Friday, November 29
Whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness forever.—Mark 3:29.
Will the names of the great crowd of other sheep still be in the book of life after they survive Armageddon? Yes. (Rev. 7:14) Jesus said that these sheeplike ones will depart “into everlasting life.” (Matt. 25:46) But those Armageddon survivors will not immediately receive everlasting life. During the Thousand Year Reign, Jesus “will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of waters of life.” Those who respond positively to Christ’s guidance and are finally judged faithful to Jehovah will have their names recorded permanently in the book of life. (Rev. 7:16, 17) However, the goats will be destroyed at Armageddon. Jesus says that they “will depart into everlasting cutting-off.” (Matt. 25:46) Under inspiration, the apostle Paul tells us that “these very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction.”—2 Thess. 1:9; 2 Pet. 2:9. w22.09 16 ¶7-8
Upon first reading the daily text, the featured scripture does not appear to connect with the Society’s comment. However, upon closer examination of the verse in its context, there seems to be a relation, although it is hard for me to imagine that the writers at Bethel are even aware of it.
Here is the question: Since, as Jesus said, there is no forgiveness for blasphemy against the holy spirit—meaning that blasphemers receive the sentence of the second death, and the goats also are sentenced to permanent death—does this mean that the goats commit blasphemy against the holy spirit? The Watchtower comment suggests that is the case, but again, I cannot imagine they intended to imply that. It is too insightful. Let me explain.
We ought to ponder why God would decree such a harsh and terrible punishment upon those judged to be goats. What blasphemy of the spirit could they commit? After all, even the wicked and faithless will receive a resurrection of judgment and be given an opportunity to become righteous and live forever. Why are the goats condemned to the same everlasting fire as the Devil and his angels? There is something not right in the Watchtower’s explanation. And unfortunately for Jehovah’s Witnesses, no trifling adjustment by the Watchtower can fix it.
When Jesus spoke of blasphemy against the spirit, it was in response to the Pharisees, who said: “He has Beelzebub, and he expels the demons by means of the ruler of the demons.”
The setting was Jesus had just healed a man in a synagogue on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees were eyewitnesses of the miracle. Instead of acknowledging that Jesus had done a wonderful thing by means of God’s holy spirit, they immediately began conspiring how to destroy him. They attributed the work of the spirit of God to Satan. That is unforgivable, even in human terms. Imagine plotting to murder the Son of God, who came into the world to save it from sin and Satan. What an awful thing. The judgment of the second death upon those who reveal they are in harmony with the enemy of God and mankind is appropriate. Jehovah’s judgments are always proper and just.
Now, immediately after Jesus revealed the judgment for blasphemy of the holy spirit, his family, who moments before had said that Jesus had gone out of his mind, came to call Jesus when he was in someone’s house. The account says: “Now his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. As there was a crowd sitting around him, they said to him: “Look! Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” But he replied to them: “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Then he looked at those sitting around him in a circle and said: “See, my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God, this one is my brother and sister and mother.”
We know at that time, Jesus’ half-brothers were not believers. They did not accept that Jesus was the Son of Jehovah. Mary knew better, but apparently (Joseph must have died before Jesus was anointed), she was influenced by her unbelieving sons and the hostile community under the influence of the devilish Pharisees. Since those in the house that Jesus referred to as his brothers and mothers and sisters had not been anointed —hence, the spiritual bond of union with Jesus had not taken place —Christ was speaking to the future when anointed believers would become his brothers; when the bride of Christ becomes wed to her husband. This union will not be consummated until Jesus returns. That is why the judgment of the sheep and the goats will be determined by their treatment of Jesus’ brothers then —after the final sealing has taken place.
Now consider what Paul wrote at Hebrews 1:6: “But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.”
Here is a question for Jehovah’s Witnesses to ponder: When will God bring his Firstborn into the world again? The Watchtower is founded upon the artfully contrived false story that Christ returned in 1914. Still, obviously, none of Jehovah’s Witnesses really believe that Jesus came into the world again in 1914 or any time since then. That leaves the lingering question: What will happen to the institution founded upon C.T. Russell’s mythical invisible parousia when Jehovah actually brings his Firstborn into the world again? And to be sure, Christ coming into the world again means something much different than what Jehovah’s Witnesses have been led to believe. That being true, how will the leaders of the Watchtower respond? Think Pharisees. Think Judas. Think antichrist. Think blasphemy against the holy spirit.
