KINGDOM BULLETIN #18
In recent years the Watchtower has dropped the type-antitype method of biblical interpretation. Taking it one step further, the Pure Worship publication unceremoniously scrapped Christendom as the antitype of apostate Jerusalem. Now Jehovah’s Witnesses are instructed to only consider conditions that existed in apostate Jerusalem that may remind us of practices common in Christendom.
The rationale for dropping Christendom as the antitypical Jerusalem is explained in Teaching Box 16A:
Jerusalem was at one time a center of pure worship; later, its inhabitants turned apostate. By contrast, Christendom has never practiced pure worship. Right from its inception in the fourth century C.E., Christendom has always taught false doctrine. In addition, after Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, Jehovah restored the city to his favor and it again became the center of true worship. Christendom, on the other hand, has never had God’s favor, and once it is destroyed during the great tribulation, it will never rise again.
The reasoning presented is valid. In fact, this argument was presented to the Watchtower by myself many years ago. And it does bring up the need for further revision of the Watchtower’s interpretation of Daniel. For example, at Daniel 11:32 the king of the north is said to mislead into apostasy those acting wickedly against the covenant. According to the Pay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy publication, those acting wickedly against the covenant are “the leaders of Christendom.” But, alas, following the Watchtower’s own reasoning, since Christendom has always been apostate and has never been in a covenant with Jehovah God how could they be misled further into apostasy or act wickedly against a covenant which they are not a party to? There are many such contradictions in the Watchtower archives.
There is a more disconcerting problem that arises with discarding Christendom as an antitype. It begs the question: If not Christendom what does ancient Jerusalem typify? According to the information in the aforementioned Teaching Box, applying the type-antitype approach to prophecy is no longer valid “except where the Bible provides a clear basis for doing so.” The question is, is there a scripturally supported basis for considering Jerusalem as a type of something greater? There most certainly is!
Consider, for instance, one of the oldest prophetic books—Isaiah. In the 28th chapter Jehovah specifically addresses himself to the boastful rulers of Jerusalem who have made a covenant with death and concealed themselves deep in falsehood and sought refuge in a lie. Does this prophecy foreshadow something in the modern world? It surely does. In verse 16 Jehovah states: “Here I am laying as a foundation in Zion a tested stone, the precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. No one exercising faith will panic.”
Jesus is the chief cornerstone of God’s Kingdom. However, the prophecy of Isaiah refers to the foundation being laid accompanied by a storming flood that will wash away the hiding place of the rulers of Jerusalem. That aspect of prophecy had no fulfillment in the first century. It must, therefore, be fulfilled when Christ returns as King.
Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel, made so after David’s conquest of the Jebusite fortress. After the kingdom was split due to Solomon’s apostasy Jerusalem remained the capital of Judea and also the religious center for all the tribes of Israel. Jerusalem was the place where Jehovah placed His name. That is a very significant distinction.
With the coming of Christ Jerusalem became the birthplace of Christianity. Jerusalem is where Jesus was hailed as the king of Israel. Outside the walls of the holy city is where the Lord was executed on a stake. The 120 original Christians were anointed while gathered in an upper room in the city. And afterward, for many years the apostles and disciples regularly taught in the temple. It could be said that Jerusalem was the unofficial headquarters for the first century governing body.
Furthermore, Jesus spoke of Jerusalem being trampled upon by the nations during the conclusion. Obviously, first-century Jerusalem is a type—foreshadowing an entity that will exist during the end phase. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the desolation of Jerusalem during the great tribulation is the central feature of Jesus’ extensive prophecy regarding the coming of the Son of man. All things considered, Jerusalem typifies Christ’s congregation. It is Christ’s congregation that is destined for desolation. Who among Jehovah’s Witnesses would deny that God has entrusted His holy name to the Watchtower, making it the place where God placed his name, just like ancient Jerusalem.
