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Comments You Will Not Hear at the 07-05-09 WT Study (April 15, 2009, pages 28-32)(GREATER DAVID)
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APPRECIATING JESUS -THE GREATER DAVID AND THE GREATER SOLOMON
"Look! something more than Solomon is here."--MATT. 12:42
OPENING COMMENTS
How many old-timers remember the publications being peppered with "types" and "antitypes"? This is what
the Greater Moses, Greater David and Greater Solomon. It was snoozeville back then and it still is. The author of this: Fred Franz. Since 2000, the WTS has only used the term "antitype" eight (
times.
*** w50 9/15 p. 321 Ancient Patterns for the Present ***
A type is an image or representation of something that will come to pass at some future time. The antitype is the reality of the thing which the type represents. The type may properly be called a shadow; the antitype, the reality. Dramatic episodes and experiences serve as types, a study of which will give a person a reasonable facsimile or picture of the reality, and therefore they are called prophetic pictures. A type is also a pattern that serves as a guide in understanding the reality.
START ARTICLE
Q 1, 2. From a human point of view, why was it surprising that Samuel was instructed to anoint David as king?
HE DID not look like a king. Rather, to the prophet Samuel, he appeared to be nothing more than a young shepherd
boy. Moreover, his hometown, Bethlehem, was not of great prominence. It was described as "too little to get to be
among the thousands of Judah." (Mic. 5:2) Nevertheless, this apparently insignificant young man from a small town was about to be anointed by the prophet Samuel as the future king of Israel.
Eventually what kind of king did David prove to be, an adulterer, a murderer (and was not put to death per the Law code but rather his son died and his wives were raped), disobeyed God and conducted a census which lead to the death of 70,000 innocent people, and whose hands were considered covered with blood and so he could not build the temple.
2. Young David was not the first son that his father, Jesse, presented to Samuel to be anointed; neither was he the
second or third. David, the last of eight boys born to Jesse, was not even present when Samuel came to Jesse's
household to anoint one of that faithful man's sons as the next king of the land. But David was Jehovah's choice, and
that was what counted.--1 Sam.16:1-10.
In what way does the WTS say that the elders are God's choice?
Q 3. (a) What does Jehovah view as most important when he examines an individual? (b) At the time of David's
anointing, what became operative upon him?
3. Jehovah saw what Samuel could not see. God could discern David's heart condition, and it was pleasing to him.
With God, it is not the mere outward appearance that matters; it is what a person really is on the inside. (Read 1 Samuel 16:7.) So when Samuel learned that Jehovah had not chosen any of the seven older sons of Jesse, he asked that the youngest be brought in from the pastures. The account says: "Accordingly Jesse sent and had [David] come. Now he was ruddy, a young man with beautiful eyes and handsome in appearance. Then Jehovah said: 'Get up, anoint him, for this is he!' Accordingly Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the spirit of Jehovah began to be operative upon David from that day forward." --1 Sam. 16:12, 13.
So Samuel could not see "David's heart condition." Can the elders see the heart conditions of anyone,
potential elder, jws facing "reproof" or "disfellowshipping." How do they determine "repentance" then and qualifications to judge others?
*** w05 2/1 p. 23 par. 5 Jehovah Always Does What Is Right ***
A second reason to accept God's judgments is that unlike humans, God can read hearts.
*** w01 7/15 p. 23 Are You Truly Tolerant? ***
Unlike Jesus, we lack the ability to read hearts.
*** w00 7/15 p. 23 Have You Been Influenced by Cynics? ***
Jehovah can accurately read a person's heart. We cannot. Therefore, we need to be careful about attributing certain
motives to others.
*** g79 7/8 p. 27 What Is Involved in 'Appointment by Holy Spirit'? ***
In view of the fact that humans are involved in the appointment of elders, there is a possibility of choosing an
unqualified man to serve, for humans are not able to read the heart.
David Prefigured Christ
Q 4, 5. (a) Describe some parallels between David and Jesus. (b) Why can Jesus be called the Greater David?
4. Jesus, like David, was born in Bethlehem, some 1,100 years after David's time. In the eyes of many, Jesus too did
not look like a king. That is, he was not the kind of king that many in Israel hoped for. Yet, like David, he was Jehovah's choice. He, like David, was beloved by Jehovah.* (Luke 3:22) In Jesus' case too, 'the spirit of Jehovah became operative upon him.'
*The name David probably means "Beloved." At the time of Jesus' baptism and again at his transfiguration, Jehovah
spoke from heaven calling him "my Son, the beloved."--Matt. 3:17; 17:5.
