EXCLUSIVE DEVOTION TO THE GOD OF TRUTH

[Witness]

@Arauna - “So, aside from all the human imperfections we have to deal with - just like David, moses, Elijah and the nation of Israel....... God used them as a nation despite their infedility, immorality, idolatry and maybe even child sexual abuse...... unfortunately all forms of irregularities is part of life until jehovah removes the wicked forever.”

When God’s nation sinned, He abandoned them to the consequences of their sins. He didn’t tolerate idolatry, immorality, greed, victimization, etc., The number of evil kings far surpassed the number of good kings among Judah and Israel.   How many good “kings” have there been in the WT? This forum has brought out the ugliness of every head leader since Russel.  (Lam 2:14; Jer 14:14; Isa 56:10; Rev 17:9,10)

Today’s “Israel” who are to be spiritually “organized” as a body under their Head, Jesus Christ, has now succumbed to men’s “unique” idea (a1940’s revelation) of an earthly organization as the only path to salvation.  After 2,000 years, it appears God’s holy people believe Christ’s power to individually lead one to salvation through God’s approved way of worship, is now not possible. (1 Cor 12:27; 2 Cor 5:20; 1 Cor 4:1; 1 Pet 2:5,9; Mal 2:7; John 7:18,38; Rev 21:6; 22:17) A sin-laden brainstorm of men leads millions on a twisted path, which JWs view as the road to everlasting life.

“Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  John 14:5,6

As I recall the cry the organization makes to inactive ones: “Return to Jehovah!”, myself and many others are able to read between the lines, and detect the idol that the inactive, disfellowshipped and shunned ones are to return to - “Jehovah’s organization”.  Can God be placed in the same context to anything men build? 

 “Who will you compare me or make me equal to? Who will you measure me with, so that we should be like each other?    Isa 46:5

In light of this idolatry, the organization’s leaders carefully use due diligence to maintain their false haven of “peace and security”, since its many sins over the years are perpetually uncovered, and people are taking notice. (Luke 8:17)  It is one of several reasons why the “mountainlike organization” will not survive. (Ps 127:1; 1 John 2:17; Zech 4:7; Rev 8:8)

I was thinking of Arauna’s avatar when formulating this comment.  It reminds me of the situation David faced when he stubbornly counted all Israel – a practice the leaders of the WT repetitiously accomplish year after year. (1 Chron 21:1) I have noticed that the organization readily compares itself to historical Israel, usually applied to the time Moses led Israel; yet, the account in 1 Chron chapter 21 is treated with an apparent flippant attitude. Although it is taught that God similarly leads His people today by comparing the GB’s lead to that of Moses, God’s decrees seem to apply only when advantageous for the life and breath of the organization. They are heeded when convenient, to keep the members “moving ahead” with the organization.  (Exod 32:1,4; Judges 10:13,14)   Taking a census seems like such an innocent thing to do, a practicality necessary as all of today’s organizations in the world deem it to be. (Ezek 20:32-38) (Luke 4:5-7)

 “Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number.” 1 Chron 21:1,2

Each time God’s anger is said to “burn against Israel”, as is stated in 2 Sam 24:1 regarding this event, it was because of rebellion and idolatry.  He rejected them by removing His protective spirit and allowed the adversary to step in.  (Psalm 78)

In Exod 30:11-16, God gave specific directions about taking a census which in this case, David took no notice of.  Would JWs think of the routine census taken worldwide as evil? Well, perhaps they should, since the source of persuasion in David’s case, was Satan. Satan exhibits pride and greed. One of these Satanic attributes may have spurred David’s decision to count the number of Israelites.  What is the reason today’s leaders of “Israel” do so? To fuel pride in ‘Jehovah’s growing organization’?  To project graphs and statistics of future incoming donations and what they could possibly achieve with it?  (Phil 3:19)

But Joab said, “May YHVH add to the people a hundred times what they are! Are they not, O my lord the king, all of them the king’s servants? Why does my lord seek this? Why would he bring guilt to Israel?”     1 Chron 21:3

David was considered as one of the few good kings to rule God’s people, shepherding Israel “with integrity of heart” (Ps 78:72),but he still suffered the consequences of his failings, and so did all of Israel.

