Proverbs 4:18, “But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.” (NWT)
Since the bright light is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established, should we expect to see changes, corrections and improvements in the Truth message?
Pastor Russell said, “We are living in the time during which God has been pouring in upon our hearts and minds all this joy, peace and blessing mentioned by the Prophet; but it did not happen in one hour, in one day, or in one year. It has been a gradual unfolding of Divine Truth. The path of the just shines more and more.” R5569 : page 330
Imagine yourself in a pitch black room. You cannot see the chair in front of you because it is too dark. In the dawn or morning, light from the sun gradual illuminates the room through the window. At first you can finally make out an object in the room. Then you can see it is a chair. As more light enters the room, you can see the color of the chair and other fine details. At no time does the chair change into a table.
In Pastor Russell’s day, the Truth never changed. It just became clearer as more harmonious details were filled in. The difference with today’s Jehovah’s Witnesses is that the Truth keeps changing; the chair changes into a table.
We would do well to take note of Deut 18, “21 And in case you should say in your heart: “How shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?” 22 when the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak. With presumptuousness the prophet spoke it. You must not get frightened at him.’” (NWT)
The 1920 JW booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die, declares, “…we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from the condition of death, being resurrected… Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old.” — pages 89-90
From 1966 to 1975 the Watchtower regularly implied that Armageddon would arrive in 1975.
“Just think, brothers, there are ONLY ABOUT NINETY MONTHS* LEFT before 6,000 years of mans existence on earth is completed… THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE LIVING TODAY will probably be alive when Armageddon breaks out, and there are no resurrection hopes for those who are destroyed then. So, now more than ever, it is vital not to ignore that spirit of wanting to do more.”
(Kingdom Ministry, March 1968, p. 4)
* Note: 1968 + 90 months = 1975
“The published timetable resulting from this independent study gives the date of man’s creation as 4026 B.C.E. According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man’s creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E.” Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God 1966 pp.26-30
“Yes, THE END of this system is SO VERY NEAR! Is that not reason to increase our activity?…Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes* and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. CERTAINLY THIS IS A FINE WAY TO SPEND THE SHORT TIME REMAINING BEFORE THE WICKED WORLD’S END.”
(Kingdom Ministry, May 1974, p. 3)
* Note: Selling homes appears to be encouraged in preparation for 1975
It is not our intention to continue on with a list the countless contradictions in JW publications. Many Christian websites attempt to do this, yet what do they have to offer you in place of what you now have. In their own churches not only will they will teach you hell, trinity and immortality of the soul, but open public discussion and the expression of different opinions will not be tolerated, especially not if you attempt to provide scriptural evidence. In the early days of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, this freedom of expression was permitted and encouraged. But in this regard, there is no longer much of a difference between JWs of today and the nominal churches.
In Pastor Russell’s day, the light did continually grow brighter. More harmonious details were filled in and added to the Truths already existing. But the Truth itself never changed.
does the Truth Change?
the truth does not change, what has changed is our understanding of that truth when Jehovah’s Witnesses started in the early 1800s they came out of darkness of the churches and their false beliefs so quite naturally their understanding of God’s wonderful light was dim at that time they couldn’t go from darkness to his wonderful light and understand the truth instantaneously is not what the Scriptures say it said the light keeps getting brighter and brighter which meant it was not that bright in terms of understanding from the beginning.I agree looking at some of the past publications the belief was 1975 would be Armageddon I agree the watchtower Society itself was not saying that but I believe they believed it. Quite naturally when 6000 years is up there’s only 1000 left and Christ is going to King it was going to rule 1000 years . The reason they thought that 1975 would be the end is they assume falsely that the woman was created at the same time the man was and when you read the scripture in Genesis it just says he created them male and female so you would assume it was at the same time but obviously it was not because when you’re looking at the Scriptures in Genesis it shows that Adam had work to do before the woman was created.Many publications that’s been mentioned life everlasting freedom sons of God booklet and other booklets and pamphlets and awakes and watchtower magazines was referring to 1975 as the end of 6000 years. But is this any different than Christ disciples who asked tell us when will these things be and even after Christ was resurrected and the book of acts just before he was to be ascended to heaven the disciples asked him was he restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time keep in mind this was after he was resurrected and just before his ascension to heaven that this question was asked over and over and over again he told his disciples that his kingdom was heavenly and not earthly yet here they are asking him was he going to restore the kingdom to Israel at this time.So even his disciples who were with Christ did not have complete understanding and the teacher was right there with them how much more so are his modern-day disciples Voight of complete understanding of his purposes.
