The massive gaping hole in Watchtower's understanding of Matthew 25:31-40

by Island Man 14 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Island Man
    Island Man
    (Matthew 25:31-40) . . .“When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right: ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. 35 For I became hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you received me hospitably; 36 naked and you clothed me. I fell sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 In reply the King will say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

    What's the gaping hole? The gaping hole is seen if you carefully analyze the words highlighted. Jesus was foretelling events that will happen at the final judgement circa Armageddon. When you carefully analyze the conversation Jesus has with these sheep it becomes apparent that they did not - will not - understand what he means when he will say to them that they fed him; gave him something to eat, drink; clothed him; etc.



    But think about it: How could they not understand then if this conversation and Jesus' explanation of what he means was told in advance to his disciples and is recorded in the bible? Just about every christian worth his salt is familiar with this passage and Jesus' explanation of the sense in which the sheep feed him, clothe him, etc. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that the sheep must not be christian worshipers since all christians will invariably know what Jesus means when he will tell them that they fed him, seeing as he gave them advanced knowledge of this and it is recorded in the scriptures.



    The sheep must therefore be non-christians who treated his followers favorably. This fact is confirmed by Jesus' words: "you did it to one of the least of these my brothers". By addressing the sheep with "you" while referring to his christian brothers as "these" it becomes obvious that Jesus brothers are not included in that group of sheep that Jesus is speaking to. Even if we grant Watchtower the idea of some christians having a lesser earthly hope, then these sheep cannot be these earthly hopers as they will know what Jesus means. Additionally, it will actually be very fitting for such ones to be called by Jesus as the least of his brothers on the basis that they are doing his father's will (which make them his brothers) and have the lesser hope of an earthly paradise (thus the least of his brothers). Thus the least of christ's brothers will actually be an apt term to refer to those of the earthly hope, and not the anointed.

    It is apparently these non-christian sheep who will be alive on earth after Armageddon when the devil is abyssed - not christians. This will explain why there are still people on earth to be misled by Satan after the thousand years. Christians have "one hope" - the heavenly one. (Ephesians 4:4) Ignorant non christians who are righteously disposed and treat christians favorably, have the prospect of surviving Armageddon.

  • The Searcher
    The Searcher

    (1 Timothy 2:5, 6) "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all..........."

    If a "heavenly hope" is on offer for some, then it appears that Jesus' ransom was more than "corresponding", as it tipped the scales rather than balanced them.

    According to Paul, the "corresponding ransom" was for "all", not a majority.

    This prophetic verse doesn't appear to support a heavenly hope for Christ's princes - Psalm 45:16 "Your sons will take the place of your forefathers. You will appoint them as princes in all the earth."

    Normally a ransom doesn't buy back something which wasn't lost, but I'll keep an open mind.

  • prologos
    prologos

    The problem with the wt understanding is, that by watching for who is partaking you can (kind of) determine who Christ's brothers are, therefore limit your charitable works to that genre, and make it "spiritual" rather than real. The other problem is that who is really sealed to be of the 144 000 is only known to the angels, and even then only at Armageddon. so

    what Jesus recorded words probably mean is, do good to all, because you never know who you are doing it to, you might hit the jackpot by doing it to one of God's sons. and

    The "other"sheep could not possibly be the JWs because they know perfectly well (in their opinion) when they deliberately do a good thing (contributing) to the Leadership, the really anointed; so they would not ask that question.

  • cofty
    cofty

    You can't interpret a text - Matthew - by reference to a different text that was written decades later.

    Jesus taught his immediate followers - his brothers - that he would return in kingdom glory in their lifetime. Until then they were to carry on preaching about Jesus. Some people would welcome them and others would reject them and even persecute them.

    Their eternal destiny was to depend on how they responded to Peter, James, John et al

    The christian gospel was all about the 1st century.

  • The Searcher
    The Searcher

    Nice Cofty!

    Clarke's Commentary gives a wonderful summary of how Matthew 24 was fulfilled in the 1st century.

    Witnesses choose to wallow in Matthew 24:14, but to switch off their reasoning abilities when Colossians 1:23 is read - "...not being shifted away from the hope of that good news that you heard and that was preached in all creation under heaven. Of this good news I, Paul, became a minister."

    No "greater fulfillment" mentioned or necessary.

  • cofty
    cofty
    that was preached in all creation under heaven

    Good catch. According to Paul the good news had been preached in all the inhabited earth in his time.

  • Island Man
    Island Man
    Really, my substantive point is that the sheep cannot be believers because believers would have no reason to ask Jesus in what sense they fed him and clothed him since they would already know the answer to this question being knowledgeable of the account in Matthew 25. Therefore the sheep must be non-christians unfamiliar with the bible passage in Matthew 25.
  • prologos
    prologos
    • P: The "other"sheep could not possibly be the JWs because they know perfectly well (in their opinion) when they deliberately do a good thing (contributing) to the Leadership, the really anointed; so they would not ask that question. ----answered: Jws are claimed to be the true Believers.

      Island Man: Therefore the sheep must be non-christians unfamiliar with the bible passage in Matthew 25. or
      they did not recognize the identity of the Brothers, hidden anointed. but did it anyway
      Flag
  • Perry
    Perry
    It is apparently these non-christian sheep who will be alive on earth after Armageddon when the devil is abyssed - not christians. This will explain why there are still people on earth to be misled by Satan after the thousand years. Christians have "one hope" - the heavenly one. (Ephesians 4:4) Ignorant non christians who are righteously disposed and treat christians favorably, have the prospect of surviving Armageddon.

    The basic scenario accepted by many, if not most Christians is that the rapture will come at Jesus appearing, where he meets the church (new covenant believers) "in the air". (not the 2nd coming, but getting close). This ends the "church age". Immediately after this, the rise of the anti-christ is seen with a number of wars and global destructions ensuing with the nation of Israel at the center of the controversies.

    Armageddon is simply the final conflict that is used to defeat the Antichrist and the nations that support him as they gather to defeat the tiny nation of Israel for good.. At that time, Jesus is left as the sole world leader when they learn that Israel is a stone that cannot be moved.... "a stumbling block for all nations".

    After the conflict, about a 1/3 of the earth's current population will still be left over from the wars of the Anti-Christ. Of these, those that were kind to the nation of Israel, "Christ's Brothers", will be allowed entry into Christ's Millennium reign. Those nations and peoples caught up in the irrational hatred of Israel and who worked for its demise, are not allowed to enter.

    Note: Both groups are surprised that their fate is decided on how they treated Israel.

    Remember, God still has a plan for Israel after the Church age is consummated. Romans 11:

    I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.......

    For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved,

  • dgeero
    dgeero
    Or you know just stop trying to make sense out of nonsense from a book written 2000 years ago?

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