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THE DEVALUATION AND RESTRICTION OF THE RANSOM SACRIFICE II THE FALSE TEACHING REGARDING THE RESURRECTION

By 3. July 2024July 14th, 2024Bible study

THE NUMBER OF ADAM’S DESCENDANTS

Calculations regarding how many persons have lived on the earth are of course uncertain.  I have looked at ten different calculations, and the numbers given are between 80 billion and 120 billion. The Watchtower of April 1, 1982, page 20, calculated that until 1982, between 14 and 20 billion persons have lived on the earth. This calculation takes into account the information from the Bible that Adam was created about 6,000 years ago and that the worldwide flood killed all the people on the earth except Noah and his family. Therefore, this calculation is more accurate than those that do not take the information from the Bible into account. The rate of new births each year is about 140 million[1], and if we multiply this number by 40 years, we see that about 5.6 billion people have been born between 1982 and 2022.

On the basis of the calculations, we can assume that between 20 and 26 billion people have lived on the earth since Adam was created about 6,000 years ago. According to the words of Paul in 1 Timothy 2:5, 6, all these are bought by Jesus Christ. In its discussion of God’s foreknowledge, Insight vol. I, page 854, argues that if God had decided beforehand who would be saved, “it could not truly be said that the ransom was made available to all men. (2 Co 5:14, 15; 1Ti 2:5, 6; Heb 2:9)” Then Revelation 22:17 is quoted:

Let anyone hearing say: ‘Come!’ And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life’s water free. (Italics in the source)

The situation that is outlined by Insight is in other words that any descendant of Adam must get a personal opportunity to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice. But most of the 20 to 26 billion persons who have lived on this earth have never had this personal opportunity.

[1]. https://www.theworldcounts.com/populations/world/births.

SOME WILL NOT GET A RESURRECTION   

It is clear that not all persons who have lived on the earth will get a resurrection. Jesus said according to Luke 20:35:

35 but those who have been counted worthy (kataksioō) of gaining that system of things and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.

The words of Jesus show that not all persons who have lived will get a resurrection. The word kataksioō that is translated as “counted worthy of” does not indicate that it is difficult to get a resurrection. This is seen in Acts 5:41 where we read that the apostles were rejoicing because they were “counted worthy” (kataksioō) of being dishonored in behalf of this Name.” The meaning here is that the apostles were allowed to be dishonored, and that was something they appreciated.

The real issue is that all of Adam’s offspring who are bought by Jesus Christ must get the opportunity to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice. We must, therefore, conclude that persons who deliberately have rejected the ransom will not get a resurrection. But what does that mean? What does it mean that a person has had a full personal chance to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice?

In the original text of the Christian Greek Scriptures, there is a contrast between the words geenna and hadēs. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said:

28 And do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear him who can destroy (apollymi) both soul and body in Gehenna.

The Greek word apollymi means “to destroy; to ruin.” The soul represents the person himself and his right to life. This indicates that Gehenna refers to total destruction or ruin from which there is no resurrection. In contrast, Revelation 20:13 shows that all persons who are in hadēs (Hebrew, sheōl) and in the sea will get a resurrection. According to Matthew 23:15, 33, Jesus showed that the scribes and the Pharisees that he spoke to would experience the judgment of Gehenna.

15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you travel over sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him a subject for Ge·henʹna twice as much so as yourselves.

33“Serpents, offspring of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of Gehenna?

As a contrast, Jesus shows in Matthew 11:23 that the inhabitants of Capernaum will come to hadēs, which means that they will get a resurrection.

23And you, Ca·perʹna·um, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to the Grave (hadēs) you will come; because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sodʹom, it would have remained until this very day.

The words of Jesus show that the group of Pharisees and the scribes will not get a resurrection but the inhabitants of Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida will come up from the grave. In connection with the question about getting a personal chance to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice, both the people of Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida and the Pharisees and the scribes had heard the preaching of Jesus and had seen his miracles, but they had rejected Jesus. However, the inhabitants of the mentioned cities would come to hadēs and will get a resurrection. But some of the Pharisees and the scribes would come to Gehenna and will not get a resurrection. What is the difference between the two groups?

SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT VERSUS INHERITED SIN

There is an important biblical point to take into consideration, namely, inherited sin and the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. Because all humans have inherited sin, God does not demand that we are perfect. When a human has committed sins, he or she may get forgiveness because of the ransom sacrifice. But some sins cannot be forgiven, namely, sins against the holy spirit. According to Matthew 12:31, 32, Jesus said:

31 “On this account I say to YOU, Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. 32 For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.

What is the difference between the sins that can be forgiven and those that cannot be forgiven? Every sin that directly or indirectly is caused by our imperfection, by the sin we have inherited, can be forgiven. But sins that are caused by our own wickedness cannot be forgiven. What does that mean? According to Matthew 12:27, the sons (disciples) of the Pharisees could expel demons. In this case, the demons cooperated with the disciples of the Pharisees, in order to mislead those who saw the demons being expelled. When this expelling of demons occurred, the Pharisees evidently used this as evidence that God was on their side. Jesus expelled demons on a much greater scale than the disciples of the Pharisees. But in his case, the Pharisees said that Jesus expelled the demons with the help of Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons (verse 24).

Were the Pharisees led by their imperfection, by their inherited sin to ascribe the great works of Jesus to Satan? Did they say this because they had inherited sin from their first father? No! They accused Jesus of being in league with Satan because they were wicked, and Jesus threatened their position. This was a conscious decision that could not be ascribed to their inherited sin. Sin against the holy spirit, therefore, is an intentional wicked course of action that continues despite the fact that the actor knows that his or her course is wicked, and it is done because of pure selfishness. It “is impossible to revive them again to repentance (metanoia),” as Hebrews 6:5 says. Those who have sinned against the holy spirit are not able to feel remorse and repent.

Jesus spent much time in Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, and he made many miracles in these cities. But most of the people did not accept Jesus as one that was sent by God. Jesus rebuked the inhabitants of these cities because of their lack of faith. But he did not say that they had sinned against the holy spirit. On the contrary, he said that the inhabitants of these cities would get a resurrection on Judgment Day, according to Matthew 11:20-24:

20 Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his powerful works had taken place, for they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Cho·raʹzin! Woe to you, Beth·saʹi·da! because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Tyre and Siʹdon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more endurable for Tyre and Siʹdon on Judgment Day than for you. 23 And you, Ca·perʹna·um, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to the Grave (hades) you will come; because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sodʹom, it would have remained until this very day. 24 But I say to you, it will be more endurable for the land of Sodʹom on Judgment Day than for you.”

The Watchtower of March 1, 1965, page 139, says regarding the verses quoted above:

As in the case of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus showed that Sodom, bad as it was, had not got to the state of being unable to repent. That is why Jesus said that, if his powerful works that had taken place in Capernaum had taken place in Sodom, “it would have remained” until Jesus’ day. And in that connection Jesus said that Capernaum, which had been exalted in a spiritual way to heaven, would be abased down to Ha’des, not to Gehenna. Heaven for height and Ha’des or Sheol for depth; and by using this contrast Jesus meant that Capernaum would undergo the deepest abasement. Though highly favored by Jesus, that city does not exist today any more than Sodom does. But if Sodom had had Capernaum’s opportunity Sodom would have had ten or more righteous persons in it and it would have continued over nineteen hundred years longer till Jesus’ day and then some. So the spiritual recovery of the dead people of Sodom is not hopeless. (Gen. 18:22-32Ezekiel 16:46-61 speaks hopefully of people compared to ancient Sodomites.

The divine requirement that would have ensured that Sodom “would have remained until this very day” was that ten or more righteous persons had been found in the city. The words of Jesus show that if Sodom had received the same chance as Capernaum, there would have been at least ten righteous persons in the city. Claiming that these ten or more are eternally annihilated, would clearly be against God’s righteousness and love for mankind, as well as against the value of the ransom sacrifice.

