WATCHTOWER - FEBRUARY 1, 1998

 

Page 6: In the same book of Revelation, we read of other horsemen - symbolizing famine, pestilence, and death. (Revelation 6:5-8) They are further aspects of the sign of the times.

Note: The Watchtower says that Jesus Christ brings famine, pestilence, and death.

Page 6: Are these causes for pessimism? By no means, for the vision also describes "a white horse; and the one seated upon it had a bow; and a crown was given him, and he went forth conquering and to complete his conquest." (Revelation 6:2) Here we see Jesus Christ as a heavenly King removing all wickedness, riding to establish peace and harmony worldwide.

Correction: The future world leader will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His return.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

 

Page 12: When the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, Jehovah likewise rejected them. (Acts 3: 13-15; Romans 9:31-10:4)

Page 14: Was the old covenant a failure? Not at all. True, since it was now replaced, fleshly Israel was no longer God's special people. (Matthew 23:38)

Correction: God still has a plan for the nation of Israel.

Romans 11:1-2 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.

 

Page 13: Happily, that wound, while excruciating painful, was not permanent. Jesus was raised from the dead an immortal spirit and ascended to his Father in heaven, where he offered the value of his shed blood as "a ransom in exchange for many."

Correction: Jesus Christ was raised from the dead with a physical body.

Luke 24:37-40 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

 

Page 15: We do, however, know the final number of Jesus' associates in the spiritual seed - 144,000. (Revelation 7:4; 14:1) Those 144,000 come out of "every tribe and tongue and people and nation" of mankind and share in administrating to yet others the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. - Revelation 5:9.

Correction: No one can number this great crowd from all tribes, peoples, and tongues.

Revelation 7:9-10 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

 

Page 15: On the basis of the new covenant, Jehovah created a spiritual nation, "the Israel of God," to replace fleshly Israel. (Galatians 6:16; Matthew 21:43; Romans 9:6-8)

Correction: The "Israel of God" refers to Christian Jews.

Galatians 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them (believing Gentiles), and upon the Israel of God (believing Jews).

 

Page 16-17: Jehovah is also King of Israel of God, spiritual Israel, and since 33 C.E., he has ruled through Jesus Christ, who received "all authority...in heaven and on earth."

Note: Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 19:16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

Page 17: Today, the Israel of God recognizes Jesus as King of God's heavenly Kingdom, which was established in 1914.

Correction: The kingdom will be established after the tribulation not before or 1914.

Matthew 24:29-30 " Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

 

Page 17: In 33 C.E., the Israel of God replaced fleshly Israel and became Jehovah's "servant," his "witnesses." (Israel 43:10) Jehovah's words to Israel recorded at Isaiah 43:21 and Exodus 19:5, 6 henceforth applied to the spiritual Israel of God.

Note: True Christians are witnesses and servants of Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

 

Page 17: Those of spiritual Israel still remaining on earth make up "the faithful and discreet slave." (Matthew 24:45-47) Only in association with them can acceptable sacred service be rendered to God.

Correction: The "faithful and discreet slave" refers to servants of Jesus Christ not a organization.

Matthew 24:45-46 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

 

Page 17: Jesus is the one "like a son of man" who, in 1914, received the heavenly Kingdom from Jehovah God.

Note: 1914 is based on the bogus date of 607 BCE for the destruction of Jerusalem.

 

Page 17-18: Yes, and in a conclusive way, when they witness the destruction of the inimical religious harlot, Babylon the Great, and when these resurrected anointed ones share with Jesus in shepherding the nations "with an iron rod" and in crushing the head of Satan. They will thus have a part in fulfilling the final detail of the prophecy at Genesis 3:15. - Revelation 2:26, 27; 17:14; 18:20, 21; Romans 16:20.

Correction: The "head of Satan" was crushed when Jesus said "It is Finished."

John 16:11 "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."

Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Page 18: In the fourth vision in the book of Revelation, the apostle John saw the destructive winds of Jehovah's judgment held back while the sealing of all members of "the Israel of God" was being completed.

Note: Those Jews who are sealed are from the twelve tribes of Israel.

Revelation 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

 

Page 18: In that same vision, John saw "a great crowd which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues...crying with a loud voice, saying: 'Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.'" (Revelation 7:9, 10)

Note: The Watchtower is in violation of the Word of God.

Page 18: This great crowd was recognized back in 1935, and today it numbers more than five million.

 

Page 19: Christians of the great crowd are among the "other sheep" in Jesus' illustration of the sheepfolds. They hope to live forever on a paradise earth.

Correction: The "other sheep" Gentiles will be combined with believing Jews to form one flock.

John 10:16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."

 

Page 19: For the 144,000, the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant is administered through the new covenant. As participants in this covenant, they come "under undeserved kindness" and "under law toward Christ." (Romans 6:15; 1 Corinthians 9:21)

Note: By limiting the new covenant to just 144,000, the Watchtower will be judged by God.

Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

 

Page 19: Hence, only the 144,000 members of the Israel of God have properly partaken of the emblems during the Memorial of Jesus' death, and only with them did Jesus make his covenant for a Kingdom. (Luke 22:19, 20, 29) Members of the great crowd are not participants in the new covenant.

Correction: There is no partiality with God.

Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.

 

Page 19: However, Paul said to anointed Hebrew Christians: "There remains a sabbath resting for the people of God.

Page 19: Anointed Gentile Christians enjoy the same rest by subjecting themselves to Jehovah's righteousness.

Page 19: The great crowd join them in that rest.

Correction: There is no partiality with God.

Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Page 20: God does not adopt them as spiritual sons, as he does the 144,000. But he does declare the other sheep righteous, in the sense that Abraham was declared righteous as God's friend.

Correction: There is no partiality with God.

Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

 

Page 20: For the 144,000, being declared righteous opens the way to their having the hope of ruling with Jesus in the heavenly Kingdom. (Romans 8:16, 17; Galatians 2:16) For the other sheep, being declared righteous as God's friends allows them to embrace the hope of everlasting life in a paradise earth - either by surviving Armageddon as part of the great crowd or through the 'resurrection of the righteous.' (Acts 24:15)

Correction: There is no partiality with God.

Romans 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.

Note: One can escape Armageddon by placing their trust in Jesus not a organization.

Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

 

Page 20-21: Today, those earnestly looking for Jesus include surviving anointed Christians of the Israel of God and the millions making up the great crowd, who also have an everlasting inheritance. Both classes thank God for the new covenant and for the life-giving blessings associated with it, including the greater Atonement Day and the ministry of the High Priest, Jesus, in the heavenly Most Holy.

Correction: There are no classes with God.

Colossians 3:11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

 

Page 22: What happens when the last of the 144,000 realize their heavenly hope? Will the new covenant cease to apply? At that time, there will be on earth no remaining member of the Israel of God.

Correction: Anointed Christians will be here throughout all generations.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the congregations by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 

Page 22: They also will have to love the name of Jehovah, ministering to him, offering acceptable sacrifices, and rendering sacred service in his house of prayer.

Correction: Now God is getting very specific about the name for people to love which is Jesus.

John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 

Backcover: Why does Dr. BeDuhn use the Kingdom Interlinear translation in his college courses? He answers: "Simply put, it is the best interlinear New Testament available."

Note: Doctor Jason BeDuhn "earned" his doctorate by writing his dissertation titled "The Metabolism of Salvation: The Manichaean in Ascesis and Ritual" in June 1995 from Indiana U.

 

MAIN INDEX

BIBLE INDEX

HINDU INDEX

MUSLIM INDEX

MORMON INDEX

BUDDHISM INDEX

WORD FAITH INDEX

WATCHTOWER INDEX

MISCELLANEOUS INDEX

CATHOLIC CHURCH INDEX