl Olof Jonsson, who made the Watch
Tower officials aware of discrepancies in thei
calculation of 607 and 1914, has been thrown
out during Franz‟ presidency. Indeed, F. WFranz „crushed and shattered‟ everything tha
stood in his way.
As is proper for a king, Charles Taze
Russell is buried under a pyramid
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“THEOCRATIC COURT”
From the September 1955 Informer (during Nathan Homer Knorr‟s presidency)
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But the image had two “legs … of iron.”
(Dan. 2:33) The second leg represents Milton
George Henschel, who was president of the
Watch Tower Society from 1992 to 2000. Basi-
cally, he continued the iron-like management
style of his predecessor. For example, the new
“understanding” about the “generation” of Mat-
thew 24 (that has been abandoned in 2008) waspublished during his presidency.
Unstable Feet
Now Daniel explained the condition that
the Watchtower organization would face to-
wards the end of its existence: “ As for the toes
of the feet being partly of iron and partly
of molded clay, the kingdom will partly
prove to be strong and will partly prove to
be fragile. Whereas you beheld iron mixed
with moist clay, they will come to be mixed
with the offspring of mankind.” – Dan.
2:42, 43.
The feet symbolize the Watchtower organi-
zation‟s condition since the year 2000. At that
time, its management was reorganized, so that
the Governing Body does not at the same time
make up the directors of the Watch Tower
Society. (see Isaiah’s Prophecy – Light for All
Mankind, vol. 2, p. 317) The president and
other managers are now from “the offspring ofmankind,” that is, from the other sheep that
are not born again in Christ (John 3:3) The
Governing Body has to cooperate with these
(allegedly their future subjects), so that
anointed and non-anointed Christians are
“mixed” at the executive floors in Brooklyn.
In what way, the management of the
Watchtower organization “will partly prove to
be strong and will partly prove to be fragile”?
Since F. W. Franz‟ death, they are lacking a
charismatic leader. There were even rumors
about a kind of power struggle within the Gov-
erning Body. Indeed, no clear course can be
seen in all the theological and organizational
changes of the past years. For example, they
abolished meetings, but at the same time they
say that Christians should gather “all the
more” in our time. – Heb. 10:25.
The End Nears
“The end nears,” says the brochure Keep o
the Watch! . (p. 21) But likely, the writers di
not consider that their own end is involved
The prophet Daniel, inspired by God, continuedto explain “ that out of the mountain a ston
was cut not by hands, and that it crushed
the iron, the copper, the molded clay, thsilver and the gold. … At that time th
iron, the molded clay, the copper, the sil
ver and the gold were, all together
crushed and became like the chaff from
the summer threshing floor, and the wind
carried them away so that no trace at al
was found of them.” – Dan. 2:45, 35.
What does the “stone” that will finall
crush the image stand for? It was „cut out o
the mountain.‟ And “streaming to „the mountain of Jehovah‟s house‟” means “becoming hi
baptized witnesses,” according to the May 15
1988 Watchtower. (p. 17) Hence, the “mountain” represents the Watchtower organization
The “stone” are apostates who were disfellow
shipped “not by hands” – not by physical vio
lence, but by a judicial committee. Using bookand brochures, internet forums and othe
means, they uncover the errors of the Watch
Tower Society and their presidents.
The stone will crush the Watchtower
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They have fully discarded all Watchtower
teachings, “so that no trace at all was found” in
their minds. But it is only a question of time
until nothing at all will remain of this menda-
cious organization. Their followers will be scat-
tered to the four winds “like the chaff from the
summer threshing floor.”
But don‟t C. T. Russell, J. F. Rutherford, N.
H. Knorr, F. W. Franz and M. G. Henschel
already rule as heavenly kings? That may be
true, but Jehovah “ is changing times and
seasons, removing kings.” (Dan. 2:21) The-
se self-proclaimed kings will face the same
destiny as Saul, who was first chosen and then
abolished by Jehovah. – 1 Sam. 10:1, 16:14.
