"The ark of salvation that we enter is not a literal ark but is God's organization." - The Watchtower, June 1, 1950
"Those desiring salvation must make for God's organization, and find entrance into it and remain there permanently." - The Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1952
"Bible students need to get acquainted with the organization of the 'one flock' Jesus spoke about at John 10:16. They must appreciate that identifying themselves with Jehovah's organization is essential to their salvation. (Rev. 7:9-10, 15) Therefore, we should start directing our Bible students to the organization as soon as a Bible study is established." - Our Kingdom Ministry, Nov. 1990
From here, I thought it would be beneficial to look at the Scripture quote they use in the last paragraph from the KM to see if it says the same thing they say.
"After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. And they keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: 'Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb'...That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them." - Rev. 7:9-10, 15
Tell me, where does it say anything about an Organization? All I can personally see is that "salvation we owe to our God...and to the Lamb." Nowhere is there an indication that we are supposed to go into an Organization for salvation.
Even more importantly, though, what does Jehovah have to say on this matter? Only by looking in His Word, the Bible, can we truly find out Who Will Save Us.
"You will not need to be afraid of any sudden dreadful thing, nor of the storm upon the wicked ones, because it is coming. For Jehovah Himself will prove to be, in effect, your confidence, and He will certainly keep your foot against capture." (Pro. 3:25-26) The Bible tells us that a storm is coming and that our only means of salvation is Jehovah alone.
Lately, I have been having a conversation with a brother who is faithful to the Watchtower Society and he keeps saying over and over in all his emails that the only way we can attain to salvation is to stick to Jehovah's Organization. If we leave that Organization then we will not be saved. However, his major problem is that not even once did he present a Scripture to back himself up.
On the other hand, I was arguing in favor of Jehovah. I was telling this brother that only by running into our "Strong Tower" can we hope to be saved through the coming storm. (Pro. 18:10) We cannot ascribe to salvation to any other source. Doesn't the Bible tell us to "stand firm and see the salvation of Jehovah?" (Ex. 13:14) Yes, although this was in conjecture with the Israelites, we can apply it to today. We have to rely on Jehovah. Moses couldn't save those Israelites. Neither could the "organization" of the past, which the Society claims is the "organization" of priests and sacrifices. There was no hope in that. "It is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take sins away." - Heb. 10:4
Even today, only one type of blood can save us and that is The Blood of the Lamb. (Heb. 9:11-14) Through that blood we have a spiritual deliverance and through the good standing with Jehovah that this blood gives us, we have another deliverance. Psalm 91 explains this deliverance.
"I will say to Jehovah: 'You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God, in whom I will trust.' For he himself will deliver you from the trap of the birdcatcher, from the pestilence causing adversities...A thousand will fall at your very side and ten thousand at your right hand; to you it will not come near. Only with your eyes will you look on And see the retribution itself of the wicked ones. Because you said: 'Jehovah is my refuge,' you have made the Most High himself your dwelling; no calamity will befall you, and not even a plague will draw near to your tent. For he will give his own angels a command concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. Upon their hands they will carry you, that you may not strike your foot against any stone...Because on me he has set his affection, I shall also provide him with escape. I shall protect him because he has come to know my name. He will call upon me, and I shall answer him. I shall be with him in distress. I shall rescue him and glorify him. With length of days I shall satisfy him, and I shall cause him to see salvation by me." - Psalm 91:2-3, 7-12, 14-16
Did you notice that last verse? "I shall cause him to see salvation by me" that being after "a thousand will be falling" at Armageddon. Yes, the storm is coming and only by running into the ark of Jehovah can we hope to be saved through it.
The Apostle John closed his very first letter with the words, "Little children, guard yourselves from idols." (1 John 5:21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 10:14; 2 Cor. 6:16) Throughout the entire Bible we are constantly warned to not have idols. In fact, Christians were not even to eat anything sacrificed to idols, which is how serious this was to Jehovah. - Acts 15:29
What, though, is an idol? The Insight books explains. "An image, a representation of anything, or a symbol that is an object of passionate devotion, whether material or imagined. Generally speaking, idolatry is the veneration, love, worship, or adoration of an idol. It is usually practiced toward a real or supposed higher power, whether such power is believed to have animate existence (as a human, an animal, or an organization) or is inanimate (as a force or lifeless object of nature)." -Insight on the Scriptures, Vol. 1 pg. 1167
In a past Watchtower we read concerning idols: "As Christians, we face up to similar challenges today. We cannot take part in any modern version of idolatry - be it worshipful gestures toward an image or symbol or the imputing of salvation to a person or an organization." (Watchtower, Nov. 1, 1990) Yet, didn't we always see quotes like these below?
"And while now the witness yet includes the invitation to come to Jehovah's organization for salvation, the time no doubt will come when the message takes on a harder tone, like a "great war cry." - The Watchtower, Nov. 15, 1981, pg. 21
"But if we were to draw away from Jehovah's organization, there would be no place else to go for salvation and true joy." - The Watchtower, Sept. 15, 1993, p. 22
Whether the Watchtower and its Governing Body wants to admit it, it has unwittingly made itself into an idol by ascribing salvation to itself. Even welling-meaning brothers believe this. Read this excerpt from an e-mail conversation I had with a brother.
"Armageddon is coming?! Are you crazy?! If you don't have any more sense than that, seriously you can't convince me of anything! No other group of people has made God's name known all over the world, despite protests from the very powerful ruler of the world. Not even Satan can stop them. The Watchtower CANNOT INTENTIONALLY PRODUCE A FAULT that is going to push me away from them when I know calamity for all the earth is coming."
