When this article came out in 1998 there was a lot of discussion online about how completely moronic it was that Jehovah's Witnesses/the Society applied the "work" of the locusts to themselves (Joel 1 - Joel 2:11) but NOT GOD destroying the locusts and restoring the land because of their work (as seen in Joel 2:12 -- ).
The MOST TELLING feature was in the following article which purportedly takes the study through Joel 2 accounting for each verse, carefully and slyly omits any consideration of Joel 2:25 (or 26-30).
Here is the excerpt from the second article where you can see that the discussion simply jumps over from verse 24 to verse 30, carefully omitting consideration or mention of the "damaging" scriptures.
If any JWs were actually reading from the bible and reading all the scriptures in tact, no doubt they would have found Joel 2:25 very puzzling to the interpretation that Jehovah's Witnesses were represented by the locusts as espoused in the Watchtower study.
*** w98 5/1 pp. 17-18 Who Will "Get Away Safe"? ***
A
Spiritual Paradise 14
That is the way both the anointed and the other sheep view things, and as a result, Jehovah blesses them. "Jehovah will be zealous for his land and will show compassion upon his people." (
Joel 2:18) In 1919, Jehovah showed zeal and compassion for his people when he restored them and brought them into his realm of spiritual activity. This is truly a spiritual paradise, well described by Joel in these words: "Do not be fearful, O ground. Be joyful and rejoice; for Jehovah will actually do a great thing in what He does. Do not be fearful, you beasts of the open field, for the pasture grounds of the wilderness will certainly grow green. For the tree will actually give its fruitage. The fig tree and the vine must give their vital energy. And, you sons of Zion, be joyful and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he will be bound to give you the autumn rain in right measure, and he will bring down upon you people a downpour, autumn rain and spring rain, as at the first. And the threshing floors must be full of cleansed grain, and the press vats must overflow with new wine and oil."—
Joel 2:21-24.
15
What a delightful picture! Abundant provisions of three staples of life in Israel—grain, olive oil, and wine—together with plentiful flocks. In our day those prophetic words are indeed fulfilled in a spiritual way. Jehovah provides us all the spiritual food we need. Do we not all delight in such God-given abundance? Truly, as Malachi foretold, our God has ‘opened the floodgates of the heavens and emptied out upon us a blessing until there is no more want.’—Malachi 3:10.
The
End of a System of Things 16
It is after foretelling the paradisaic condition of God’s people that Joel prophesies about the pouring out of Jehovah’s spirit. When Peter quoted this prophecy at Pentecost, he said that it was fulfilled "in the last days." (Acts 2:17) The outpouring of God’s spirit back then meant that the last days had begun for the Jewish system of things. The outpouring of God’s spirit on the Israel of God in the 20th century means that we are living in the last days of the worldwide system of things. In view of this, what does the future hold? Joel’s prophecy goes on to tell us: "I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun itself will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah."—
Joel 2:30, 31.
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In my opinion, this was just another example of the Society expressing its spiritual arrogance -- similar to the way it has done in foreseeing the fullment of scripture or bible prophecy in its own Organizational history on many occassions. However, since these scriptures do not apply to Jehovah's Witnesses at all and the locusts do not represent them, there is no need to contemplate any further meaning with respect to "Abaddon" or to conclude that this means that they are sinister or serving the army of the destroyer.
-Eduardo