(This chart may be of interest:  https://adventbirmingham.org/wp-content/uploads/Chart-of-the-Kings-of-Israel-and-Judah.pdf)

 ^“Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem. ⁵ Joab gave the total troop registration to David. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 swordsmen and in Judah itself 470,000 swordsmen. ⁶ But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count because the king’s command was detestable to him. ⁷ This command was also evil in God’s sight, so He afflicted Israel.”  1 Chron 21:4-7

When David’s conscience came alive, he admitted his foolishness. (1 Chron 21:8) Still, he was given three choices to atone for his sin -

 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: ¹² three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—a plague on the land, the angel of the Lord bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.”  Vs 11,12

His decision not to fall into the hands of men, resulted in 70,000 Israelites killed by a plague. If the Bible examples are for our direction, why hasn’t the organization heeded this one -  a plague of destruction far surpassing that of Korah’s rebellion of 14,000 (Num 16:49) and the plague of Baal-Peor of 24,000 (Num 25:9; 1 Cor 10:8)?  (1 Cor 10:6)

God relented at the last moment and saved the entirety of Jerusalem from destruction by the Destroyer. All of this occurred not only because of a brazen act committed before God, but the apparent sinful practices of Israel which led to this destructive plague. (2 Sam 24:1) 

Yet, David focused on his own sin:

When David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell down with their faces to the ground. ¹⁷ David said to God, “Wasn’t I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? My Lord God, please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s family, but don’t let the plague be against Your people.” 1 Chron 21:16,17 

I really can’t imagine any JW leader, past or present, putting himself ahead of the sheep, by placing his neck on the chopping block for his wrongful actions. (Rom 5:6-8) But David saw the shocking literal effects of his sin. He witnessed the sword held in the angel’s hand, prepared to add victims to an already horrendous slaughter.   As JWs suffer among the nations of the world (which every JW should meditate on why this is so) they are told to keep their faith strong and continue in their loyalty to “Jehovah’s organization”; the work of man’s hands. (Lev 26:1; Exod 20:23; Jonah 2:8; Rom 1:25; Rev 13:4; 9:20)  It doesn’t appear that there is enough suffering in the organization worldwide, for its leaders to acknowledge their own guilt, of leading “Israel” and those with them, into sin, continual false teachings, and idolatry. 

The plague was detained by David’s obedience to God’s direction –

 ‘Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’ 

It was on that threshing floor on the mountain of Moriah, that Solomon built the temple for God. 2 Chron 3:1

Araunah, or Ornan used in 1 Chron 21:15, referred to himself as a king in 2 Sam 24:23

Both names have several meanings:

 Ornan --  " strong, that rejoices, light was perpetuated: their fir trees"

Araunah -  “ark, song, joyful cry, a large tree, Yah is Firm”

²² Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he want and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. ²³ Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” 2 Sam 24:22-23

²⁴ The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounce of silver. ²⁵ He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel ended.

At the coming of Jesus, John the Baptist compared God’s people to wheat and chaff on a threshing floor:

 ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Luke 3:17

Through the sacrifice of his life, Jesus willingly “bought” a people – a “land” of wheat to be threshed as faithful “living stones” of the Temple of God. (1 Pet 2:5,9)  And who also, in the footsteps of Christ, sacrifice their lives to do God’s will.  (Luke 8:15; Matt 13:38; Mark 4:20;1 Cor 3:9) (Rom 12:1; 1 Pet 2:5)

As the tree of light and life, he has refined a people of strong “trees” on a spiritual “threshing floor” since the first century, to serve with him in God’s Kingdom. (Gen 2:9; John 6:57;8:12; Rev 2:7; 22:14; Matt 12:33; Ezek 47:12; Rev 22:2)   Without this atonement, none of God’s people would have been saved from total destruction. (Luke 21:5,6; Matt 23:38,39;; Acts 3:22,23; John 2:18-21; Acts 3:25; Rom 9:6,7)

Rev 5:9,10 -  ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.”

1 Pet 2:5,9,10 - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house (“a temple of the Spirit”) to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

This new Temple is reaching completion, as the remaining anointed are being “sifted as wheat” on that symbolic, spiritual “threshing floor”. Today, the Great Tribulation is the time of threshing the remnant of God’s people “Israel”. (Luke 22:31; Rev 12:1-4,15-17; 16:13,14)  Entering the organization does not lead to a salvaged condition of the heart, as I believe many JWs think so.  Its existence is for one reason only, to incite God’s people to transgress His decrees, primarily by committing idolatry.

Never did Moses teach that an organization was the source of salvation.

I, I am YHVH,
and there is no other Savior but Me.
I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed—
and not some foreign god among you.  Isa 43:11,12a

God’s “Israel” today blindly permit men to lead them in this spiritual adultery, forgetting who “bought” them with his atoning sacrifice. They allow a “foreign god” and “thief” (John 10:10) to persuade their heart in exchanging the truth about salvation, for a lie.  (Ezek 32:8,4; Rom 1:20-22,25; 2 Thess 2:9; Rev 13:11,14,15,8)

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 1 Cor 7:23

^“ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Cor 6:19-20 

@Arauna also commented -  “I wait for ideal conditions when Jesus has restored the original purpose of God and given rulership back to Jehovah.”

