Wednesday, July 21
This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says. —Ezek. 2:4.
During the great tribulation, the message that we proclaim will likely change. Currently, we are preaching the good news of the Kingdom and we are endeavoring to make disciples. But at that time, we may well deliver a message as hard-hitting as hailstones. (Rev. 16:21) We may proclaim the impending doom of Satan’s world. In time, we will find out exactly what our message will be and how we will deliver it. Will we use the same methods or will we use some other methods? We will have to wait and see. In any case, it seems that we will have the privilege of boldly proclaiming Jehovah’s judgment message! (Ezek. 2:3-5) Quite likely, our message will provoke the nations into trying to silence us once and for all. Just as we rely on Jehovah for support in our ministry now, we will need his support then. We can be sure that our God will fill us with power to accomplish his will. —Mic. 3:8. w19.10 16 ¶8-9
This commentary is a day ahead of schedule.
The Watchtower doesn’t quite have things in focus—even after many decades of research by otherwise knowledgeable Bible students. Do they really imagine that anyone will be preaching, even a hard-hitting message, during what will surely be a nuclear war? And don’t kid yourself, if the great tribulation is so severe so as to threaten the continued existence of mankind, requiring divine intervention to cut it short, the tribulation is not merely an attack on false religion.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are not even allowed to venture out on the street with their Bible message now because of a circulating virus. The great tribulation will be far worse.
There is a reason the Watchtower cannot get it focused in. It is because their foundation is faulty. Paul alluded to this at 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, writing: “For no one can lay any other foundation than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will be shown for what it is, for the day will show it up, because it will be revealed by means of fire, and the fire itself will prove what sort of work each one has built. If anyone’s work that he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward; if anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved; yet, if so, it will be as through fire.”
Since CT Russell organized a little Bible study group back in 1874 the message has never changed. The core doctrine has always been that Jesus has already returned and his glorious parousia has begun. In the beginning the parousia was believed to have begun in 1874. Then after Armageddon failed to materialize after 1914, around 1930 the Watchtower flipped the parousia and coming of the Kingdom to 1914.
Because his Second Coming is a fundamental teaching of Jesus and the Watchtower’s 1914 teaching is a demonstrable fraud, it is as though dedicated Christians have been building upon the foundation with highly combustible materials like wood and hay, and straw. The actual arrival of the Son of man will create a firestorm, a conflagration that will incinerate much of what the Watchtower has produced. Those who have worked building their faith with wood, straw, and stubble will suffer loss and have to walk through the fires of doubt to receive their reward.
What will come after the firestorm? God’s intervention will allow the world to continue for a short period of time. The Watchtower has been instrumental in concealing and obfuscating these matters, but the post-tribulation period is revealed in the Scripture to be 42 months, also expressed as 1,260 days and a time, times and half a time.
The 11th chapter of Revelation states: “But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple sanctuary, leave it out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for 42 months. I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth. These are symbolized by the two olive trees and the two lampstands and are standing before the Lord of the earth.”
The two witnesses are described as performing miracles that Moses and Elijah were empowered to perform. The significance of Moses and Elijah is that they both appeared in the Transfiguration vision standing next to the resplendent Christ. In other words, they were standing before the Lord of the earth—at least in vision.
Peter, who was on the mountain along with James and John, later wrote that they were virtual eyewitnesses to his parousia.
Most assuredly, there will be a special message delivered. It will be issued by the sealed sons of God to whom Christ will reveal himself. Contrary to the invisible parousia hoax that the Watchtower has promoted for over a century, the glorious manifestation of Christ will be experienced by the called and chosen. No doubt the two witnesses are called such because they will give witness of having seen the glorious Lord of the earth.
At the end of the lotted time, the revived beast will conquer and kill the sons of God. As Jesus said of his brothers, how you treat them is how you treat me. The world will be condemned for killing Jesus.
