Part three
Having established that the presence of Christ with the holy ones, yes, his coming alongside them, does not take place until we “see all these things,” now we will distinguish his coming from his presence. This is all the more necessary because of the eschatological mess the Watchtower has created.
While Charles Taze Russell did well to differentiate the two Greek words “parousia” and “erkhomai” and the New World Translation consistently renders parousia as “presence” and erkhomai as “coming”—unlike most popular translations—still, the Watchtower has the order of his presence and coming reversed.
Reasonably, his coming and arrival precede his being alongside the chosen. How is it then that the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has it backward? Jesus’ presence is believed to have begun in 1914, but he is still coming? Is this even sensible?
To complicate matters, the Watchtower also claims Jesus came back in 1918 as the messenger of the covenant. Here is the prophecy on which their speculation is based: “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will clear up a way before me. And suddenly the true Lord, whom you are seeking, will come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant will come, in whom you take delight. Look! He will certainly come,” says Jehovah of armies. “But who will endure the day of his coming, and who will be able to stand when he appears? For he will be like the fire of a refiner and like the lye of laundrymen.”– Malachi 3:1,2
Notice in the text above, “come” and “coming” appear three times. So, if Christ came to judge the spiritual temple in 1918, why is he coming again? This question is all the more relevant in light of the warning Jesus directed toward those whom he has appointed to provide spiritual food to the household of God. Jehovah’s Witnesses should be very familiar with what Jesus stated in the 24th chapter of Matthew: “But know one thing: If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it…Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so!…the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know…”
Notice in the text above that the word “coming” appears in three places. So, how is it that the messenger of the covenant has already come but the Son of man has not? Furthermore, Malachi poses the question: “But who will endure the day of his coming and who will be able to stand when he appears?” Never mind that in 1918, those Bible Students who supposedly endured the day of his coming were deluded into believing Jesus had already come in 1874. It is noteworthy that Jesus said something similar, as recorded in Luke’s account: “Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that must occur and in standing before the Son of man.” – Luke 21:36
Is it reasonable to suppose that a small group of Bible Students who have long since passed away were able to stand before Christ, but we must remain awake and be sober to stand before the Son of man when he comes again as a thief in the night?
THE LORD’S DAY IS COMING AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT
Although not regarded as a prophet, the apostle Paul was inspired to situate the future thief-like coming of Christ on the world stage, tying it to a specific, political event. According to the New World Translation the Lord’s day will begin “Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!”
Although the New World Translation says “Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night,” the context clearly indicates Paul was referring to the coming of Christ.
The reason Paul told the Thessalonians (and, by extension, us) that they did not need anything to be written to them, as they already knew he was coming as a thief, is because Jesus said he was coming as a thief. Hence, if we allow the Scriptures to speak without the background noise of theocratic dogma, it is evident that their saying “peace and security” will herald that the Lord’s day has begun.
Now we are confronted with the question: What is the “sudden destruction” that will come upon those saying “peace and security”? The Watchtower claims the sudden destruction will befall false religion—otherwise known as Babylon the Great. If that is the true interpretation, that would mean that religious spokesmen will be saying “peace and security” since destruction is destined to befall those saying it.
It is noteworthy that the prophet Paul modified the “sudden destruction that is to be instantly upon them” by saying “just like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape.”
Jesus employed this same analogy when he said, “All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.” All what things? War, famine and pestilence. All these things will signal that the Lord’s day has begun.
That presents an enormous stumbling block for the millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been deluded into believing World War 1 was the beginning pangs of distress. No wonder Jesus foretold “many will be stumbled.”
THE CRASH OF THE ANGLO-AMERICAN WORLD POWER
All prophecy is connected. It is a matter of putting the pieces together, like a picture puzzle. When I first began an independent study of the Hebrew prophetic books 29 years ago, the spirit brought to my attention the significance of the fall of Egypt and Tyre in Jeremiah’s day. While Ezekiel was captive in Babylon, Jehovah revealed to him that the overthrow of Tyre and Egypt would shake the world.
