Page 4: IN RESPONSE to that loving overture, the apostle John wrote: "We love (God), because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19) But for us personally to draw close to God, we must take certain steps.
Note: The first and only step is to be sincerely in love with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6:24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Page 4: God has many wonderful qualities, some of the most outstanding being his love, wisdom, justice, and power. His wisdom and power are abundantly demonstrated both in the distant universe and in the world around us, from mighty galaxies to tiny atoms.
Note: Have you recognized Jesus Christ as the wisdom and power of God?
1 Corinthians 1:22-24 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Page 4: Jehovah glories in the fact that the exercise of his sovereignty and the support of it by his intelligent creatures are based primarily on love. (1 John 4:8) True, Jehovah is the Universal Sovereign, but he treats humans, especially his loyal servants, as a loving father treats his children. (Matthew 5:45)
Note: Have you recognized Jesus Christ as the Universal Sovereign?
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."
Page 4: He spares nothing that is for their good. (Romans 8:38, 39) As mentioned, he even gave the life of his only-begotten Son in our behalf. Yes, God's love is the reason we exist and have the prospect of eternal life. - John 3:16.
Note: Have you recognized that the love of God is centered upon Jesus Christ?
Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Page 4: Jesus gave us deep insight into God's personality because he perfectly imitated his Father. (John 14:9-11) He was totally unselfish, considerate, and thoughtful.
Correction: Jesus Christ is the exact image of the Father.
John 14:8-10 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works."
Page 5: Likewise, God's Word should be precious to us, just as it was to the psalmist who sang: "How I do love your law! All day long it is my concern." - Psalm 119:97.
Note: Do you recognize Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the law?
Galatians 3:24-25 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Page 5: Good communication is the lifeblood of any relationship. It involves speaking and listening - and not just with the mind but with the heart as well. We speak to the Creator by means of prayer, which is worshipful address to God.
Note: Do you pray to Jesus Christ?
John 14:13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
Page 5: Jehovah delights in the prayers of those who love and serve him and who acknowledge Jesus Christ as His chief representative. - Psalm 65:2; John 14:6, 14.
Note: Are you serving Jesus Christ?
Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the good news of God
Page 5: By having his interactions with humans recorded in this way, Jehovah has painted an exceptionally detailed portrait of his personality. He reveals his love, joy, sorrow, disappointment, anger, mercy concern - yes, the range of his thoughts and feelings, and the underlying reasons for these - all in a way humans can readily understand. - Psalm 78:3-7.
Note: The personality of God is His soul.
Isaiah 42:1 "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."
Page 5: After you have read a portion of God's Word, how can you benefit from your reading? And, in particular, how can you draw closer to God?
Answer: Get to personally know Jesus Christ.
John 8:19 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."
Page 5: First, think about what you have read and learned about God as a person, letting the points reach your heart. Then in prayer tell Jehovah your thoughts and innermost feelings about the material you have considered and how you will try to benefit from it.
Note: Do you pray to Jesus Christ?
John 14:14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
Pages 5-6: Yet, they loved God's laws and principles, and they lived in harmony with God's purpose. Jehovah is drawn to such ones, and he cares for them, as shown at Psalm 32:8: "I shall make you have insight and instruct you in the way you should go. I will give advice with my eye upon you."
Note: Do you recognize Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the law?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Page 6: Jehovah kept his promise and directed Simeon to the infant Jesus, brought by His parents to the temple in Jerusalem. Thrilled and deeply appreciative, Simeon embraced the infant and prayed: "Now, Sovereign Lord, you are letting your slave go free in peace according to your declaration; because my eyes have seen your means of saving." - Luke 2:25-35.
Note: Blessings from God will be upon you for your sincere belief in Jesus Christ.
John 20:29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Page 6: While God rejoices in those who love him, he feels hurt when humans turn away from him and follow a course of wrongdoing. Genesis 6:6 tells us that Jehovah "felt hurt at his heart" because of the badness of mankind before the Flood of Noah's day. Later, disobedient Israelites repeatedly "put God to the test, and they pained even the Holy One of Israel," says Psalm 78:41.
Note: The personality of God is His soul.
Jeremiah 12:7 "I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies."