It Will Come True
Some may argue, this prospect would be too
good to be true. But “ the dream is reliable,and the interpretation of it is trustwor-
thy.” (Dan. 2:45) The Bible‟s statement is
clear. The major part of the prophecy has al-
ready fulfilled, and there is no doubt that the
remaining part will come true within a short
time.
ARE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES THE TRUE RELIGION? Yes, without doubt, this is the case. The
brochure You Can Be God’s Friend! that is
published by the Watch Tower Society frankly
declares: “Jehovah‟s Witnesses practice the
true religion on earth today.” (p. 17) “Millions
of people throughout the world have evaluated
the facts and have become convinced that Je-
hovah‟s Witnesses alone are practicing the true
religion.” – The Watchtower, June 1, 2001, p. 16.
Should you join them therefore? No, because
“religion is a snare and a racket.” Even 1938,
Jehovah‟s Witnesses blazed abroad that slogan
throughout the world. (see 1975 Yearbook Of
Jehovah’s Witnesses, p. 225 ) Hence, Jehovah‟s
Witnesses are not only the true religion, but also
the true snare and the true racket.
Wise King Solomon wrote: “It is a snar
when earthling man has rashly cried out, „Ho
ly!‟” (Pr. 20:25) True, superficially speaking
one can call Jehovah‟s Witnesses “holy;” thei
“anointed” call themselves “the holy ones of th
Supreme One.” (Dan. 7:18) But in fact, they ar
a racket.
According to the Random House Dictionary
a “racket” is “an organized illegal activity” or “
dishonest scheme.” According to the 2008 Re port of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide, ther
are about 18,000 people proclaiming Watchtow
er teachings in countries where that is no
allowed – really “an organized illegal activity
And isn‟t it a “dishonest scheme” to constantl
publish new teachings and hope that no on
remembers the old (contradictory) ones?
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GETTING TO KNOW THE WARRIOR WHO GIVES PEACE
“I am Jehovah; I have not changed.” (Malachi 3:6)
1 We can learn something about God when
we are concerned with people like Jacob, who
saw “God face to face.” (Gen. 32:30) True, “Mo-ses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy
of the older men of Israel proceeded to go up,
and they got to see the God of Israel.” – Ex.
24:9, 10.
2 It is obvious that Jehovah wants to be
seen by men. The apostle Paul wrote that he
“dwells in … light.” (1. Tim. 6:16) John also
stated that God “himself is in the light” and
“there is no darkness at all in union with him.”
(1. John 1:6, 7) Jesus made clear that Jehovah
is always approachable:: “Everyone seeking
finds, and to everyone knocking it will be
opened.” (Luke 11:10) Jehovah himself said:
“Those looking for me are the ones that find
me.” (Pr. 8:17) It is not difficult to get to know
something about God.
3 All people have equal chances, “for there
is no partiality with God.” (Rom. 2:11) In an-
other letter, the apostle Paul wrote “that God
is not partial, but in every nation the man that
fears him and works righteousness is accepta-ble to him.” (Acts 10:34, 35) So, we can be
absolutely sure that we can approach God and
get to know him.
4 Mankind really has the most favorable
circumstances for a good relationship with
God. “Everything he had made” – including
mankind – “was very good.” (Gen. 1:31) And he
“is not ... a son of mankind that he should feel
regret.” (Num. 23:19) Samuel said to Saul: “He
will not feel regrets, for He is not an earthling
man so as to feel regrets.” – 1. Sam. 15:29.
1 Someone who has seen God face to face surely would
be able to teach us many things about him. But “no man
has seen God at any time.” (John 1:18) Paul clearly wrote
that “not one of men has seen or can see” him. (1. Tim. 6:16)
Jehovah himself said: “No man may see me and yet live.” –
Ex. 33:20.
