Last year saw the publishing of a bizarre “Seven Shepherds, Eight Dukes” Watchtower article in which Jehovah’s Witnesses were told not to expect any justification for the commands passed down by their leaders.
The study magazine urged Witnesses to “obey any instructions” from “Jehovah’s organization… whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.”
But despite setting alarm bells ringing for those already concerned that Watchtower is sliding deeper and deeper into cultish fundamentalism, there was at least some distinction made in that article between “Jehovah” and his ‘organization’.
Now it seems that distinction, already so tenuous, is vanishing completely.
The latest October 15th Watchtower has this advice for Witnesses…
“Faithful servants of Jehovah have always been eager to submit to theocratic direction. (Read Hebrews 13:7, 17.) We may initially lack full understanding of the reasons for carrying out our assigned work in a particular way. Nevertheless, we are fully aware of the benefits of cooperating with Jehovah in any adjustments he sees fit to make.” -w14 10/15 pp.24-25
The same “obey without question” rhetoric is carried through from nearly a year ago, but with a troubling new twist. Direction or adjustments passed on to Jehovah’s Witnesses are to be considered, not as coming from “Jehovah’s organization,” but from Jehovah himself.
To drive this point home, the article gives the example of the recent spate of branch closures (or “mergers” as they are referred to in this article). How are bethelites uprooted from their homes and asked to relocate to a bethel in a foreign country to respond to this direction?
“Grethel says: ‘I accepted the invitation because it was my way of showing Jehovah that my love for him went beyond a country, a building, or a certain privilege.’ Dayska says: ‘When I remembered that the invitation came from Jehovah, I accepted it gladly.'” – w14 10/15 pp.25-26
The tinkering in rhetoric between the two articles, published less than a year apart, is subtle yet profound. If you can get Witnesses to think of Watchtower and Jehovah as one and the same, you bypass any need to justify how or why the organization deserves its authority.
1914 and 1919 become less relevant in explaining how Watchtower’s leaders received their divine mandate if Witnesses can mentally cut out the middle-man by considering themselves as obeying, not an organization, but God directly.
It will be intriguing to see how this mental cup and ball trick plays out in future organizational developments. Don’t be surprised if the name “Watchtower” gets dispensed with entirely as it grows increasingly obsolete in the minds of both Witnesses and those who rule over them.
@Marge, you make a valid point, Bible principles when
applied improve the character, before I became a JW my
life was one of addiction to drink, and gambling and looked
like ruining my marriage, As it is I have been married for 60
years. (And to the same woman) , so in fairness that benefit
of being a JW has to be acknowledged.
You say it was in the 80s when you joined, that was when I
left. just after the purge at the head quarters, that was when the demand for. “Absolute obedience” began to come
across with a lot more intensity, anyone having PRIVATE
thoughts not in accord with theirs, was said to be evil like
Satan, I drew the line at putting my mind in a straight
Jacket, They claim to have Gods exclusive backing yet show
such insecurity.
“The REQUIREMENT of unquestioning obedience by any
human authority is a sin, and defiles the very intent of God’s
word, The unquestioning obedience which scripture requires
Is only to God, Never to kings, rulers, employers, husbands,
or parents, To RENDER unquestioning obedience, Is a sin”
(R,J, Rushdoony).
Jehovah and Watchtower are slightly different as far as I know!
Jehovah FEEDS on fat and blood as their Bible says “All the fat belongs to Jehovah… You must not eat any fat or any blood at all” (see Leviticus 3:16,17)!!
As for the Watchtower, Jehovah reveals “They FEED on the sin of my people (Jehovah’s people)” (Hosea 4:8)!!
Is feeding on blood and fat different from feeding on a sin!!
You know, I could never put into words how the Watchtower has upset me. I’ve seen some terrible things happen in the congregations. Not just for me friends too.
This is true. I guy I knew, :-) lovely lad, had quite a difficult period in his life, we all have, lost his faith when an elder said to him, are you questioning our authority? Committed suicide not long after:-( I’ve witnessed 1st hand child abuse not just once four times. Women & men running off with other people. Four suicides and I I’m not joking in the congregations I knew in a ten year period 40! Divorces and a worldly one myself. And you speak for God. Wow. Games up Watchtower because people can see through your destructive self acclaim and yeah I’m a disgruntled one. Up yours and other the other harsh judgemental square heads.
I have family in this cult. I am hoping that they are playing with words and will not do anything worse. But who knows ? Mixed messages, – the band in the Kingdom hall, looks like they are loosing up. But this gives the opposite message.
And I’ll tell you now (if you don’t mind good and gentle folks) I bollocked the Elders. Wouldn’t have my friends funeral at the KH but all went to the crematorium. You know what song they played? Wish you were here, pink floyd. Obviously not otherwise you’d be there! That’s how raw it gets.
Wasn’t the Elders fault ultimately & there’s some decent lads in there. We speak for God says the GB. Yeah course you do. Just not the one I know.