So David PROBABLY means "Beloved"? Hadn't Saul been God's choice and hadn't God's spirit been
"operative upon him"? Was God's spirit operative on David when he had Uriah murdered to cover up David's having
committed adultery with Bathsheba? Where as the parallel to that in Jesus' life?
5. The parallels between the two continue. For instance, David was betrayed by his counsellor Ahithophel, and Jesus
was betrayed by his apostle Judas Iscariot. (Ps. 41:9; John 13:18) Both David and Jesus had a consuming zeal for
Jehovah's place of worship. (Ps. 27:4; 69:9; John 2:17) Jesus was also David's heir. Before Jesus' birth, an angel told
his mother: "Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father." (Luke 1:32; Matt. 1:1) However, because all
Messianic promises are to be fulfilled in Jesus, he is far more than David. He is the Greater David, the long-hoped-for
Messianic King.--John 7:42.
Where was David's consuming zeal for God's place of worship when he was having sex with Bathsheba and
then coveirng up by having her husband killed?
Follow the Shepherd-King
Q 6. In what ways was David a good shepherd?
6. Jesus is also a shepherd. What are the characteristics of a good shepherd? He is someone who faithfully and
courageously tends, feeds, and guards his flock. (Ps. 23:2-4) As a youth, David was a shepherd, and he took very
good care of his father's sheep. He was courageous when the flock was threatened and risked his life to protect the
sheep from a lion and a bear.--1 Sam. 17:34,35.
While David was willing to risk his life for the sheep when he was young, as an adult he became a stealer of sheep (Bathsheba) and a murderer of the shepherd (Uriah).
(2 Samuel 12:1-7) . . .And Jehovah proceeded to send Nathan to David. So he came in to him and said to him:
"There were two men that happened to be in one city, the one rich and the other of little means. 2 The rich man
happened to have very many sheep and cattle; 3 but the man of little means had nothing but one female lamb, a small
one, that he had bought. And he was preserving it alive, and it was growing up with him and with his sons, all together. From his morsel it would eat, and from his cup it would drink, and in his bosom it would lie, and it came to be as a daughter to him. 4 After a while a visitor came to the rich man, but he spared taking some from his own sheep and his own cattle to get such ready for the traveler that had come in to him. So he took the female lamb of the man of little means and got it ready for the man that had come in to him." 5 At this David's anger grew very hot against the man, so that he said to Nathan: "As Jehovah is living, the man doing this deserves to die! 6 And for the female lamb he should make compensation with four, as a consequence of the fact that he has done this thing and because he did not have compassion." 7 Then Nathan said to David: "You yourself are the man! . . .
Q 7. (a) What prepared David for his duties as king? (b) How did Jesus prove to be the Fine Shepherd?
7. The years David spent in fields and on hills tending sheep prepared him for the demanding duties and
responsibilities of shepherding the nation of Israel.* (Ps. 78:70, 71) Jesus too has proved to be a model shepherd. He
derives strength and guidance from Jehovah as he shepherds his "little flock" and the "other sheep." (Luke 12:32; John 10:16) Thus Jesus proves to be the Fine Shepherd. He knows his flock so well that he calls each sheep by name. He loves his sheep so much that while on earth he willingly gave of himself for their well-being. (John 10:3, 11, 14, 15) As the Fine Shepherd, Jesus accomplishes something that David could never do. His ransom sacrifice opened the way
for mankind to be rescued from death. Nothing will stop him from shepherding his "little flock" to immortal life in heaven
and leading his "other sheep" to everlasting life in a righteous new world free from wolf-like predators. --Read John
10:27-29.
*At the same time, David became a trusting lamb. He looked to the Great Shepherd, Jehovah, for protection and
guidance. "Jehovah is my Shepherd," he said with complete confidence. "I shall lack nothing." (Ps. 23:1) John the
Baptizer identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God."--John 1:29.
So where is the evidence of a "little flock" and "other sheep" in this paragraph? Just a citation of 2
scriptures but no development as if it is a done deal.
Do you know why the WTS makes a distinction of calling God, the Great Shepherd, and Jesus, the Fine Shepherd?
I don't know about your experience, but I found that many elders did not know the names of individual jws and their
children. Usually the Watchtower Study Overseer was more adept for obvious reasons. No point in making a public
humiliation of yourself from the platform.
Elder bodies that would assign one old, retired elder to call on the jws in the hospital because they were "too busy" or
"did not like hospitals."
Elders that thought that "delegating" love responsibilities was "giving" of themselves.
Let the other sheep know that they are secondary not worthy of immortal life in heaven.
