Stay Faithful Through the “Great Tribulation” – Study 2019/41

“Love Jehovah, all you who are loyal to him! Jehovah protects the faithful.”—Psalm 31:23

[From ws 10/19 p.14 Study Article 41: December 9 – December 15, 2019]

Paragraph 2 states that the following important questions need answers.

  • What will happen during the “great tribulation”?
  • What will Jehovah expect us to do during that time?
  • And how can we prepare ourselves now to stay faithful through the great tribulation?

Let us examine this article to see if these questions are answered with facts or speculation.

ParagraphQuotesComments

1

Talking about the Nations “they may boast”,

Speculation.

“they may” or they may not. It is a 50/50 choice.

1

“the nations will want us to think”

Speculation.

the nations will want us”. Can the Organization read minds? No.

4

Referring to the Nations “They might say ..”

Speculation.

4

“Or they might say”

Speculation.

4

“Rather, it seems that the nations will get rid of the religious organizations”

Speculation.

it seems”. Yes, it may be so, but equally the nations could be taking over religions because of their money and real estate, (of which the Organisation has plenty, not because they want to get rid of religion.

, not because they want to get rid of religion.

5

“Jehovah has promised he will “cut short the days” of the tribulation so that his “chosen ones” and true religion will survive. (Mark 13:19, 20)”

Speculation.

The ‘cutting short the days’ clearly applies to the first century destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. However, to apply it to Armageddon is implying a second greater fulfillment which is not warranted.

6

“Jehovah expects his worshippers to separate themselves from Babylon the Great”

Misleading.

He does not “expect.” Revelation 18:4 says “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues” takes place after the fall of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18:2). It is also a simple choice. We can stay or we can leave. If we stay there are consequences. We are requested to get out of her, so we are not punished with Babylon the Great. It is also noteworthy that God’s people are found in Babylon the Great. See Matthew 13:27-30. This means that the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is also part of Babylon the Great. Why would separating from Babylon the Great be necessary if there was one true religion at that time?

7

“we must continue worshipping with our fellow Christians”

False.

John 4:23 and James 1:27 give us no instructions to worship in a Kingdom Hall nor even in company with fellow Christians. Rather it is on a personal basis “in spirit and truth” and by personal actions towards others.

7

“We need to meet together” [in formal meetings] Hebrews 10:24-25”

False.


Hebrews 10 encourages us to gather together, to associate with like-minded ones, it does not mandate attending formal meetings according to a prescribed time and format

8

“During the great tribulation, the message that we proclaim will likely change”

Speculation,


will likely”. However, Galatians 1:8 reminds us “However, even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond the good news we declared to you, let him be accursed” So this raises the question where will this new message come from? Jesus or Satan?

8

we may well deliver a message as hard-hitting as hailstones. (Rev. 16:21)”

Speculation.

Again a 50/50 chance we “may well” or we may not.

Also, speculation is the interpretation that the hailstones are a hard hitting message.

Yet more speculation is the fact that the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses will somehow receive a communication from Jesus or Jehovah to deliver such a message.

8

We may proclaim the impending doom of Satan’s world”

Speculation.

“we may proclaim” or we may not!

8

Will we use the same methods we have used for over a hundred years

Speculation.

“Will we use”. Who knows? No one. Your guess is as good as theirs!

8

“it seems that we will have the privilege of boldly proclaiming Jehovah’s judgment message”

Speculation.

it seems”.

If the Organization is incapable of preaching the Good news today without twisting it, then why would God entrust the Organization with a warning message, if indeed one is to be given.

9

“Quite likely, our message will provoke the nations into trying to silence us once and for all”

Speculation.

quite likely” . This is the culmination of speculation upon speculation.

If the Organization is God’s Organization?

if there is meant to be a judgement message delivered?

Will it be delivered differently?

Will the Organization get the privilege of delivering a possible warning message and possibly provoking the nations?

10

“Because we remain no part of the world,”we may suffer some hardships.