When the inhabitants of Sodom, Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida will get a resurrection, it means that they did not have the full personal chance to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice. But how can that be when Jesus preached in these Jewish cities and made many miracles there? We do not know the minds and hearts of the inhabitants of these cities. But the situation with Paul, who persecuted the Christians. and even agreed that they should be killed, may give some clues. In 1 Timothy 1:13, 14. Paul says:

12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who imparted power to me, because he considered me faithful by assigning me to a ministry, 13 although formerly I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man. Nevertheless, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and with a lack of faith. 14 But the undeserved kindness of our Lord abounded exceedingly along with faith and the love that is in Christ Jesus.

When Jesus said that the inhabitants of the mentioned cities would have a resurrection and be present on Judgment Day, this indicates that they to some extent, were in the same situation as Paul, and that they had not had a full personal chance to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice.

Applied to our situation today, it means that if a servant of God studies the Bible with a person and this person does not change his course of life and become a servant of God, that does not mean that he or she has had a full chance to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice.

The conclusion of this section is that only persons who have sinned against the holy spirit will not get a resurrection on Judgment Day. But all others, regardless of their bad actions will get a resurrection.

The Awake! magazine of May 22, 1963, page 28, contained an article with the theme, “Resurrection — for whom?” Regarding those who will not get a resurrection, the article says:

There will not be a resurrection for the willfully, deliberately, incorrigibly wicked, those without the slightest spark remaining of conscience or love of righteousness.

This is an excellent description of sin against the holy spirit. Those who have sinned against the holy spirit are incorrigibly wicked, and they are not able to show regret or remorse for their actions. These will not get a resurrection.[1]

[1]. See the article, “Sin against the holy spirit.”

THE FALSE TEACHING OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY REGARDING THE RESURRECTION — THEY REJECT THE WORDS OF JESUS 

Hymenaeus and Philetus had “deviated from the truth” (2 Timothy 2:17, 18) because they said that the resurrection was not future but had already occurred. They did not deny that there was a resurrection. But their false teaching related to the time of the resurrection and possibly also to the nature of the resurrection. In a similar way, the present members of the Governing Body do not deny that there will be a resurrection. But their false teaching is related to the scope of the resurrection. The members of the Governing Body simply reject some of the words Jesus uttered regarding the resurrection.

The viewpoints of the members of the Governing Body have changed in a zig-zag pattern, as I will show:

1987

The Watchtower of January 15, 1987, page 24, compared the actions of the inhabitants of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Sodom, and Gomorrah, and said:

Jesus goes on to single out for reproach the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, where he has performed most of his powerful works. If he had done them in the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus says, these cities would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. Condemning Capernaum, which apparently has been his home base during his ministry, Jesus declares: “It will be more endurable for the land of Sodom on Judgment Day than for you.”

What does Jesus mean by this? Evidently he is showing that, during Judgment Day when proud ones in Capernaum are resurrected, it will be more difficult for them to admit their mistakes and accept Christ than it will be for the resurrected ancient Sodomites to repent humbly and learn righteousness.

These comments accord with the words of Jesus.

1988

In The Watchtower of June 1, 1988, page 30, the question was raised: “Will those whom Jehovah destroyed by fire in Sodom and Gomorrah be resurrected?” The article says:

A recent review of this suggests that these verses need not be taken as statements about the future for the people of Sodom/​Gomorrah…

A reexamination of Matthew 11:20-24, though, has brought into question whether Jesus was there discussing eternal judgment and resurrection. His point was how unresponsive the people in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were and how unlikely it was that they would reform even in the Judgment Day. Saying that it would be “more endurable” for Tyre/Sidon and Sodom/Gomorrah “on Judgment Day” was a form of hyperbole (exaggeration to emphasize a point) that Jesus need not have intended to be taken literally, any more than other graphic hyperboles that he used.