Pages 6-7: Many religions and an increasing number of Bible translations fail to use and make known God's personal name. (Psalm 83:18) Yet, in the original Hebrew text, that name - Jehovah - appears about 7,000 times! (Inconsistently, while removing the divine name, most Bible translators retain the names of the many false gods mentioned in the original text, such as Baal, Bel, Merodach, and even Satan!
Note: Jehovah is not the name of God.
JEHOVAH, name of the God of the Hebrew people as erroneously transliterated from the Masoretic Hebrew text. The word consists of the consonants YHVH or YHWH, with the vowels of a separate word, Adonai (Lord). Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia, Volume 15, page 24.
Page 7: Some people feel that the omission of God's name is a trivial matter. But think: Is it harder or easier to develop a close, enlightened relationship with a nameless person?
Correction: Jesus Christ is not a nameless person.
John 14:7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."
Page 7: Such titles as God and Lord (which are also used of false gods) might draw attention to Jehovah's power, authority, or position, but only his personal name identifies him unequivocally.
Correction: Jesus Christ is not a nameless person.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Page 7: The personal name of the true God captures his qualities and characteristics. Theologian Walter Lowrie rightly stated: "A man who does not know God by name does not really know him as a person."
Correction: Jesus Christ is not a nameless person.
Revelation 2:13 "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells."
Page 7: "When I first saw God's name in the Bible, I wept. I was so moved by the knowledge that I could actually know and use the personal name of God." Maria continued to study the Bible, and for the first time in her life, she got to know Jehovah as a person and was able to build a lasting relationship with him.
Correction: Jesus Christ is not a nameless person.
Philippians 3:8-11 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Page 7: Yes, we can "draw close to God," even though we cannot see him with our literal eyes. We can "see" his exquisitely beautiful personality in our minds and hearts and thereby grow in our love for him. Such love "is a perfect bond of union." - Colossians 3:14.
Note: True love for God will be centered upon Jesus Christ.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
Page 8: After the apostles died, true worship became contaminated by the progressive development of many forms of imitation Christianity. Foreseeing this, Jesus disclosed one way to distinguish these counterfeit forms of Christianity from true Christianity. First, he warned: "Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to you in sheep's covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves." Then he added: "By their fruits you will recognize them." (Matthew 7:15-23)
Note: The Watch Tower is a false prophet and thus a counterfeit form of Christianity.
Watchtower, August 15, 1968, page 494. WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO 1975? WHAT about all this talk concerning the year 1975? Lively discussions, some based on speculation, have burst into flame during recent months among serious students of the Bible. Their interest has been kindled by the belief that 1975 will mark the end of 6,000 years of human history since Adam's creation.
Pages 8-9: Jesus' true followers practice what he taught, and they are easily recognized by their fine fruits. Just as Jesus himself did, they visit people to explain God's Kingdom from the Scriptures. Following Jesus' example, they stand apart from the world's politics and social controversies.
Correction: Jesus Christ wants Christians to help people caught in social turmoil.
Luke 10:33-37 "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.' So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Page 9: They accept the Bible as God's Word and respect it as the truth. They make God's name known.
Note: True Christians will make the name of the Lord Jesus Christ known.
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
Page 9: According to the Scriptures, it is possible to "see the distinction between a righteous one and a wicked one, between one serving God and one who has not served him." (Malachi 3:18)
Note: Are you serving Jesus Christ or the Watch Tower?
Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Page 9: True worshipers today are united in thought and deed, just as the first-century Christians were. (Ephesians 4:4-6) Once you identify such a body of genuine Christians, why should you be inquisitive or curious about the beliefs of others?
Note: First-century Christians were exhorted to know the love of Christ.
Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Page 9: The Bible acknowledges that even after learning Bible truth, there is a danger of spiritual contamination from false teachings. The apostle Paul warned: "Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) What a graphic picture this text paints! Like beasts wanting to carry you off and devour you, false teachers can pose a real danger.
Note: False teachers will tell you that Jesus Christ is not God in human flesh.