BLESSINGS Peter K, Concerning Personal Pronouns I have not studied Greek so I am not able to understand the Greek translation,English translation I understand. In English each of Personal pronouns stand for the name of a person,a place or a thing. English has seven personal pronouns I,you,he,she,it,we,and they.All seven are subject form. They “DO” THE ACTION. Each of the seven personal pronouns has an object form. The object forms are: me,you,him,her,it,us,and them. They receive some kind of action. Some action happens to them. These Personal Pronouns are applied to the Holy Spirit in too many Scriptures and Bibles (N.I.V.,New Kings James, King James, Amplified, Good News, Moffatt, New English Bible ect.) for me to believe he is a mere force likened to electricity. Electricity doesn’t have the qualities of Speech Acts 8:29 : 13:2, Heb3:7 ;The Holy Spirit talks with other people, therefore he cannot be an unintelligent force!. John 16:13,26. The Holy Spirit is a helper,a teacher,a guide a speaker and a hearer, all of which clearly shows He is an intelligent person. In Grace and peace.
Sorry I still cannot see how the taking away of the Holy Spirit takes away personality because a person can also be taken away from you as above in my thinking the Holy Spirit is given all the attributes necessary for personhood, attributes that cannot be ascribed to the concept of a force alone. The Holy Spirit is said to have to have intellectual ability to know things,(1COR2-11) emotional capacity to feel things(ROMANS 15-30) and a will power to make choices.(11COR.12-11) PERSONAL PRONOUN I, HIM, HE, in John 14:15-17,also verse 25, John 16;13-15. Have a read and see what you think? In Love Essie.
Thanks Essie for sharing your thoughts. I think you would find the chapter on the Holy Spirit in “The Doctrine of Christ” book of interest here: http://www.bibletoday.com/booklets/dc.htm See chapter 3.
Quoting from this chapter we read the following:
Use of the Personal Pronoun
It is noted by some that there are abundant references in Scripture where the holy Spirit is referred to using the personal pronoun “he.” Even our Lord Jesus, in alluding to the work of the holy Spirit, according to the King James Version, used these words: “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. . . . But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost [Spirit], whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things” (John 14:16, 26, italics supplied by us). Does this not prove that the holy Spirit is a person? A study of the Greek text in this and other instances shows this not to be the case. Here the word for Comforter is parakletos, which in the Greek language is masculine in gender and, therefore, needs to be placed with a masculine pronoun for grammatical purposes only.
John 16:13 is another text which properly engages masculine pronouns to describe the holy Spirit. It reads: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (italics supplied). Again, this gives the impression that the Spirit is a person, designated with “he” and “himself.” But this is not the correct thought, for it is simply a follow-up of good Greek grammar matching a masculine subject with equivalent pronouns. In again referring to the “comforter” or “helper” aspect of the Spirit, there was a consistency in using the masculine pronoun “he” rather than the neuter “it.” This usage shows adherence to the rules of Greek grammar and provides no proof that the holy Spirit is a person.
On the other hand, when the word “spirit” is from the Greek pneuma, the grammatical application changes, and the neuter pronoun “it” is appropriately used. Whereas this rule is generally hidden by the translators, the Catholic New American Bible says, regarding John 14:17: “The Greek word for ‘Spirit’ is neuter, and while we use personal pronouns in English (‘he,’ ‘his,’ ‘him’), most Greek MSS employ ‘it’” (bold supplied). Note the following Scriptural examples where the Greek pneuma is used and is referred to by the neuter pronoun “it”: John 1:32—”John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.” In Rom. 8:26 (if this passage is applied to the holy Spirit)—”Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us.”
Thus seen, the attempt to prove the “Spirit” is a person because masculine pronouns sometimes are used in referring to it is neither scholarly, consistent, nor honest.
Possible Personality Traits
Finally, due to the wide-ranging applications of God’s Spirit, there are some Bible texts that at first might be construed as endowing it with personality. The Spirit, for example, is portrayed as “speaking” in Heb. 3:7, and “bearing witness” in Heb. 10:15. Nonetheless, other Scriptures clarify the matter for us. Whereas the Spirit may be described in a loose sense as speaking, in reality it does this through actual persons, such as God or the believer. The warning against provoking God through unbelief, which is ascribed to the holy Spirit in Heb. 3:7, is clearly shown in Ps. 95:6-11 to have been the voice of God originally raised as an expression of God’s anger against the Israelites in their wilderness journey. Likewise, the lovely picture of the establishment of the New Covenant with the house of Israel, which is attributed to the witnessing of the holy Spirit in Heb. 10:15, is really shown to be a consequence of a direct “thus saith the Lord” in Jer. 31:31-33. Hence the holy Spirit has no personal voice of its own and must operate through other personalities, such as God, Christ and the believer.
