Dear all, According to the Bible, the final preaching work of the "two witnesses" is WHAT will enable the Great Crowd to make up their minds and then take position for Jehovah, Jesus and his anointed brothers. Many compelling reasons make us believe that such a preaching work is yet to come and that the GB's claims in that regard were but one of Satan's traps. Thus, to a certain extent of course, what the prospective Great Crowd is putting faith in NOW is irrelevant. However, what the "anointed remnant" believes does matter ! We may wonder why so many people are blind to Satan's lies. It may be Jehovah's will so the faithful anointed ones are sorted out according to their love for the truth before they're sealed and start said final preaching work. Will our Catholic, Mormon, Atheist, Muslim, R&F JW, DFd, whatever else... family members remain impervious to the preaching work of the "two witnesses" ? THAT is the real question ! Obviously, Jehovah has a say in that regard respecting DFd loved ones for example BUT as we don't really know for sure the rules by which He abides, we better remain cautious ! No one is condemned yet ! Effectively, it's not because someone disregarded the JWs and the GB that he has disregarded God too. Conversely, that's not because someone will have rejected the GB for its mistakes and stubborness that Jehovah will necessarily approve him in return... When the GT begins and the "two witnesses' " preaching work along with it, our whole world will have been shattered, all our certainties and former beliefs will have been shaken. Unfortunately, many new ones might appear. As a consequence, every person making up the prospective GC will have his heart and faith in God tested. I repeat, it's not because someone rejected the JWs' teaching that he will be killed at Har-Maguedon. Inversely, it's not because someone is a faithful JW that he will be saved in the end. What's happening now is not directly destined to the GC ! Their time will come later. The judgment begins by God's house... Will Jesus' words about the "cup of fresh water" be really fulfilled before or after the GT, who knows for sure ? The context of Jesus' prophecies indicates that it'll mainly take place during the GT. Members of the prospective Great Crowd : Whether you believe or not in 1914 will change nothing. Whether you believe or not that the JWs are the true religion means nothing. Whether you are a Catholic or a Muslim means nothing. Jehovah's Holy Spirit is working and sorting out the ones he has chosen for the 11th hour work. The preaching work initiated by Jesus after the Pentecost does have a significant meaning but as for waking up someone from spiritual coma and making him understand that he is chosen and that what he puts faith in so far was wrong, Holy Spirit is the one working for real, the only one. Jehovah doesn't need Supermen, Zorros, human redressers of wrongs to that end. Blind trust in intellectual knowledge and understanding is a lie, a mirage. Were the Jews of old more stupid and/or less intelligent than we are ? Regardless of how intelligent and learned in the Law they were, they all were plainly wrong... Will your family members die because they are Catholic ? Will your family members die because they are rank and file JWs ? That question is BY NOW irrelevant ! It'd be better if they knew the "Truth" already, OF COURSE, but will they DIE because of it ? After all, by now, even the anointed don't know what the "Truth" is. Will they die because of this ? That's my opinion according to my understanding now and if you don't agree, please tell me. I accept all comments and critics.
Dear LonelySheep, My belief is that the JWs have a special place in God's purpose. 1) They are the less wrong religion so far regarding doctrinal matters even if Satan was successful in sneaking in hunchmen of his or in instilling lies here and there for his own purpose, 1914 being the first and foremost. As I said in another thread, there's no true religion yet, in the absolute meaning of it, I mean. Truth lovers go from the most wrong religions to the less wrong one. If you ever know about a less wrong religion than the JWs, please tell me. Denouncing blatant lies about the JWs is relevant, waging war and feeding hatred against them is irrelevant. 2) Their understanding of what God's kingdom is and what/who it is made up of is VITAL. If Jehovah wanted his future anointed sons to be gathered one way, it would have been through at least as it is now, that is through a correct understanding of that second point even if nothing is 100% agreed upon yet. Only real anointed b/s know deep down in their hearts and minds what the kingdom is, of how many members it is made up of and so on. Members of the GC might have their say on it, but their "intellectual" understanding will never compare to what the Holy Spirit testifies to the chosen ones about it. Never ever ! Anointed ones might disagree each others about "details" but I never heard of anointed ones blatantly disagreeing about what their reward in heaven is and of whom the kingdom is made up. That understanding is typical of the JWs and that's why they have a special place in my heart even if I don't support the GB and the WT as an institution. 3) Will the WT become part of Christendom, the WT as an institution I mean ? Why not ? Christendom doesn't exist in the Bible, does it ? Babylon the Great does. If the harlot is made up of the religions who have become a false religion and then hold the anointed captives of their false teachings, then the WT might become or might already be a part of the harlot. Why not ? Please, notice that I distinguish the WT from the JWs in general and from the anointed ones in particular (because of what I explained in point #2). Despite what they claim, the GB don't represent the anointed ones anymore, if they ever did. They just represent themselves. So, my answer to your question is not if the JWs/WT and the Catholics are in the same boat. My answer is : Support all the faithful anointed ones with all your heart. Love Jehovah and your neighbor with all your heart, mind and strength. Be careful to look for and do what really matters for a member of the GC. My dear brother, with all due respect, the rest is Jehovah and Jesus' business....