Colossians 2:8-10 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Page 9: It is one thing to inform yourself about the origins and beliefs of false religions but quite another to feed on them. Jehovah has appointed "the faithful and discreet slave" to provide teaching based on his Word. (Matthew 4:4; 24:45)
Note: The Watch Tower is not expecting the physical return of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:44-46 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 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 9: After speaking of "the faithful and discreet slave" that represents the body of anointed Christians, Jesus spoke of the "evil slave," a class that complains, "my master is delaying," and starts to beat its fellow slaves. (Matthew 24:48, 49)
Note: The Watch Tower is not expecting the physical return of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:50-51 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Page 9: Often, these individuals and their followers have no clear teachings of their own; they are interested only in destroying the faith of others. Concerning them, the apostle John wrote: "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him." - 2 John 10; 2 Corinthians 11:3, 4, 13-15.
Note: As God, the Father and the Son are of the same substance per Christian doctrine.
2 John 1:9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
Page 9: Sincere people who are searching for the truth do well to consider carefully what they hear from different religions. In time, God will bless honesthearted individuals who seek the truth.
Note: Have you found Jesus Christ?
Ephesians 4:20-21 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Page 9: Having found this knowledge of God through the Bible and the Christian congregation and having seen how Jehovah blesses those who are guided by that knowledge, true Christians do not continue listening to false religious teachings. - 2 Timothy 3:14.
Note: When will you stop listening to the false religious teachings of the Watch Tower?
2 Timothy 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Page 10: The Bible contains what we need to know about God: information about his personality, his purposes, and his requirements for us. It has the best counsel on family life and daily conduct. It details prophecies that were fulfilled in the past, are being fulfilled now, and will be fulfilled in the future.
Note: Prophecies being fulfilled now is a Watch Tower private interpretation.
2 Peter 3:14-16 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable (new light) people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
Page 10: Of paramount importance in the Bible is its theme: the vindication of God's sovereignty (his right to rule) by means of his heavenly Kingdom. Jesus made that the focal point of his ministry.
Correction: Jesus Christ made the salvation of mankind his focal point of His ministry.
Luke 19:10 "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Page 10: "Jesus commenced preaching and saying: 'Repent, you people, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.'" (Matthew 4:17) He showed what place it should have in our lives, urging: "Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness." (Matthew 6:33)
Note: Have you received the spiritual kingdom of God into your life?
Mark 10:15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Note: Have you received Jesus Christ into your life?
John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Page 10: He also showed how important it is by teaching his followers to pray to God: "Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." - Matthew 6:10.
Note: Have you received the spiritual kingdom of God into your life?
Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Page 11: Why is the Kingdom of God of such great importance to humans? Because it will soon take an action that will forever change the rulership of this earth.
Correction: The spiritual kingdom of God has been taking the rulership of people's hearts.
Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
Page 11: The prophecy at Daniel 2:44 states: "In the days of those kings (now ruling on earth) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom (a government in heaven) that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms (earthly governments), and it itself will stand to times indefinite." When God's heavenly Kingdom rules completely, never again will humans control the earth. Divisive and unsatisfactory human rule will forever be a thing of the past.
Correction: The literal kingdom of God will be on the earth at Jerusalem.
Zechariah 14:16-17 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.
Page 11: The Chief Ruler in the heavenly Kingdom, under Jehovah's immediate direction, is the one best qualified - Christ Jesus. Before coming to earth, he existed in heaven as God's "master worker," being the first of all God's creations. (Proverbs 8:22-31)
Correction: Jesus Christ is not a woman as wisdom is personified in context.
Proverbs 8:1-3 Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors:
Correction: Jesus Christ was never a created being.
Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."
Page 11: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and upon the earth." (Colossians 1:15, 16)
Note: God alone created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
Page 11: And when Jesus was sent to earth by God, he did God's will at all times. He endured the most difficult of tests and died faithful to his Father. - John 4:34; 15:10.
Note: Are you in the will of the Father through sincere belief in the Son?
John 6:40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Page 11: For his loyalty to God even to death, Jesus was rewarded. God resurrected him to heaven and gave him the right to be King of the heavenly Kingdom. (Acts 2:32-36)
Note: The Father resurrected the body of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but
through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the
dead),
Note: The Son resurrected the body of Jesus Christ from the dead.