Wolf-life predators...so how will pedophiles be handled then? Calling the WTS Legal Department still?
New Society--New System--New System of Things--New Order--New World
Follow the Conquering King
Q 8. How did David prove to be a conquering king?
8. As king, David was a resolute warrior who protected the land of God's people, and "Jehovah kept saving David
wherever he went." Under David's leadership, the nation's boundaries were extended from the river of Egypt to the river
Euphrates. (2 Sam. 8:1-14) In Jehovah's strength, he became a most powerful ruler. The Bible states: "David's fame
began to go out into all the lands, and Jehovah himself put the dread of him upon all the nations." --1 Chron. 14: 17.
Yet David's conquering rendered him unfit in God's eyes to build the temple. In parallel, was Jesus unfit to
build the "temple"?
Did David kill children to "protect" God's people?
(Deuteronomy 20:15-18) 15 "That is the way you will do to all the cities very far away from you that are not of the
cities of these nations. 16 It is only of the cities of these peoples that Jehovah your God is giving you as an inheritance
that you must not preserve any breathing thing alive, 17 because you should without fail devote them to destruction, the
Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, just as Jehovah your God
has commanded you; 18 in order that they may not teach YOU to do according to all their detestable things, which they
have done to their gods, and YOU may indeed sin against Jehovah YOUR God.
*** it-2 p. 1167 War ***
Jehovah instructed Israel as to military procedure in the conquest of Canaan. The seven nations of Canaan, named at
Deuteronomy 7:1, 2, were to be exterminated, including women and children. Their cities were to be devoted to
destruction. (De 20:15-17)
*** w68 10/15 p. 637 Why God Decreed Extermination for the Canaanites ***
No wonder God ordered their extermination! If even the women and children were allowed to remain, they would entice
the Israelites to practice immoral, false worship.
Q 9. Explain how Jesus as King-Designate was a conqueror.
9. Like King David, the man Jesus was fearless. As King-Designate, he showed his authority over the demons,
rescuing victims from their clutches. (Mark 5:2,6-13; Luke 4: 36) Even the archenemy, Satan the Devil, has no hold on
him. With Jehovah's support, Jesus conquered the world, which lies in Satan's power.--John 14:30; 16:33; 1 John 5:19.
Do the anointed jws on earth have authority over the demons?
If Satan is the god of this system, are all non-jws worshipping Satan?
*** w90 12/1 p. 6 Which God Should You Worship? ***
Satan has enormous influence. The apostle John said that "the whole world" is lying in his power, and Paul called him
"the god of this system of things." (1 John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4) Hence, worship of any god apart from Jehovah is
really worship of Satan.
Q 10, 11. What is Jesus' role as Warrior-King in the heavens?
10. Some 60 years after Jesus' death and resurrection to heaven, the apostle John received a prophetic vision of
Jesus in His role as Warrior-King in the heavens. John writes: "Look! a white horse; and the one seated upon it had a
bow; and a crown was given him, and he went forth conquering and to complete his conquest." (Rev. 6:2) The rider on
the white horse is Jesus. "A crown was given him" in 1914 when he was enthroned as King in the heavenly Kingdom.
After that, "he went forth conquering." Yes, like David, Jesus is a conquering king. Shortly after he was installed as King
of God's Kingdom, he conquered Satan in battle and hurled him and his demons down to the earth. (Rev. 12: 7-9) His
victorious ride will continue until he will "complete his conquest," completely destroying Satan's wicked system.--Read
Revelation 19:11,19-21.
Destroy wicked system = extermination of all 7B non-jws, men, women, and CHILDREN.
So did Jesus receive his crown in 1878 or 1914? Was 1914 the end or the beginning?
***(Proclaimers book) jv chap. 28 p. 632 Testing and Sifting From Within ***
Based on the premise that events of the first century might find parallels in related events later, they also concluded that
if Jesus' baptism and anointing in the autumn of 29 C.E. paralleled the beginning of an invisible presence in 1874, then
his riding into Jerusalem as King in the spring of 33 C.E. would point to the spring of 1878 as the time when he would
assume his power as heavenly King.
We see no reason for changing the figures--nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates,
not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble.