These comments are a direct rejection of the words of Jesus.  The claim of the members of the Governing Body is that we cannot take the words of Jesus about Judgment Day at face value because Jesus presented hyperboles. This view has no support whatsoever in the text of the Bible.

2013

The view of the members of the Governing Body throughout the 21st century has been that all those who died in the great flood in the days of Noah and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the inhabitants of Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, have been everlastingly annihilated without any hope of a resurrection. Regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, I quote Luke 10:10-12 and the study note in NWT13 to verse 12:

10 But wherever you enter into a city and they do not receive you, go out into its main streets and say: 11 ‘We wipe off against you even the dust that sticks to our feet from your city. Nevertheless, know this, that the Kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you that it will be more endurable for Sodʹom in that day than for that city.

It will be more endurable: Evidently used as a form of hyperbole that Jesus may not have intended to be taken literally. (Compare other graphic hyperboles that Jesus used, such as those at Mt 5:18; Lu 16:17; 21:33) When Jesus said it would be “more endurable for Sodom in that day,” that is, on Judgment Day (Mt 10:15; 11:22, 24; Lu 10:14), he was not saying that the inhabitants of Sodom must be present on that day. (Compare Jude 7) He could simply have been emphasizing how unresponsive and culpable most people were in such cities as Chorazin. Bethsaida, and Capernaum. (Lu 10:13-15) It is worth noting that what happened to Ancient Sodom had become a proverbial and was often mentioned in connection with God’s anger and judgment.—De 29:23: Isa 1:9; La 4:6.

The study note claims that Jesus did not say that the inhabitants of Sodom must be present on Judgment Day. But that was exactly what Jesus said!

The words of the study note are a direct contradiction of the words of Jesus. The view that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah will not get a resurrection was held by the members of the Governing Body until May 2024.

2024

The Watchtower of May 2024, pages 5, 6, paragraph 15, contradicted the previous view:

13 We also know about Jehovah’s mercy toward the Ninevites. God told Jonah: “Their wickedness has come to my attention.” But when they repented of their sins, Jehovah kindly forgave them. He was far more merciful than Jonah was. God had to remind his angry prophet that those Ninevites did “not even know right from wrong.” (Jonah 1:1, 2; 3:10; 4:9-11) Later, Jesus used that example to teach about Jehovah’s justice and mercy. Jesus said that the repentant Ninevites would “rise up in the judgment.Matt. 12:41

15 When speaking of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jesus said that they would fare better “on Judgment Day” than would the people who rejected him and his teachings. (Matt. 10: 14, 15; 11:23, 24; Luke 10:12) What did he mean? We might assume that Jesus was using hyperbole on this occasion. But that does not seem to be the case, any more than when he was speaking of the Ninevites. Rather, it seems that Jesus meant what he said. The “Judgment Day” he referred to in both instances was surely the same. Like the Ninevites, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah did bad things. But the Ninevites had an opportunity to repent. Further, remember what Jesus said about the “resurrection of judgment.” It will include “those who practiced vile things.” (John 5:29) So it seems that there may be some hope for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is possible that at least some of those people will be resurrected, and we may have the opportunity to teach them about Jehovah and Jesus Christ.

In this article, the members of the Governing Body stated that the Jesus did not us a hyperbole, as the study note of NWT13 says. The words of Jesus regarding Sodom open for the possibility that some of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah may get a resurrection. There are several problems with this new viewpoint.

Problem 1: Jesus did not speak about those who the members of the Governing Body say he spoke about.

I quote Matthew 12:40-42 (above) and Jonah 3:5, 6 (below):

39 In reply he said to them: “A wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Joʹnah the prophet. 40 For just as Joʹnah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 Men of Nin’e·veh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at what Jo’nah preached. But look! something more than Jo’nah is here. 42 The queen of the south will be raised up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Sol’o·mon. But look! something more than Sol’o·mon is here.

 5 And the men of Ninʹe·veh began to put faith in God, and they proceeded to proclaim a fast and to put on sackcloth, from the greatest one of them even to the least one of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Ninʹe·veh, then he rose up from his throne and put off his official garment from himself and covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the ashes.

