PJ54
Well-known member
Tuesday, April 9 2024It struck the image on its feet of iron and of clay.—Dan. 2:34.
The world power represented by the “feet of iron and of clay” has already appeared. It came into existence during World War I when Britain and the United States forged a special partnership, the Anglo-American alliance. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image also foretold things about this world power that would distinguish it from the previous kingdoms. Unlike the previous world powers mentioned in the vision, the Anglo-American alliance is symbolized, not by a solid metal like gold or silver, but by a mixture of iron and clay. The clay represents “the offspring of mankind,” or the common people. (Dan. 2:43, ftn.) As is plainly evident today, their influence in elections, civil rights campaigns, mass protests, and labor unions weakens the ability of this world power to implement its policies. w22.07 4-5 ¶9-10
Examining the Scriptures Daily—2024
Is the Kingdom in Place?
This post is the first in a series of articles making a critical examination of the July 2022 Watchtower beginning with the article: The Kingdom Is in Place. Those who will be blessed to survive the end of Satan’s
e-watchman.com
April 25th, 2022
This post is the first in a series of articles making a critical examination of the July 2022 Watchtower beginning with the article: The Kingdom Is in Place.
Those who will be blessed to survive the end of Satan’s world may well look back upon what they had once ardently believed and taught others and regard it to be the biggest hoax ever perpetrated. 1914, like all demon-inspired delusions, once embraced as inspired truth is very difficult to dislodge from the mind. What makes the delusion so powerful is that it has a biblical ring to it. Keep in mind though, that both the apostle Paul and John warned Christians to be on guard against “inspired statements.” John specifically wrote: “Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired statement, but test the inspired statements to see whether they originate with God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” — 1 John 4:1
The inspired apostle might well have added parenthetically (seemingly) to modify what he meant by inspired; that is because Paul indicated that the demons can make “inspired statements,” which would obviously be the source of the “inspired statements” issued by the many false prophets who have gone out into the world. For example, Paul wrote: “However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron.” — 1 Timothy 4:1-2
Notice, please, that there are two sources of inspired statements. The true source was inspired to foretell and forewarn that there will be “misleading inspired statements” that emanate from the demons. Paul went on to enumerate a few demonic teachings that help us to identify the Catholic and Orthodox religions of antiquity.
But Paul alerted his anointed brothers to another form of misleading “inspired statements” that are of the utmost relevance for Jehovah’s Witnesses today. At 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 the apostle stated: “However, brothers, concerning the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be alarmed either by an inspired statement or by a spoken message or by a letter appearing to be from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here.”
In this instance, those who issue inspired statements do so through spoken messages, such as public addresses and talks, as well as by letters—written messages, perhaps in the form of magazines like the Watchtower. The message is, that the presence has begun and the day of Jehovah is here. That has been the Watchtower’s core message for as long as it has existed. Interestingly, the messengers pretend to be apostles—just like the Governing Body of the Watchtower. (See article: Those Who Say They Are Apostles) With that in mind, let us follow the apostolic exhortation and test the “inspired statement” in the Watchtower.
In the first paragraph, the Watchtower implies that the breakdown of civilization we are witnessing, the details of which are listed in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, is proof the Kingdom is in place. They assert that it “is impossible for any sincere person to deny, [and it] provides evidence that Christ Jesus has begun ruling as King of God’s Kingdom.”
In order to test the inspired statement above, let us ask a few questions. Since the apostles of the Watchtower claim that Jesus began ruling in 1914 why was not society’s breakdown evident back then? Were the Roaring 20s difficult times hard to deal with? For example, were men lovers of themselves and lovers of money, fierce and open to no agreement to the same degree as now, say, in the 1950s? And the answer is, of course, no. If you have lived as long as me (70) then you too have witnessed the gradual decay of morals over many, many decades and it gets worse with each passing year. But the genuine inspired statement did not indicate that the last days will be characterized by a long, steady process of societal degradation. No, Paul warned that the last days will be critical times hard to deal with because men will already be thus and so. (See article: How We Know These Are Not the Last Days)
Probably more than any other aspect of the Watchtower’s 1914 teaching, the “seven times” is passed off as an “inspired statement”—decipherable only by the most astute adepts. Evidently, the writers at the Watchtower realize that the less they say the better. Going into an in-depth explanation would only raise more questions; hence, the little snippet of a paragraph is all you get!Read Daniel 4:10-17. The “seven times” represent a period of 2,520 years. That time period began in 607 B.C.E. when the Babylonians removed the last king from Jehovah’s throne in Jerusalem. It ended in 1914 C.E. when Jehovah enthroned Jesus —“the one who has the legal right”— as King of God’s Kingdom. —Ezek. 21:25-27.
There is no reason to discuss the date 607 and debate whether that was when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. Neither is the seven times worth the time to consider. It can all be condensed using a very simple mental exercise called common sense. Use your imagination to put yourself in the company of Jesus’ apostles. The year was 33 C.E. The Messiah had triumphantly arrived in Jerusalem riding a donkey’s colt. He was hailed as the Son of David and King of Israel. Shortly afterward the disciples were showing Jesus how much they admired the temple when he bluntly told them it was going to be knocked down. Not even a stone would remain standing upon another stone. A few days later the apostles approached him privately and said: “Tell us, when will these things be?”