John 2:19-21 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
Note: The Holy Spirit raised the body of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Page 11: As the King of the Kingdom, Christ Jesus will have the awesome assignment from God to lead myriads of powerful spirit creatures in removing human rule from the earth and ridding our globe of all wickedness. (Proverbs 2:21, 22; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-3) Then God's heavenly Kingdom under Christ will be the ruling authority, the only government over the entire earth. - Revelation 11:15.
Correction: Jesus Christ will ruling the earth from Jerusalem after His physical return.
Ezekiel 46:9 "But when the people of the land come before the LORD on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate; and whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate."
Page 11: God's Word says of earth's new Ruler: "To him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him."
Note: Are you serving Jesus Christ now?
Ephesians 6:5-6 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Page 11: What a blessing it will be to have a Ruler who rules with love, justice, and righteousness! Thus, 2 Peter 3:13 foretells: "There are new heavens (God's heavenly Kingdom) and a new earth (a new earthly society) that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell."
Correction: There will be new heavens and earth since the old ones are destroyed.
2 Peter 3:11-12 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
Page 11: Surely God's Kingdom is the very best news for all who love what is right. That is why, as part of the sign that we now live in "the last days" of this wicked system, Jesus foretold: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Matthew 24:14)
Correction: Jesus Christ is the "good news" of the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the good news which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
Page 11: That prophecy is being fulfilled now, as about six million Jehovah's Witnesses in 234 lands devote more than a billion hours a year telling others about God's Kingdom. Appropriately, each of their places of worship is called a Kingdom Hall. There, people come to learn of the incoming new government.
Note: The Watch Tower has placed Jehovah's Witnesses under a curse of God.
Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other good news to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Page 12: There will be associate rulers with Christ Jesus in God's heavenly Kingdom. Revelation 14:1-4 foretold that 144,000 persons were to be "bought from among mankind" and resurrected to heavenly life.
Correction: The 144,000 persons are on the earth during the great tribulation.
Revelation 6:17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Revelation 7:1-4 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 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 12: These include men and women who, instead of being served, humbly served God and fellow humans. "They will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years." (Revelation 20:6)
Correction: The 144,000 will be men who have never been married.
Revelation 14:4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
Page 12: Their number is much smaller than the "great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues" who will survive this system's end. These too render God "sacred service day and night," but they do not have a heavenly calling. (Revelation 7:9, 15) They form the nucleus of the new earth as subjects of God's heavenly Kingdom. - Psalm 37:29; John 10;16.
Correction: The "great crowd" is in heaven during the great tribulation.
Revelation 19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!"
Page 12: In choosing those who would rule with Christ in heaven, Jehovah selected faithful humans who had experienced life with all its problems. There is virtually nothing that people have been through that these king-priests have not also experienced. So their life on earth will enhance their ability to rule over humans.
Correction: The Father has chosen people who have put their sincere belief in the Son.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our good news, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Page 12: Even Jesus himself "learned obedience from the things he suffered." (Hebrews 5:8) The apostle Paul said about him: "We have as high priest, not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in all aspects like ourselves, but without sin."
Note: Jesus Christ in His humanity learned obedience but in His deity is the source of life.
Hebrews 5:9-11 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek," of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
Page 12: Was the heavenly Kingdom part of God's original purpose when he created Adam and Eve? In the Genesis creation account, there is no mention of a Kingdom that would rule mankind. Jehovah himself was their Ruler, and as long as they obeyed him, there was no need for any other rulership. Genesis chapter 1 shows that Jehovah, likely through his firstborn heavenly Son, dealt with Adam and Eve. The account uses such expressions as "God said to them" and "God wen on to say" to them. - Genesis 1:28, 29; John 1:1.
Note: Will you acknowledge Jesus Christ as God? You can run but you can't hide!
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Page 13: Since God can keep track of all these heavenly bodies, surely it would be no problem for him to keep track of a far smaller number of humans. Even now, millions of his servants pray to him daily. Those prayers reach God instantly.
Note: Have you prayed to Jesus Christ?
John 14:14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
Page 13: Sadly, our first parents decided that they did not need God as their Ruler, and they chose to live independently from him. As a result, God no longer sustained them in perfection. They were now like an electric appliance cut off from its source of power. So in time, they would slow down and stop - in death.
