WHY THE WARWICK BUILDING PROJECT WILL FAIL

 

As reported in the 2014 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, this past July (2013) the Governing Body announced to the Bethel family at their morning worship service that the Society is moving forward with its intention to relocate the Watchtower’s world headquarters from Brooklyn to Warwick, New York. Most of the properties in Brooklyn have apparently already been sold and the staging area at Tuxedo is far along in the renovation process. 

In a promotional video on the JW.org site individual members of the Governing Body have all given the move their blessing and assured all of Jehovah’s Witnesses that the project has been directed by Jehovah. But perhaps it would be more prudent and discreet on their part to wait until the venture is actually completed, instead of presuming that God is unreservedly behind it. 

Besides, in reality the Governing Body is not even the decision-maker in such matters. Only the Watchtower Society’s board of directors has the legal authority to buy or sell properties owned by the corporations. And as announced in the January 15, 2001, Watchtower, since the Annual Meeting of the year 2000 no member of the Governing Body will even sit on the board. In that regard the term “governing body” is a misnomer since it has no legal authority to authorize the purchase or sale of anything belonging to the numerous corporations under Watchtower Society umbrella. 

Although the Governing Body may happen to agree with the board on the matter, their approval is not necessary and it is disingenuous of them to give the public and Jehovah’s Witnesses the impression that the Warwick project was their decision to make. The unspoken but pertinent question is: Who is governing whom? 

Be that as it may, although expressing their conviction that the project is the will of Jehovah, neither the yearbook nor the video offered any valid reason for the massive undertaking, which will ultimately depend upon the hard work of thousands of humble volunteers to accomplish.   

But why, after having a presence for more than a century in the so-called “city of churches” and being a prominent fixture on the Brooklyn waterfront and the Manhattan skyline, is the Bethel family retiring to the obscurity of the countryside? And what about the spiritually upbuilding influence the hundreds of Bethelites have on the brothers and sisters in the many congregations they attend throughout the New York City area? Is the proposed move really what is in the best interests of the kingdom, as expressed by one Governing Body member? Or is there a human motive involved? 

If the move is motivated by the quest for money – and no doubt the Society stands to make a handsome profit on the sale of the highly-prized, even coveted, Brooklyn properties – then, would not that be an affront to God? After all, ought something once dedicated to Jehovah God be sold off like common real estate?  Indeed, is it not the case – as outlined in the 22nd chapter of Ezekiel – the priests of Jehovah have failed to make a distinction between what is common and what is holy? 

Could it be that the officers of the Society have been overreached by the Tempter – tantalized by the prospect of a billion dollar deal – and induced by the Devil to sell that which had formerly been solemnly committed, yes, dedicated to the sole service of Jehovah God? 

Although the move has been in the works for several years is it perhaps the pressure of dwindling donations and the prospect of an oncoming Tsunami wave of lawsuits in the wake of the stunning multi-million dollar judgment against the organization in the Candace Conti case factors in the sale? Is it not true that the Society’s lawyers have already demonstrated their willingness to profane what is holy when they unsuccessfully attempted to hock kingdom property by offering up the entire Patterson complex as security in lieu of paying a costly annual premium on a bond, which had been ordered by the judge in the case? (PDF court document

And ought we suppose that Christ will not require an accounting of those who have now auctioned off the “house of God” (Bethel) to the highest bidder? 

And why is it, on the one hand the Society urges Jehovah’s Witnesses to forego acquiring personal luxuries and riches in view of the nearness of the end, and at the same time it has committed the brothers and their families from the regional building committees to make great personal sacrifices in order to build a luxurious new headquarters? 

The letter of James has a specific message for Christians who trust in riches and live in luxurious style by the toil of the unpaid: “Come, now, you rich men, weep, howling over your miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted, and your outer garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are rusted away, and their rust will be as a witness against you and will eat up your fleshy parts. Something like fire is what you have stored up in the last days. Look! The wages due the workers who harvested your fields but which are held up by you, keep crying out, and the calls for help on the part of the reapers have entered into the ears of Jehovah of armies. You have lived in luxury upon the earth and have gone in for sensual pleasure. You have fattened your hearts on the day of slaughter.” 

Although Jehovah’s Witnesses earnestly believe that the last days began in 1914, obviously the judgment foretold in James has not come about, yet. The obvious reason why it has not is that the last days have not begun. The leadership of the Watchtower Society has for many decades promoted a false parousia and brought all of Jehovah’s Witnesses under a “deluding influence,” as the recently revised NWT appropriately reworded the former phrase: “an operation of error.” 

And at this critical phase – as the Anglo-American beast seems destined to instigate a global conflict far surpassing the horrors of the previous world wars – the faceless board of directors of the Watchtower Society have sold off Bethel and the Governing Body has committed God’s people to build a new headquarters for itself, cloistered in the idyllic New York countryside, far from the hubbub and grime of the city. Truly, they have stored up the fire of Jehovah’s wrath.  As outlined in the letter penned by James, we may expect the Society’s riches to be consumed in the hyperinflationary conflagration soon to be unleashed in the last days. 

The 19th chapter of Isaiah is an extraordinary prophecy, ostensibly denouncing the ancient land of the Pharaohs – Egypt, but by extension applying to the United States. Likewise, four chapters of Ezekiel are devoted to expressing the same judgments of Jehovah. (Chapters 29-32) 

The “visionaries” of Bethel recognize that Egypt has prophetic significance beyond the time of the prophets, but they do not understand the true significance of it. That is because the very same prophecy of Isaiah foretold: “For Jehovah has poured a spirit of deep sleep on you; he has closed your eyes, the prophets, and he has covered your heads, the visionaries. Every vision becomes for you like the words of a sealed book.” 

