Flashes of Light

B. J. Kotwall and B. Stett

THE WATCHTOWER (WT) Magazine of May 15, 1995 appeals to Psalm 97:11 and Proverbs 4:18 as justification for past errors and subsequent newer doctrines.

In THE NEW WORLD TRANSLATION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES of THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY  (WTS) Psalms 97:11 reads:

Light itself has flashed up for the righteous one, and rejoicing even for the one upright in heart.

The WTS interprets this to mean that they regularly receive "flashes of light" from Jehovah (God).

That this interpretation is convenient though false is seen by reading the entire chapter of Psalm 19. Also PEAKE'S COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLE  explains:

...light and life are synonymous. Hence 'see light' should not be taken in the sense of mental illumination, but as denoting the experience of a full, free and satisfying life (p. 420)

Proverbs 4:18 reads:

The path of the righteous one is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.

Reading the entire chapter shows that verses 18-19 contrast the benefit to the "righteous" of obeying the instructions of a wise father with the damage to the wicked who forsakes such wisdom. Proverbs 4:18 does not - taken in context - justify the need of any individual or organization replacing doctrines and failed prophecies with new doctrines and prophecies. False teachings can be called "false words" and Proverbs 13:5 says: "A false word is what the righteous hates."

The first of three "Flashes of Light" articles in the May 15 WT summarises various New Testament teachings and calls them "brilliant light", "flashes of light", "stream of  light", etc. This is done with the resurrection stories of Lazarus, Jesus being recognized as Messiah, circumcision seen as  unnecessary, etc.

The second article applies the same "light" phrases to modern WTS doctrines, for example that Holy Spirit is a force, Christ's return would be invisible, the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matthew 24:45-47 is a class dispensing Christian truth etc. About 60 times WTS doctrines are called "light", "striking flash of light", "brilliant light", etc. By using Proverbs 4:18 for New Testament statements and for WTS doctrine as well the WTS leaders imply they are as  infallible as they teach the Bible to be!

INFALLIBLE LEADERS

The following claims of WTS leaders amount to claims of infallibility:

Nothing is interpreted but the interpretation comes from God and is then published.
WT 1943 July 1 pp. 202-203)

Angels deliver what is published.
PREPARATION 1933 pp. 36-37, 64

THE WATCHTOWER publishes "no man's opinion".
WT 1931 November 1 p. 327; 1936 March 15 p. 85

"To it (this organization) alone...the Bible is not a sealed book." The WTS is "the only organization on earth that understands the 'deep things of God.' "
WT 1973 July 1 p. 402

The leaders are "spirit directed" (WT 1988 March 1 p. 10)   and "God's channel." 
WT 1969 January 15 p. 51; 1960 July 15 pp. 439, 442

"It is vital that we appreciate this fact and respond to the directions of the 'slave' as we would to the voice of God, because it is His provision."
WT 1957 June 15 p. 37

C. T. Russell founder of the WTS, called himself "God's mouthpiece" (WT 1906 July 15 p. 229); claimed that compared to reading his books Bible reading is "a waste of time" (WT 1910 September 15 p. 298), and that his books "harmonize...every statement in the Bible."
DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES 1886 p. 348

God uses and directs the WTS.
VINDICATION  Book 1 1931 p. 77

"The 'slave' class has served as God's sole collective channel for the flow of Biblical truth to men on earth. Just as the early Christian congregation collectively served as the channel of communication from heaven to earth, so in our time."
WT 1960 July 15 p. 439

"As Jehovah revealed his truths by means of the first-century Christian congregation so he does today by means of the present-day Christian congregation. Through this agency he is having carried out prophesying on an intensified and unparalled scale. All of this activity is not an accident. Jehovah is the one behind all  of it."
WT 1964 June 15 p. 365

"Therefore, in submitting to Jehovah's theocratic organization, we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic procedure and requirements."
WT 1967 October 1 p. 593