Note: True Christians are plugged into Jesus Christ as their source of power.
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
Page 13: "The Rock (Jehovah), perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice .... They have acted ruinously on their own part; they are not his children, the defect is their own." (Deuteronomy 32:4, 5) True, Adam and Eve were influenced but they had perfect minds and could have rejected his wrong suggestions. - Genesis 3:1-19; James 4:7.
Note: True Christians will acknowledge Jesus Christ as God.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
Page 13: The 20th century proved that. It was filled with vicious hatreds and the most violence, warfare, hunger, poverty, and suffering of any time in history. And no matter what medical advances have been made, sooner or later everyone dies. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10)
Note: Are you enjoying life in the context of Ecclesiastes chapter 9?
Ecclesiastes 9:7-9 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works. Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
Pages 13-14: By trying to direct their own steps, humans have allowed themselves to become prey to Satan and his demons, so much so that the Bible calls Satan "the god of this system of things." - 2 Corinthians 4:4.
Note: Satan has used the Watch Tower to blind the minds of Jehovah's Witnesses.
2 Corinthians 4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Page 14: But Jehovah required humans to use that gift of free will responsibly, to see the wisdom of doing his will and remaining subject to him. (Galatians 5:13) So freedom was not to be absolute, as that would result in anarchy. There was to be a regulating of it within the boundaries of God's benevolent laws.
Note: Will you use your free will to help others?
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word (love), even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Page 14: This is because our minds and bodies were designed by Jehovah to work best when in harmony with his laws. "I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk." (Isaiah 48:17)
Note: The Watch Tower has placed Jehovah's Witnesses under a curse from God.
Galatians 3:10-11 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
Pages 14-15: But because of their bad choice, humans alienated themselves from Jehovah, becoming imperfect, degenerating, and dying. So they would need to be redeemed from that sad condition and brought back into a proper relationship with God as his sons and daughters. The agency God chose to accomplish this is the Kingdom, and the Redeemer is Jesus Christ.
Correction: True Christians have a proper relationship with the Father through the Son.
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
Page 15: Through this arrangement, truly repentant ones - like the prodigal son of Jesus' illustration - will be reconciled to God and accepted back by him as his children.
Correction: Children of God have placed their sincere belief and trust in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Page 15: Without fail, Jehovah's will is going to be accomplished on earth. (Isaiah 14:24, 27; 55:11) By means of his Kingdom under Christ, God will fully vindicate (justify or prove) his right to be our Sovereign.
Correction: The will of God is being accomplished in the life's of true Christians.
1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Page 15: The Kingdom will bring an end to human and demon rule over this earth, and it alone will rule from heaven for a thousand years. (Romans 16:20; Revelation 20:1-6.
Correction: Jesus Christ will rule the earth for a thousand years.
Revelation 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Page 15: WHEN Jesus taught his followers to pray for God's Kingdom, he knew that its coming would bring an end to thousands of years of human rule independent from God. During all that time, God's will was not being done on earth in general. (Psalm 147:19, 20)
Correction: The spiritual kingdom of God was given at Pentecost.
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Page 15: But after the establishment of the Kingdom in heaven, God's will is to be done everywhere. The time for the awe-inspiring transition from human rule to God's heavenly Kingdom rule is getting very near.
Correction: The spiritual kingdom of God has been ruling in the hearts of true Christians.
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Page 16: At the beginning of the great tribulation, something will happen that will be a severe shock to most people on earth: the destruction of all false religion. That will not be a shock to Jehovah's Witnesses, for they have long anticipated this. (Revelation 17:1, 15-17; 18:1-24)
Correction: The destruction of false religion occurs after world-wide environmental disasters.
Revelation 8:7-11 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
Page 16: The great tribulation ends at Armageddon when God's Kingdom crushes the entire Satanic system. - Daniel 2:44; Revelation 16:14, 16.
Correction: The great tribulation ends at Armageddon when Jesus Christ physically returns.
Matthew 24:30 "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."
Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
Page 16: What will this mean to people "who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news" about this heavenly Kingdom in the hands of Christ? (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9)
Correction: The good news is about the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Note: In the future, Jesus Christ will be taking vengeance upon the Watch Tower.