Who did Jesus say would get a resurrection? He referred to “Men of Nineveh.” He did not say that “some men of Nineveh will get a resurrection.” But he referred to all the inhabitants of Nineveh. This is confirmed by Jonah 3:5 where we lead that “The men of Nineveh began to put faith in God…from the greatest one of them even to the least one of them.” In a similar way, Jesus did not say that some men of the “wicked and adulterous generation” would raise up with the Ninevites and the queen of the south. But his words show that “this generation,” which only can mean that every member of this generation, would raise up.

Problem 2: The members of the Governing Body imply that most wicked people and those who have heard the good news but rejected it will not get a resurrection.

But we must consider “this wicked and adulterous generation” and ask which people are a part of this generation. In the article “Sin against the holy spirit” I make a detailed analysis of the identity of this generation. And the conclusion is that all the Jews in the days of Jesus, men and women, young and old, are belong to this generation. According to Acts 24:15, there will be a resurrection of righteous and unrighteous people. But the generation Jesus refers to was “wicked and adulterous,” which is farther away from the righteousness of God.

I will elucidate this by pointing out that the inhabitants of Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida also must have been a part of “this wicked and adulterous generation” because they were a part of the Jewish nation.

The quotation above from The Watchtower of May 2024 regarding the words that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah would fare better on Judgment Day than other mentioned people says that these words do not represent a hyperbole. These words occur in Matthew 10:15; 11:24; and Luke 10:12, and I quote Matthew 11:20-24:

20 Then he started to reproach the cities in which most of his powerful works had taken place, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Cho·raʹzin! Woe to you, Beth·saʹi·da! because if the powerful works had taken place in Tyre and Siʹdon that took place in YOU, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Consequently I say to YOU, It will be more endurable for Tyre and Siʹdon on Judgment Day than for YOU. 23 And you, Ca·perʹna·um, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to Haʹdes you will come; because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sodʹom, it would have remained until this very day. 24 Consequently I say to YOU people, It will be more endurable for the land of Sodʹom on Judgment Day than for you.

Jesus had spent much time in the three cities north of the Sea of Galilee. He had preached to the inhabitants and done several powerful works there. But the inhabitants refused to believe in him. Therefore, he was reproaching these cities.

Please note that Jesus refers to the cities as a whole, referring to all the inhabitants of each city. When he says that “it will be more endurable for the land of Sodom than for you,” he must, according to basic linguistic rules, refer to all the inhabitants in the land of Sodom and not just to a few of them as the members of the Governing Body claim. And similarly, when he used the pronoun “you,” it must refer to all the inhabitants of the city of Chorazin and not just to a few of them.

We also note that the inhabitants of Chorazin will come to hadēs, and all who are in hadēs will get a resurrection. NWT13 has a study note to 11:23 that contradicts the words of Jesus:

The Grave: Or “hades,” that is, the common grave of mankind, (See Glossary, “Grave.”) Here used figuratively to represent the debasement that Capernaum would experience.

Again, we see how the members of the Governing Body do not accept the words of Jesus that contradict their doctrines. The word hadēs is used ten times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and there is no example of a figurative use.

Matthew 11:21, 22 shows the inhabitants of Chorazin and Bethsaida will get a resurrection because they are compared with the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon. And the Hebrew Scriptures show explicitly that the inhabitants of Sidon will get a resurrection:

21“Woe to you, Cho·raʹzin! Woe to you, Beth·saʹi·da! because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Tyre and Siʹdon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more endurable for Tyre and Siʹdon on Judgment Day than for you.

Ezekiel 32:21, 29 shows that the inhabitants of Sidon will get a resurrection because they went down to sheōl (Greek: hadēs) and all the dead in hadēs (sheōl) will according to Revelation 20:13 get a resurrection:

21“‘From the depths of the Grave (sheol) the mightiest warriors will speak to him and his helpers. They will certainly go down and will lie just like the uncircumcised, slain by the sword…

30 “‘There all the princes of the north are, along with all the Si·doʹni·ans, who have gone down in disgrace with the slain, despite the terror caused by their mightiness. They will lie uncircumcised with those who were slain by the sword and will bear their shame with those going down into the pit.