"FAITHFUL" SLAVE - "RIGHT SORT OF FOOD"

The May 15 WT says that: "Jesus...returned  and found 'the faithful and discreet slave' giving the 'domestics' their food at the proper time. As a result Jesus Christ appointed that slave 'over all his belongings'." (p. 15) That appointment was made in 1919 (WT 1977 January 1 p. 14) . The basis was that the message at that time was "accurate and well founded" (REVELATION - IT'S GRAND CLIMAX AT HAND! 1989 p. 164)   and the "slave" was "faithful" and: "proclaiming Jehovah's kingdom and announcing its establishment in A.D. 1914." (WT 1943 January 1 p.7)
Also: "the serving of food, the right sort of food, at the proper time was the issue. It had to be according to this that a decision must be rendered by the returned master." (GOD'S KINGDOM OF A THOUSAND YEARS HAS APPROACHED 1973 p. 350)

Let us review the "right sort of food", the "brilliant light" of "God's mouthpiece" compared to which Bible reading is a "waste of time",  and which got the "faithful slave" appointed:

"RIGHT SORT OF FOOD" SAMPLED

  The WTS taught:

"The 'Time of the end,' a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914 is particularly marked in the Scriptures."
THY KINGDOM COME 1891 p. 23

The WTS taught:

"Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to appear for the second time in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt that he did appear in 1874."
WT 1922 November 1 p. 333  

"Beyond a doubt" but it was wrong!

The WTS taught:

"we present proofs that the setting up of the Kingdom of God is already begun, that it is pointed out in prophesy that as  due to begin the exercise of power in A.D. 1878, and that the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Revelation 18:14)...will end in A.D. 1915, with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership ... ."
THE TIME IS AT HAND 1889 p. 101)

The fake kingdom of 1878 was proclaimed until 1926!

The WTS taught that the Great Pyramid of Gizeh is "inspired" and "God designed". (THY KINGDOM COME 1891 p. 362; WT 1922 June 15 p. 187) 
This was taught for 47 years from 1881. In 1928 the Pyramid became "Satan's Bible" and its devotees had: "turned away from Jehovah and his Word." (WT 1928 November 15 pp. 341, 344)

The WTS taught:

"In the year 1918... Christendom shall go down as a system to oblivion..." 
THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917 p. 513 

This same book THE FINISHED MYSTERY, has been estimated to contain 1,500 interpretations rejected by later WTS writers. (JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: A STATSTICAL SURVEY 1992 p. 204)

Consider again the claim in May 15 WT that: "Jesus ...returned and found the...slave giving...food at the proper time."  (p. 15)  The WTS has only since 1927 understood the "slave" as referring to a large group collectively. Prior to 1927 the doctrine was that the "slave" or "servant" is one man - C. T. Russell . (WT Reprints 1916 December 1 p. 5998; THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917 p. 418) His teachings were "Divinely appointed teachings..." (THE FINISHED MYSTERY 1917 p. 426)

The same book says:   "though pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every feature of the Harvest work." (p. 144)

The WT in 1922 stated:   "to repudiate him and his work is equivalent to a repudiation of the Lord... ." (May 1 p. 132) Then in 1927 Russell was repudiated as "that servant"  (WT  February 15 p. 56) and thousands of his interpretive points were gradually repudiated as well.

Therefore, using WTS's own words, they "repudiated the Lord."

The May 15 WT mentions some past doctrines such as Armageddon being a social revolution and the Bible predicting a literal restoration of Israel as things "once thought." (pp. 18-19)  Such things weren't just "thought" but had entire books about them and were promulgated as "divine light" and "Bible truth"! (THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON  1897;  COMFORT FOR THE JEWS 1925)

FALSE PROPHECY CAUSED BY JEHOVAH

At the time Christ supposedly appointed the "slave" (i.e. the class or group) in 1919 the WTS promulgated the absurd public lectures MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE. This was published as a book in 1920 and taught:

"We may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old." 
(pp. 89-90)

The WTS claims that this was a message "Jehovah caused to be preached"!  
WT 1955 November 15 p. 698

Obviously the "Jehovah" of the WTS is not the Jehovah of the Bible but is a man or men who stole the name.

