This is the final installment of the three-part series examining the Watchtower article entitled: Are You Heeding the Warnings?
The illustration of the slaves and the money entrusted to them is pretty straightforward. Jesus entrusted his affairs to his slaves, and upon his return, an accounting will be held with all. Two slaves were industrious and increased what had been entrusted to them. However, one slave was sluggish, and the master took the talent given to him and gave it to the slave with ten talents. Furthermore, the sluggish slave was thrown out into the outer darkness, and Jesus added: “There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.”
In paragraph 13, the Watchtower says that the sluggish slave “would not be permitted to enter into the heavenly Kingdom.” That is true. But is that it?
As we know, the vast majority of Christians will not be part of the heavenly Kingdom. That in itself is not a punishment. It is simply not a privilege that many will have. On the other hand, being thrown into the outer darkness is the same fate that awaits the evil slave who had been appointed to feed the master’s people in his absence but who began to abuse his fellow slaves and befriend the drunkards of the dark world. The weeping and gnashing of teeth indicates that both the wicked and sluggish slave will have the awful realization that they have received the sentence of the second death. They will live out their short period of time on earth, knowing that the blackness of oblivion awaits them.
The letter of Jude says of these false shepherds: “These are the rocks hidden below water at your love feasts while they feast with you, shepherds who feed themselves without fear; waterless clouds carried here and there by the wind; fruitless trees in late autumn, having died twice and having been uprooted; wild waves of the sea that cast up the foam of their own shame; stars with no set course, for which the blackest darkness stands reserved forever.”
Having “died twice” signifies that they have received the judgment of the second death. Regarding the description of being fruitless trees in late autumn, these shepherds who have no fear of God also do not have any insight. This is displayed by the fact that it has taken the Watchtower nearly 100 years to arrive at the correct understanding of the three parables in the article under consideration. It was not until 2013 that the Watchtower finally came to understand that Jesus did not appoint a faithful and discreet slave over all of his belongings in 1918. Likewise, it took them a century to come to the conclusion that the bridegroom did not come in 1918.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are required to believe that no one can interpret the Bible except the Governing Body, and Jehovah’s holy spirit operates exclusively on them to that end. If that were true, though, what accounts for the fact that virtually all of the “adjustments” in understanding the Watchtower has made in recent years are some variation of things I had published on the Internet years before? Either the Governing Body is reading the letters and books I have sent them and examining e-watchman online, or the holy spirit is enlightening me before them. Coincidence should not be a factor since, by the Watchtower’s own admission, the holy spirit is required to understand the deep things of God.
What would be the purpose of the Revealer of Secrets revealing his confidential matters to one deemed to be the most dangerous apostate on the Internet, as a circuit overseer once referred to e-watchman on an assembly program?
It must be to humble the haughty. No doubt, at some point, it will become common knowledge among Jehovah’s Witnesses where the Watchtower has been getting its new light of late. It even says so in Isaiah: Hear the word of Jehovah, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of my name said, ‘May Jehovah be glorified!’ But He will appear and bring you joy, and they are the ones who will be put to shame.” (66:5)
We are reminded of Joseph, who dreamed that his 11 brothers were stars that bowed before him. The brothers were so incensed that their little brother dared to dream he would be their lord that they sold him into slavery, only to have Joseph’s inspired dream come true when they bowed before the prime minister of Egypt, not recognizing him as their younger brother.
Please note that the “adjustments” the Watchtower has made in recent years are relatively minor, and, of course, I do not claim any copyright to the truth. It should, however, be recognized that they dare not venture too deeply into the truth. It would be overwhelming. The light would be blinding. I am speaking specifically about the parousia. Not only has the presence of Christ not begun, it will not be invisible —at least not to the chosen. That is why the passage above states” “He will appear and bring you joy.” How is it possible for one to invisibly appear? Jesus said, “In this way, the last ones will be first, and the first ones last.” – Matthew 20:16
Could it be that Jesus will appear to the last anointed first and the first, most prominent ones last? There are many reasons to believe that will be the case. For one, when Jesus was resurrected, to whom did he appear first? To Peter, James, or John? None of them. He appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and told them to go tell the others. That was intended as a rebuke to the apostles who had abandoned Jesus when he was arrested.
Finally, there is one last bit of new light in the September 2024 Watchtower. Under the subheading Who Will Be Taken Along? The Watchtower has explained for the first time that this applies to anointed persons. One will be taken and the other left behind. This, too is something previously published on e-watchman in this article: Good Figs and Bad Figs
One more thing: In paragraph 17, the Watchtower stated that the 11th-hour workers symbolize those who have been anointed most recently:
We have come to know Jehovah well, so we trust his judgment. We are not concerned if Jehovah has chosen to anoint some faithful ones in more recent years. We recall what Jesus said about the 11th-hour workers in his illustration of the vineyard. (Matt. 20:1-16) Those who were invited to work in the vineyard later in the day received the same wage as those who began working in it earlier. Likewise, no matter when anointed ones are selected, they will receive the heavenly reward if they are judged faithful.
Perhaps Jehovah’s Witnesses will not recognize this as new light, but it was not until the January 2016 Watchtower that the 11th-hour workers were first understood to represent those anointed lastly. This is something initially published on e-watchman nearly 20 years ago: Many First Will Be Last, and the Last First
Of course, the Watchtower still does not grasp the significance of how the last will be first, but at least they are lurching forward incrementally.
I would only make one minor adjustment to the statement above. We should avoid telling Jehovah His business. This statement that Jehovah may choose some “faithful ones” implies that those called have to do something to earn their calling. The Watchtower boasts, “We have come to know Jehovah well, so that we trust his judgment.” But do they? Do they know Jehovah well? Do they trust his judgment? What if God chooses some who are not so faithful, at least according to Bethel’s theocratic criteria? What if he chooses those looked down upon and despised as unworthy of the inestimable honor of being anointed? What if he calls those deemed the least likely individuals during the last hour? What if God selects some who are not even considered to be qualified to be mic runners in the Kingdom Hall?
I have reason to believe that is exactly what Jehovah is doing.
