I left the org many years ago as a teenager. I started looking more closely at their doctrines a few months ago to work out if they really have the truth. When I cam across the notion that Jesus is not mediator for everyone I was startled and have been looking at the issue a lot more closely. The more I look into it the more I see how it is tied up to so much and it gets rather complex.
I was speaking to a JW who visits On his last visit I said I had a serious problem with the idea that JC was not mediator to everyone and I had read it in older literature. He said they would have to look at that and get back to me but explained that Jesus did act as mediator because our prayers were made through him as mediator. He explained that there was a different relationship with the annointed and this was because of the covenant.
I've been doing some JW reasearch about the covenant and I am getting a little confused. It makes me realise just how difficult the org makes it to try to understand their concepts. I cannot find one definition of theirs that clearly and plainly defines what the covenant is even though there is a lot of discussion about what it achieves and who it applies to. A simple google search provided a clear and precise definition. I think they will probably say to me that JC is our mediator for the purpose of approaching God but not in relation to the covenant.
Just to complicate things slightly I've been looking at some of their articles that discuss the new covenant and they talk about their being two. Here is a quote from the W 2003 2/15
"........19 Anointed Christians are certain of their heavenly hope, of their having been taken into the new covenant. Jesus mentioned it when he instituted the Memorial and said: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf.” (Luke 22:20) The parties to the new covenant are God and anointed ones. (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 12:22-24) Jesus is the mediator. Made operative by Christ’s shed blood, the new covenant took out not only from the Jews but also from the nations a people for Jehovah’s name and made them part of Abraham’s “seed.” (Galatians 3:26-29; Acts 15:14) This “everlasting covenant” provides for all spiritual Israelites to be resurrected to immortal life in heaven.—Hebrews 13:20.
20 The anointed are sure of their hope. They have been taken into an additional covenant, the Kingdom covenant. Concerning their sharing with Christ, Jesus said: “You are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom.” (Luke 22:28-30) This covenant between Christ and his associate kings remains forever operative.—Revelation 22:5........"
So they talk about their being the new covenant which provides their heavently hope then in the next paragraph they talk about there being another covenant - that is the Kingdom covenant
Also from 98 2/1
"...When mediating the new covenant, Jesus made an additional covenant with his followers, saying: “I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom.” (Luke 22:29) This Kingdom covenant put things in place for the fulfillment of a remarkable vision, recorded at Daniel 7:13, 14, 22, 27. Daniel saw “someone like a son of man” being given kingly authority by “the Ancient of Days,” Jehovah God. Then Daniel saw that “the holy ones took possession of the kingdom itself.” Jesus is the one “like a son of man” who, in 1914, received the heavenly Kingdom from Jehovah God. His spirit-anointed disciples are “the holy ones” who share with him in that Kingdom. (1 Thessalonians 2:12) How?....".
I guess it doesn't really matter as both look like they think it applies only to the annointed. So now if we are looking at two different covenants then I know I am going to get utterly confused when talking to this JW again and don't think I'm up to it and it doesn't really matter. What does matter is my own understanding.
I have read a few of comments and stuff from other sites on the internet about it and have come to the conclusion that I think it is wrong that the new covenant is told as being between only Jesus and the annointed. Now I would find it a little more credible if they said that it is specficially the covenant (or the promise) that god made with the annointed that they would come to heaven but the covenant is so much more than that. Of course their standard view is that we can all benefit from this covenant but it really just makes that a whole lot of nonsense and it is a gross play on words.
Another issue that really phases me is the idea that for the great crowd, if you are alive at Armageddon you will be judged at that time and then again at the end of a thousand years when you have the chance of becoming immortal. Regardless of the concept, the important issue here is that this second judgement doesn't come until you as a person have reached perfection and then the final judgement will be made (and it is reaching this perfection that is all important for the final judgement). Whereas the annointed are chosen as imperfect humans and once they die in their imperfect state on earth (but as faithfull ones) they are automtically given immortality in heaven, there is no further judgement once they have attained perfection and proven themselves in their perfect state. This does not make any sense, especially when you consider that you can be in heaven and still unfaithful to God, just as Satan was.
Also tied up with this is their idea that only the annointed share in the memorial (Lord's evening meal) whether they are referring this to be because of the new covenant arrangement or the additional covenant (as they mention in the quote above which they call the Kingdom covenant), I don't know. But what they do say is that only the annointed along with God and Jesus are considered to be "Spiritual Israel". So these covenants are with spiritual Israel, just as the old covenant was with Israel, Moses being mediator. This means the great crowd cannot be part of this new Kingdom made valid through the death of Jesus
It makes no sense that we are all excluded from the Kingdom of God even though Jesus' death was for this reason, the Hebrew scriptures were written so that he could share this great news with us. According to the org we can only benefit by this new Kingdom. But surely this new Kingdom would mean all mankind have the opportunity of being part of it. I'm sure the JWs would say that of course we can be part of it, God's Kingdom will be for all those faithfull. The problem is that they already exclude everyone else other than the annointed. How can they explain this? Is there something that I am not understanding in relation to the New Covenant?
I would appreciate your thoughts.