Anointed Christians will have to leave all behind. That includes individual members of the Governing Body and other anointed brothers and sisters at Bethel. Did not Jesus say they will throw you from the synagogue?
When asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming, Christ responded by saying that it was not coming with striking observableness. However, Jesus went on to say: “But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be the same on that day when the Son of man is revealed.” – Luke 17:29,30
In the account in Luke, Jesus said virtually the same thing that he reiterated when speaking about the conclusion of the system of things, such as: “On that day let the person who is on the housetop but whose belongings are in the house not come down to pick these up, and likewise, the person out in the field must not return to the things behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to keep his life safe will lose it, but whoever loses it will preserve it alive. I tell you, in that night two people will be in one bed; the one will be taken along, but the other will be abandoned. There will be two women grinding at the same mill; the one will be taken along, but the other will be abandoned.” So in response they said to him: “Where, Lord?” He said to them: “Where the body is, there also the eagles will be gathered together.”
Why did Jesus urge his disciples to “remember the wife of Lot”? Because she disobeyed the angel’s direct command not to look back. We ought to be reminded of the five foolish virgins who picture anointed Christians who will turn back to those sellers of illuminating oil, only to be locked out of the wedding feast when the bridegroom appears.
However, instead of the expression: “when the Son of man is to be revealed,” when speaking about the sign of his presence, Matthew’s gospel has Jesus saying: “For just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines over to the west, so the presence of the Son of man will be. Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
The point is that the revealing of the Son of Man is the same thing as his presence, his parousia.
No rational, thinking person would claim that when something invisible is revealed, it still remains invisible to those who witness the revealing. Yet, this is precisely what the Watchtower teaches. It is the organization’s cornerstone teaching. All Jehovah’s Witnesses must believe that an invisible revealing began in 1914. I am not trying to trick anyone. I am not twisting the Scriptures. Jesus obviously intended to teach us that the revealing and the parousia are the same. The question is: Why doesn’t the Watchtower, the seller of illuminating oil, teach what Christ taught? Even considering the Watchtower’s obfuscation, we might ask if the parousia and the revealing are the same: How and to whom has the Son of man been revealed?
That is where the sign of Christ’s presence will come in. Jesus said that nation would rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. Peace will be taken from the earth and they will slaughter each other with a great sword. No one alive today was of age when the First World War began. How reasonable is it that Jesus expects the world to take note of something that occurred before they were even born? It is not reasonable at all. Jesus said, “When you see all these things.” In truth, we have not seen anything, not really.
By the way, the symbolic swords they wield today are indeed great and terrible. Putin just unveiled a new hypersonic device that can spew out hardened projectiles that can travel at Mach seven and nearly reach the temperature of the sun as they rip through the atmosphere like incoming meteors or comets. Even without nuclear warheads or even an explosive charge, these hardened projectiles strike their targets with an impact comparable to a nuclear weapon—incinerating everything, including hardened steel, into fine particles of dust. Putin just ordered these unstoppable devices to be mass-produced as it has become apparent to the Russians that the Anglo empire is like a wounded beast and is intent on igniting a nuclear conflagration.
Needless to say, the Watchtower can do nothing to prevent World War Three. No doubt their beloved 1914 doctrine will become as though pulverized into tiny bits as if by a hypersonic missile. (See Isaiah 30:13-14)
Honest Christians will realize that the sign is on display. And during the darkest night, in what Jesus called the great tribulation, the angels will intervene in some dramatic, undeniable way to cut short what would otherwise culminate in the extinction of mankind. God will, in every sense of the word, become mankind’s Savior from the Devil’s nuclear holocaust. Christ —who once walked on water in the dead of night and who calmed the stormy sea as it was about to engulf his terrified disciples —will be revealed. No, not to everyone. Only to his anointed mothers and sisters and brothers. In this way the Kingdom of God will not come with striking observableness. Nevertheless, Jehovah’s Firstborn will come into the world again by living vicariously through those to whom the Son of man is revealed. And those to whom Christ will become manifest will become his witnesses —to be sure, Jehovah’s witnesses to the fullest extent. And the world will be judged by how they treat Christ’s brothers, the sons of God.
During that time, anointed Christians will be made to stand before governors and kings to give a witness. Jesus gave his personal assurance that the holy spirit would be speaking through his brothers then. That is why those who oppose the witnesses of Christ will be guilty of blasphemy against the holy spirit.