The lord of Tyre is described as the covering cherub in Eden—a clear reference to Satan, the Devil. What then does Tyre represent? None other than the modern British Empire, headquartered in London. Although the modern myth is that the British Empire no longer exists, nothing could be further from the truth. The City of London is the nexus of the global financial and monetary system, and contrary to the fiction that the British monarchy is a powerless figurehead, the Crown possesses enormous wealth and influence. For example, as the young Prince of Wales, King Charles developed the climate change crisis that has redirected trillions of dollars of investment away from vital production of energy and equipment needed in food production and transportation, obviously intended to shut down modern industrial civilization under the pretext of saving the world from climate change.
As for Egypt, symbolized as a towering cedar, the tallest, most majestic tree in God’s garden of treelike nations, it represents the greatest nation on earth—America. Together, the fall of Tyre and Egypt portray the sudden, globe-rocking crash of the Anglo-American dual world power.
How do we know the fall of Egypt portends something much greater than what took place when Nebuchadnezzar conquered the land of the Pharaohs? For one thing, in the opening verses of the 30th chapter of Ezekiel, God says: “Wail, ‘Alas, the day is coming!’ For the day is near, yes, a day of Jehovah is near. It will be a day of clouds, an appointed time of nations.”
There is only one day of Jehovah. Although God referred to the destruction wrought by the Chaldean juggernaut as the day of Jehovah in various prophecies, it is merely a shadow of the coming day of Jehovah, or the Lord’s day.
Furthermore, we find in Ezekiel 32:7-8, these words: “And when you are extinguished I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with clouds, and the moon will not give its light. I will darken all the shining luminaries in the heavens because of you, and I will cover your land with darkness,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.”
Jesus used similar foreboding imagery when discussing the aftermath of the great tribulation. Also, the opening of the sixth seal of the scroll of God’s judgments reveals the sun turning black, the moon turning to blood, and the stars falling from heaven.
As we assemble the pieces of the apocalyptic puzzle, we see the day of the Lord begin when the Anglo-American kings proclaim “peace and security.” That singular event will initiate all these things Christ foretold.
The prophecy of Ezekiel is considered in detail in the book, Jehovah Has Become King. Twenty years ago, the first edition was gifted to all members of the then-Governing Body and to all branch offices of the Watchtower around the world. Apparently, though, they are not interested in such matters.
Since Christ has not come in any capacity, neither has the conclusion of the system begun—nor are these the last days, as Jehovah’s Witnesses have been conditioned to say for these many decades.
Paul said that the last days would be critical times, hard to deal with. The reason being, men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, etc, etc. The apostle did not say that the last days would be an extended period when society would be gradually, systematically degraded over successive generations. No, the last days will be critical times, hard to deal with, because the majority of people will be so ungodly. That is where we are now.
The letter of James also speaks about the last days and what we may expect. Although not thought of as a book of prophecy, James warned Christians who were rich but who acted unjustly with their fellow workers that they had stored up something like fire for the last days and fattened their hearts for the day of slaughter. Specifically, James says, “Come, now, you rich men, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted away, and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh. What you have stored up will be like a fire in the last days.” (5:1-3)
That this situation involves anointed Christians and not men of the world is evident by what James said next: “Be patient then, brothers, until the presence of the Lord. Look! The farmer keeps waiting for the precious fruit of the earth, exercising patience over it until the early rain and the late rain arrive. You too exercise patience; make your hearts firm, because the presence of the Lord has drawn close.” – James 5:7-8
In view of the fact that James indicated that money will utterly fail during the last days—as if burned up with fire—and since no such disaster has occurred on a global scale, it is not due to a lack of faith on our part that we ought to question if these really are the last days or if the conclusion is about to begin. Given the precarious state of the present political and financial system and talk of both war and peace, it is evident to this watcher that the thief-like coming of the Son of man is near.
To be sure, the sudden downfall of the Anglo imperium will bring the present monetary system to a fiery end. Critical times, hard to deal with, will be here, indeed! And it is against the backdrop of that catastrophe that James exhorts his fellow anointed Christians that the presence of the Lord has drawn close.
End of part three…
