May 25 2022 The Coming Persecution

PJ54

Well-known member
*** Text for Wednesday, May 25, 2022 ***
Jehovah is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?—Ps. 118:6.
The apostle Paul needed help. About 56 C.E., a crowd dragged him outside the temple in Jerusalem and tried to kill him. The next day, when Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin, he was almost torn apart by his enemies. (Acts 21:30-32; 22:30; 23:6-10) At that point, Paul may have wondered, ‘How much longer can I endure this treatment?’ What help did Paul receive? The night after Paul was arrested, “the Lord,” Jesus, stood by him and said: “Take courage! For just as you have been giving a thorough witness about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.” (Acts 23:11) What timely encouragement! Jesus commended Paul for the witness he had given in Jerusalem. And he promised that Paul would safely reach Rome, where he would give a further witness. After receiving that assurance, Paul must have felt as secure as a child nestled in his father’s arms. w20.11 12 ¶1, 3; 13 ¶4

The Coming Persecution​


Thursday, May 26 2016​

If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy, because the spirit of glory, yes, the spirit of God, is resting upon you.—1 Pet. 4:14.
It is good for us to remember that in the first century, genuine Christians were hated by many—if not the majority—of their contemporaries. Can the inspired words of today’s text be applied to Jehovah’s Witnesses today? Yes, indeed, because we bear witness to Jesus’ kingship. Thus, being hated for bearing Jehovah’s name is the same as “being reproached for the name of Christ,” who said to his opposers: “I have come in the name of my Father, but you do not receive me.” So the next time you experience opposition in your witnessing work, take courage. Such mistreatment is proof that you have God’s smile of approval and that his spirit “is resting upon you.” At the same time, remember that fine increases are being enjoyed in many parts of the world.

Commentary​

From the very beginning of his ministry Jesus was persecuted by the Jews, even by his own townsfolk in Nazareth. It all started shortly after he was baptized. And after the spirit led him back to Galilee Jesus took up his ministry, teaching in their synagogues and healing. Then he stood up in the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the scroll of Isaiah and announced that he was the foretold Messiah. Afterwards he explained to them that he would not be performing any powerful works among them because of their lack of faith —at which point the Jews mobbed him and tried to throw him off a nearby cliff.
Later when Jesus went up to Jerusalem he explained to the faithless Jews there that the reason they could not listen to him was because they were under the influence of the Devil and they wished it so.

The same satanic spirit permeates the modern world. It doesn’t matter if people do not believe in the existence of Satan. The Devil’s influence is as all-pervasive as the very air we breath. That is why Paul referred to the Devil as “the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.”
Naturally, if a person is under the authority of Satan they will be opposed to those who are obedient to Christ. Nevertheless, obviously Jehovah is much more powerful than Satan. So it is only by God’s permission that the sons of disobedience are allowed to persecute us. That is why on the occasion when the Nazarenes tried to throw Jesus off the precipice the account says he walked through their midst —evidently under the power of the spirit of Jehovah. It was not Jehovah’s time.
However, there came the time when God took his protective spirit away. That is why Jesus said to the Jews: “While I was with you in the temple day after day, you did not lay your hands on me. But this is your hour and the authority of darkness.” That “hour” arrived at the Passover table when Satan entered into Judas, which set into motion the events that led to Jesus’ arrest, trial and death at the hands of the murderous Jews and Roman authorities.

In the modern era Jehovah’s Witnesses have certainly been persecuted, both from civil authorities and their religious patrons, and by people associated with us —family, friends, workmates, etc. Even so, there is every reason to believe that the worst is yet to come. That is because a similar hour of the authority of darkness is coming. In Revelation Jesus referred to it as ‘the hour of test that is coming upon the world.’
All the evidence points to the nearness of that hour.
 