An approach similar to this can be used in properly harmonizing other texts that in varying degree may appear to endow personhood to the Spirit. For example, compare “tempt the Spirit of the Lord” (Acts 5:9) with the clearer “tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt. 4:7); and again, “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) with the more understandable “the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Cor. 3:16). It is only reasonable to expect that on a matter of such weighty consequence, bearing on the true nature and identity of the holy Spirit, the Scriptures themselves can be relied upon to furnish satisfying truth. And thus we actually perceive examples of God’s Spirit at work, in so arranging the holy Scriptures and granting the needed guidance and help in properly understanding them, for which we are grateful.
Dear Jacqueline I have just realized the teaching or understanding of who or what the Holy Spirit is to you.I would like to share with you my understanding in Love I offer the following. The Holy Spirit Force or Person?…..The Holy Spirit has symbols such as wind, fire,dove, oil,seal. Symbols also relate to Jesus such as lion, rock, shepherd,lamb,vine truth ect. These symbols DO NOT take away the personhood of Jesus nor can they take away the personhood of the Holy Spirit. Also the pouring out of the Holy Spirit can not be evidence against personality Paul wrote concerning him-self “I am being poured out” Phil 2:17 and “I am already being poured out” like wise Jesus in Psa 22:14 Paul and Jesus was obiously real people spoke of in the Bible,so the term pouring out cannot be evidence against personality.Reasoning…..It can be said where there is itelligence there must be a mind,and where there is a mind there must be a brain in a body which has a definite shape.
Question 1….Does the Holy Spirit have a mind of his own. 1Cornth 2-11. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit. 1Corn 2-13 In words taught by the Spirit. Romans 8-27. And he searches our hearts knows the mind of God, John 15-26, He testifies to Christ. Gal5: l5-18, the Holy Spirit leads and guides us.Surely The Holy Spirit must have itelligence to be able to know the thoughts of God,to teach, to testify, search hearts,lead and guide. Does the Holy Spirit have a WIll of his own? 1Cornth12-11. He gives to each one as He determines. Rom6-26, Interceeds for us before God. John 14-26. Will teach you all things.2Corn 13-14. Fellowships with us. 1Corn 12-4,11. He gives us Spiritual gifts. Acts13-2 He appoints us to acts of service. The Holy Spirit must have intelligence of will to be able detimine, interceed ,teach , fellowiship all acts of a personal will. Question…Does the Holy Spirit have moral attibutes? Romans 16-13. Spirit of Truth. Romans 15-13 Spirit of Love. Romans 1-4 Spirit of Holiness. John 14-16 Counselor and Advocate. Only people with itelligence can have moral fiber.The Holy Spirit can be…Insulted,Grieved,Resisted, Blashemed,Lied to.How does a person lie to a force alone, or insult a force or grieve a mere force you grive a person not a force you lie to a person not a force you insult a person not a force. Heb 10-29,Eph 4-30, Rom 9-19, Matt 21-31,Acts 5-3. John 14:15to26 uses masculine gender HE and HIM giving personality to the Holy Spirit.The BIBLE calls the HOLY SPIRIT GOD. Acts 5:2-5 Lied to Who? He lead people to write Scripture, He helped create the world, He searches and knows the mind of God,He raised Jessus from the dead, He convicts the world of sin, He regrenerates bellieves and sanctifies them, The Holy Spirit gives life to spiritual dead people when they place their faith in Jesus Christ. 2Pte 1:21, Gen 1:2, 1Cornth 2:10-11, Rom 8-11, John16:7-11,Titus3:5,1Peter1-2. The SON’S DEATH PROVIDES LIFE John 5;21, 1John 5-2.the Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration. John 3:5-8. Any-one not indwelt by the Holy Spirit is NOT SAVED.Rom 8;9,Jude 19. BY indwelling the believer John7:37-39,Rom5:5, 8:9,11, 1Cornth 2:12, 6:19-20, 2Cor 5:5, Ga l3;2,4:6, 1John 3:14, 4:13.The Holy Spirit serves as Gods seal or evidence of possession and protection. Eph4;30.The Eternal Holy Spirit with a Eternal existence.The disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and ALL BELIEVERS. HE is the one who fill All in All.Eph 1:23. My prayer for All who do not know the person of the Holy Spirit is this That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ , the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that you may really know him better.I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightenedin order that you may really know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in all the saints, eternal lifewith him who loves us.