Page 16: Bible historian Henry H. Halley noted: "The worship of Baal, Ashtoreth, and other Canaanite gods consisted in the most extravagant orgies; their temples were centers of vice."
Note: Dr. Henry H. Halley believed that Jesus Christ is God.
God became a Man in order to win man to himself. God could have made man with an instinct to do His will; but he chose rather to give man the power to decide for himself his attitude his Creator. But God is a spirit; and man is hedged in by the limitations of a material body, and has scant conception of what a Spirit is. So, the Creator came to his creatures in the form of one of them to give them an idea of the kind of being He is. God is like Jesus. Jesus is like God.
HALLEY'S BIBLE HANDBOOK, page 529.
Pages 16-17: Just as God cleansed Canaan, he will soon cleanse the entire earth and give it to those who do his will. "The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth." (Proverbs 2:21, 22)
Note: Are you blameless before the Father through sincere faith and belief in the Son?
Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.
Page 17: Also removed will be Satan, so that "he might not mislead the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended." (Revelation 20:1-3) Yes, "the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever." - 1 John 2:17.
Note: Have you acknowledged the Son in your life?
1 John 2:23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Page 17: Summing up the grand hope for those who want to live forever on earth, Jesus said: "Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)
Correction: The Christian hope is in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Page 18: After Armageddon, God's Kingdom will usher in a marvelous "new earth" in which "righteousness is to dwell." (2 Peter 3:13) What a tremendous relief it will be for Armageddon survivors to be rid of this oppressive wicked system of things!
Correction: True Christians will be martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ.
Revelation 13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Page 18: How delighted they will be to have entered the righteous new world under the heavenly Kingdom government, with marvelous blessings and everlasting life in view!-Revelation 7:9-17.
Correction: If you miss Jesus Christ you will miss eternal life.
1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Pages 18-19: When he was on earth, Jesus demonstrated his ability to do those things by the power that God had given him. With the backing of the holy spirit, Jesus went throughout the land healing the lame and curing the sick. - Matthew 15:30, 31.
Note: As God, Jesus Christ forgave sins.
Mark 2:7-11 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"; He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
Page 19: Jesus did even more. He raised the dead. How did humble people react? When he resurrected a 12-year-old girl, her parents "were beside themselves with great ecstasy."
Note: As God, Jesus Christ will raise the dead to eternal life.
John 5:21 "For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will."
Page 19: This was another example of what Jesus will do earth wide under Kingdom rule, for then "there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous." (Acts 24:15) Imagine the great ecstasy when group after group of the dead come back to life and are reunited with their loved ones!
Correction: Unrighteous people are judged and are not given eternal life.
Revelation 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Page 19: No doubt there will be a great educational work under Kingdom supervision so that "the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea." - Isaiah 11:9.
Correction: The only educational work required is your sincere belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
Page 19: At the end of the thousand years, Jehovah will allow perfect humans to exercise their free choice as to whom they want to serve. The Bible shows that "Satan will be let loose out of his prison." He will again try to mislead humans, some of whom will choose independence from God.
Page 19: On the other hand, likely the vast majority of people will choose to uphold Jehovah's sovereignty. With every rebel annihilated, the righteous will stand before Jehovah, having passed the final test of loyalty.
Correction: Most people on the earth will rebel against the rule of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 20:7-9 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
Page 19: These loyal ones will then be accepted by Jehovah as his sons and daughters. They therefore come back into the relationship that Adam and Eve had with God before they rebelled. Hence, Romans 8:21 will be fulfilled: "The creation itself (humankind) also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God."
Correction: True Christians are accepted now by God as the Spirit gives assurance of salvation.
Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Page 20: Jehovah encourages those of the earthly class to have this hope of life in Paradise as part of their faith in him. While the issue of Jehovah's sovereignty is more important, he does not ask people to serve him with no prospect of a reward.
Correction: There are no classes of persons with God.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality."
Correction: True Christians have their hope in Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,
Note: True Christians will place their faith in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."
Correction: The salvation of mankind is the issue not the sovereignty of God.
John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
Note: Rewards will be handed out in heaven! Will you be there?
Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Page 20: Throughout the Bible, loyalty to God and the hope of eternal life are inseparably bound together as necessary parts of a Christian's faith in God. "He that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him." - Hebrews 11:6.
