The Devil’s Disguise

QUESTION: Robert, What does the Devil gain, what advantage does he acquire by implementing and promoting a fake parousia of Christ? If one was to ask why is it such a big deal? Why would he go through such an elaborate reach to cause a war in 1914 to convince the masses Christ parousia has begun? Even if the Watchtower changes their position on 1914, don’t you think the masses of Witnesses would fit in line and accept it as new light? I guess I’m trying to understand what the operation of error that God allows, a fake parousia and what significance it really has?

As all of Jehovah’s Witnesses well know, the Watchtower claims to be Jehovah’s visible organization. JW’s boast of being “in the truth” by virtue of their being active members of the officially named Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Going back to the teachings of J.F. Rutherford, there are only two organizations on earth — Jehovah’s organization and Satan’s. All of the various and sundry institutions, be they political, religious, educational or commercial, whatever, are part of the Devil’s apparatus for controlling and misleading mankind away from God.

It has been inculcated into Jehovah’s Witnesses that the Watchtower’s Governing Body —who have only recently declared themselves to be the faithful and discreet slave of Christ —are the sole conduit for channeling truth to the flock of God. There is no other source of truth, since it is also the unofficial doctrine of the Watchtower that nobody outside of Bethel’s inner circle of anointed initiates can understand the Scriptures on their own. Any such claimants are automatically branded as imposters and mentally diseased apostates. It is the Governing Body that determines what is true and what is false. And all of Jehovah’s Witnesses are expected —yes, required —to accept what comes from “the slave” as Jehovah’s truth without questioning. Showing loyalty to the arrangement is considered the primary obligation of all of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Surely, none of Jehovah’s Witnesses would dispute the veracity of the above statements. But that is not all.

Essentially, the Watchtower claims to be the very Kingdom of God. That is because it has placed itself in the place of the Kingdom. To demonstrate the point, the prophecies in Isaiah and Micah foretelling how people from the nations will stream up to the mountain of the house of Jehovah in the final part of the days is interpreted to apply to the numerical increase among the formerly-called New World Society; which, effectively makes the Watchtower the mountain of Jehovah —at least in the minds of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

As Jehovah’s visible organization, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been compelled to believe they are living in a holy spiritual paradise —devoid of all the evils prevalent in Satan’s wicked system. Indeed, Jehovah’s organization is believed to be a protective bubble that Satan cannot penetrate.

It is often said that one of the Devil’s most clever schemes is convincing the unwary that he does not exist, or that he is some folkloric creature reigning over the damned in a subterranean inferno.

Although well aware that the Devil is the god of this world and that he is misleading the entire inhabited earth, Jehovah’s Witnesses are nonetheless under his subtle, deluding influence in that Witnesses are required to believe that Christ has come, that the Kingdom is ruling and the visible organization is the only sanctuary for salvation. That is “the lie” that Jehovah allows as part of the “operation of Satan” that Paul foretold. Thus, Satan, the mimic god, ever disguising himself as an angel of light, has insinuated himself into the very circle of leadership over Jehovah’s Witnesses in order to perpetuate his falsehood. And his odious presence has thus far gone undetected.

This should not be considered some unusual feat. It happened in the first century. How?

Take note that the anointed brothers and sisters in the Corinthian congregation were apparently presided over and greatly influenced by prominent men whom Paul dubbed “the superfine apostles.” That is why Paul expressed his grave concern that the virgin-like congregation that he formed and promised to Christ might be deceived and have their minds corrupted and be drawn away from Christ, like Eve had been seduced by the serpent, which was Satan’s original disguise.

The fact that Paul described them as apostles means that they were men of stature —held in high regard by the brothers and no doubt they wielded considerable authority over the congregation as older men. Most likely they were Greek orators —accomplished public speakers and debaters, which is why they denigrated Paul, deriding him as having a weak personal presence and being a contemptible public speaker.

But the inspired apostle was not taken in by their ruse. He pulled the mask off of the superfine apostles —revealing that they were actually agents of the Devil who had only disguised themselves as ministers of righteousness. As such, no doubt the disguise was very effective. Those phony apostles and false brothers evidently preached and did all the things that the brothers did, making their presence as agents of Satan within Christ’s congregation undetectable.

The situation in ancient Corinth was no anomaly. In his symbolic letters to the seven congregations in Revelation, Jesus spoke of false apostles within the Ephesian congregation. But, as we know, those seven congregations of Revelation are really a projection of Christ’s congregation in the lead-up to his return —the beginning of the Lord’s day.  That being so, that means true Christians now will be menaced by false apostles within.

Presently the demonic influence is relatively benign. However, what will happen when Christ comes —when the Kingdom actually begins to rule in the midst of God’s enemies? That is when the lie and the truth will come into sharp contrast, because then all the things the Watchtower claims have already been fulfilled and cannot be duplicated, will come about; namely, international wars, food shortages and global pandemics.

Will the Watchtower make one final, massive adjustment and repudiate 1914 entirely? Perhaps. But only for the purpose of further deceiving. At that point the false apostles within will come to the fore as full-blown opposers of Christ —otherwise known as antichrists. That is why Jesus strongly forewarned his followers about the powerful deception that will go into operation then. Jesus said the deception would be so powerful that if it were possible even the chosen ones would be deceived. Obviously, the chosen ones would not be vulnerable to being deceived by any source other than that which they have accepted as Jehovah’s channel.

It is not possible now to determine exactly how the deception will play out during the parousia, but the fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses have put up with the 1914 falsehood for so long is an indication of the effectiveness of the Deceiver.

But, to put things in perspective, it is only by God’s allowance, because Jehovah wants to determine whether we have genuine faith or if we are merely following men. By allowing that which is believed to be “Jehovah’s visible organization” to go into apostasy the stage will be set for those claiming to be Christians to demonstrate their faith apart from the organization. And when the Kingdom comes it most assuredly will be apart from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.