QUESTION: Do you agree with the WT explanation of Matthew 24:12 regarding the love of the greater number growing cold? The context seems to possibly hint otherwise. (Questions from Readers in October 1, 1984, Watchtower– 2nd question)
Frankly, no. The Watchtower article linked to by the questioner was published 34 years ago. In the interim, a lot has happened. And not necessarily good. At the time the Watchtower’s answer may have seemed plausible. According to the WT, the love of the greater number cooling off applies to the parishioners of Christendom. And it is true, generally speaking, support for mainline Christianity has wained in recent decades.
Ironically, though, the Watchtower has written several articles lamenting the fact that over the years some of Jehovah’s Witnesses have let the love they had at the first grow cold. So, even the Governing Body recognizes that there is at least a small scale fulfillment among Jehovah’s Witnesses. What is throwing them off is the fact that Jesus foretold that the love of the greater number will grow cold. (By the way, the JW Library now contains every Watchtower published from 1950 to the present, just like the CD ROM.)
In context, Jesus stated: “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. But the one who has endured to the end will be saved.”
Although there is a growing negative trend, it is still inconceivable that the love of the greater number could grow cold. But considering what Jesus foretold, at some point immediately prior to the end true Christians will be handed over to be put to death. While Jehovah’s Witnesses have suffered persecution at various times —most recently in Russia —there have been no reports of Christians being executed outright. The last occasion when Jehovah’s Witnesses were subjected to mass arrests and death was in Nazi Germany. (More recently JW’s were persecuted and a few killed in Malawi) Needless to say, even those who survived the Holocaust could not have endured to the end of the world seeing that virtually all of that generation has passed away naturally.
Since Jehovah’s Witnesses have not been handed over to tribulation on a large scale, and instead, are undeniably enjoying an extended period of carefreeness in the so-called Western world, it is evident that Jesus’ words await a future fulfillment. That means, too, we may expect “many will be stumbled” among Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many among Jehovah’s Witnesses “will betray one another and will hate one another.” And “many false prophets will arise and mislead many” among Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Already we are seeing the process in play. An increasing number of Jehovah’s Witnesses are leaving the organization. Others are in the process of “fading.” Many have been stumbled due to the Watchtower’s increasing lawlessness manifested in the atrocious way the Governing Body has dealt with child abuse. In spite of their repeated official denials, not only has the Watchtower shielded pedophiles from being prosecuted by the law, it has persecuted the victims and their advocates. No doubt this has stumbled and sickened many.
In response to the increased exposure by the media, the Watchtower’s response has been quite predictable. In true cult-like fashion, the leading article in the August, 2018, Watchtower implores the flock not to believe news reports. Instead, the article recommends that Jehovah’s Witnesses should get all the JW-related news from the JW.org newsroom.
But if one were to make a thorough search of everything published by Bethel’s newsroom they would not find a single news item related to the many court cases and inquiries into the Watchtower’s child abuse scandal —not to mention the Watchtower’s much-reported on, multimillion-dollar out-of-court settlements.
Since the WT implies that they will tell you everything you need to know and there is no mention of child abuse in their press releases or newsroom articles, it would appear that the Governing Body is denying that child abuse is an issue to be concerned about. But, alas, millions of people know better.
This is just one example of the grotesque hypocrisy and increasing of lawlessness that originates within the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses and which has already stumbled untold millions of JW’s and potentially interested persons. But unfortunately, the worst is yet to come.
As all of Jehovah’s Witnesses know, the Governing Body has exalted themselves as the spirit-directed, mouthpiece of Jehovah God. They imply that their interpretations of prophecy are above scrutiny. Any who dare to question their proclamations are swiftly dismissed as apostate opposers. As it stands, the WT has convinced JW’s that the second coming of Christ is history —Christ having come in 1914. The GB is on record as saying there cannot be a third world war and that it is impossible for the sign of Christ to be fulfilled in the future.
While the Governing Body may control the narrative among Jehovah’s Witnesses, they cannot control reality. I am on record since early in the new millennium pointing forward to World War Three and the collapse of the system in fulfillment of the opening of the symbolic seals of the scroll of God’s judgments. As of 2018, no serious person would deny the rapidly accelerating, looming threat, posed by war between the nuclear powers.
Most certainly, the outbreak of global war, accompanied by pandemics and food shortages affecting even the affluent nations (Like America), will discredit the Governing Body beyond repair. From them will arise the false prophets who will then become outright opposers of the newly returned Christ of Jehovah. The foretold apostasy will have come.
Jehovah’s purpose is to create a new world order —essentially, an entirely new world. In order to completely repudiate Satan’s accusations, Jehovah has allowed for the remaining ones to be persecuted by the Watchtower and to be betrayed and handed over to death. As for the so-called great crowd to whom God intends to give the earth, they must demonstrate their loyalty more directly to God and Christ and not to any spirit-directed organization. This will call for their abandoning Jehovah’s earthly organization, which is what Jesus foretold, when he said: “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains. Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house, and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment.”
The world can change very quickly. It has before. A lone assassin’s bullet triggered the First World War. Presently, the world is cocked on a hair trigger. There are numerous flashpoints around the world that could easily erupt into a global conflagration. For example, in the wake of the CIA-orchestrated coup in Ukraine that brought neo-Nazis into power, Kiev has essentially renounced the Minsk agreement and now armed with US weaponry, has made known its intention to irradicate the several million ethnic Russians living in Eastern Ukraine. An open war involving Russia could erupt in the summer of 2018.
However, I expect that the peace initiatives underway by President Trump to bring about the situation where they will be saying “peace and security,” at which point the world will explode.
In any case, the Watchtower has brought about the condition whereby a massive shakeout is inevitable. Given that all will be impacted by the increasing of lawlessness and the cooling off of love, we may now have a deeper appreciation for the healing work of the Elijah to come, of whom the last verse of the Hebrew Scriptures states: “Look! I am sending to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awe-inspiring day of Jehovah. And he will turn the hearts of fathers back toward sons, and the hearts of sons back toward fathers, so that I may not come and strike the earth, devoting it to destruction.”