I wish I could copy and paste all of the posts from that thread because they're all great and useful. As this thread won't be understood unless I reproduce some posts so the discussion looks logical, I do so even if I would have prefered to have beforehand the "go-ahead" of their respective authors.
Dear Londoner, I'll make it short because it's late and I got work for tomorrow. I'll send more tomorrow. Yes, I agree. In my opinion, there's a house but that house, stricto sensu, isn't the WT nor even the JWs as a whole. The anointed are his house, his temple, his field, his bride but the latter isn't pure yet so she can be introduced to Christ, as Paul said.
Those discussions are great, I'm so sad that they disappear and who knows where we'll be within a few years...?
utuna I don't like the way the anointed (per say) contribute to the local congregation which is very little difference from the rest of the congregation.. but the kingdom hall is only preschool for Jesus kingdom and since Christ's death several million have been invited to attend the wedding super in heaven. at that event Jesus will a point 144000 of them to remain in heaven and be district overseers of earthly districts. the other millions will be appointed to lead local congregations. in the meantime all those invited have a mental order from Jesus and the holyspirt to shut up and play dumb and be good quiet sheeple! since we are all in preschool in the kingdom hall we play teachers pet. that's the instructions that all the invited know. but I'm going to tell you a little secret ment for those that want to get noticed by Jesus selection process. if you want to get an invitation and perhaps lead in the future then quietly when no one is looking get with one of the known anointed.. and make friends! just let them know that you know about how the kingdom hall is our preschool home and how we just need to humbly obey our kindergarten teachers.. that's a kind of watch phrase and they will talk to you! I know because a anointed sister clued me in to what's happening when I was just a kid and I know how to aproch the anointed (invited) for a little extraordinary instructions that isn't dispensed from stage.. as you already know the congregation is not pure at this time but time will come when Jehovah fixs the mess! me Well I found out quite by accident what my earthly calling was when for no earthly reason googles web crawler locked on to my name and started publishing to the web my entire life's history! Evan my cell phones pictures and I knew then my calling was to share my journey from kindergarten to first grade so that anyone who actually reads my stuff. and understands it.(which is a bit hard) can know that its not a forever thing to remain in preschool! their must come a time for everyone whether it be now or in the future that all of us will have to stand on our own two feet and teach others how to go get supplies for the field. the watchtower org site was not started by the watchtower society. it was started by brothers and sisters who did not give a flying leap! what the GB or the hall thought. and made up their mind that they were going to push ahead regardlessly if they got disfellowshiped for posting to the internet! finally however the grand society in order to take all the credit and glory made an official jw org website. of course all the good brave brothers and sisters who broke ground many disfellowshiped and discarded like garbage! were not reinstated or Evan thanked! some of us are here at this forum .well I've done it again. and hogged your thread but I thought this actually worth your reading..
Dear JIG, You wrote that post when I was very busy and mostly absent from our db. Sorry for replying so late. Yes, it was worth my reading and also worth anyone else's reading because what you said was with your own words and they make a lot of sense. Yes, here is what the Bible says : "They will not cause any harm Or any ruin in all my holy mountain, Because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah As the waters cover the sea." - Is. 11:9 Yes, soon, all of God's servants will stand on their two feet and teach others even to the point that there will be no need of teachers in the end ! What a joy that will be ! In the meantime, we're making do with what's on hand and share the least spiritual pearls we can get ahold of... Yes, we're all in preschool homes, having hardly a glimpse of the knowledge that is in store for all the truth lovers and as a result, we must be careful to see things like Jehovah does and adapt our actions and reactions accordingly. Yes, the anointed brothers and sisters back then weren't exempt from erroneous conclusions and yet, they did a great job. That kind of pattern has been a common feature throughout the God's purpose's unrolling and a landmark proof that Jehovah doesn't have a Manichean point of view nor has a polar thinking in that regard since : "Certainly not! But let God be found true, even if every man be found a liar, just as it is written: “That you might be proved righteous in your words and might win when you are being judged.” However, if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? God is not unjust when he expresses his wrath, is he? (I am speaking in human terms.) By no means! How, otherwise, will God judge the world?" - Rm 3:4-6 Hopefully, God's ways are higher than man's... What a relief it is ! You taught me a new English word : to hog something ! Thanks !