Correction: Sincere belief in Jesus Christ is the necessary part of the Christian faith.
John 8:21-24 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come." So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?" And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins."
Page 20: Jesus said: "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." (John 17:3) Here he tied in knowing God and his purposes with the reward that this brings.
Note: The Watch Tower has replaced a verb with a noun in the New World Translation.
John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
Note: Do you know God with your heart?
Page 20: As an example, when a wrongdoer asked to be remembered after Jesus came into his Kingdom, Jesus said: "You will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43) He did not tell the man to have faith even if he did not get a reward.
Correction: The man demonstrated his faith in Jesus Christ through his sincere belief.
Luke 23:40-43 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Page 20: He knew that Jehovah wants his servants to have the hope of everlasting life on a paradise earth to help sustain them as they meet with various trials in this world. Thus, looking forward to the reward is a vital help in enduring as a Christian.
Note: Rewards will be handed out in heaven! Will you be there?
Matthew 6:1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven."
Page 20: Since the Kingdom was a subsidiary government that Jehovah used to bring the earth and its human inhabitants into perfection and reconciliation to him, what role is there for the King Jesus Christ and the 144,000 kings and priests after the Millennium?
Answer: The Father and the Son will be the focus of mankind.
Revelation 21:22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
Page 20: When Christ hands over the Kingdom to God, how are the scriptures to be understood that speak of it as a lasting forever? The Kingdom's accomplishments will endure forever. Christ will be honored forever because of his role in working for the vindication of God's sovereignty.
Correction: The salvation of mankind is the issue not the sovereignty of God.
John 3:14-15 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
Page 20: But since sin and death are then completely removed, and mankind has been redeemed, this ends the need for him as a Redeemer.
Correction: True Christians have an everlasting covenant through the death of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Page 20: The Millennial Rule of the Kingdom will also have been fully accomplished; so there will no longer be a need for a subsidiary government to remain between Jehovah and obedient mankind. Thus, "God may be all things to everyone." - 1 Corinthians 15:28.
Note: Is Jesus Christ "first place" in your life now?
Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Page 20: What future role will Christ and his joint rulers have after the Millennial Reign is completed? The Bible does not say. Yet, we can be certain that Jehovah will give them many further privileges of service throughout his creation.
Correction: Together as God, the Father and Son will rule together forever and ever.
Revelation 22:3-5 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
Page 20: May all of us today uphold Jehovah's sovereignty and be granted eternal life, so that in the future, we will be alive to find out what Jehovah has purposed for the King and his fellow kings and priests, as well as for his entire awesome universe!
Correction: True Christians will uphold Jesus Christ and be granted eternal life.
1 John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life; the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us; that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Page 21: THEOLOGIANS, not to speak of people in general, have any number of ideas about the identity of God's holy spirit. Yet, such uncertainty is unnecessary. The Bible clearly explains what the holy spirit is. Rather than being a person, as some claim, it is the powerful active force that God uses to carry out his will. - Psalm 104:30; Acts 2:33; 4:31; 2 Peter 1:21.
Correction: God is a real person not a force.
Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
Page 21: Anticipating his departure from earth, Jesus reassured his disciples: "I will request the Father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever." And again: "Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth, It is for your benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away, the helper will by no means come to you; but if I do go my way, I will send him to you."
Note: The Greek word for helper is parakletos that refers to a real person.
parakletos defined: intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter. Strong's 3875.
Note: Using Watch Tower logic, Jesus Christ is just a strong active force.
John 14:16-17 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He (not it) may abide with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him (not it) nor knows Him (not it); but you know Him (not it), for He (not it) dwells with you and will be in you."
Note: According to the above verses, the Watch Tower is of the world.
Page 21: Jesus gave his disciples a serious commission by instructing them: "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19, 20) No easy task this, for it was to be accomplished in the face of opposition.
Note: True Christians suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 10:22 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved."
Page 21: Opposition from outside was to be accompanied by a degree of friction from within the congregation. "Now I exhort you, brothers," Paul wrote Christians in Rome about 56 C.E., "to keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them." (Romans 16:17, 18)
Note: True Christians will avoid the Watch Tower.
