As you already know and have said many times, the chosen ones will be killed by beast right before the seven bowls of wrath are poured out. So, my question is, if the anointed will not be here then and will be in heaven to battle at Armageddon, who will lead the great crowd during this time? If there will be no elders or “leaders” on earth, who will do this?

God never intended for his human creation to have any leaders or rulers other than Himself. We all know what happened. A pretend god tried to steal Jehovah’s crown.

After the Flood human society naturally grouped together in families and extended families in what is called patriarchy—the oldest father was the chief. Then there came kings, like Nimrod and Melchizedek. After existing as a nation without a king for almost 400 years the Israelites prevailed upon Samuel to give them a king. Jehovah permitted it and explained that the people had really rejected Him as their invisible King. 

With a few exceptions, most of the kings of Israel and Judah were corrupt. Ultimately Jehovah had both kingdoms destroyed and forced the Jews to subject themselves to foreign kings. From the beginning, though, God promised to provide a righteous king who would not only rule Israel but the whole world. 

When Jesus began his public ministry his disciples recognized him as the promised Messiah. They expected Jesus to throw off the Roman yoke and become the new king. Some of the Jews even tried to forcibly make Jesus king. 

Those false expectations and misguided efforts really underscore an underlying human failing, and that is the tendency to only believe what can be visibly seen. It was a shocking jolt for the disciples to see Jesus hanging dead, nailed to a stake with the sign above his head that read: “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.”

Even after Jesus was resurrected it took some powerful works to convince the apostles that their Lord was really alive. And then, the most astonishing event ever: With all of his Jewish followers grouped around him Jesus suddenly began levitating off the earth and he ascended into the clouds and was never seen again—at least not in human form. A few days later the disciples were all anointed. Only then did they comprehend what Jesus had been telling them about the spiritual nature of the Kingdom of the heavens. 

With Christianity, Jesus made provisions for men to serve as elders or under-shepherds. Of course, the human tendency to follow men soon manifested itself among Christians. Paul rebuked the Corinthians because some among them claimed to belong to either Paul or Apollos and others followed Cephas. That’s why the apostle wrote: “Paul was not executed on the stake for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

Fast forward to the Bible Students: Charles Russell soon developed a cult-like following who viewed him as the faithful slave. His unexpected death in 1916 ended the journey for tens of thousands of his followers. Even to this day there are numerous splinter groups of Russellites. Rutherford seemingly put an end to the cult of personality that had developed around his predecessor. However, over the decades another more insidious form of idolatry has taken shape—not around an individual, but around the Watchtower itself. The Watchtower is viewed as Jehovah’s earthly organization, God’s sole channel of communication; and the Governing Body has become the spokesman for God. Their every utterance is regarded as a divine revelation. 

The Governing Body’s Update #9 expresses it quite well. David Splane asked incredulously: ‘Would Jehovah allow all the Bethelites and the Governing Body to take a vaccine that might harm them?’ On that cue Jehovah’s Witnesses are supposed to answer in their own minds: ‘No, no, never! God would never allow them to take a false step.’ 

The February, 2022, Watchtower presents an article entitled: “Do You Trust in Jehovah’s Way of Doing Things?”  The article implies that everything the Governing Body does is Jehovah’s doing. That includes disfellowshipping people for whatever reason and arbitrarily selling off Kingdom Halls and reassigning congregants here and there, all for the purpose of “making the best use of the seating capacity in our Kingdom Halls.” (paragraph 9)

So, because it is claimed that this is Jehovah’s way of doing things JW’s have to assume that Jehovah is not concerned with closing down dedicated meeting places, meaning less visibility in the local community and imposing needless hardships on interested persons as well as Jehovah’s Witnesses who may have challenges finding suitable transportation. It means God has no problem compelling elderly people to drive many miles away in the dark of night—no, God is foremost concerned with making sure that Kingdom Halls are filled to capacity. Strangely, though, that implies that the All-seeing Jehovah did not foresee the release of the Coronavirus and that health officials would stipulate that meeting places should only be filled to half of their capacity—social distancing and all.

Perhaps this is a preview of the impractical, illogical, nonsensical directives to be forthcoming, as the 15th paragraph mentions?

As the end of this system of things draws near, we need to trust in Jehovah’s way of doing things as never before. Why? During the great tribulation, we may receive instructions that seem strange, impractical, or illogical. Of course, Jehovah will not speak to us personally. He will likely provide direction through his appointed representatives. That will hardly be the time to second-guess the direction or to view it with skepticism, wondering, ‘Is this really coming from Jehovah, or are the responsible brothers acting on their own?’ How will you fare during that crucial time in human history? The answer might be indicated by how you view theocratic direction now. If you trust the direction we receive today and readily obey, you will likely do the same during the great tribulation

Do you get the sense of it, as Jesus might ask his disciples? Jehovah will not require you to have faith in anything other than the direction provided by the appointed representatives. Sounds easy. Presumably, those appointed representatives will use the Bible as their guide. But if that is the case, why should their direction “seem strange, impractical, or illogical”?

Jehovah’s Witnesses are being set up for the kill. That is because there is no possibility that the Governing Body will give reliable direction then. How could they? The Watchtower was founded upon the lie that Christ’s parousia has been ongoing. The Kingdom is ruling. Except for a few minor details all has been fulfilled. However, it is all a delusion. But would Jehovah really allow the Governing Body and their helpers and all of the anointed throughout the world to be brought under a massive delusion? The answer is yes—absolutely yes! (See chapter: Who Is Blind?)

Were not the original disciples deluded in imagining that the Kingdom was going to instantly display itself? After his resurrection, Christ rebuked his disciples as being senseless and slow to believe all the things the prophets spoke. 

As mentioned at the onset, God never intended for humans to be ruled over by other humans. All of the arrangements that have been put into place are merely temporary. That includes the superior authorities, who are God’s ministers in a secular way, and also elders. Even the Kingdom of Christ is temporary. In the end, Jesus will hand over the Kingdom to his God and Father and it will be as Jehovah intended in the beginning.

But first must come the transition from the visible to the invisible. That is why the Watchtower must go off into oblivion along with the wicked men who lurk within its leadership. This is prophesied throughout the Bible. 

Because of the aforementioned institutional idolatry, which God foresaw long ago, Christians will be required to abandon the organization. To attain salvation it will be imperative that Christians recognize when the disgusting thing stands in a holy place which will be the signal to forsake the antitypical “Jerusalem,” which in ancient times was the earthly center of true worship. Whatever directions are issued by the leaders of the organization then will not originate with Christ. On the contrary, Jesus has already issued life-saving directions: “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains. Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house, and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment. Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day; for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.” — Mathew 24:15-22

Most relevant, in the very next span of verse Jesus issued a stern warning, saying: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. Look! I have forewarned you. Therefore, if people say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 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.”

During that critical hour of chaos and confusion, Satan will be allowed to set one last trap. Those who are still looking to men for guidance and life-saving direction will be provided with a false savior. 

Having preached a false parousia for well over a century there is no possibility that Christ will have anything to do with whatever remains of the Watchtower then. No, the real presence of the Son of man will begin a new era—following men then will lead to death. Christ will be in the midst of believers and guide them to fountains of waters of life. 

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