As regards the prophecy in the 28th chapter of Isaiah, there is nothing that particularly reminds us of the practices of the clergy of Christendom. However, we are very much reminded of the present leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses! Does not the Governing Body boast of having established pure worship at last! And this despite the fact that several tens of thousands of children have been raped and seduced by animalistic pedophile predators lurking in “spiritual paradise.” We are reminded too, of the attitude of the boasters who have concealed themselves in falsehood who claim the coming flood will not reach as far as them. No, since 1914 Christ has cleansed and refined them. The antitypical temple was cleansed back in 1918. Jehovah has no issues with those who preside over spiritual paradise.
Meanwhile, as the Watchtower works and reworks prophecy, making continual adjustments to confine God’s written judgments to the 1914 era or defer them to Christendom. In this, we are reminded of the analogy presented in the prophecy of someone trying to get comfortable in a bed that is too short to stretch out on, and the woven sheet is too narrow to wrap up in.
By the way, since the Watchtower has ditched Christendom as the antitypical Jerusalem this nullifies an important aspect of the Watchtower’s view of itself. Perhaps the Governing Body did not consider the ramifications of their latest adjustment, or perhaps they are confident that Jehovah’s Witnesses lack the depth of spiritual discernment to even notice, but since Christendom is no longer the focus of prophecies such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel, that means the Watchtower is not the voice of the modern Jeremiah class and Ezekiel class. Ultimately, it means the Watchtower is not Jehovah’s watchman. The sheet really is too narrow for them to cover up now!
Jerusalem was not a watchman. Organizations are not watchmen. Jehovah appointed select individuals who served as watchmen to the house of Israel. In keeping with the scriptural pattern, Jehovah has used individuals, such as myself, to announce His coming judgments upon antitypical Jerusalem.
Therefore, at this time I am applying the words originally recorded by Ezekiel to the present moment. Let the leadership of the Watchtower hereby be put on notice. “This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘Look! A calamity, a unique calamity, is coming. An end is coming; the end will come; it will rouse itself against you. Look! It is coming. Your turn has come, you who inhabit the land. The time is coming, the day is near. There is confusion and not joyful shouting on the mountains. Very soon I will pour out my rage on you, and I will fully unleash my anger against you, and I will judge you according to your ways and call you to account for all your detestable deeds.” — Ezekiel 7:5-8
According to the seers of Bethel, the next prophetic event on the horizon is the destruction of Babylon the Great during the tribulation. How wrong they are! Instead, God will bring calamity upon his own organization. That is why there will be confusion and not joyful shouting. The destruction of his own organization is the “strange deed” and “unusual work” foretold in the same 28th chapter of Isaiah
What are some of the detestable things that warrant the outpouring of Jehovah’s pent-up rage? There are many. We could point to the secret 10-year partnership of the Watchtower with the United Nations that employed unwitting JW publishers to distribute literature that was slyly written to comply with the requirements of NGOs associated with the UN to disseminate positive information about it.
Even more detestable, now the Watchtower is in the Kingdom hall flipping business. Places of worship that were solemnly dedicated to God are being sold like common real estate. Congregations that built and paid for their local place of meeting together are being dispossessed—evicted by their Bethel overlords. Structures are sold no doubt because inflated real estate prices mean big profits for the Watchtower. The question posed by Jehovah is most applicable: “Has this house that bears my name become a cave of robbers in your eyes? Here I have seen it for myself…” — Jeremiah 7:11
Because of the pandemic, the Governing Body has countermanded Jesus Christ—forbidding Christ’s ministers from going, making disciples, or meeting together as the apostle commanded. Even though there is no evidence that anyone has contracted Covid outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine, Bethel forbids Jehovah’s ministers from even standing on a street corner. Truly detestable! What next, shall the dictators of Sodom require JW’s to be vaccinated before they are allowed to obey Christ?
Indeed! The day is coming! Very soon Jehovah will pour out his rage upon the boasters. Too bad for them. But as Jehovah has noted of those who have hidden in falsehood: “Only terror will make them understand what was heard.” — Isaiah 28:19b
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