Zion's Watch Tower, 15 July 1894, page 1677
Armageddon ended
"… the battle of the great day of God Almighty… The date of the close of that "battle" is definitely marked in Scripture
as October 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874." Zion's Watch Tower 1892
January 15 p.23
11. Like David, though, Jesus is a compassionate king, and he will protect the "great crowd" through Armageddon.
(Rev. 7:9, 14) Furthermore, under the rule of Jesus and his joint heirs, the resurrected 144,000, there will be "a
resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous." (Acts 24:15) Those who are resurrected on earth will have the
prospect of living forever. What a wonderful future awaits them! May we all be determined to continue to "do what is
good," so that we will be alive when the earth is filled with righteous, happy subjects of the Greater David.--Ps.37:27-29.
Protect the GC AS A GROUP through Armageddon
*** w75 6/15 p. 377 par. 10 Looking to the Future with Confidence ***
However, we can be assured that, as a group, Jehovah will protect them from being exterminated by their enemies
during the "great tribulation," and He, himself, will not touch them during his executing of adverse judgments.
*** w74 3/15 p. 171 What Protection for God's People? ***
We can expect an all-out attack, one that could result in the death of some of God's servants. The Bible book of
Ezekiel does, in fact, foretell such an attack under the guidance of the symbolic "Gog," Satan the Devil:
"You [Gog] will certainly come from your place, from the remotest parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all
of them riding on horses, a great congregation, even a numerous military force. And you will be bound to come up
against my people."-Ezek. 38:15, 16...Should some of God's people die at the time of this attack, however, they
would not experience lasting loss. They would die, not with any feeling of having lost divine favor, but with full
confidence that God will restore them to life in his new order because of their faithfulness to him.
Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom Is Answered
12. David's son Solomon also prefigured Jesus.* When Solomon became king, Jehovah appeared to him in a dream
and said that He would give him anything he asked for. Solomon could have asked for more wealth, power, or a longer
life. Instead, he unselfishly asked Jehovah: "Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out before this people
and that I may come in, for who could judge this great people of yours?" (2 Chron. 1:7-10) Jehovah answered
Solomon's prayer.--Read 2 Chronicles 1:11, 12.
* Interestingly, a second name for Solomon was Jedidiah, which means "Beloved of Jah."--2 Sam. 12:24, 25.
Have you noticed that the WTS is not using the term "antitype" or "type" but "prefigured"?
Q13. How was Solomon's wisdom unmatched, and what was its Source?
13. As long as Solomon was faithful to Jehovah, his words of wisdom were unmatched among his contemporaries.
Solomon spoke "three thousand proverbs." (1 Ki. 4:30, 32, 34) Many of these were written down and are still treasured
by those who seek wisdom. The queen of Sheba traveled some 2,400 kilometers to test Solomon's wisdom with
"perplexing questions." She was impressed by what Solomon said and by the prosperity of his kingdom. (1 Ki. 10:1-9)
The Bible identifies the Source of Solomon's wisdom by stating: "All the people of the earth were seeking the face of
Solomon to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart."--1 Ki. 10:24.
Outside the Bible, is there any historical reference to Solomon and his outstanding wisdom?
How wise was it to have 300 wives and 700 concubines?
And false worship on top of it?
Will Solomon be resurrected since he died an apostate?
Follow the Wise King
Q 14. In what ways was Jesus "something more than Solomon"?
14. Only one human clearly surpassed Solomon in wisdom. That was Jesus Christ, who described himself as
"something more than Solomon." (Matt. 12:42) Jesus spoke "sayings of everlasting life." (John 6:68) For example, the
Sermon on the Mount expands on the principles of some of Solomon's proverbs. Solomon described a number of
things that bring happiness to a worshipper of Jehovah. (Prov. 3: 13; 8:32, 33; 14:21; 16:20) Jesus emphasized that
true happiness stems from things that are related to the worship of Jehovah and the fulfillment of God's promises. He
said: "Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them." (Matt. 5:3)
Those who apply the principles found in Jesus' teachings are drawn closer to Jehovah, "the source of life." (Ps. 36:9;
Prov. 22:11; Matt. 5: Christ embodies "the wisdom of God." (1 Cor. 1:24, 30) As the Messianic King, Jesus Christ
has "the spirit of wisdom."--Isa.11:2.
CLEARLY
Carrot--everlasting life
closer to God--not closer to Jesus?
Q 15. How can we benefit from godly wisdom?
15 How can we, as followers of the Greater Solomon, benefit from godly wisdom? Since Jehovah's wisdom is revealed
in his Word, we must put forth the effort to find it by carefully studying the Bible, particularly the recorded words of
Jesus, and by meditating on what we read. (Prov. 2: 1-5) Further, we need to persevere in asking God for wisdom.
