For many decades the Watchtower has expanded the worldwide preaching into more and more lands. Recently the organization surpassed 1,000 languages published. Truly, a phenomenal achievement. There is no doubt that the good news is being preached in all the world as Jesus said it would be —or, at least it had been.
Now, with the Covid-19 crises, the Watchtower has shut everything down. When the states originally mandated closures it was presented as a temporary two-week process to stop the spread. That was nine months ago. And although for many life is back to normal —not so for Jehovah’s Witnesses. There is no public preaching or meetings. Even in Sweden where there was no lockdown, the GB ordered Jehovah’s Witnesses to stop preaching and meeting together.
In spite of the extraordinary measures taken Bethel has claimed that 5,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses have perished from the virus. This is truly tragic. But in an organization of 8 million, plus a sizable number of unbaptized and inactive publishers —say, numbering 10,000,000 in total —5,000 represents 0.05%.
As we know, in terms of its lethality this particular virus almost exclusively impacts the elderly and those with so-called co-morbidities (underlying health problems). Younger people and even middle-aged folks without serious health issues are not detrimentally affected. Apparently, millions of people have the contagious virus and exhibit no symptoms at all. Even if they do become ill it is like a cold or the common flu. Since that is a medically established fact why ought the Watchtower quarantine the entire worldwide association of Kingdom preachers?
In the Governing Body’s Update #4, Brother Anthony Morris read Proverbs 14:16, which states: “The wise one is cautious and turns away from evil, but the stupid one is reckless and overconfident.”
The implication is, it is stupid and reckless for any of Jehovah’s Witnesses to venture out on the street to preach the good news. Brother Morris also implied Jehovah’s Witnesses are stupid if they meet together in their kingdom halls.
The Governing Body representative went on to claim that life is the all-important thing now. Ironically, the preaching work had always been presented as a life-saving work. Certainly, that is what the Bible teaches. That being true, what has changed, so that now the all-important, life-saving work that Christ commissioned is regarded as being too risky to engage in? Why is it now considered life-saving to avoid what had previously been deemed a life-saving work?
Certainly, it would be wise for the elderly and infirm to take proper precautions —such as avoiding large gatherings. And it would be the responsible course for healthy persons to avoid needless interaction with vulnerable people since we all may be symptom-less carriers of the virus. But why prohibit all of Jehovah’s Witnesses from going about their ministry and meeting together? Why is it deemed too risky and reckless to stand next to an information cart on a street corner wearing a face mask?
As all of Jehovah’s Witnesses surely know, Jesus directly commanded his disciples to go forth preaching and making disciples. Christ’s foremost minister, the apostle Paul, solemnly exhorted Timothy “to preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season, in troublesome season…” Certainly, this is a troublesome season. And the tragedy is, millions of people who would not ordinarily be at home are now at home. And given the great anxiety and uncertainty many are experiencing, it is the opportune time to visit them with the message of comfort and hope.
Let us not pretend making home visits is an act of death-dealing recklessness. It is not. During the just-concluded presidential campaign in the United States volunteers representing the Republican party have made over 20-million home visitations. According to an article in the Christian Science Monitor in the run-up to the election Republicans have been knocking on an average of two-million doors per-week. That is comparable to the reach of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States prior to the Governing Body’s theocratic lockdown.
But if advocates of Donald Trump actively campaign for his presidency during the pandemic, why is it considered reckless and stupid for healthy ministers to engage in a public campaign to advertise the King and his Kingdom? Something is very, very wrong.
The question Jehovah’s Witnesses ought to consider is this: Who has authorized the Governing Body to countermand Christ? The answer is, no one. How could they possibly? No human —no matter how faithful or discreet —has the authority to contravene the orders of Jesus Christ. The fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses are making a pretense of carrying on the work by writing letters and making unsolicited phone calls is an acknowledgment that the Watchtower does not suppose the worldwide work is over. Therefore, since it is not over, by their ordering the suspension of the public preaching and disciple-making work —the very reason for the existence of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society —the Governing Body has taken a stand in opposition to God.
It is not my purpose in this brief message to consider the falsity of the Watchtower’s 1914 doctrine, save to say it is stupid to suppose that the sign of the conclusion cannot present itself in the future. It is most unwise to insist that the world cannot be plunged into war, famine, and pestilence that will far surpass the events associated with 1914.
The inspired apostle foretold that the genuine parousia will not commence “unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god.” — 2 Thessalonians. 2:3-4
We are witnessing the foretold apostasy. Regardless of the claimed motive of saving lives, by countermanding the leader of Christianity the Governing Body has exalted itself above even the Mighty God —Jesus Christ. Just think, what the Catholic Church has failed to do in their opposition, along with tyrants like the Nazis and the communists —Satan has finally succeeded in doing by inducing the Governing Body to not only shut down the worldwide work but also ban the face-to-face association of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The message conveyed to the ancient leaders of Jehovah’s people recorded in Isaiah is most relevant and timely for Jehovah’s Witnesses now: “As for my people, their taskmasters are abusive, and women rule over them. My people, your leaders are causing you to wander, and they confuse the direction of your paths. Jehovah is taking his position to accuse; He is standing up to pass sentence on peoples. Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people. ‘You have burned down the vineyard, and what you have stolen from the poor is in your houses. How dare you crush my people and grind the faces of the poor in the dirt?’ declares the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies.” — Isaiah 3:12-13
At this critical time, Jehovah’s Witnesses are sheltering in place ordered by the leadership to not venture out on the street? Where is the fearless spirit of Christ that used to prevail? How true, the Governing Body has burned down the vineyard. The vineyard is the field ministry, which has now been entirely abandoned and declared to be off-limits —as if intentionally set aflame. Instead of showing courage and leadership in these challenging times, so-called, the Governing Body has become like women who would prefer to avoid danger.
As regards what they have stolen, make no mistake, even before every kingdom hall was ordered to be shuttered because of the terror induced by the super-hyped pandemic, the Watchtower had already padlocked nearly 1,000 kingdom halls and put them up for sale —displacing tens of thousands of congregants. Even though the local brothers and sisters incur all the costs of construction and maintenance —not to mention that every facility is solemnly dedicated to Jehovah God —the Watchtower is selling property like common real estate. Meanwhile, the princes of Bethel reside in a posh granite castle nestled in a quiet forest with lakefront views.
It should not be too much longer before Jehovah takes up His position to accuse.
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