2 It is obvious that Jehovah does not want to be seen by
men. David wrote that Jehovah “made darkness his con-
cealment place, all around him as his booth, dark waters,
thick clouds.” (Ps. 18:11) His son Solomon said: “Jehovah
himself said he was to reside in the thick gloom.” (1. Ki.
8:12) He made clear that there will come a day where he
will not be approachable: “ At that time they will keep call-
ing me, but I shall not answer; they will keep looking for
me, but they will not find me.” (Pr. 1:28) It is not easy to get
to know something about God.
3 Not all people have equal chances. When Jacob and
Esau “had not yet been born nor had practiced anything
good or vile, in order that the purpose of God respecting the
choosing might continue dependent, not upon works, but
upon the One who calls, it was said …: „The older will bethe slave of the younger.‟ Just as it is written.” (Rom. 11:9-
13) Likewise, Canaan had been “cursed” even bef ore his
birth. (Gen. 9:25) So, we cannot be sure at all if we can
approach God and get to know him.
4 Mankind really has no favorable circumstances for a
good relationship with God. Even shortly after completing
creation, “Jehovah saw that the badness of man was abun-
dant in the earth. … And Jehovah felt regrets that he had
made men in the earth.” – Gen. 6:5, 6.
1. Can humans see God?
2. a) What kind of dwelling place did Jehovah choose for himself? b) Is Jehovah approachable anytime?
3. Does every man have equal chances before God? Explain.
4. Was Jehovah pleased with his creation?
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5 Early in human history, he gave a perfect
law to the nation of Israel through which they
could gain life. David wrote: “The law of Jeho-
vah is perfect, bringing back the soul.” And
“Moses writes that the man that has done the
righteousness of the Law will live by it.” –
Rom. 10:5.
6 We can get to know Jehovah through the
Bible, for “all Scripture is inspired of God.” (2.
Ti. 3:16) Its writers “spoke from God as they
were borne along by holy spirit.” (2. Pet. 1:21)
Hence, it is important to adhere closely to the
Bible in all questions.
7 So, what should we do if the Bible‟s advice
does not conform to our personal opinion? Wise
Solomon advises us: “Trust in Jehovah with all
your heart and do not lean upon your own
understanding.” (Pr. 3:5) So, instead of listen-
ing to our own mind and our treacherous
heart, we should fully trust in the Bible‟s ad-
vice. To rely on our own understanding may
lead to ruin.
8 What does the Bible tell us about Jeho-
vah? The apostle Paul mentions one of his
outstanding qualities when he calls him “the
God who gives peace.” (Rom. 15:33) True, “God
is a God, not of disorder, but of peace.” (1. Cor.
14:33) Since we should “become imitators of
God,” we also must work towards peace. Isaiah
foretold about God‟s servants: “Neither will
they learn war anymore.” – Is. 2:4.
5 Early in human history, he gave an imperfect law to
the nation of Israel. Later, he said: “I myself also gave them
regulations that were not good and judicial decisions by
which they could not keep living.” (Eze. 20:25, footnote)
“Therefore by works of law no flesh will be declared right-
eous before him.” – Rom. 3:20.
6 We can get to know Jehovah through the Bible, but
not all of its content is inspired by God. For example, the
apostle Paul acknowledged “I say, yes, I, not the Lord …”
(1. Cor. 7:12) Jesus also implied that some commands from
the Mosaic Law had not come from God. – Mark 10:3-6.
7 So, what should we do if the Bible‟s advice does not
conform to our personal opinion? Jehovah tells us through
Jeremiah: “Behave with understanding.” (Jer. 9:17) And
the apostle Paul advises us: “Let your reasonableness be-
come known to all men.” (Phil. 4:5) Indeed, it can be unrea-
sonable to take the Bible‟s rules literally – they were writ-
ten thousands of years ago for a totally different cultural
sphere. We should rely to our heart and our own under-
standing to make a good decision.