I read that puzzling article a while ago, my first impression
was that it was very melodramatic, and I thought the object
was to keep the flock on high alert, suggesting that something momentous, and unusual, could happen anytime,
So they needed to be ready to obey instructions, however
unreasonable they might sound.
Giving dates and deadlines has been a disaster, something
different has to be tried, and this way there’ll be no come
back on them.
I could only describe my relationship with the Watchtower Society in the words of a Bob D. Song, Don’t think twice it’s all right.x thanks folks so much appreciated. Really.x:-)
‘Guide me, O thou great Watchtower,
pilgrim though this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand;
Bread of Faithful & Discreet Slave, Bread of Faithful & Discreet Slave,
feed me till I want no more,
feed me till I want no more.’
Fractured hymnal based on words from “Guide me, O thou great Jehovah” (Words: William Williams, 1745;trans. Peter Williams, 1771)
Haven’t lost faith in God though:-):-).x chow:-) x
It’s IDOLATRY, pure and simple. The JW’s have established their organisation as their golden calf while they wait for the greater Moses, Jesus, to return. He’s got delayed, should have come within the ‘generation of 1914’ but didn’t. So focus on the organisation instead.
You may or may not know, that gypsy’s are a suspicious bunch but I’ve never known one lie before God. Strange world in it.
It’s just positivity 4th street to me;-(
I’ve always said they view the wt magazine as their bible and not it looks like the wt society is their god. BE AFRAID…!!!
typo…. now it looks like the wt society is their god.
Watchtower and Jehovah the same?
I used to hang on every word coming from Watchtower as if it was from God, so this doesn’t surprise me.
When I finally woke up to the real Truth, it made me realise that the whole world really is lying in the power of the wicked one. The master of deception has clearly been using The Watchtower to seize control of more gullible minds and lead them up the wrong alley. Usurping the name of God is the ultimate mockery.
So Watchtower/Jehovah, does it really matter when the god you are serving is the wrong one anyway?
THE TRUE GOD CANNOT LIE!
The sad thing is that the Watchtower tells us that we aren’t to be proud but the only thing we can be proud of is being called one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the rest of the world is looking at the Witnesses coming to their doors and feeling sorry for them for being so deluded. They don’t look at Witnesses as smart or wise at all. The rest of the world is in on the joke or will be soon. What a humiliating fall it will be for all the friends. They feel sorry for us because they think we have fallen away from God but it’s they who don’t know God at all. They are foolish.
the GB are just proving how superb their brainwashing skills are…nothing more, nothing less. they have reached the top of the religious echelon in that department. congrats governing body of zombie minded nonthinking folks, you have reached the tippity top!!
soooooo, what flavor is the koolaid??
unfortunately my mother should know…smh.
Its all to do with control of the flock, that means control of the money, its a business foremost, the fading out of the Watchtower is a business move, the bad publicity and their history affiliated with the WT is becoming to much to handle, they are desperate, I agree its just a matter of time very short time before the WT will no longer be mentioned.
Good luck WT, but the internet is still your worse nightmare no matter how hard you try.
The sad thing is that for many JWs they blindly accept anything that they are told and whether it is accurate or not, doesn’t seem to MATTER!
A JW relative once stated that she had known for years the dates that the society used to base the teachings on were all wrong, but “that wasn’t important”! Having changed religion many years before to become a JW she “wasn’t going to change again.”
Despite knowing that;
1. what the Organisation is based upon is totally rubbish
2. the colourful history of the Org, and
3. that things within the congregations are not as squeaky clean as the JWs like to portray,
she continues to pioneer and remains devout in her obedience to the GB and the Org, (regardless of the negative impact upon others).
Really I despair, as I do not know what it is going to take to make the JWs wake-up from their hypnotised brain-washed state.
Rosie – your comments are so true.
The amazing thing is that the words of 2Corinthians 4:4 applies to THEM! Unfortunately, I have found it very difficult to persuade any witness relatives or friends to think outside the box. As soon as you mention any truths that you have found out about Watchtower, they just shut off, quickly make excuses and depart.
The only way I managed to extricate myself from their control was to stop all meeting attendance and do loads of research for myself, both historical and biblical.
What I found was that by applying scripture to them, rather than the ‘world’, you can get nearer to the real truth. For example at Psalm 73 vs.9 we read:
“They have put their mouth in the very heavens, and their tongue itself walks about in the earth”.
Their self-elevation to be the mouthpiece of God (Watchtower and Jehovah the same) is evident from this scripture.
Could this be the fulfilment of bible prophecy, Rev 13:
And we are approaching the 42 months of Satan’s Authority to rule?
Congrats!!
Your comment was interesting about the GB being at the tippety top.
Has anyone else noticed that the ‘eight dukes’ have now become seven – the perfect number!
‘The Seven’ is written at the top of the Masonic pyramid also – food for thought, eh?
If they have reached the top, now let’s hope that the only way is DOWN, down, down!