Romans 16:18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
Page 21: This situation would grow worse once the apostles died. Paul warned: "I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves." - Acts 20:29, 30.
Note: The oppressive Watch Tower teaches that Jesus Christ is not God.
Acts 20:28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."
Note: A force cannot turn people into Christian leaders. Only God can.
Page 21: God's help was needed to counteract these obstacles. He did so through Jesus. After his resurrection, on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., some 120 of his followers "all became filled with holy spirit." - Acts 1:15; 2:4.
Note: The Holy Spirit will help Christians to be Jesus Witnesses.
John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He (not it) will testify of Me."
Page 22: In short, the spirit was to lead his disciples to a better understanding of the truth. The apostle Paul later wrote: "It is to us God has revealed them through his spirit, for the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10) For Jesus' anointed followers to pass on accurate knowledge to others, their own understanding needed to be well - grounded.
Note: True Christians will be well-grounded in Jesus Christ and the significance of His death.
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Page 22: Third, the spirit was to assist Jesus' disciples in publicly defending the truth. He warned them: "They will deliver you up to local courts, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. Why, you will be haled before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them and the nations. However, when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you are to speak; for what you are to speak will be given you in that hour; for the ones speaking are not just you, but it is the spirit of your Father that speaks by you."
Note: True Christians will suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake."
Page 22: Once the Christian congregation was founded at Pentecost 33 C.E., Christ's followers became the "nation producing its fruits." From then on, this congregation was God's channel of communication. To enable people to recognize this transfer of divine favor, God provided an unmistakable identifying mark.
Note: The unmistakable identifying mark for Christians is to be Jesus Witnesses.
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."
Page 22: While Christians today realize that God is not now raising the dead and performing miracles as in the first century, they allow the fruitage of God's spirit to identify them as being genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 13:8.
Correction: God has not withdrawn the gifts provided by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Pages 22, 24: The Bible is a product of holy spirit. Thus, when we allow ourselves to be persuaded by the Bible, it is as though the holy spirit were instructing us. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) It can help us to make wise decisions. But do we let it?
Note: Has the Bible persuaded you to be saved by faith in Christ Jesus?
2 Timothy 3:14-15 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Page 24: The man David was obviously God's friend, for God described him as being "a man agreeable to (his) heart." (Acts 13:22) Ignoring outward appearance, God chose David to be king of Israel, according to the principle: "Not the way man sees is the way God sees, because mere man sees what appears to the eyes; but as for Jehovah, he sees what the heart is."
Note: True Christians are friends of Jesus Christ.
John 15:15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."
Page 24: The helper, God's holy spirit, gave powerful support to the work of Christians in the first century, including being their personal helper. Diligently studying God's Word, a product of holy spirit, is a prime way that we too can make the holy spirit our personal helper. Have we?
Note: The Holy Spirit will help Christians to be Jesus Witnesses.
Acts 9:17-20 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
Pages 25-26: Matthew reports that they asked: "Explain to us the illustration of the weeds in the field." In response, Jesus interpreted the parable, foretelling a great apostasy that would develop among his professed disciples. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-38, 43) This did occur, and apostasy spread quickly after the death of the apostle John. (Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12) Its effects were so pervasive that the question Jesus posed, as recorded at Luke 18:8, seemed very appropriate: "When the Son of Man arrives, will he really find the faith on the earth?"
Correction: This great apostasy is to happen at the end of the age.
Matthew 13:39-40 "The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age."
Page 26: Jesus' arrival would mark the beginning of "the harvest" of wheatlike Christians. That would be a mark of the 'conclusion of the system of things,' which began in 1914.
Note: 1914 is based on the bogus date of 607 B.C.E. for the destruction of Jerusalem.
Page 29: Grew, for example, appreciated the ransom provided by Jesus, but he did not understand that it was a "corresponding ransom," that is, the perfect human life of Jesus given in exchange for the lost perfect human life of Adam. (1 Timothy 2:6)
Correction: The Watch Tower does not understand that restoration is greater than the offense.
Exodus 22:1 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep."
Romans 5:20-21 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Note: Jesus Christ created Adam. Accordingly, Jesus Christ is far greater than Adam.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,