God's Word assures us that our sincere prayers for help will be answered. (Jas. 1:5) With the help of the holy spirit, we
will find gems of wisdom in God's Word that can help us to deal with challenges and make wise decisions. (Luke
11:13) Solomon was also called "the congregator" who "taught the people knowledge continually." (Eccl. 12: 9,10)
Jesus, as Head of the Christian congregation, is also a congregator of his people. (John 10:16; Col. 1:18) Therefore,
we do well to attend congregation meetings, where we are 'taught continually.'
followers of Greater Solomon--WE, only jws
carefully studying the Bible--not alone but only with WT publications
What would be an "insincere" prayer? If a prayer is not "answered," should it be assumed it was not sincere?
Find gems like:
Superior authorities are secular governments (until 1929), God and Jesus (until 1962), secular governments (from
1962)
Organ transplants are allowed (until 1967), not allowed and considered cannibalism (until 1980), allowed (from 1980)
And other flipflop doctrines...........
Jesus is Head of the Christian congregation which is only anointed Christians, 144,000; not the great crowd.
Q 16. What similarity is there between Solomon and Jesus?
16. Solomon was a very active king. He organized a nationwide construction program, overseeing the building of
palaces, roads, waterworks, storage cities, chariot cities, and cities for the horsemen. (1 Ki. 9:17-19) The entire
kingdom benefited from his building works. Jesus too is a builder. He built his congregation on the "rock-mass." (Matt.
16:18) He will also oversee the building work to be carried out in the new world.--Isa. 65: 21,22.
How will Jesus oversee the building work in the "new world"? Will he be communicating with people on
earth? If not through whom? Will the anointed still be on earth, if so, for how long? Won't they eventually grow old and
die if they are to inherit the heavens?
Follow the King of Peace
Q17. (a) What was an outstanding characteristic of Solomon's rule? (b) What could Solomon not accomplish?
17. The name Solomon comes from a root meaning "peace." King Solomon ruled from Jerusalem, the name of which
means "Possession of Twofold Peace." His 40-year reign was marked by unprecedented peace in the nation of Israel.
The Bible states concerning those years: "Judah and Israel continued to dwell in security, everyone under his own vine
and under his own fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon." (1 Ki. 4: 25) Still, Solomon, in all his
wisdom, could not free his subjects from the shackles of sickness, sin, and death. The Greater Solomon, though, will
free his subjects from all of that.--Read Romans 8: 19-21.
What kind of "peace" is in the congregations of jws today? Will the elders stop jockeying for position? Will
they and their wives quit seeing themselves are more deserving of the rank and file...still being told by the CO
equivalent that they have more holy spirit?
Q18. In the Christian congregation, what conditions do we enjoy?
18. Even now in the Christian congregation, we have peaceful conditions. Indeed, we are enjoying a true spiritual
paradise. We have peace with God and with our fellow man. Note what Isaiah prophesied about the conditions that we
are experiencing today: "They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore." (Isa. 2:3, 4) By acting in harmony with
God's spirit, we contribute to the beauty of the spiritual paradise.
Only the 144,000 make up the Christian congregation directly; the others only indirectly.
A spiritual paradise that protects pedophiles?
Q 19, 20. What reasons do we have to rejoice?
19. However, the future will be even better. As obedient humans enjoy peace to an unprecedented degree under
Jesus' rule, they will gradually be "set free from enslavement to corruption" until they reach human perfection. (Rom.
8:21) After they pass the final test at the end of the Thousand Year Reign, "the meek ones themselves will possess the
earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." (Ps. 37:11; Rev. 20:7-10) Truly,
Christ Jesus' rule will surpass Solomon's in ways we cannot yet imagine!
OBEDIENT humans = adhering to WTS directives
When do humans supposedly reach perfection?
What is the so-called final test?
20. As Israel rejoiced under the oversight of Moses, David, and Solomon, we will rejoice even more under Christ's
rulership. (1 Ki. 8: 66) All thanks to Jehovah for providing us with his only-begotten Son--the Greater Moses, David, and
Solomon!
And Israel pictures only the 144,000 anointed jws....where is the rest in the picture?
Can You Explain?
• How is Jesus the Greater David?
• How is Jesus the Greater Solomon?
• What do you appreciate about the Greater David, who is also the Greater Solomon?
[b]CLOSING COMMENTS
While Jesus is mentioned as the core of this article, what have you learned about Jesus? Rather it was an
article about David and Solomon and how to have a relationship with Jehovah. If you read the older publications from
1879 to 1916, the Russell era, you will find a different picture of Jesus, as a brother and fellow worker. But then all but
10,000 of jws are taught that they are Jesus' children not his brothers and that God is their grandfather.
Love, Blondie