Dear Friend,
Your talk, What the future holds for us, delivered, I believe, to a select audience of Jehovah’s Witnesses; the twenty pages of which I downloaded from the internet, has raised for me some serious questions and since the scriptures exhort us tomake sure of all things I am writing this open letter to you. .See:
http://www.randytv.com/whatfuturetxt.htm
What the future holds for us. The us, I assume, you mean Jehovah’s Witnesses, and no doubt the us excludes anyone such as myself who questions you about your convictions.
.
I will not attempt to refute your predictions for the FUTURE .I will question your views of the PRESENTand your interpretations of the scriptures you choose to support those views.
You predict in your talk, that five developments are to take place, commencing especially since the world trade centre disaster that you and your co-workers as well as the rest of the world found so traumatic. The first development is, you say, the cry is peace and security. You quote 1Thess. 5:3, Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!” Then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them.
You go on to say that for the first time in history a coalition of nations arecrying for peace and security.I don’t find a cry for peace or security emanating from the nations. The attack on New York was a declaration of war. There is a cry for war, for vengeance, for smart bombs, bunker busters, daisy cutters, ground troops. The call is we must root out terrorism off the face of the earth. This resolve for war is predicted to go on for months and perhaps years.
You indicate that there is a cry FOR peace and security. That, peace and security is not in existence at this time, that it is absent, and nations are crying, calling, searching for it. Yet the text does not say this, rather it states that when they aresaying, peace and security, as something they already possess,then sudden destruction is upon them. It is a declaration of peace already existing that will bring unexpected devastation upon the declarers of peace and security.
Who are they that are saying peace and security? Paul gives no indication that they are the nations. To facilitate the flow of this discussion I will quote the texts in full from the Bible. Paul‘s words from 1 Thess. 5:1-9 are: (all quotes from NASB)
1Th 5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
1Th 5:2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety !" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labour pains upon a woman with child , and they will not escape.
1Th 5:4 But you,brethren, are not in darkness,that the day would overtake you like a thief;
1Th 5:5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
1Th 5:6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
1Th 5:7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
1Th 5:8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul commences his words with, as for the times and seasons; you need nothing to be written to you. Paul did not need to write them these things, for they knew this quite well from previous scriptures and the parables and sayings of Jesus Christ. He solidly based his words on the previously written words of Jesus and the prophets before him.
Where else in the Bible does it speak of declarations of peace?
Jer 6:13 "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.
Jer 6:14 "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially,Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.
Jer 6:15 "Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD.
Jer 23:16 Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of theprophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD.
Jer 23:17 "They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You will have peace "'; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, 'Calamity will not come upon you.'
Jer 23:18 "But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word ? Who has given heed to His word and listened ?
Jer 23:19 "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath,Even a whirling tempest ; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
Jer 23:20 "The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it.
Eze 13:8 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you," declares the Lord GOD.
Eze 13:9 "So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in the council of My people , nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord GOD.
Eze 13:10 "It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, 'Peace !' when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash ;
Eze 13:11 so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash , that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones , will fall; and a violent wind will break out.
Eze 13:12 "Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, 'Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?"'
Eze 13:13 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume it in wrath.
Eze 13:14 "So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am the LORD.
Eze 13:15 "Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash ; and I will say to you, 'The wall is gone and its plasterers are gone,
Eze 13:16 along with the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,' declares the Lord GOD.
Mic 3:5 Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They cry, "Peace," But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war.
Mic 3:6 Therefore it will be night for you--without vision, And darkness for you--without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them.
Comparing the words of the Hebrew Scriptures with those of Paul, what do we find:
Nowhere does it indicate that it is nations that are calling for peace and security.
It is the priests and the prophetswho are saying peace, peace to their people.
They speak from their imaginationand leading the people to futilityor vanity and are speaking lies and envisioning falsehoods.
They rely on white washed walls of defence for protection.
They cry peace to those who support them, but they declare holy waragainst those who question their actions.
Instead of sunrise, it is sundown for them, instead of the dawning of a new era of enlightenment, dense darkness overtakes them.
In every citation, sudden, unexpected destruction falls upon them.
Paul, no doubt, based his writings to the Thessalonians on the words and parables of Jesus, parables such as the wheat and the tares, the ten virgins awaiting the master, five with oil for their lamps, five short of oil for their lamps and remained in darkness. These words of John also are implied:
Jhn 12:35 So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light,so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
Jhn 12:36 "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light."
Paul wrote the a second letter to the Thessalonians. He adds the following words which seem to have more to say about his words about peace and security in his first book to them.
2Th 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
2Th 2:2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
2Th 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
2Th 2:4 who opposes andexalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
2Th 2:5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things ?
2Th 2:6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
2Th 2:9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth .....
Here we see that before there is a revealing of Jesus as Lord there is to be a falling away. Who falls away? In the days of the Hebrew prophets it was it was the false prophets and priests who fell away and led the people to a falling away with them. It is they who seat themselves in temple of God and display themselves as being God. Who today, within the people who call themselves Jehovah’s Witnesses have seated themselves in a position of authority and say they are spokesman for God himself?