Hello Essie,
I want to apologize for not seeing your comments. I appreciate your research on the Holy Spirit. I am pretty simple in my understanding of scripture on the Spirit.
I accept Matt 12:32 that assigns great significance to Holy Spirit because it is from God. Even as it was used to divide the waters in Genesis and impregnate Mary. It to me is the finger of God, His force to use and give as a helper to members of mankind. The Divine nature of the Holy Spirit emanates from Jehovah himself.
I pray as the Psalmist at Psalm 51:11 “Do not throw me away from before your face; And your Holy Spirit O do not take away from me.” In Christ, Jacqueline
Blessings Jacqueline, Yes I believe we humans make lots of mistakes BUT NOT GOD, WE ARE LIMITED GOD IS UNLIMTED AND HIS WORD IS TRUTH. The Holy Spirit sure is there to guide and help us in our understanding with his wisdom the scriptures come alive..Mike Yes you are able to enjoy life walking in the Holy Spirit it is a gift from Our Father God that you can ask for or not we have a choice.Spiritual life is precisely that ‘Spiritual’; that is to say, a life lived in the Spirit, who has made his home in us at our invitation.Rom 8:15. I believe the Spirit is a free gift from God to help us love him more and enable us to be like Jesus day by day. Romans 8 talks about living life through the Spirit,1CORN 2:10,6:11,12:13.and Galatians 5 :19-22 contrasting a life lived in the Spirit and in our human nature. Grace and Peace to you…..Essie.
Hi Essie,
I am answering out of order of writing I think because I just saw your comments addressed to me. But our thoughts are basically the same as your aboved mentioned comment. Thank you
Jacqueline,
Does The Holy Spirit guide us all?
Mike welcome and thanks for holding down the fort while we carried on Sunday services. How long were you a witness. I was for over 60yrs. Now 18 months away totally.
Yes Beth Sarim was exactly more or less as George says. No not everyone has Holy Spirit, many grieve it and won’t let it into their lives (Eph.4:30. For instance many will not read the bible without looking to see what a publication has to say. They won’t ask Jehovah or Jesus for Holy Spirit and listen and allow it to help them understand. Jesus says the Father will send it as a helper in his name. John 14:26.
Mike I have come to recognize that knowledge is not everything without love being able to trust the ones you worship with. I find it very difficult to get in the right frame of mind when I have to fear that what I say about scripture will get me shunned. Enjoy the site. It has a lot on it feel free to discuss any. Thanks Jacqueline
If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us;undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light one or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now; But with God there is no variableness,neither shadow of turning,and so it is with truth; any knowledge or light coming from God must be like it’s author. A NEW VIEW OF TRUTH NEVER CAN CONTRADICT A FORMER TRUTH. ‘New Light’never extinguishes older ‘light’but adds to it. If you were lighting up a building containing seven gas jets you would not extinguish one every time you lighted another, but would add one light to another and they would be in harmony and thus give increase of light;So is it with the light of truth; the true light increase is by adding to, not by substituting one for another.
‘Paradise Restored to Mankind-by Theocracy’
Essie,
Do you feel that a mistake, can be made sometimes, and one would admit it and actually change? That I think is the beauty of it all, being able to really search the scriptures now with different ones across the globe. We have more tools and resources now plus Holy Spirit is there to guide us.
The truth itself never changed? First Russell was the faithful and discreet slave, the Rutherford, then the 144,000. First the end was 1914 then 1918 then 1925 then 1945 then 1975 then 1989. Now I know why the society doesn’t want independent thinkers. It can only survive with their sheep class because a sheep will go to it’s slaughter without a fight. 1. do not read anything we don’t approve of. 2. do not be part of this system of things. 3. you are too dumb to understand the bible without us. 4. only hang out with JW’s. 5. No independent thinking, we’re here to protect you. Read and repeat the answer I give you. Read and repeat. Read and repeat. The Bible was written by God for all to understand. Anyone telling you different has something to hide.
George, Welcome, many are finding that to be true, that’s why this site and other internet sites and call hook-ups with hundreds on the line are trying to help with the “Concious Class”. They realize we have been spiritually starving.