Pages 4-5 shows several Biblical passages from many different parts of the bible:
"He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore." -- Revelation 21:4
"The lame one will climb up just as a stag does." -- Isaiah 35:6
“The eyes of the blind ones will be opened.” -- Isaiah 35:5
“All those in the memorial tombs will...come out.” -- John 5:28, 29
“No resident will say: 'I am sick.'” -- Isaiah 33:24
“There will come to be plenty of grain in the earth.” -- Psalm 72:16
The witnesses are trying to present these scriptures as if they are all part of one thought, but the reality and context reveal something very different. Reading Isaiah chapter 34 reveals that he was speaking of the aftermath of Yahweh's vengeance against the Edomites, how the Israelites will take over that land. By the time John wrote Revelation, this had supposedly already happened. John was referring to something completely different than what Isaiah was.
One of the central Witness doctrines teaches that passages like these have dual meanings, dual fulfillments, even though there is no evidence in the text itself to suggest a connection to modern times.
BENEFIT FROM WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
Do not quickly dismiss what is presented on the preceding pages as mere wishful thinking. God has promised to bring these things about, and the Bible explains how he will do so.
Why shouldn't I dismiss what was presented? This paragraph gives me no reason to believe it other than 'God has promised it, and the Bible tells how it will be done.' This is circular reasoning. If I doubt what the Bible says, then why should I accept it as evidence? In court, a defendant cannot go free just because he says he is innocent and not lying about it.
But the Bible does more than that. It provides the key to your enjoying a truly satisfying life even now. Think for a moment about your own anxieties and troubles. They may include money matters, family problems, loss of health, or the death of a loved one. The Bible can help you to deal with problems today, and it can provide relief by answering such questions as these:
Why do we suffer?
How can we cope with life's anxieties?
How can we make our family life happier?
What happens to us when we die?
Will we ever see our dead loved ones again?
How can we be sure that God will fulfill his promises for the future?
Nothing is really hidden here. It basically presents the Bible as a guidebook to deal with all of your problems. The last question really stands out. The book is officially claiming to proof the God of the Bible not only exists, but will do what the Bible says he will do.
The fact that you are reading this book shows that you would like to find out what the Bible teaches. This book will help you. Notice that the paragraphs have corresponding questions at the bottom of the page. Millions have enjoyed using the question-and-answer method when discussing the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. We hope you will too. May you have God's blessing as you now enjoy the thrilling and satisfying experience of learning what the Bible really teaches!
There could be many reasons one would read this book.
Chapter One
What Is the Truth About God?
Does God really care about you?
What is God like? Does he have a name?
Is it possible to get close to God?
HAVE you ever noticed the way children ask questions? Many start asking as soon as they learn to speak. With wide, eager eyes, they look up at you and ask such things as: Why is the sky blue? What are the stars made of? Who taught the birds to sing? You may try hard to answer, but it is not always easy. Even your best answer may lead to yet another question: Why?
Children are not the only ones who ask questions. As we grow up, we keep asking. We do this in order to find our way, to learn of dangers that we need to avoid, or to satisfy our curiosity. But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers.
It's funny this is brought up. Many Jehovah's Witnesses fail to ask the important questions like: What Biblical basis does 1914 have? Where in the Bible does it define the faithful and discreet slave as a committee of men in Brooklyn? Why does the Watchtower Society claim to never have claimed to be a prophet, when it clearly taught this before the 1975 disappointment? Why does the Bible never speak of every Christian preaching publicly, but only of the apostles and others invited by them personally? Why does the Watchtower Society claim that God has always had an organization, yet cannot answer who the organization was from the time of Jesus to the time of Russell?
Think about the question on the cover of this book, the questions raised in the preface, or those at the beginning of this chapter. These are some of the most important questions you can ask. Yet, many people have given up trying to find the answers. Why? Does the Bible have the answers? Some feel that its answers are too hard to understand. Others worry that asking questions could lead to shame or embarrassment. And some decide that such questions are best left to religious leaders and teachers. What about you?
Perhaps there are no answers to some of these questions. Simply having an answer running unopposed to any other does not make the answer correct. Is it more important to just have an answer or to have the right answer?