From the dawn of history down to our day there is no record of any collective group of people who have not fallen away from the words of the Creator and succumbed to lawlessness and idolatrous self worship. Paul says that before daylight comes there will be a falling away. What scriptures authorize you to declare to those who claim that they are the unique people of Jehovah that it is peace and security for them, while the vast majority of peoples will we wiped off the face of the earth with destruction similar to that which happened at the World Trade Centre
In your talk you elaborate about the spiritual paradise of Jehovah‘s witnesses. You say that Satan will be infuriated when he sees us dwelling quietly in peace and security. You glorify your organization as an exclusive garden growing luxuriously. You express collective self exaltation with the words, Our ongoing spiritual prosperity is proof that Jehovah God, the supreme sovereign of the universe. must be blessing us,....
We have some beautiful property all over the world......
We have ‘big trees of righteousness, faithful men who lead exemplary lives, who humbly feed and care for God’s people. .....all kinds of vegetation, yes, in the form of all kinds of men,.......little children are like flowers, devoted little children.....lot of pretty little children.
If these words are not a declaration of peace and security, then I don’t know what is.
You ask your audience to memorize the words, from Isaiah 30:15 which reads in part from the NWT:by coming back and resting YOU people will be saved. Your mightiness will prove to be simply in keeping undisturbed and in trustfulness.
The phrase coming back is the opposite of falling away. It comes from the Hebrew word that refers to the return , the repentance of the people to return to Jah, The NASV version reads: "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength."
Now in your request to your audience you ask that they memorize only the first part of the verse. You omit the words: BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING
The context of the above verse is:
Isa 30:9 For this is a rebellious people , false sons, Sons who refuse to listen (unwilling to listen, NWT) To the instruction of the LORD;
Isa 30:10 Who say to the seers , "You must not see visions"; And to the prophets, "You must not prophesy to us what is right,Speak to us pleasant words , Prophesy illusions.
Isa 30:11 "Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel."
Isa 30:12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, "Since you have rejected this word And have put your trust in oppression and guile,and have relied on them,
Isa 30:13 Therefore this iniquity will be to you Like a breach about to fall, A bulge in a high wall, Whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant,
Isa 30:14 Whose collapse is like the smashing of a potter's jar , So ruthlessly shattered That a sherd will not be found among its pieces To take fire from a hearth Or to scoop water from a cistern."
Isa 30:15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, " In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing,
Isa 30:16 And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses ," Therefore you shall flee ! "And we will ride on swift horses," Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.
In your enthusiasm to proclaim the smooth, pleasant words declaring peace and security to your audience. you did not listen the words of Jah. You cut off the most important words, YOU ARE UNWILLING, (verse 15) YOU ARE UNWILLING TO LISTEN, (verse 9) Like the leaders of Israel in times past who relied on the horses of Egypt for their deliverance, you and your leaders today, are relying on the swift horses to day for your peace and security. You rely on your beautiful property, your enormous printing facilities, your organization, , the making of books and magazines in which there is no end. numbers, numbers, and your hundred horse cavalry of the legal department. You put your trust in oppression and guile, laying heavy burdens upon the people that you do not lift with one finger.
But there is more. In your speech, you speak of the populous realm of false religion, that is the harlot of revelation, that rides the wild beast, the seven-headed, ten-horned monstrosity which the harlot has been stroking and cooing sweet names ever since its establishment in 1945. The religions of the world are not members of the United Nations, only nations are members. What is then, the point of contact that religions of the world have with the United Nations. As you well know, they are in a binding contract with this organization under the Non-Governmental Organization/Department of Information arrangement. They have agreed in writing with the UN that
How do NGOs and DPI cooperate?
The Department of Public Information and NGOs cooperate regularly. NGOs associated with DPI disseminate information about the UN to their membership, thereby building knowledge of and support for the Organization at the grassroots level. This dissemination includes:
Publicizing UN activities around the world on such issues as peace and security, economic and social development, human rights, humanitarian affairs and international law;
"What are the Criteria for NGOs to become associated with DPI?"
Organizations eligible for association with DPI are those which:
Share the ideals of the UN Charter;..........
So this is the arrangement where religions have been stroking and cooing sweet names to the UN over the years.
And Lo, and behold, who issuddenly and unexpectedly revealed as participating in stroking and cooing sweet names to the UN. Why none other the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. And who signed this agreement on behalf of the Watch Tower with the UN ten or more years ago, and renewed it annually since then? Why none other than Ciro Aucilino as well as a member of the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
So according to your talk then, Jehovah’s witnesses have become a daughter of Babylon the Great. They have beenovertaken by darkness.
You exhort your audience to pay no heed to what you call apostates. You state, that these apostates can point out my faults and to faults of the governing body. Were, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezechiel, Micah, Paul apostates?
You say that Judas would have called Jesus and the eleven remaining apostles, thedirty dozen. No, he would not, the last recorded words of Judas are in this text.
Mat 27:3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Mat 27:4 saying,"I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself !"
Mat 27:5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.
You point out the actions of John, in calling down fire from heaven. Read the text again.
Luk 9:54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"
Luk 9:55 But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of;
Luk 9:56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."
James and John, thought they should repeat the actions that Eligah did in the past. Jesus rebuked them. Their error is published and available for all to see and has been written for us down through the centuries. You have not revealed your errors. You have not learn the lesson in Jesus’ words to James and John. In your talk and published in your literature, you call down fires of destruction on the world wide population of mankind. It is said in the scriptures, that Jesus is the same today, yesterday and forever. At the time of James and John he said, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." If he is the same yesterday, today and forever, why would he want to destroy out of existence billions of people today?
Can you ask yourself the same statement Jesus put to James and John?
Do you know of what kind of spirit you are ?
belbab