"If you were on a ship and heard an unfavorable rumour about the captain, whether it is true or not do you jump off the boat into the middle of the ocean? Is that considered an intelligent thing to do? Does that rumour make the boat any less of a means of transportation? No one who had a problem with Noah survived the Flood. Last I heard, there were no other boats...Where did YOU go that the group is "thinking upon the name of Jehovah" worldwide? I ALREADY KNOW that you've not found a second 'ark.' There is only one. So why are you standing around trying to persuade those who are already going to live and be unimaginably BLESSED to come out of the ark to practice their breast stroke with you?! I promise you, if I thought a great deluge of waters was coming, Noah COULDN'T PRODUCE ON PURPOSE a fault that would have 'stumbled' me. If he was messing with my mama, I'd just have to deal with it AFTER the Flood. But until then, one ticket for Noah's Ark please."
This poor brother is imputing salvation to the Watchtower. That was the entire point of our conversation. He has unintentionally made the Watchtower, not only his means of salvation but also his idol. Unfortunately, he is on a sinking ship.
Again, who will save us? "Salvation belongs to Jehovah. Your blessing is upon your people." (Ps. 3:8) "The horse is something prepared for the day of battle, but salvation belongs to Jehovah." (Pro. 21:31) "Look! God is my salvation. I shall trust and be in no dread; for Jah Jehovah is my strength and my might, and he came to be the salvation of me." (Isa. 12:2) "Salvation belongs to Jehovah." (Jonah 2:9) "But as for me, it is for Jehovah that I shall keep on the lookout. I will show a waiting attitude for the God of my salvation." (Mic. 7:7) "Yet, as for me, I will exult in Jehovah himself; I will be joyful in the God of my salvation." (Hab. 3:18) Salvation is only through Jehovah.
The Watchtower Society has done a good job making people have to rely on them. Even when brothers and sisters see the truth about the control the Watchtower has over us and that it is wrong, sometimes they have a hard time accepting it. Intellectually they want to follow the Watchtower while emotionally they know the faultiness of that thinking.
When something has been drilled into our brain for so long we can have a hard time forgetting it just like we can have a hard time forgetting how to ride a bike or tie a shoe. We just know how to do it and nothing (except for a good conk on the head!) can take it away from us.
The Apostle Paul speaks of "strongly entrenched things" that need to be overturned. (2 Cor. 10:4) These things are so ingrained in their brains - their way of living - that it can take years to get those out. Even the Apostle Paul, after seeing the Lord Jesus Christ, possibly still had to take time to meditate on the things he had seen and heard. (See Gal. 1:13-17) It is the same with brothers and sisters who finally are able to see the Truth regarding the Governing Body. They need milk at first and not solid food. Yes, they have to start over in a way. - Heb. 5:11-14
Unfortunately, we are going to have people who, no matter how we explain or how many Bible Scriptures we use, just cannot see the Truth. Like the unbelievers who cannot see the "glorious good news about the Christ", these brothers are having their eyes blinded, no, not by "the god of this system of things" but by the Governing Body, the Man of Lawlessness. - 2 Cor. 4:4
In ancient Jerusalem, there were basically two types of people. Those who were "sighing and groaning" over the detestable things going on in that city and then there were those who "have loved it" the way it is. (Eze. 3:4; Jer. 5:31) The second type of people will never, without Jehovah's help, be able to see the need to change and become the former. They will believe everything the Governing Body tells them to, thinking that the "ark" they need to be in is the Organization. They trust men for their salvation. Jehovah gives a message to all those who are trusting men, telling us their final outcome.
"This is what Jehovah has said: “Cursed is the able-bodied man who puts his trust in earthling man and actually makes flesh his arm, and whose heart turns away from Jehovah himself. And he will certainly become like a solitary tree in the desert plain and will not see when good comes; but he must reside in parched places in the wilderness, in a salt country that is not inhabited." -Jeremiah 17:5-6
The ones who trust in men for salvation will find that "no salvation belongs" to them. We can never trust anyone who is a 'son of earthling man'. They will die. "Their spirit [will go] out" and their thoughts will perish. (Ps. 146:3-4) In the end, there will only be One Person left that we can put our trust in for salvation. Who is This?
"Blessed is the able-bodied man who puts his trust in Jehovah, and whose confidence Jehovah has become. And he will certainly become like a tree planted by the waters, that sends out its roots right by the watercourse; and he will not see when heat comes, but his foliage will actually prove to be luxuriant. And in the year of drought he will not become anxious, nor will he leave off from producing fruit."Jeremiah 17:7-8
Just as we cannot "serve both God and riches", we can trust in both Jehovah and man. (Matt. 6:24) We have to pick just one. Will you hold onto the Organization or will you hold onto Jehovah?
The Governing Body tells us that Jesus is the Greater Noah and the Organization is the "antitypical ark" that we have to enter for salvation. On the other hand, Jehovah says that He will bring us through the storm that is coming. This makes the "antitypical ark", not the Organization but Jehovah Himself. Like the "Strong Tower" that He is, let us run there for our salvation from the coming storm "for it is coming." - Eze. 7:5-7; Pro. 1:22-33
Hi, your blog is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteQuestion, how do you understand the verse: "Get out from Babylon my people" and how do you apply it in your life?
Greetings.