8 What does the Bible tell us about Jehovah? Moses
mentions one of his outstanding qualities: “Jehovah is a
manly person of war („a warrior‟, NIV )." (Ex. 15:3) He said
regarding his enemies: “I will dash them one against an-
other. … I shall show no compassion, nor feel any sorrow,
and I shall not have the mercy to keep from bringing them
to ruin.” (Jer. 13:14) Since we should “become imitators of
God,” we must not refrain from fighting against his ene-
mies. We could consider a military career to “put on the
complete suit of armor” and be prepared for God‟s war. –
Eph. 6:11.
5. a) What kind of law did Jehovah give to the nation of Israel? b) Could the Israelites gain life by following Jehovah‟s law?
6. Is the whole Bible inspired of God? Explain.
7. What should we do if we don‟t understand a Bible-based advice?
8. a) Mention Jehovah‟s most outstanding quality. b) How should God‟s servants view military service?
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9 Jehovah does not become provoked easily.
He is “slow to anger … pardoning error and
transgression and sin.” (Ex. 34:6, 7) James
wrote “that Jehovah is very tender in affection
and merciful.” (James 5:11) “He is good, for to
time indefinite is his loving-kindness.” (1. Chr.
16:34) He declared: “I do not take any delight in
the death of someone.” (Eze. 18:32) True, “Jeho-vah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and
abundant in loving-kindness.” (Ps. 103:8) Let us
imitate him by being merciful to our fellow men.
Let us help them to survive God‟s day of judg-
ment instead of rejoicing at their annihilation.
10 It is surely comforting for us to know that
God does never bring temptations upon his
servants. The apostle James wrote: “When
under trial, let no one say: „I am being tried by
God.‟ For with evil things God cannot be tried
nor does he himself try anyone.” (James 1:13)
The “tempter” is Satan the Devil. (Mat. 4:1-3) It
was him who incited David to number Israel;
the count revealed that there were 1,570,000
men and led to a three-year famine where
70,000 Israelites died. (1. Chr. 21:1, 5, 14) So,
we should be on the guard against Satan.
11 Jehovah said with regard to other nations„
customs: “Everything detestable to Jehovah
that he does hate they have done to their gods,
for even their sons and their daughters they
regularly burn in the fire.” (Deut. 12:30, 31)
True, human sacrifices are an abomination for
Jehovah. He clearly said that “to burn their
sons and their daughters in the fire” was “a
thing that I had not commanded and that had
not come up into my heart.” (Jer. 7:31) Under no
circumstances, he would accept or even require
a human sacrifice. In ancient times, he wanted
animals as sacrifice, and today it is the “sacri-
fice of praise” that makes him rejoice. – Heb.
13:15.
9 Jehovah does become provoked easily. The psalmistwrote: “His anger flares up easily.” (Ps. 2:12) When thePhilistines brought back the Ark of the Covenant and the
men of Beth-Shemesh looked upon it, “he struck downamong the people seventy men” and then “fifty thousandmen,” he “struck down the people with a great slaughter.”
(1. Sam. 6:19) Many hundred years after the Amalekitesshowed a hostile attitude towards Israel, Jehovah com-
manded Saul: “Go, and you must strike down Amalek anddevote him to destruction with all that he has, and youmust not have compassion upon him, and you must put
them to death, man as well as woman, child as well assuckling.” (1. Sam. 15:3) Let us imitate Jehovah by not
having compassion upon our fellow men. Rather, let us
rejoice that he will execute judgment against all worldlings.
10 It is surely daunting for us to know that God does
bring temptations upon his servants. Jesus taught hisdisciples to ask Jehovah on every occasion: “Do not bring usinto temptation.” (Mat. 6:13) Even Moses explained to the
nation of Israel: “Jehovah your God is testing you.” (Deut.