MORE CREDIT TO JEHOVAH

The May 15 articles contain many more deceptive assertions. For example p. 21 gives the impression that in 1962 the WTS got a bright flash of light that subjection to the "superior authorities" of Romans 13 is relative not absolute. However in 1886 such subjection was viewed as relative. (THE DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES p. 266) Until 1929 the "superior authorities" were interpreted to mean secular governments;  then this changed and they were God and Christ this being taught as "truth" and "light"; then in 1962 they became the secular governments again!

The May 15 WT calls Russell and his followers "part of the faithful and discreet slave" and "those Jehovah used" and "anointed". (p. 17)   Also:  "they took no credit to themselves. ...All credit went to God."

This misleads since Russell claimed he alone was the "slave" not "part of".  Also besides his numerous failed prophecies he, in 1881, urged his followers to give all spare money to "the Lord's service" - mainly Russell's service - and thereby avoid sickness and even death. (WT Reprints p. 187) Reports of miraculous cures, even old people restored to youth, appeared in the WT until the 1890s!  For the WTS to praise a fraud like Russell as "Jehovah used" and "anointed" while insulting all other religions as "false" and do this as an ongoing policy clearly constitutes double standards - religious hypocrisy. By giving "credit...to God" the WTS leaders wish readers to view them as humble, sweet, faithful and wise but instead really blame God for the false prophecies they could have avoided.

There are hundreds of "flashes of light" the May 15 WT could have mentioned but didn't. For example: "...vaccination is a direct violation of the law of Jehovah God." (THE GOLDEN AGE 1935 April 24 p. 471)
Jehovah's law got the boot in 1952!              

EVER BRIGHTER:  NO LIGHT EXTINGUISHED

The light-getting-brighter doctrine existed in 1881 when Russell wrote:

"New light never extinguishes older light but adds to it. ...So it is with the light of truth; the true increase is by adding to, not by substituting one for another."  
WT Reprints p. 188)

At that time (February 1881) Russell taught that he and the "saints" would rise physically to heaven in Autumn. Afterwards this "light" was  extinguished and Russell substituted the doctrine that the general selection for heaven ceased in 1881 and they'll ascend by 1914!  

  WT 1976 says:   "as the light of understanding shines even brighter, old ideas have been replaced. Now, in these 1970s, it can truly be said that 'the day is firmly established' among Jehovah's people... ." (July 1, 1976 p. 400)

However, numerous doctrinal changes since 1976 show that "the day is not firmly established after all!"   For example tissue transplants stopped being "unscriptural" in 1980, Armageddon is no longer in 1970s, the "Communist king of the north" is currently not Communist, and "this generation" of 1914 has a new starting date!

REPETITIOUS TRICKY PROPHET

Why do Jehovah's Witnesses follow men who attach God to lots of lies and who then keep changing this so-called "bright spiritual light" almost like traffic lights?

One reason is repetition. As already mentioned the May 15 article calls WTS doctrines "light" about 60 times. In the course of a year WTS doctrine is called "light", "education", "accurate knowledge", "truth", "genuine Christianity", "loyal to God's word", and similar things several thousand times!   Christianity is summed up negatively "apostate", "Babylonish", "deceitful", "fraudulent", "false", etc., also thousands of times yearly. Also Jehovah's Witnesses have to shun all who criticise them or their publications.

The leaders of WTS claim to be a prophet. (WT 1959 January 15 pp. 40-41; WT 1972 April 1 p. 197)  To claim to be God's prophet and then hide behind Proverbs 4:18 when prophecies fail is a trick since the Bible says that prophets who make false predictions in God's name deserve death. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22; Jeremiah 28)

Jesus once warned:

"If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6:23)