Restoration happens now, amidst a plague of “locust/scorpions” (2 Thess 2:9,10; Joel 2:1-5; Rev 9:3,4,7) and famine, resulting from a wicked house steward restricting spiritual provisions to be received from all servants of the House. (2 Chron 15:3; Amos 8:11; Rev 6:5,6,8; 18; 13:17; Isa 55:2) (Luke 12:42-46)

Not only are God’s holy people committing idolatry, they are valuing the word of men over God’s decrees concerning His Temple, of which they as “living stones” under Christ, have submitted to the rule and judgment of a “Gentile” counterfeit priesthood, as dictated by false “christs”. (2 Thess 2:3,4; Rev 13:5-7,11,12; Matt 24:24) They are scattered among all JWs and readily accept their anonymous identity. (Jer 23:2; Lam 4:1,2) Because of all of this, the appearance of an “Elijah”, a role that also John the Baptist fulfilled, is again seen in the “two witnesses” preaching in “sackcloth”.  (Rev 11:3)

¹⁰ And the disciples asked him, saying, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹¹ And he answered and said, “Elijah indeed is coming, and will restore all things.” Matt 17:10

This servant of Christ reveals the sins of God’s people and the need to escape the coming destruction, at the hands of the Destroyer. (Rev 11:3,4) (John 10:10)  John preached to the nation of Israel, as do the “two witnesses” of Revelation – to spiritual “Israel”, and those with them. (Matt 10:23; Rev 11:3; 18:4-8)

The "two witnesses" are “killed” for their witness to Christ’s truth concerning the “abominations standing in God’s “holy place” (Dan 11:31,32,36; Matt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:4; Eccl 10:5-7)

“When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.”  Rev 11:7

“For you will be excommunicated from the synagogues, and indeed the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service.” John 16:2

“It was granted to him (by a false prophet/Beast, Rev 13:11) to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. Rev 13:7

“He (that false prophet) was granted power to give breath (direct spirit/”spirit-directed”) 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.”  Rev 13:15

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”  Matt 9:24

 “They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”  Luke 21:24

“Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. ^]And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.”  Rev 11:1,2 

JWs are taught that the two Beasts of Revelation are found in the world of “Christendom” and politics.  Not so. “Babylon” is the spiritual condition where God’s wayward people exist now, in a haven of confused teachings, resulting in spiritual famine, and idolatry to an organization. (Isa 28:7-15)  The anointed Temple of God is “trampled” by this Beast, the “man of lawlessness”/elder body/counterfeit priesthood that rules over them. (Dan 7:23 2 Thess 2:3,4; Rev 9:3,4;11:1-3)  These two Beasts, a false prophet and an organization, have been successful in applying pressure and persecution through the use of lying accusations against them, enough to extinguish any light of truth they may hold in their hearts. (Matt 5:14-16; Rev 13:5-7)

Why do God’s anointed priests tolerate men who dictate how they are to serve God?   It is because these men offer them the captivating false promise that eternal life is achieved through the organization, a promise God and His Son have never made.   (Isa 44:20; Col 2:8; Rev 13:10)

The Lord, the holy God of Israel,
    the one who shapes the future, says:
“You have no right to question me about my children
    or to tell me what I ought to do!
¹² I am the one who made the earth
    and created human beings to live there.
By my power I stretched out the heavens;
    I control the sun, the moon, and the stars.
¹³ I myself have stirred Cyrus to action
    to fulfill my purpose and put things right.
I will straighten out every road that he travels.
    He will rebuild my city, Jerusalem,
    and set my captive people free.
No one has hired him or bribed him to do this.”
The Lord Almighty has spoken.  Isa 45:11-13

Pearl Doxsey

I have learned from my own experience with Holy Spirit, that Satan has demanded to test all those elected by God (Luke 22:31; 1 Pet 4:12,13). As was the case with Job, God allows this (Job 1:8,9,12,22), that we might prove worthy of the calling (Luke 16:10; Matt 25:14,19,23,29,30;8:12) in the face of Satan's accusations (Job 1:11; 2:5; Zech 3:1; Rev 12:10).
I was clearly shown in vision, that our time in the WT is a test....
a great tribulation. The Greek word there, refers to the beating, threshing, crushing, and sifting of wheat by constraint, restraint, and opposition. This time is also referred to as a period of "labor pains", or "pangs of distress".
2347 thlípsis – properly, pressure (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that "hems someone in"; tribulation, especially internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, "without options") and carries the challenge of coping with the internal pressure of a tribulation, especially when feeling there is "no way of escape" ("hemmed in"). (Rev 13:10; Ezek 22:29,28; Isa 5:7; Rev 14:19)