WHAT DOES EGYPT SYMBOLIZE?

As an example of Bethel’s blindness and inability to coherently decipher the meaning of the prophecies and connect them to reality, consider the hodgepodge of interpretations connected to “Egypt.” For instance, although the Watchtower’s “visionaries” have discerned that the “Egypt” of Daniel 11:42-43 represents the American king of the south by virtue of the fact that the Egypt of the ptolemies and Cleopatra was the original king of the south; nevertheless, the Watchtower teaches that the prophecy earmarked for the time of the end was fulfilled back during the Cold War. Supposedly America was bankrupted in the arms race with the USSR, which, of course, is nonsense – completely reverse of actual historical reality. 

And as regards the aforementioned span of chapters in Ezekiel regarding Egypt, the Society’s “prophets” recognize that the series of prophecies have significance for the judgment to come, but instead of recognizing the parallel with the king of the south the Watchtower claims that “Egypt” symbolizes every nation on earth, instead of the most prominent one. This is spite of the fact that Jehovah beautifully illustrates the relationship of “Egypt” to all other nations by likening it to a most majestic cedar that towers over all the lesser trees in the garden of God – the lesser trees symbolizing all the other nations in relation to the most powerful one. 

Similarly, the Watchtower has declared the “Egypt” in the 19th chapter of Isaiah to represent Satan’s entire world. And their commentary on Isaiah sees no significance in the fact that Egypt is delivered up to a “hard master,” which is also portrayed in Daniel and Ezekiel, and is when God’s people cry out to him for deliverance. Even more absurd, the prophetic city called The City of Tearing Down is said to symbolize Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have supposedly, somehow, torn down Satan’s system. 

Not only that, but supposedly the seventh head of the wild beast received its sword stroke and revived back during the First World War. Sadly, Jehovah’s Witnesses seem to be oblivious to the fact the seventh head is purported to be the Anglo-American duo and by all accounts they were victorious in the Great War! 

Bethel’s institutional seers have made an absolute mess of God’s prophetic word and have obscured the reality of the judgment to come. And to be sure, since Jehovah himself has concealed these matters from them there is no earthly power that can enlighten them. 

But we may be certain that the true interpretation of the prophecies is not nearly so disharmonious and disconnected from reality. Just as the massive cedar is depicted as towering over all the other tree-like nations, so too, America is by all accounts the greatest nation on earth – now considered to be the sole superpower. And just as the despot of the nations toppled the towering tree of prophecy the American republic will be subverted and destroyed in the near future! No wonder the prophecies depict the people of the world being stunned at Egypt’s sudden fall. 

Now for the true interpretation of the prophecy in the 19th chapter of Isaiah and why it is being stated that the Warwick project will ultimately fail. 

Just as Egypt was the original king of the south in the break up of Alexander’s empire and thereafter represents the king of the south during the time of the end, Egypt was also the first world power of Bible prophecy – comprising one of the heads of the seven-headed beast of Revelation – and being the original it may therefore come to symbolize the other powers that succeed it. For example, Revelation 11:8 refers to the great city in a spiritual sense as being Sodom and Egypt, where the Lord was also impaled. Obviously Jesus was not literally put to death in Egypt. However, he was executed by officials acting under the authority of the Roman Empire, which, in prophecy, is part of the same beastly system. The Watchtower’s fictional commentary on Revelation notwithstanding, we may also expect the two anointed witnesses to be executed by the executive order of “Egypt” during the actual grand climax of the sacred secret of God. 

Just as Egypt at times served as a benefactor for God’s people – Joseph and Mary even sought safe haven there with the child God had entrusted to them – so too, America has similarly served as a secure place where Jehovah’s Witnesses have been able to thrive. But all of that will change when God delivers up the nation to a “hard master.” 

Isaiah 19:22 states that “Jehovah will strike Egypt, striking it and healing it…” This corresponds to the sword stroke upon the beast and its return from the abyss. The “Assyrian” represents the eighth king, and both “Egypt” and “Assyria” will factor into the accomplishment of Jehovah’s work, which is why the chapter concludes by saying: “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my inheritance, Israel.” 

“The City of Tearing Down” on the border of “Egypt,” where an altar to Jehovah is erected by those “swearing loyalty to Jehovah” is New York City. And Bethel serves as the prominent “pillar” erected to Jehovah’s name by those dedicated to him. It is appropriately symbolized as “The City of Tearing Down” because New York is home to Wall Street, which is an appendage of the City of London and an imperial apparatus for looting and ultimately tearing down America. If anyone thinks that is an exaggeration simply consider recent history, and the fact that the entire financial system came within 48 hours of completely disintegrating. Of course, the threatened collapse was merely a scheme to loot taxpayers to keep the system solvent for a few more years and trillions went to the banks in London. But no one should doubt that the gigantic Wall Street and City of London banks have the power to sink the United States into a sea of debt. 

Not only is New York home to the empire’s financial pirates, but the city also serves as the world headquarters for the United Nations. And by all accounts the intentions of the founders and promoters of the UN is for it to eventually supplant national sovereignties – to serve as a world government. Once the leading nations of the world are torn down the United Nations will undoubtedly be catapulted into the vacuum of power. And the “hard master” will briefly reign. 

It is in that setting that Jehovah sends a grand savior – Christ. 

Because of my unique understanding of this fascinating prophecy I can say with the certainty of a prophet that the Watchtower’s intended move will not occur – that the “altar” and “pillar” by the border of Egypt represents the present Brooklyn Bethel. The reason the project is doomed is because “Jehovah is riding on a swift cloud and is coming into Egypt” – soon!

Kingdom Bulletin#8 (PDF)

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