by AuntBee 13 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
"The WTS has stated that the NT (Christian Greek Scriptures) was written for the anointed...Revelation is part of the NT." -- Thanks, Blondie. I've read this before, but i think it's still kind of takes me aback when i see it in the publications.
bohm: From Revelation the Grand Climax at Hand: "Primarily, its (the book of Revelation) message is addressed to annointed Christians whom Jesus has bought with his blood to become corulers with him in the new heavens." p. 8
I heard a comment from a former JW. He said “when you read the NT as applying to yourself it takes a whole different meaning”. I put it to the test, got a different translation and began reading the letter to the Galatians – a real aye opener- then all the Pauline letters and the Matthew Gospel. In less than 3 months, I began to feel the closest connection to Jehovah and His Son than I ever felt in 10 plus year of association with the witnesses.
I find it ironic how the GB pushes the R&F to grad people who need to feel connected to their Creator, then gives them a false sense of spirituality and later robs them from the most important relationship that a man and a woman could have… a truly personal relationship with their Creator and God.
There is no such thing as the JW Great Crowd as they imagine it.
"Is there any Scripture at all that the Great Crowd can claim as its very own??" Yeah, this one...Matthew 9:36 - On seeing the great crowd he felt pity for them, because they were skinned and thrown about like other sheep without a shepherd.
Billy you're a hoot! But don't you know that inserted "other" words must be encapsulated in brackets, thus: [other]?
Listen people - if you believe right now, today, that God is real and Jesus Christ really is His Son - then you are believers and saved by faith. It all comes down to belief, faith. The 'Great Crowd' that the wtbts is suposedly gathering right now does not, in fact, even form until the tribulation - they are former unbelievers "of the nations" who repent and convert to faith after going through those bad days. So if we are believers today, and walking by faith in God and Christ, then we are the Christians to whom the Bible is speaking, and all the promises God made to the entire nation of Israel(not only the priesthood but ALL the people - it's still His will to work out, that all beleivers will form an entire nation of His kings and priests) belong to all who now know and love Him thru Christ. Further, the appointment of positions in God's household are not bequeathed until after one dies a faithful death. No one has Biblical authority to claim a special reward in this life. We have a hope and it's the same hope for everyone - the Kingdom. Where any of us will be in that Kingdom won't be decided, I believe, as long as we live/or until the ultimate fulfillment of the 'Great Tribulation'. Paul said something that sticks in my mind - 1 Thess. 4: 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
And this - 1 Corinthians 15: 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all bechanged, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
That seems to say it will happen all at once so why speculate it's happening over a 100+ yr. time period? The WT has tried to take over the priesthood that literally only belongs to Christ Jesus as he took on the role of High Priest and abolished the need for a formal proiesthood. All religions think they own it, literally. Aggressive men try to grab it away from the only one who has the authority to reward 'Kingdom seats' - and those I think literally went to his disciples anyway, lol. But what they've done is cordoned off the entire Kingdom for only a select few uber-Witnesses and all the rest of the believers(also card-carrying Witnesses) are considered to actually be outside the Kingdom. It's so obvious now that the "other sheep" Jesus spoke of in one verse in one gospel John 10:16 refers to the Gentiles - and he still says they will be "one flock with one shepherd", not 2 flocks in 2 separate locations! No where does the Bible say that Jesus will be the shepherd of some of the sheep who in turn shepherd another [other] great crowd of sheep.
There was a quote from an old WT mag I remember seeing, about bro. Russell guiding the org. from the heavens - and there was another little blurb not so long ago about that... and I thought wow, they have the resurrection already happening - invisibly - with the WT big-wigs already sitting as Jesus' counsel? Can't you imagine the heavenly BGB(Big GB) with Joe Rutherford still thinking he's in charge? Lol! That's not really funny, tho'.
Please AuntBee - research this yourself without the WT's help - read beginning with John's gospel from any [other](lol) translation than the NWT, then the rest of the gospels, then Paul's letters - listen to Jesus' voice and know he really is speaking to you, and me, and you and you and you... Really listen to Paul talk about Jesus' righteousness saving us - not our own; how we belong to Christ if his spirit is in us(and the word is "in"). Put bias aside and just listen to the words - then you come back and tell us, please, what you heard and what answer you've found to your own question - is the Bible/NT written to all Christians or only a select few? Then we'll compare notes!
watkins
