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Who Is Jesus Christ

July 9, 2025

AS A FORMER MEMBER of the Watchtower organization the identity of Jesus Christ is a central tenet. Their doctrine teaches: (1) Jesus Christ is not God), (2) Jesus Christ was God’s first creation, (3) Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel. Are these beliefs Scriptural? The purpose of this article is to entertain these questions. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to accept God’s inspired word as their absolute authoritative source. This is what they assert and this is what they claim to believe. These questions will be examined through the lens of Scripture.

Who is Jesus Christ? Watchtower doctrine: (1) Christ is the first creation of God, (2) Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel, (3) Jesus Christ is not God. In other words God the Father created Jesus Christ named him Michael the Archangel and called him “a god.” These are Watchtower tenets. God’s word teaches: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).  Scripture will become our exclusive authoritative unimpeachable source void of Watchtower materials to test, affirm or refute the Organization identity doctrine of Jesus Christ.

God Identifies Jesus Christ

THE Person to ask about the identity of Jesus Christ is His Father. He inspired men to write Scripture. What is Scripture? God’s instructive message to humans. In other words God’s word is our roadmap to life. Our English version of the Bible is a translation from the Greek. To understand what the Greek language is literally communicating buy yourself a Greek English Interlinear and Greek-English Lexicon. There are many to choose from but be careful because of bias. Not all scholars are “honest scholars.” I would highly recommend your home library have a couple sources for comparison purposes. These tools are essential in helping the Bible student glean the true meanings of Greek words used. I will share an example of a Greek-English Lexicon as this article develops.

Hebrews 1:5 tells us: “For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU?” Hebrews 1:5b: “And again, I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”?  God continues at Hebrews 1:6, “And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” Jesus Christ is the Person being spoken of. God explains why His Son is to be worshiped, “BUT of the Son He says, THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM” (Hebrews 1:8).

Verse 9: “THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY COMPANIONS.

Greek Word Worship προσκυνέω – proskuneo used at Hebrews 1:6

Greek English Lexicon: Hebrews 1:6 … “worship: “(to prostrate oneself); to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence … b. of homage rendered to God and the ascended Christ, to heavenly beings, and to demons … absol. (our to worship)” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of The New Testament, by Joseph H. Thayer, pg. 548).

Example Number 2:  “To worship, do obeisance, show respect, fall or prostrate before. Literally, to kiss toward someone, to throw a kiss in token of respect or homage … In the New Testament, generally, to do reverence or homage to someone, usually by kneeling or prostrating oneself before him. In the Septuagint it means to bow down, to prostrate oneself in reverence, homage (Gen. 19:1; 48:12). (II) Spoken of those who pay reverence and homage to deity, render divine honors, worship, adore, with the basic idea of prostration, which, however, is often dropped (cf. Sept.: Gen. 47:31; 1 Kings 1:47). (B) Of the Messiah with the dat. (Hebrews 1:6).” (The Completed WordStudy Dictionary New Testament pg. 1233 -34 by Spiros Zodhiates Th.D.)

The two examples above (1) Greek-English Lexicon by Dr. Thayer (2) Completed WordStudy Dictionary New Testament by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates; both are Greek scholars providing their scholarship definition assessment of the Greek word “worship” used at Hebrews 1:6.

Side Note: Hebrews 1:8,9 is a direct quote from Psalm 45:6,7 which reads: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee With the oil of joy above Thy fellows.” 

Hebrew text of Psalm 45:6 

כִּסְאֲךָ֣ (kis’aka): “Your throne”

אֱ֭לֹהִים (elohim): “God”

עֹולָ֣ם (olam): “forever”

וָעֶ֑ד (va’ed): “and ever”

שֵׁ֥בֶט (shevet): “a scepter”

מִ֝ישֹׁ֗ר (mishor): “of uprightness”

שֵׁ֣בֶט (shevet): “a scepter”

מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ (malkuteka): “of your kingdom”

Hebrew text of Psalm 45:7  

אָהַבְתָּ (ahavta): You have loved.

צֶּדֶק (tzedek): Righteousness.

וַתִּשְׂנָא (vatisna): And you have hated.

רֶשַׁע (resha): Wickedness.

עַל־כֵּן (al-ken): Therefore.

מְשָׁחֲךָ (meshakha): Has anointed you.

אֱלֹהִים (Elohim): God.

אֱלֹהֶיךָ (elohecha): Your God.

שֶׁמֶן (shemen): Oil.

שָׂשׂוֹן (sason): Joy.

מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ (mechavrecha): Above your fellows.

Translation: You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above your fellows. 

Context Context Context. It is imperative to read the entire context to glean the meaning of any individual text. What does the context reveal? YHWH aka Yahweh aka “I AM” aka Jehovah aka God the Father talking to His Son calling Him, God, “THY THRONE, O GOD.” He instructs His angels to worship God the Son.

Observation: Understanding Greek and Hebrew words (through Scholarly works) brings clarity to our English translations turning them into lucid translations (clear and easy to understand). For example, Hebrews 1:8,9 quoting Psalm 45:6,7. The Watchtower’s Bible “New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures” translates Hebrews 1:8, “God is your throne …,” and Psalm 45:6, “God is your throne …” The literal translation of both texts are, “Your throne God …”  Here we see God calling His Son, God. To avoid this identity of Christ the Watchtower added the word “is” to the text (not part of the inspired text), and rearranged God’s word sequence (replacing Your throne God with God is your throne) which changes the entire meaning of the passage. This is a deliberate attempt to hide the true identity of Jesus Christ. Their reason is purposeful … to mislead their members and push their Jesus Christ identity doctrine: Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel aka “a god” aka God’s first creation.

Greek text of Hebrews 1:9: “ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν · διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέν σε ὁ θεός, ὁ θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου”. 

Translation: “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.” 

To reiterate, Hebrews 1:8,9 is a quote from Psalm 45:6,7 both revealing God the Father addressing His Son, “THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY COMPANIONS.”  God the Father addressing His Son calling Him, God.  The angels were told to worship God the Son by the Father. 

Another Example of Word Manipulation:

The Apostle Paul identifies Christ at Colossions 1:16: “for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him.” Verse 17: “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  Here we see two categories (1) Creator, (2) created things. The Apostle Paul places Jesus Christ into category #1, Creator.

The modus operandi (mode of operating) of the Watchtower regarding Jesus Christ is to remove all Scriptural references of His Deity.  Colossians 1:16, 17 is just another example. The Watchtower Bible (NWT) in Colossians purposefully removes Jesus Christ as Creator / Deity through word manipulation.   Notice the brackets at verse 16 and 17: “because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist.”  The word (other) does not appear in this Greek text indicated by brackets.  Brackets alert the reader that the word is not part of the original text.  By adding this word to the text removes Jesus Christ as Creator to one of the things God created.   

The Watchtower Bible attempts to promulgate their Jesus Christ doctrine (a god, Michael the archangel, God’s first creation) by adding words to the text or through word manipulation.  According to  untampered Scripture Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth.  

Greek English Translation Colossians 1:16

16 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα,εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· τὰ πάντα δι’ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸνἔκτισται,

English: For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

Greek English Translation Colossians 1:17 

17 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν.

English: He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

Summary: 

Jesus Christ is God.  His Father called Him God and instructed His angels to worship Him.  The Watchtower has attempted to obscure the true identity of Christ through word manipulation and adding words to the original text.   Through the use of a Greek English Interlinear along with Greek and Hebrew scholarly works the Watchtower deception has been exposed.  Use a variety of Greek and Hebrew scholarly sources for comparison purposes.  Never rely on one source.

Jesus Christ Before The Beginning 

My articles are written for Watchtower members in hopes of opening up their minds and hearts to Scripture.  Unfortunately the Organization “brainwashing” techniques have convinced WT members that their Bible (NWT) is Scripture.  Members truly believe that they are reading the most reliable and accurate Bible in the world.  Therefore, their Scripture (NWT Bible) is absolute truth while all others (Bibles not written by the Watchtower) contradicting their NWT is from the devil. This is what they teach and this is what they believe. This is a major stumbling block for all Jehovah’s Witnesses and the power the Watchtower holds over them.  Only God can open their minds and hearts to see the truth.  I can do nothing.  I can only share God’s word and He does the rest.

Getting Back To Our Theme “Who Is Jesus Christ” 

John 1:1: 

Ἐν ἀρχῇ (en archē): “In the beginning” 

ἦν ὁ λόγος (ēn ho logos): “was the Word” 

καὶ (kai): “and” 

ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν (ēn pros ton theon): “was with God” 

καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (kai theos ēn ho logos): “and God was the Word” or “and the Word was God”

“The first important word to consider is the verb ‘was.’ This is in the imperfect tense. It is unfortunate that we do not have a true imperfect tense in English, and therefore it is difficult to translate the Greek imperfect. The Greek verb een, ‘was,’ holds the key to the understanding of John’s statement. This is what we call the durative imperfect of the verb eimi, ‘to be.’ And what does that tense convey to us here? It speaks of a time before the beginning of things. In other words, John tells us that this Logos, this Word, was in existence before the created world. Therefore we would be fully justified in translating this first clause, ‘Before there was a beginning, the Word had been.’

