This is part 10 of the review of the July 2022 Watchtower
10. Since 1919 the faithful slave has prepared a variety of publications that have given newly interested ones their first taste of nourishing spiritual food. In 1921 the slave prepared the book The Harp of God to help interested ones to learn basic Bible teachings. As times changed, additional publications were provided. Which publication helped you to come to know and love our heavenly Father? Was it “Let God Be True,” The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, What Does the Bible Really Teach?, What Can the Bible Teach Us?, or Enjoy Life Forever!, our newest publication? All these publications were designed to meet a specific need at the time of their release.
Times certainly have changed. However, the biggest change is coming. All of the above-mentioned publications have promoted the same error. They have misdirected the reader to look to the past, specifically to 1914—a date Fred Franz once claimed was the most important date in all human history.
Just imagine the shock, if you can, when it becomes obvious to even the most indoctrinated JW that 1914 is a fraud. Of course, that realization will not be brought about by any Bible study aid. Reality will impinge upon the delusion the Watchtower has promoted. Global war, food shortages, and pandemics will be impossible to ignore. The Watchtower’s authority as the Voice of the prophets will ingloriously end.
Through Isaiah Jehovah describes it as a faint, ghostly whisper emanating from the grave: “I will encamp on all sides against you, and I will besiege you with a palisade and raise up siegeworks against you. You will be brought low; from the ground you will speak, and what you say will be muffled by dust. Your voice will come from the ground like the voice of a spirit medium, and your words will chirp from the dust.” — Isaiah 29:3-4
As mentioned in part eight, in the first chapter of Isaiah Jehovah warned the “dictators of Sodom” that he was going to war against them in order to bring about the needed correction. In the 29th chapter, God states “I will encamp on all sides against you.” The pronoun “you” is in reference to Ariel, which the Watchtower rightly defines as a cryptic name for Jerusalem. That being true, surely there must be someone with the intelligence to recognize that Jesus also spoke of Jerusalem being surrounded by a palisade, or as it is also commonly known—a fence of pointed stakes. Here is what the Watchtower’s Bible encyclopedia has to say about Ariel:
A cryptic name applied to Jerusalem in Isaiah 29:1, 2, 7. Jerusalem was the location of God’s temple that had within its precincts the sacrificial altar. Because of this the city was, in effect, God’s altar hearth. It was also supposed to be the center of Jehovah’s pure worship.
“It was supposed to be the center of pure worship.” Does that sound familiar? Doesn’t the Watchtower claim to be the embodiment of restored “pure worship”? In fact, paragraph 13 in the very article under review makes that claim and asks you, the reader, how you feel about that.
And as the prophets of Bethel also surely know, Jesus’ forecast regarding Jerusalem being trampled upon by the nations will ultimately be fulfilled during the great tribulation. Ariel is said to be the town where David encamped. Since the 29th chapter of Isaiah is really a prophecy concerning the coming of the Son of man “David” is a cryptic name for the messianic son of David—Christ. The “town” must then signify the Christian congregation, which as the Watchtower claims is directed by Jesus. Since Jerusalem was where Jesus was sacrificed and it is also where Christianity began, Ariel is where it will end.
The Governing Body will eventually come to the realization that they have offended Jehovah and kindled the fire of his anger. Their boasting of providing all the best spiritual nourishment and being the presumptive source of “life-saving instructions” during the world’s greatest time of trouble will end with the muffled voice of death muttering from the dust.
12. Like Jesus, we have given God’s name the prominence that it deserves. (John 17:6, 26) For example, in 1931 we adopted the Scriptural name Jehovah’s Witnesses, thus attaching ourselves in a very personal way to our heavenly Father. (Isa. 43:10-12) And since October of that year, the divine name has appeared on the front cover of each issue of this magazine. In addition, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures has restored God’s name to its rightful place in his Word. What a contrast to the churches of Christendom that have removed Jehovah’s name from many of their Bible translations!
Attaching oneself to the divine name brings with it a very weighty responsibility to honor that name. Jesus always brought honor to his Father’s name. Can the publishers of the magazine that has the name of Jehovah emblazoned on every cover make the same claim? Or has the Governing Body brought reproach upon the name they have so widely publicized? Too bad for them it is the latter. Christ is now obligated to mete out punishment to the proper degree. Woe indeed for Ariel!
This post first appeared on Jehovah's Witnesses - The Watchman's Post, please read the originial post: here