PJ54

Well-known member

The Love of Many Will Grow Cold​


Monday, January 18 2016​

Love is patient and kind.1 Cor. 13:4.
Putting into practice what Paul wrote concerning love can prevent many problems, can result in happiness, and can bring us God’s blessing. Just as God has shown patience and kindness in dealing with imperfect humans, we need to be patient and kind when others make mistakes and are thoughtless, or even rude. “Love is not jealous,” so true love will not allow us to covet another person’s possessions or privileges in the congregation. Moreover, if we have love, we will not brag or get puffed up with pride. After all, “haughty eyes and an arrogant heart—the lamp that guides the wicked is sin.” Love will cause us to behave in a decent way toward our neighbor. We will not lie to him, steal from him, or do anything else that would violate Jehovah’s laws and principles. Love will also prevent us from looking out only for our own interests instead of showing concern for those of others.

COMMENTARY​

The apostle went on to conclude by saying that “love never fails.” Unfortunately, in his discussion of the conclusion of the system Jesus foretold that “the love of the greater number will grow cold.” The question is, who is “the greater number”? Was Jesus speaking in regards to people in general, as if to say the love of most people in the world will grow cold?

First, consider the cause. That is not unknown. Jesus said it would be “because of the increasing of lawlessness.” Insight into the Scriptures provides some insight on the topic of lawlessness. It defines it as a revolt against God —treason. And, of course, Paul identified a man of lawlessness as the fomenter of apostasy. Jesus also spoke of religious hypocrites as being workers of lawlessness. So, the increasing of lawlessness has to do with hypocrisy and rebellion against God.

In context, Jesus was speaking about a whole range of developments that will directly impact his disciples. Here is what he said as recorded by Matthew: “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. And 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.”

The question really is, have any of the things Jesus foretold occurred?

It is true that Jehovah’s Witnesses have been persecuted in some countries and are a very unpopular sect overall. The tribulation Jehovah’s Witnesses endured during the Nazi reign of terror has been well documented. But even at that, although several thousand were sent to concentration camps only a relatively small number were actually put to death. Overall, Jehovah’s Witnesses are tolerated and most nations, at least in Christendom, have legal protections for religious minorities.

And what about many being stumbled, betraying and hating one another?

Paul foretold that in the last days there will be difficult times because men (and women) will be lovers of themselves, betrayers, etc. But was Jesus speaking of non-believers betraying one another and hating one another? If so —if those whose love grows cold, who betray and hate one another is in reference to unbelievers, why would Christians have need of endurance?

No, the prophecies foretell that Christ’s congregation is going to be directly impacted by apostasy. “The mystery of this lawlessness is already at work” —manifested in various ways. One aspect is the Watchtower’s denial that elders have any responsibility to protect the children under their charge from the depredations of pedophiles. Although most of Jehovah’s Witnesses are unaware that this is the legal stand the Watchtower has taken, many of those who are aware of it have already been stumbled.

One sister whom I have known for many years and who is a paralegal did not at first believe the Watchtower could be so treacherous. However, being a skilled researcher she looked up court documents involving child abuse cases. As a result of what she discovered she never attended another meeting at the kingdom hall.

But to put things in perspective, the reason God allows for an increase of lawlessness is to test our love for him. That is because it is not at all clear whether Jehovah’s Witnesses love God with their whole heart and mind, or whether they are simply followers of men —in this case, the men being the Governing Body.

Obviously, when one of Jehovah’s Witnesses refuses to any longer follow their faith because of the double-dealing hypocrisy on the part of the Governing Body they demonstrate that they are mere followers of men and not really devoted to God and Christ.

Going forward, when Christ arrives and the conclusion begins the Watchtower is going to go into full-blown apostasy. That is because the leadership will absolutely refuse to accept that Christ has come, because doing so will require that they admit their 1914 error. So, the Watchtower will splinter and from them will arise numerous false prophets.

Those who endure and remain true to Jesus will find themselves thrown out of the synagogue, betrayed by their former brothers, and yes, even handed over and put to death by their own family members. This will be made possible by the fact that the democratic system will have been torn down then. Even America, ‘home of the brave and land of the free,’ will become a totalitarian, police state —its Bill of Rights and Constitution scrapped.

And don’t fool yourself thinking it can’t happen. The once-mighty USSR was thought to be nearly invincible. Only a couple of people predicted its collapse. It can happen overnight.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Top