Collection of essays examining Watchtower Magazine articles.
jw.org has taken to posting brief articles with short bullet points on current topics. As I have done with the Watchtower Review column for many years this post will examine the validity of the article: What Is the Sign of “the Last Days,” or “End Times”? (The recycled article appearing on jw dot org has been reviewed before but what follows is more detailed.) What [...]
JW.org posted a sensational cover article entitled Russia Invades Ukraine, surprisingly not punctuated with an exclamation mark, with a subtitle posing the question: Is Bible prophecy being fulfilled? The first paragraph states: In the early morning hours of February 24, 2022, Russia began a military invasion of Ukraine, despite the efforts of world leaders to avoid war. How might this military conflict affect the world? The [...]
The JW.org home page features an article entitled: Are We Running Out of Time? The sub caption on the article page states: The predictions of the Doomsday Clock will not be fulfilled, because God promises a bright future for mankind and the earth. First, what exactly is the Doomsday Clock, and what are the predictions implied by the clock’s settings? Published by the Bulletin of [...]
The Zoom Watchtower study this week poses a very pertinent question: How Strong Will Your Faith Be? The opening paragraph poses a couple of hypothetical questions. Do you sometimes feel anxious when you think about the events that lie ahead of us —the destruction of false religion, the attack of Gog of Magog, and the war of Armageddon? Do you ever ask yourself, ‘When the [...]
JW.org has a front-page linked caption that poses the question: What Is the Battle of Armageddon? In the brief article, the writers debunk a few common misconceptions, such as the location and scope of the war. Unfortunately, though, the Governing Body reiterates its own misconceptions. The last paragraph in particular is wrought with error and ignorance. When will Armageddon take place? When discussing the “great tribulation” [...]
Part three of Watchtower Review Under the subheading, WE LOVE THE TRUTH: 12) God’s people today do not claim to have perfect or complete knowledge of the truth. At times, they have made mistakes in doctrinal matters and in organizational direction. That should not surprise us. The Scriptures make it clear that accurate knowledge increases with time. (Col. 1:9, 10) Jehovah reveals the truth gradually, and we [...]
JW.org has a fresh banner article entitled What Does the Bible Say About Pandemics? They pose the question: Has God Ever Punished People with Sickness? They then proceed to supply the answer: The Bible reports a few occasions when God used sickness to punish people. For example, he caused some individuals to have leprosy. (Numbers 12:1-16; 2 Kings 5:20-27; 2 Chronicles 26:16-21) However, these isolated incidents were not indiscriminate pandemics [...]
Continuation of Watchtower Review - Part Two 8) On one occasion, Jesus prayed: “Father, glorify your name.” Jehovah himself answered that prayer with a thunderous voice from heaven, promising that he would glorify his name. (John 12:28) Throughout his ministry, Jesus glorified his Father’s name. (John 17:26) So it is reasonable to expect that true Christians would be proud to use God’s name and to make [...]
This Christmas week the Watchtower study article for the week is entitled Hold Fast to the Truth With Strong Conviction. What follows are my comments on select paragraphs. 1) THERE may be tens of thousands of so-called Christian denominations that claim to worship God acceptably. No wonder many people are confused! They ask, “Is there one true religion, or do all religions please God?” Are we [...]
The JW.org website features an article entitled: What Does 666 Mean? The Watchtower’s milquetoast answer explains nothing and trivializes the significance of the mark of the beast. The brief article implies that the paragraph below is the Bible’s answer: According to the last book in the Bible, 666 is the number, or name, of the wild beast with seven heads and ten horns that comes out [...]