13:3) Hundreds of years before, “the true God put Abrahamto the test.” (Gen. 22:1) It was him who incited David tonumber Israel; the count revealed that there were1,300,000 men and led to a seven-year famine where 70,000
Israelites died. (2. Sam. 24:1, 9, 13, Footnote) So, we shouldbe on the guard against Jehovah.
11 Jehovah‟s command to Abraham was clearly defined:
“Take, please, your son, your only son whom you so love,Isaac, and make a trip to the land of Moriah and there offer
him up as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that Ishall designate to you.” (Gen. 22:2) Jehovah required Abra-ham to burn his son in the fire and offer him as a sacrifice.
On this occasion, he intervened at the last minute andprevented the offering. (Gen. 22:12) But later, Jehovahaccepted a human sacrifice. “There came to be a famine in
the days of David for three years.” Jehovah told David:“Upon Saul and upon his house there is bloodguilt, because
he put the Gibeonites to death.” (2. Sam. 21:1) David ac-cepted the Gibeonites‟ suggestion to take “seven men of hissons,” and “he gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites
and they proceeded to expose them on the mountain beforeJehovah, so that the seven of them fell together; and theythemselves were put to death. … So God let himself be
entreated for the land after this.” (2. Sam. 21:7, 9, 14)
Likewise, Christian parents of our day can offer their apos-tate children as a burnt offering to Jehovah. That may becontrary to worldly law, but “we must obey God as rulerrather than men.” – Acts 5:29.
9. a) Does Jehovah become provoked easily? b) Is Jehovah merciful and gracious?
10. a) Who brings tests and temptations upon God‟s servants? b) How many men revealed the census in David‟s day?
c) How long did the famine last that Jehovah brought upon Israel?
11. a) How does Jehovah view human sacrifices? b) How can we soften Jehovah‟s face today?
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12 Jehovah is not in need of putting people
to the test or tempting them, as the apostles
prayed: “ You, O Jehovah, who know the hearts
of all.” (Acts 1:24) And David said to God: “ You
have considered my thought from far off. …
You have become familiar even with all my
ways.” (Ps. 139:2, 3) The creator does not need
to go anywhere in order to see something. “The
eyes of Jehovah are in every place, keeping
watch upon the bad ones and the good ones.”
(Pr. 15:3) “There is not a creation that is not
manifest to his sight.” – Heb. 4:13.
13 Jehovah “does not dwell in houses made
with hands.” (Acts 7:48) The apostle Paul con-
firmed this fact to the inhabitants of Athens
(Acts 17:24) “Jehovah – in the heavens is his
throne.” (Ps. 11:4) Should not the fact that he
can watch us always and everywhere fill us
with awe? At the same time, we can be sure
that he can hear our prayers, regardless of
where we are.
14 The apostle Paul wrote that “it is impos-
sible for God to lie”; he called Jehovah the God
“who cannot lie.” (Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2) Indeed,
“God is not a man that he should tell lies.” (Nu.23:19) Therefore, we too “wish to conduct our-
selves honestly in all things.” (Heb. 13:18) “ All
the liars, their portion will be in the lake that
burns with fire and sulphur.” – Rev. 21:8.
15 Are we not grateful that God‟s word pro-
vides clear and distinct answers to many im-
portant questions?
12 Jehovah had to put Abraham to the test in order to
get to know his state of heart. Only when he applied the
knife to put his son to death, Jehovah said to him: “Now I
do know that you are God-fearing.” (Gen. 22:12) He could
also not see from heaven what actually happened in Sodom
and Gomorrah. Hence, he said to Abraham: “I am quite
determined to go down that I may see whether they act
altogether according to the outcry over it that has come to
me, and, if not, I can get to know it.” (Gen. 18:21) Even
before, shortly after the flood, “Jehovah proceeded to go
down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men had
built.” – Gen. 11:5.
