by RULES & REGULATIONS 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The 2008 service reports shows that Jehovah's Witnesses preached in 236 lands. The preaching work is banned in communist countries such as China(which have over 1.3 billion people) and Korea. There might be underground preaching work but not enough to even cause a concern.
My question: How does the WTS explain what will happen to all these people who will never hear their message? Will the WTS be accountable for all their deaths at Armageddon since they were given the commission to preach?
Cuba is in the report that I have.
They are in mine too.
My mistake. Cuba did service reports.
They don't really explain it at all. They sometimes use that scripture where Jesus says "You will by no means complete the circuit of the cities" to say that the big A could come any minute now. Some dubs say God will read their hearts and thus permit them to survive. Too bad we weren't all born in Mongolia, then we wouldn't have to go in meetings and service, but we can still survive the big A!
*** w65 9/15 pp. 575-576 Questions From Readers ***
Since millions of persons in China and other places have never heard the Kingdom message, will these people be preserved through the destruction of Babylon the Great and the war of Armageddon, or perhaps be resurrected later?—H.S., U.S.A.It is important to understand what the Bible says about the destruction to come at the end of this system of things. In his illustration of the sheep and the goats Jesus indicated that a separating work would be done "when the Son of man arrives in his glory," and that persons would be classed as either "sheep" or "goats." (Matt. 25:31-46) In part, the basis for the separation would be the reaction of people to the preaching of the good news of the established kingdom. That preaching work is now being done by Jehovah’s witnesses. Jesus explained that those on earth who favorably responded to that message and treated kindly its bearers would be classed as "sheep" and would enter into "everlasting life." The rest of mankind who did not respond favorably to the preaching work and offered no aid to those who carried the Kingdom message would be classed as "goats" and would go, not into a temporary death, but into "everlasting cutting-off" at the time when judgment is executed.
But some persons, appreciating that millions of people are to be resurrected and given an opportunity to serve God, wonder if the millions of individuals living today who apparently have never heard the Kingdom message preached will be everlastingly destroyed without ever having had a witness about God’s purposes. It is true that at present it appears that there are vast numbers of mankind who have not heard the Kingdom preaching. Also, from what the Bible says and from conditions in the world, we know that we are in the "last days." But we do not know just how much more will be accomplished in preaching the Kingdom message before the end comes. (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Matt. 24:3-13) If at the end of the second world war someone had said that the Kingdom preaching would be carried out, by more than a million publishers, in over 190 lands, including communistic countries, many might have found that hard to believe. Yet, Jehovah has blessed his people, and that is exactly what is being accomplished. So, if it is Jehovah’s will to have this message personally carried to the millions on earth who seemingly have not yet heard it, that will be accomplished. If he chooses, he could see to it that this message is spread in ways that we cannot yet imagine. Jesus did foretell that "this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matt. 24:14) We can rest assured that God will see that the preaching work is done to his satisfaction. After that "the end" comes.
Then those who correspond with "goats," whether in China or elsewhere, will be pronounced "cursed" and will not be permitted to survive that "end" into God’s new order of things. Since these go into symbolic "fire" (like the Devil and his angels), their punishment will be everlasting. They will never be resurrected.—Matt. 25:41-46.
"Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."—Ps. 37:10, 11.
*** w00 1/15 p. 13 par. 17 "Keep on the Watch" ***
Fifth,
weseeaglobalpreachingworkbeingaccomplished,whichJesussaidwouldtakeplacejustbeforetheendofthissystem. Jesus stated: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) Today, that prophecy is in the course of fulfillment on an unprecedented scale. True, untouched territories still exist, and it may be that in Jehovah’s due time, a large door leading to greater activity will open. (1 Corinthians 16:9) Nevertheless, the Bible does not state that Jehovah will wait until every individual on earth has received a personal witness. Rather, the good news must be preached to Jehovah’s satisfaction. Then the end will come.—Compare Matthew 10:23.
millions on earth who seemingly have not yet heard it
Gotta love those weasel words.
I would stake my life that are billions (with a B Freddy dear) of people who have definitely never even heard the word "Jehovah" before, let alone "heard the [convoluted] message" that JWs preach.
If he chooses, he could see to it that this message is spread in ways that we cannot yet imagine.
Interestingly, the WTS does not use the internet - surely a technology unimaginable back in the 60s - in any meaningful way to preach the 'good news', it instead relies on knocking doors on Saturday mornings. Yep, that oughta do it.
As I started to awaken to my WTS doubts, I was on holiday and picked up a copy of one of Michael Palin's books in a second hand shop. I remember reading it and realising there were literally billions of people throughout Asia who have never heard of the Watchtower magazine. Suddenly it struck me how ridiculous the notion of the WTS's Armageddon seemed.
Jehovah can 'read people's hearts' don'tcha know. I'm sure those third-class citizens will get in; well, a few.
So why doesn't he just get this damned thing over with and annihalate billions now? Because he likes to watch people starve, grow old, and die.