Both the inhabitants of Chorazin and the inhabitants of Sidon came to hadēs (sheōl) and will get a resurrection.

As a summary, we note that:

     All the inhabitants of Nineveh will get a resurrection.

     All the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah will get a resurrection.

All the members of the cities Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida will get a resurrection,

     All the members of “this wicked and adulterous generation,” wich refers to all Jews in the days of jesus, including the  inhabitants of Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, will get a resurrection.

The words of Jesus also contradict a particular viewpoint of the members of the Governing Body, namely, that if a person has heard the good news of the Kingdom and have refused to accept it, he or she will be eternally annihilated. The inhabitants of Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, had not only heard the good news. But over and over again, Jesus had preached for them and made powerful works among them — and they refused to believe in him. But nevertheless, these people will get a resurrection on the thousand-year-long Judgment Day to get the opportunity to accept the ransom sacrifice.

Why would these people, who had a much better chance to learn the truth about God than most other people, but refused to do so, get a resurrection? The answer is that because of our inherited sin and imperfection, we cannot get a full chance to accept the truth. First when we become perfect like Adam, are we able to get our full chance to serve Jehovah.[1]

However, some persons learn the truth and start to serve God in their imperfect condition. Some of them will be among the group of 144 000 heirs of the Kingdom who will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven. Others will be among the great crowd who will survive the great tribulation. But all others, except the few who have sinned against the holy spirit and by this have rejected the ransom sacrifice, will get their chance to serve God on Judgment Day.

Table 1.1. the changing interpretations of the resurrection

YEAR INTERPRETATION
1987 On Judgment Day, all the members of Chorazin, Capernaum, Bethsaida, Sodom, and Gomorrah will be resurrected.
1988 The words of Jesus cannot be taken literally and do not refer to the resurrection.
2013 Jesus did not say that the inhabitants of Sodom will have a resurrection and be present on Judgment Day.
2024 Some of the inhabitants of Sodom may get a resurrection and be present on Judgment Day

The new interpretation of the members of the Governing Body of May 2024 is that some people from Sodom and Gomorrah and some people who died in the great flood perhaps will get a resurrection.

This is a devaluation and restriction of the resurrection because Jesus said that all inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah will get a resurrection, and Revelation 20:13 says that all who are in the sea, including those who died in the great flood, will get a resurrection.

EXAMPLES OF SEMI-INSPIRATION AND INSPIRATION

The members of the Governing Body take the words of Matthew 24:45-47 as a prophecy, and these nine members claim to be “the faithful and discreet slave” and “to give them [the domestics] the food at the proper time.” This means that everything the members of the Governing Body write and publish is the spiritual food that God wants his domestics (his servants) to have at the proper time.

What the Governing Body publishes must be viewed as the truth from God. This viewpoint is in itself the same as semi-inspiration. The members of the Governing Body do not say that they are inspired by God, that they get messages from God. But when they claim that what they write is the spiritual food God wants his servants to have at different times this is very close to claiming that they are inspired by God.

The words about “food at the proper time” is an interesting example of this semi-inspiration. As shown above, on January 15, 1987, The Watchtower had an article where the words of Jesus about the resurrection on Judgment Day of the people of Sodom, Chorazin, Capernaum, and Bethsaida were taken literally at face value. All the inhabitants in these cities would get a resurrection.

According to the view of “food at the proper time,” this was the spiritual food God wanted his servants to have at this time. But one and a half years later, on June 15, 1988, The Watchtower had an article with the very opposite conclusion: The words of Jesus could not be understood literally because they represented a hyperbole (an exaggeration). This was now the spiritual food that God wanted his servants to receive.

