by carla 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Ahhh, Vindication. Now that makes a lot of sense.
It was when Rutherford changed the meaning of Armageddon that it became even thinkable that Jesus could have such a bloodthirsty role. The warm-and-fuzzy benevolent Jesus of Pastor Russell was long dead by then, right?
I wish I had a copy of that book to see what it says specifically.
Jesus is still referred to as the destroyer in the book AID TO BIBLE UNDERSTANDING, 1971, pg 11.
Writer clearly says Jesus is God's appointed destroyer, the abaddon, and that it is the rest of the world that regards Satan as the Executioner.
Another great thread at JWD !
Df'd: noticed you were including yourself in the collective with "WE had it wrong" As if you actually have a SAY in what the WT teaches. You know that if you privately thought different you could NOT express such openly and that no matter what THEY teach you are legally and emotionally bound to us the term WE, on pain of being Df'd.
That reminds us all of another sad note - an organization cannot survive without the people who belong.
wp
AK Jeff: Good point Nark. I remember wondering for years, how, if God was directing the organization, something that most 7 year olds could interpret clearly, was so misconstrued for 30 years by the WTBTS. The context of Romans 13 seems clear to any who read it. I have never met a single person in any other religion who thought it meant anything but the governments. And according to the WTBTS all these religions are under Satan. How did Satan have it right, when God's people had it wrong.?
Aw, Jeff, that's an easy one. It took a while for the Chariot to catch up to Christendom, but once it got up speed it blew past it so fast that it is hard to find a single thing they agree on. Except, um, er...except Romans 13, I suppose...
Okay thanks for explaining the Jesus/Satan thing.
I found out it is even worse. Remember - in English they turned around in the same year.
On my WT library I coulcn't find it. The book "Man's Salvation..." (in my language) had a completely different paragraph on page 208 -saying JESUS was the sower of the mustard seed, but the devil made it a different three.
So I guess the meaning got lost in translation? LOL. what a coincidence - I own the book "Man's salvation..." in English - and yes there it is: The sower is Satan.
As for the WT of 1975 (our language 1976) they had some difficulties: How to explain something changed if it never changed at all? Because they never told us it was Satan (not in our country), now they had a problem with explaining the question "Why should someone ever think the sower must be Satan." (because no one ever thought of that...and they forgot to tell us in the translated Salvation book)
So what was the soulution: They refer to "Man's salvation, p.208. (In English).
Maybe they were hoping that no-one would ever really read that paragraph...
I had access to both of Rutherford's books and photocopied the relevant pages.
In lieu of my not having any personal webspace, I'll just type out the key paragraphs.
Light:Book 1 parts of pg.145-6
The word "Abaddon" is derived from the Hebrewn term abad, and is applied to Jehovah, who is the One that is "able to save and to destroy". Jehovah destroys them that hate him. (Deut.7: 10) Many Scripture texts apply this Hebrew word to Jehovah relative to destruction. For example: "I will destroy thee, 0 covering cherub." (Ezek. 28:16) "Shall I not in that day [day of the Lord], saith the Lord, even destroy [Hebrew, abad] the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau [Satan's organization]?" (Obad.8) To the same effect it is written: "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots."-Mic.5:10.
The Greek word Apollyon, which the Revelator applies here, means "destroying one", and is applied many times in the Scriptures to Jehovah, 'Who is called the destroying One. (Matt. 10:28; 21:41;Jude 5) If there could be any doubt about this, James settles it when he writes: "There is one lawgiver; who is able to save and to destroy [Greek, apollymi]: who art thou that judgest another'" (Jas. 4:12) The overwhelming Scriptural authority, in both the Old and the New Testament, applies these titles to Jehovah. Christ Jesus being the chief executive officer of Jehovah, to whom is committed all power in heaven and earth, and being authorized to, act as Jehovah's officer to destroy, the titles Abaddon and Apollyon therefore properly apply to him.' (Num: 24: 17-19; Mark 1:24; Luke 4: 34) The only reasonable conclusion, therefore, is that Jesus, the glorified King armed for war and having the key to the bottomless pit, is the "king" over the "locusts".
Vindication:Book 2 pg 186
Christ and his army will strike terror to the heart of Egypt and Satan, and his organization shall fall. (Isa. 9:6 ; Zech.10:5) Jehovah shows himself in the capacity of a destroyer to his enemies; Abaddon, the mighty One over the army of destruction, is He. (Rev. 9:11) The disturbers and polluters of mankind will be destroyed and, as it is written: "[Thou] shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." (Rev. 11: 18) The hoofs of Satan's war organization shall never again tread down the people. Armageddon will put an end to all militarism.
