You Know, you said,
And yet, the interesting thing is that you went to the kingdom hall. Unless you were just sneaking in to spy on your former brothers, which may or may not be the case, or perhaps in your case there is some remnant of spirituality that remains. At any rate, Jehovah has the perfect solution to the problem confronting the faith. The problem as it exists presently is the larger than life place the organization has carved out for itself at Jehovah's expense. The truth of the matter is, though, that the hand of Jehovah is not too short to deal with the organizational problem. Every student of Bible history knows that Jehovah brought Israel to heel on numerous occasions. And he has the means at his disposal, and the will, to humble the Watchtower as well. It is exactly what is needed. And, I say that not as a vengeful apostate who is grinding his teeth and laying awake at night plotting the Watchtower's demise, but as one who really loves Jehovah's Witnesses.Of course, no one is expecting that God would ever turn the Watchtower on its head---least of all Jehovah's Witnesses. Many have come to view the Watchtower as some sort of inviolable holy place, much like the Jews viewed the temple in Jerusalem. It is unthinkable to the brothers, and to apostates as well, that Jehovah would ever intervene to humiliate and discipline the organization. That's why it is the perfect judicial decision on Jehovah's part, because the only ones who will survive the ordeal with their faith intact will be those who actually have genuine faith and are not mere followers of men. / You Know
I want to touch on three points you have made above. A quick recap of what you have said above reveals overall three (3) powerful points of rationale that begs to be addressed.
You said,
(A) "...The problem as it exists presently is the larger than life place the organization has carved out for itself at Jehovah's expense."
(B) "...Many have come to view the Watchtower as some sort of inviolable holy place, much like the Jews viewed the temple in Jerusalem."
These questions come to mind:
1) According to the Bible, isn't that type of conduct classified as outright idolatry and a "Great Sin" before God?
2) And if it is, how is such conduct FORGIVEABLE, from God's standpoint for the WTS/JW Organization, and NOT FORGIVEABLE for all other church organizations?
3) Also, how does the above described illicit conduct of the WTS differ from what we would normally expect of the coming of the "Man of Lawlessness"? (2 Thess. 2:3,4)
Also, you mentioned above this powerful point of rationale:
(C) "...Jehovah would ever intervene to HUMILIATE and DISCIPLINE the organization."
You feel that Divine Justice would be served if Jehovah God TOTALLY DESTROYS all the church organizations of our day, and merely, "DISCIPLINE" and "HUMILIATE" the WTS/JW Organization for their "sins". That would be Divine Justice to you. Please consider the following.
Regarding the WTS/UN Scandal:
The following is a SWORN STATEMENT MADE IN GOD'S NAME, by the WTS and all Jehovah's Witnesses at the 1963 "Everlasting Good News" Conventions around the world.
"WE JEHOVAH'S witnesses, met together in [City, State, Country], in one of the Everlasting Good News assemblies being held in a continuous chain around the whole world this year of 1963, do this day declare and resolve as follows:
"...That, in order to prevent the destruction of the nations by their own means in war, the nations further refused the surrender of their sovereignty to God's Messianic kingdom by setting up a society of nations, which, since 1945, has taken the form and the name of the UNITED NATIONS, with international headquarters at New York City. This international organization stands for world sovereignty by political men. For years men without faith in God's kingdom have endeavored to get all people to worship this international image of human political sovereignty as the best hope for earthly peace and security, in fact, the last hope for humanity. To date 111 nations have given worship to this policital image by becoming members of it. However, we, as witnesses of the Sovereign God Jehovah, will continue refusing to engage in such idolatrous worship, for we see, under angelic enlightenment, that God has smitten such idolaters with a malignant ulcer, symbolically speaking, that will spell death to them as spiritually diseased image worshipers who worship a man-made political creation rather than the Creator of heaven and earth."
As you know, the churches of this world made no such sworn oath before God. But Jehovah's Witnesses under the direction of the WTS did do this. So the WTS and Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide alone, carry this great responsibility before God, to keep their "sworn" word and bring Him glory in this way.
And yet, for the past 10 years, the WTS and Jehovah's Witnesses as a people have broken this "Sworn Oath", made in God's Name, to be non-involved with the United Nations Organization, did they not?
Therefore, based upon the above words of the WTS and Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, wouldn't a more appropriate "judgment" from God's Hands towards this self-condemned IDOLATROUS people be total destruction, or "EXTERMINATION"?
Well, before you answer, let's consider this scripture found at Zechariah 5:4 which says,
"I have caused it to go forth, is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, and it must enter into the house of the thief and into the house of THE ONE MAKING A SWORN OATH IN MY NAME FALSELY; and it must lodge in the midst of his house and EXTERMINATE IT and its timbers and its stones."
Does not this verse above make clear the point, that All breakers of "sworn oaths" made in "God's Name" should receive "EXTERMINATION" at God's Righteous Hand?
So, then how can Jehovah's Witnesses escape such a judgment of "extermination", and receive mere "discipline" and simple "humiliation" as you say above?
Why should God strike down other church organizations who are considered in His sight, "idolatrous worshipers" of the "spiritually diseased [United Nations] beast" with "death-dealing malignant ulcers" and not do the same for all JWs who INCREASED "GUILT" before Him by making this voluntary "Sworn Oath" in His Holy Name?
After making this Sworn Oath before God, in His Name and breaking it, how can the WTS and all Jehovah's Witnesses escape the consequences of Zechariah 5:4, which is COMPLETE "EXTERMINATION"?
How can a God of Justice, destroy all of the other church organizations on earth for idolatry, but simply "DISCIPLINE" and "HUMILIATE" the Watchtower/Jehovah's Witnesses Organization, and not totally destroy it for the practice of idolatry?
How can GOD SPARE the WTS/JW Organization who gave a SWORN OATH IN HIS NAME to be NON-INVOLVED with the UN and later violate it? How can a "God of Justice" merely give as just recompense as you say, mere "discipline" to those who have clearly proved false to Him by way of a breaking a SWORN OATH MADE IN HIS NAME? (Malachi 2:17; Zechariah 5:4)
And after rendering that Divine judgment, being Himself the "God of Justice" (Malachi 2:17), at the same time turn around and TOTALLY DESTROY all the other church organizations of the world who commit the same crime, and still be CONSISTENT with His Own Counsel found at Zechariah 5:4 mentioned above?
Seems to me, if Jehovah and Jesus mercifully decide to "spare" Jehovah's Witnesses as a nation after their breaking of their voluntary "SWORN OATH" of non-involvement with the UN made in 1963, then, I think mercy should also be extended to all church organizations of the world who have committed spiritual "fornication" with the "beast" in His sight.
What do you say?
tfs