13 Jehovah said about the temple in Jerusalem: “My
eyes and my heart will certainly prove to be there al-
ways.” (2. Chr. 7:16) Jehovah‟s eyes are in Israel up to
now. Hence, he cannot see what happens elsewhere on
earth. We can feel unobserved when we live outside Israel.
However, we should offer our prayers in or at least near
Jerusalem. When Jerusalem was devastated and Daniel
lived at Cyrus‟ court, he prayed with “the windows in his
roof chamber being open for him toward Jerusalem.” –
Dan. 6:10.
14 God makes use of lies to reach his accomplish his
goals. Paul wrote about his contemporaries: “God lets an
operation of error go to them, that they may get to believingthe lie.” (2. Th. 2:11) Hundreds of years before, the prophet
Micaiah said to King Ahab: “Jehovah has put a deceptive
spirit into the mouth of all these prophets.” (1. Kings 22:23)
Like the prophet Elisha, we too can lie if it boots. – 2. Kings
6:19.
15 Are we not grateful that God‟s word provides clear
and distinct answers to many important questions?
12. a) Is Jehovah in need of putting men to the test? b) Can he look into the heart?
c) How can he get to know what happens on earth?
13. a) Where does Jehovah stay? b) Can he watch us always and everywhere? c) Where does he hear our prayers?
14. Is lying appropriate for Christians? Explain.
15. Why should we be grateful?
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QUESTIONS FROM READERS
Where can Christ be found? – I. J., Paris
The Bible does not provide a clear answer to
the question where Christ can be found. How-
ever, it explains clearly where he cannot befound. Jesus himself said: “if anyone says to
you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!'
do not believe it. For false Christs and false
prophets will appear and perform great signs
and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that
were possible. See, I have told you ahead of
time. So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in
the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the
inner rooms,' do not believe it.” – Mat. 24:23-
26, NIV .
Of peculiar interest is the advice tha
Christ could not be found “in the inner rooms
The March 1, 2001 Watchtower made clear tha“the „interior [or „inner‟] rooms‟ of the prophec
likely have to do with the tens of thousands o
congregations of Jehovah‟s people around th
world.” (p. 21)
So, the Christ whom Jehovah‟s Witnesse
follow must be one of the “false Christs” tha
Jesus mentioned. Hence, the Governing Bod
of Jehovah‟s Witnesses serves as God‟s “fals
prophet,” trying “to deceive even the elect.”
Rev. 19:19.
Is toast dangerous for Christians? – M. C., Munich
First, we must say that Jesus asked for
“bread for this day,” not for toast, in the model
prayer. Actually, the Bible does not mention
any servant of Jehovah who ate toast. In con-
trast, it is known that something like toast was
used in ancient Egypt – the Egyptians toasted
bread over fire to make conserve it. The Ro-mans adopted this custom and spread it all
over Europe. Shouldn‟t it make us wonder that
only two pagan nations who were rather hostile
to God‟s people used a kind of toast?
Furthermore, some sorts of toast contain
leaven, something that Jesus particularly ad-
vised against. (Mat. 16:5) But the progressing
estrangement from God, especially in Germa-
ny, made it possible that a Consortium for
promotion of toast consumption could be found-
ed in 1963.*
Since then, the sales of toast andtoasters have increased drastically. In 2004, it
finally became apparent that toast is inextrica-
bly linked to false religion, when a toast with
the face of the Virgin Mary was sold on eBay.
* The German name was Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Förderungdes Toastbrotverzehrs, It is today known as Golden Toast.
But toast does also cause literal danger. In
March 2008, a 68 year old German was serious
ly injured when making a toast. The heat of hi
toaster made a nearby burner explode; th
blast wave hurled the man five meters far, an
the house was damaged.
Time and again, the officials find inferio
toasters that can catch fire or cause an electri
shock. In January 2008, a toaster caused an
apartment fire in Germany. By chance, no on
was injured, but there was more than 5000 € o
material damage.