 [By contrast, 4730 (stenoxōría) focuses on the external pressure exerted by external circumstances.]
Therefore, we are not without explanation as to why we were drawn into the WT. Satan has baited our test with the only thing that draws the chosen.....Bible Truth (Ps 119:103,72;19:9,10).
The best way to get someone to swallow 1/3 poison, is to put it inside something attractive (Rev 8:10,11; Jer 23:15).
The decades we spent inside the abyss of the WT was not without purpose (Isa 59:10,19-21; Ezek 14:21-23; Rev 6:8; Prov 17:3). When our loyalty (exclusive devotion) to the God of Truth is finally fully tested…
…we "wake up" and realize something is wrong, and we must act.
Despite the anticipated losses, those of faithful heart loyally cling to the God of Truth. Like Christ their exemplar, truth is more precious than our own lives (Mark 8:35). Like Christ, truth is more precious than conformity to those who rule over God's Chosen Nation under test (Matt 23:13).
(Luke 19:41-46; Rev 13:17,7)

Only those who make it all the way through the gamut/refining pot/crucible, are sealed as sons/heirs of God's Kingdom (Acts 14:22; Luke 13:23,24;Matt 7:14; 24:13)  

From Pearl Doxsey, "The Anointed Teaches Truth--How?

 “Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of grain (or other crop) from the chaff to which it is attached. It is the step in grain preparation after reaping. Threshing may be done by beating the grain using a flail on a threshing floor. Another traditional method of threshing is to make donkeys or oxen (beasts) walk in circles on the grain on a hard surface.” Wikipedia

Matt 24:48-51 – “ But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Revelation's Beasts are experts at circular reasoning, shaping scripture to fit their doctrines and calling it "truth". Babylon from long ago was destroyed because of idolatry, and foreigners who “entered the holy places of the Lord’s temple”. Jer 51:51-53  Today’s temple “living stones” under the covenant /promise of “Babylon” have apathetically allowed “Gentiles” to walk all over them, which has desecrated God’s Temple in Christ.  (Ezek 44:6-9; Isa 51:23; 1 Pet 2:5; 1 Cor 3:16,17)  As Pearl brought out, they have fully conformed to the rule of men. Gal 1:10

Rev 18:4-8 tells God's "saints" and companions to leave this confusion, ("babal") - to leave "Babylon" (the gate of gods).  Many have obeyed this call, desiring to follow the word of God over the word of man.  Matt 13:24-30

The cry to “come out of her my people” happened then…and is happening now.  Jer 51:45,46; Rev 18:4-8  

  Ephraim herds the wind
    and is pursuing the east wind all day long;
he multiplies deception and violence
    and he makes a treaty with Assyria,
    and oil is brought to Egypt. Hos 12:1

 A merchant loves to extort
with dishonest scales in his hands.
⁸ But Ephraim thinks,
“How rich I have become;
I made it all myself.
In all my earnings,
no one can find any iniquity in me
that I can be punished for!”  7,8

Ephraim has caused bitter provocation,
    and his Lord will hold him responsible for his crimes
    and pay back to him his insults. Hos 12:14

 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel.
But he incurred guilt through Baal and died. Hos 13:1

² Now they continue to sin
and make themselves a cast image,
idols skillfully made from their silver,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
People say about them,
“Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.”
³ Therefore, they will be like the morning mist,
like the early dew that vanishes,
like chaff blown from a threshing floor,
or like smoke from a window.  Hos 13:1-3

Israel, return to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled in your iniquity.
² Take words of repentance with you
and return to the Lord.
Say to him: “Forgive all our iniquity
and accept what is good,
so that we may repay you
with praise from our lips.
³ Assyria will not save us,
we will not ride on horses,
and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods!’
to the work of our hands.
For the fatherless receives compassion in you.”

⁴ I will heal their apostasy;
I will freely love them,
for my anger will have turned from him.
⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel;
he will blossom like the lily
and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ His new branches will spread,
and his splendor will be like the olive tree,
his fragrance, like the forest of Lebanon.
⁷ The people will return and live beneath his shade.
They will grow grain
and blossom like the vine.
His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

⁸ Ephraim, why should I have anything more
to do with idols?
It is I who answer and watch over him.
I am like a flourishing pine tree;
your fruit comes from me.

⁹ Let whoever is wise understand these things,
and whoever is insightful recognize them.
For the ways of the Lord are right,
and the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them.  Hos 14:1-9

 

 

 

 

[Witness]

17 hours ago, Witness said:

From Pearl Doxsey, "The Anointed Teaches Truth--How?

CORRECTION:

The article is correctly and completely titled, 

The Anointing Teaches Truth--How? / The "Refining Pot" / Who should partake, and when? / "Tribulation"

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