The semi-inspiration is clearly seen in the way this new understanding is expressed. No linguistic or contextual arguments for this new view, that is the opposite of the previous view, are presented. The reason for the new view is only “A reexamination of Matthew 11:20-24.” This means that the members of the Governing Body place themselves on par with the Bible, or rather above the Bible. On the basis of their authority, on their reexamination of the text, of their change of mind, all Witnesses must now believe the very opposite of what the Governing Body wrote one and a half years earlier. The members of the Governing Body think that they have the authority to contradict the words of Jesus without giving any reasons. But this is a false teaching!

I would also like to add the words of the Study Edition of The Watchtowerof February 2022, Study article 6, paragraph 15:

As the end of this system of things draws near, we need to trust in Jehovah’s way of doing things as never before. Why? During the great tribulation, we may receive instructions that seem strange, impractical, or illogical. Of course, Jehovah will not speak to us personally. He will likely provide direction through his appointed representatives. That will hardly be the time to second-guess the direction or to view it with skepticism, wondering, ‘Is this really coming from Jehovah, or are the responsible brothers acting on their own? How will you fare during that crucial time in human history? The answer might be indicated by how you view theocratic direction now. If you trust the direction we receive today and readily obey, you will likely do the same during the great tribulation.​—Luke 16:10. (Bold script in the original)

Even if the members of the Governing Body give instructions that are “strange, illogical or impractical,” all the Witnesses must follow these instructions. This means that even when we do not understand the meaning of something the Governing Body says or writes, we must believe that it comes from Jehovah. This means that the Witnesses must treat the members of the Governing Body like those who are inspired by God. Therefore, it is even more than semi-inspiration.

These instructions have crossed the border line from semi-inspiration and into real inspiration. This is so because this instruction in The Watchtower puts the words of the members of the Governing Body on the same level as the words of God in the Holy Scriptures.

Kenneth Flodin, who is audio/video manager at Watchtower Patterson, in his talk “Jesus’ yoke is kindly” at JW broadcasting April 24, 2023, said:

The Governing body could be likened to the voice of Jesus, the head of the congregation. So, when we willingly submit to the faithful slave, we are automatically submitting to Jesus’ authority and direction.

The quotation from The Watchtower of February 2022 shows that the members of the Governing Body requires absolute obedience. And this quotation shows that others who are a part of the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses support this.

I am very sad to conclude that Jehovah’s Witnesses today who want to serve God, in reality, serve  humans, namely, the nine men of the Governing Body.

[1]. See the article, “Getting Adam’s chance.”

JESUS SPOKE ABOUT JUDGMENT DAY AND THE RESURRECTION

As I showed in part I, contrary to the view of the members of the Governing Body, Jesus died for all Adam’s descendants, and he  bought all of them. This means that each one of Adam’s descendants will get a full chance of choosing to accept or reject the ransom sacrifice.

The previous view of the Governing Body that all those who died in the great flood and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are everlastingly annihilated without any hope of a resurrection, is a direct contradiction of the ransom sacrifice.

That the members of the Governing Body have changed their interpretation and now say that some who died in the great flood and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah perhaps will get a resurrection, is the same as putting new wine in old wineskins, to use an illustration of Jesus. (Matthew 9:16,17) It does not reverse their rejection of basic sides of the ransom sacrifice.

Contrary to the members of the Governing Body: There is no uncertainty with the resurrection. As 1 Corinthians 15:22 says, all who die in Adam, i.e., all who die because of inherited sin will get a resurrection. This includes all who died in the great flood because they are in the sea (Revelation 20:13), and all who died when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

The only ones of Adam’s descendants who do not die because of inherited sin are the group of 144,000, who sacrifice their lives in order to get a heavenly resurrection and the few who sin against the holy spirit, who die because of God’s judgment. The information in the Bible suggests that between 20 and 26 billion people have lived on the earth since Adam. And contrary to the view of the members of the Governing Body, we can expect that “by far the majority of those who have died will be resurrected to a paradise earth.” as the book Knowledge That Leads to Eternal Life (1995), page 88, says.

Rolf Furuli

Author Rolf Furuli

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