Speculation.

we may suffer”, equally we may not.

It is also dependent on the Organization being God’s Organization otherwise any hardships will be no different to anyone else.

10

“We may have to go without certain necessities.”

Speculation.

we may have to”, equally we may not have to. (As immediately above)

11

“people whose religions were destroyed may resent the fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses keep practicing their religion”

Speculation.

peoplemay resent”. People may not resent it. Equally Jehovah’s Witnesses may not be able to keep practicing their religion because they too are part of Babylon the Great by their actions such as being part of the UN.

11

They will not have attained their goal to eliminate all religion from the face of the earth. So we will become the center of their attention. At this point, the nations will take on the role of Gog of Magog. They will band together to make a vicious, all-out attack on Jehovah’s people. (Ezek. 38:2, 14-16)

Speculation has been built upon speculation.

The understanding given by the Organization about Gog of Magog is based on interpreting it as having a modern-day fulfilment. Yet there is no precedent in scripture for this understanding.

A brief review of the latest teaching on Gog of Magog by the Organization can be found here.

11

It can be somewhat unsettling to think about those possibilities when we cannot be certain of the exact details”

Speculation is admitted.

The scaremongering caused by the speculation has no basis in facts and is therefore totally unnecessary and to be abhorred.

11

“Jehovah will give us lifesaving instructions. (Ps. 34:19)”

Speculation once again.

Nowhere does the Bible say we will be given lifesaving instructions at Armageddon. Jesus has already given us all the warning instructions we need to heed. He did this back in the first century, including not allowing ourselves to be misled by so-called anointed (christs) ones. Matthew 24:23-25.

12

The faithful and discreet slave” has been preparing us to stay faithful through the great tribulation. (Matt. 24:45

Falsehood.

Reading Matthew 24 shows that the appointment of faithful and discreet slaves comes after Jesus coming as a thief in the night. The appointment is at or immediately after Armageddon. The Governing Body of the Organization only claimed they were the sole appointed FDS in 2013. This was nearly a hundred years after the year when the previous teaching claimed Jesus had appointed the FDS.

13

“At some point, all anointed ones who are still on earth will be gathered to heaven to share in the war of Armageddon. (Matt. 24:31; Rev. 2:26, 27)”

Falsehood, Speculation.

These cited scriptures do not say that the chosen / anointed ones are “gathered to heaven,” (neither does any other scripture for that matter.)

14

“following their God-given direction” [referring to the direction of the Governing Body]

Falsehood and Speculation.

Is all the above speculation and falsehood actually God-given direction? How can it be? That is a blasphemous suggestion saying that God gives speculations instead of certainties in his instructions.

How does God give them direction? This is never spelt out clearly in the publications of the Organization. Also, why if Jesus is the head of the Congregation and has all authority is God giving them directions?

17

“we also have the prospect of living through the great tribulation”

Speculation.

Prospect commonly is understood to mean a good likelihood that the event will occur.

How can we have a good likelihood when Jesus said only God knows when the great tribulation would be brought? A slim prospect of seeing the great tribulation would be far more truthful. Both of my parents expected the Great Tribulation to come before I left school. They have now both passed away at a good age, after seeing their grandchildren reach adulthood.

The table above shows 25! of the major speculations or falsehoods in this Watchtower study article. Actual solid facts and provable statements are thin on the ground.

The Organization should heed Jesus words to the enquiring disciples recorded in Acts 1:7 where “He said to them: “It does not belong to you to know the times or seasons that the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction.”.

1 Samuel 15:23 warns against speculating or pushing ahead trying to guess things that it is not for us to know when it says, “pushing ahead presumptuously [is] the same as using magical power and idolatry”.

Let us heed the warnings of Jesus and remain faithful to him rather than a man-made and man-directed Organization. Let us by our actions rebuke the Organization as Jesus rebuked Peter for contradicting scripture “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you think, not God’s thoughts, but those of men.” (Matthew 16:23).

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