We can summarize: God‟s servants of ol
did not use toast, but pagan nations did. Jesu
warned against toast, and it is linked to falsreligion, maybe even to demons. Toast doe
also cause literal dangers. So, true Christian
should steer clear of toast and everything re
lated to toast.
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In what sense should Christians ‘love their neighbor as themselves’?
Jesus repeated the commandment of the
Mosaic Law: “ You must love your neighbor as
yourself.” (Mat. 22:39) The religious organiza-
tions of Babylon the Great usually misinterpret
this statement; they teach, Christians should
do good to fellow men. But a careful examina-tion of the Bible reveals clearly what Jesus
actually wanted to say.
The issue is: How do Christians love them-
selves? Jesus provided a clear answer to that
question: “If any man comes to me, he must
hate his father and mother, his wife and chil-
dren, his brothers and sister. Yes, he must hate
himself too. If he does not, he cannot be my
disciple.” (Luke 14:26, Worldwide English) So,
true Christians do not love themselves at all,
but „hate themselves.‟ The apostle John agreedwith that and wrote about faithful, anointed
Christians: “They did not love their lives.” –
Rev. 12:11, NIV .
So, it is evident what Jesus had in mind
when he gave the command found in Matthew
22:39: Christians should love their fellow men
as themselves, that is, not at all. That‟s why
Jehovah‟s Witnesses do not participate in hu-
man efforts to aid and why they provide maga-
zines instead of food to the hungry.
This way, they fulfill Jesus‟ prophecy: “The
love of the greater number will cool off … and
this good news of the kingdom will be preached
in all the inhabited earth.” (Mat. 24:12-14)
Jesus knew that love would be a hindrance for
the preaching work. According to the October
1957 issue of Our Kingdom Ministry, a true
Christian “must be a capable, efficient hunts-
man” and must “seek to let nothing escape.”
According to the May 1, 1980 Watchtower,
Jehovah‟s Witnesses “keep proclaiming the
message of doom against the God-defying
world.” (p. 22) If they would love their fellow
men, they would be mourning for them. In-
stead, they write: “These ungodly men will b
destroyed at what the Bible calls the battle o
Armageddon – which, as this magazine ha
often shown, will take place soon. ... What
wonderful provision Judgment Day is! ... N
wonder the psalmist expressed joy at ththought of God‟s judgment!" – The Watchtower
August 1, 1991, p.5-7.
Love for their fellow men would prevent Je
hovah‟s Witnesses from rejoicing at their anni
hilation. But supposedly “in the near future …
none of Jehovah‟s faithful servants, the onl
ones surviving, will mourn over the destruction
of the wicked. To the contrary, they will re
joice.” (The Watchtower, June 1, 1977, p. 345
According to the book Man’s Salvation Out o
World Distress at Hand! , “the destruction oman‟s Satan-controlled old order will provid
an occasion for spiritual feasting.” – p. 280.
Why should Christians feel love for thei
fellow men today, when before long they wil
have to rejoice in their annihilation? It is
proof of Jesus‟ extraordinary wisdom that h
commanded his followers to love their fellow
men even today just as little as themselves.
“What a wonderful provision Judgment Day is!”
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KEEP ON THE WATC
Thousands of “Keep on the Watch” district conven-
tions will be held throughout the world for months to
come. Most of these are open-air events. While the
speakers and JW managers can sit beneath a shadowy
roof or even in an air-conditioned lounge, the com-
mon audience will have to sweat in the blazing sun.