Yes, I believe so!
Therefore, could it be, that fulfillment of 2 Thess. 3-4 is what we are just witnessing in these days?
Daniel –
I believe you mean 2 Thess. 2 vs 3-4.
Undoubtedly it appears to me that yes, WT are part of the ‘man of lawlessness’, and he is being revealed through wonderful people like Cedars and other disillusioned former JWs.
WT have sat down in the temple of The God, publicly showing themselves to be a god, as this ‘Jehovah and Watchtower the same’, article has proved.
Verses 9-12 are also appropriate don’t you think?
Let us hope that the judgement is not far away.
Ty for the correction :).
Verses 9-12 are definitely appropriate.
Just wondering, for how long will Jehovah allow the lawlessness to operate until final countdown.
I agree Rudeawake ! the WT has indeed made itself EQUAL to God and above Christ…
just look at what the article says > “…cooperating with JEHOVAH in any adjustments HE sees fit to make” Really?! In this statement they are speaking for God and they have admitted to be God’s ‘mouth-piece’. Their Governing Body takes upon itself the rold and authority that belongs to Christ alone. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT by ME”…
Indeed! When my husband and I decided to stop our Bible Study with the JW’s, we were accused of “turning our backs on Jehovah.” It took me 3 years, away from their manipulative tactics, to really start to comprehend how evil this organization truly is.
Clearly, they will say or do anything to maintain their grip over innocent lives. It is shocking and sad to watch my parents and intelligent sister, turn off their own minds and blindly obey these conceited, power-hungry men.
Daniel –
How long, oh how long! Habakkuk asked the same, the answer came in Hab 2 vs 3.
We know that all the expectation that the WT has put on the imminent coming of Christ has been fruitless, which makes us impatient.
When the man of lawlessness has been revealed to all then perhaps the final hour will be at hand. We can only wait on the Most High. All we do know is that even if it should delay in our minds, the appointed time is set.
Perhaps the Blood Moons have something to do with it!
@ Cedars
RE your prediction, you might be right. In a recent letter to a JW friend I said “The WTBTS”, can you believe they asked in the reply who the WTBTS was that I referred to. I replied “The Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. In turn they replied “why not just say Jehovah’s Organisation”. So Mr Cedars, your prediction is already coming true. By the way the sister I wrote to is a sister who has been baptised for 14 years
To ThePilgrim
Great Song in the Original, another good one from the Eighth Century, Be Thou My Vision. Amazing, aimed straight for the heart.
The GB are clearly taking over the position of je-ho-vah. You can see it clearly from a close reading of the WT study edition for today 13th July 2013. Their training comes directly from je-ho-vah, aka the GB. OMG!!
Folks, please!! It’s getting very, very religious on this topic!
Remember that there’s people like me too.
Think about what you are all writing. If there really is a God and He is omnipotent and omniscient why has he let a bunch of ill educated, sexist buffoons hijack his Organisation?
Satan runs the WT? Really? Come on, people!
Here’s something we can all agree on:
The WT and all of us can benefit from following the teachings of Jesus, when he tells us to love one another, to be merciful and kind, to be truthful and honourable. We can all benefit from such good advice.
The WTBTS has usurped the role of Mediator, and now it is classing its directives as God’s will, and any “alterations” are because God has not directed them properly!!
Peace be with you
Excelsior!
Bad Penny
It is strange – how many times have you heard the comments from JWs on field service, after they meet someone not interested –
“They just don’t want to know! They wouldn’t listen! They closed their ears to what we what we were telling them!”
Oh yes, it can all be said right back to the Witnesses and they just cannot see how it applies exactly to themselves.
I will love to see what excuses they come up with when their prophecies fail. Blaming God for their lies is a new low…even for them!
This scripture comes to mind:
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 ESV / 31 helpful votes
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
Oh another note, I heard a talk today that highlighted a lot of the subjects that are featured on this site…interesting to say the least.
@ faithfull Witness, you make a very good point !
it is laughable how …
“studying the Bible and allowing The Holy Spirit to illuminate the word to your spirit (and have a pastor to check with)” is turning your back on God?
…. in fact if you don’t do so you are the blind being led by the blind, which is very dangerous.
[striking rock with staff] *yawn*
Unconditional obedience = death. ™(c)(2014)
Note that by stepping away from the “brand” Watchtower, it opens the way for the GBv2.5 to shift assets to whatever new incarnation they please. This is already stipulated in its charter for all Watchtower’s–yes, there are two Watchtowers. Maybe there’s a challenge coming to Rutherford’s seizure of Russell’s assets–who knows, who cares? But, shifting the locus of undue influence to the “org of JW’s” = Jehovah means regardless of the corporate outfit backing the pubs and sponsoring conventions, people will follow along mindlessly.
Ex. 17:6
I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
1 Cor 10:4
4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
Cheaters vs GB-WTBTS – Hey People, Exercise your Right to be INFORMED. Let’s make it Real.