Friday‟s theme is: “Prove yourselves ready.” In-
deed, all attendees should always be “ready” to leave
the convention and the organization arranging it. One
of the talks is entitled: “Jehovah – God of Times and
Seasons.” In fact, Jehovah‟s Witnesses are imitating
their God, for they too put emphasis on “times and
seasons.” For example, the Berean Bible Teacher’s
Manual (published in 1912) contained “twenty time
proofs that the Kingdom of evil will cease and the
earthly phase of the Kingdom of God be establishedin 1914-1915,” like: “Ezra's resumption of work upon
the temple, 521 B.C., 590 years prior to Israel's com-
plete overthrow typified Christendom's overthrow in
1914, 605 years after the publication of Marsiglio's
Defensor Pacis.” In later years, Jehovah‟s Witnesses still
attached great importance to “times and seasons” –
not only related to the years 1925 and 1975, but also
to the “times” that the publishers spend in the
preaching work during a specified “season.”
Unfortunately, the symposium “Imitate Faithful
Ones Who Remained Watchful” will refer only to Noah,
Moses and Jeremiah, but not to Raymond Franz, Carl
Olof Jonsson or Richard Dawkins. In the afternoon,
there will allegedly be “Answers to Questions aboutthe Last Days,” but the question “Why has not a
single one of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ prophecies
come true?” will likely remain unanswered. Instead,
there will be two speeches that rather contradict
each other: “‟You Know Neither the Day nor the Hour‟
– Why?” and immediately afterwards “Know That the
End Is Near.” But the “day of Jehovah” has been “near”
already 3000 years ago. (Joel 1:15) Jehovah‟s Witnesses
have provided ample evidence that not only do they
not know “the day nor the hour,” but not even the
century. For example, they wrote in the book “The
Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah” – How? that
“within our twentieth century, the „battle in the day
of Jehovah‟ will begin” – p. 217.
Though Friday‟s audience will have been advised to
“Stay Awake as Christian Families,” on Saturday even
more of the listeners will be tired. In view of the
boring talks, the long journey and the hot summery
temperatures, a significant part of the audience will
fall asleep, for what reason a part “Help People to
Awake from Sleep” has been scheduled.
Later, the listeners will be urged: “Don’t Forget
Your Relatives.” However, disassociated ones “are
dead in Jehovah‟s eyes”; hence they are no relatives
anymore, even if they are related to us. (compare
Revelation – It’s Grand climax at Hand!, p. 223) Then,
some new ones will symbolize their dedication to the
organization by getting baptized.
The afternoon will start with the symposium “Watc
out for Satan‟s Traps.” But Satan‟s real traps – the
Watchtower , the congregation meetings, the conven
tions – are not discussed. Rather, they talk about “The
Trap That Crushes” or “The Fire” – though there are
fire brigades all over the world.
As an exception, there is some good advice after
that: “Do Not „Look at the Things Behind.‟” Indeed, the
listeners should not look back at the many years they
spent uselessly serving the Watchtower organization.
Rather, they should look forward to all the things
they can live to see if they leave this dishonest organ
ization.
Sunday‟s theme is “Keep in Expectation, It Will
Not Be Late” and surely does refer to the journey
home. In Germany, the homeward journey usually wa
delayed for some hours until 1983, when Konrad
Franke died. Since then, the scheduled end time is
usually adhered to, so that the audience can leave
timely. But first, they have to endure the talk “Keep
Your Eyes on the Things Unseen.” Indeed, many thing
that mark Jehovah‟s Witnesses as the false religion – like unfulfilled prophecies, unbiblical teachings or
their collaboration with the United Nations – can be
clearly seen. But the publishers should not consider
these things, but rather keep their eyes on things
that cannot be seen (because they are not there), like
fulfilled prophecies, Christian love or the spiritual
paradise.
The public talk “How Can You Survive the End of
the World?” will complete the morning session. Some
faithful Christians who already survived the end of
the world in 1975 will report their experiences. A
special touching feature on Sunday afternoon is the
touching modern-day drama “ Your Brother Was Deadand Came to Life!” It will likely be about a disassociat-
ed person who was “dead” for Jehovah‟s Witnesses.
Make plans now to steer clear of the convention
locations. If you are already a Jehovah‟s Witness, ask
an apostate about the next apostafest or write to the
publisher of this magazine.