…

The Apostle John, then, is not interested primarily here in who created the world or who existed before the beginning, but since when has this Logos or Word existed? His subject is the eternity of the Word. The emphasis is not on the Word but on the time element, ‘in the beginning,’ and that is why it is placed at the beginning of the verse and of the whole Gospel. If this Logos, Jesus Christ, of whom he is about to speak, did not exist before there was a finite beginning, then the whole foundation falls. Whatever he says will be sheer nonsense. The verb een, in the durative imperfect, takes the Word far back of the created world, farther than can be imagined by our finite minds. In it there is the concept of eternity. Eternity is timelessness. But we as limited human beings can only think within the limited concepts of time and space. It is hard for us to imagine anything or anybody not bound by them. Yet God, who is free of these boundaries, has to use human language to make us understand His thoughts, as far as that is possible. But the very humanity of the language blurs the divinity of the thought behind it. With God there is neither past, nor present, nor future. God is timeless, yet whatever He says to us has to be put within the periphery of time. He has to give us a starting point, and that starting point He calls, ‘the beginning.’ But we must remember that God Himself is not limited by the beginning of which He makes mention. What John actually implies here is that, when there was no time, the Word was; when no human mind existed, the Word was.

‘Mother, who made God?’ ‘That’s a hard question, Jimmy. Why don’t you go out and play for awhile?’ answered the puzzled mother. But when Jimmy insisted on an answer, the mother was inspired to take off her ring and hand it to her little boy, saying to him, ‘Here, Jimmy, show me the beginning of it and the end of it.’ After careful examination Jimmy turned to his mother and said, ‘But mother, this has no beginning and no end.’ That actually is the meaning of the durative imperfect verb een, ‘was,’ in this first clause of John 1:1.

When John later speaks of John the Baptist and of the coming of the Word to the world in human form (verse 6), he uses an entirely different verb, egeneto, meaning ‘became’ or ‘came,’ which definitely refers to a particular time in an historic setting, for it is the second aorist of the verb ginomai. In other words, there was a time when neither John the Baptist nor Jesus the man were in existence. But there was never a time when Christ, as the Word, the Logos, was not. The verb een, then, found in verses 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, and 10, indicates continuous existence; while the verb egeneto, found in verses 3, 6, 10, and 14, refers to a limited existence. There is a wealth of knowledge in just understanding the distinction between these two verbs in this important passage of John 1:1-18.’” (WAS CHRIST GOD, by Spiro Zodhiates, Chapter 9, pgs. 39-42

FINAL THOUGHTS:

THE SUBJECT under discussion at John Chapter One was not about who created the world but rather when did the Logos/Word come into existence. The Logos/Word was already here before the beginning said John, but that was not what he was underscoring. The emphasis was placed on the time element (in the beginning). “In the Beginning was the Word.”

To help us understand the meaning behind this Greek word used by John (was) Greek Scholar, Spiros Zodhiates, enlightens us: “The verb een, in the durative imperfect, takes the Word far back of the created world, farther than can be imagined by our finite minds. In it there is the concept of eternity. Eternity is timelessness.” When did the Logos begin to exist? Verses 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10, indicates continuous existence. In other words the Logos/Word had no beginning. The Logos/Word is Eternal.

The Watchtower dances around Scripture. They generally ignore the true meaning of Scripture when it contradicts their tenets and doctrine. John 1:1 is a prime example. To reiterate, the Logos/Word had no beginning. Jesus Christ the man had a beginning yes, but the Logos/Word had no beginning and therefore, is Eternal. The Word is God.  

 God the Son is not to be confused with God the Father or God the Holy Spirit. That topic will be for another time.

We have Scripturally proven (1) Jesus Christ the man had a beginning, (2) The Word / Logos had no beginning, (3) The Word / Logos is Eternal / God.

CLICK ON LINK BELOW:

WHO Is Michael The Archangel


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Understanding Watchtower Salvation Doctrine

May 31, 2025

AS A FORMER MEMBER of the Watchtower organization we were taught many things. Salvation for example. Watchtower teachings purport two separate and distinct groups: (1) Anointed class (only 144,000 are born again going to heaven), (2) All others (those who will live on earth forever). The majority of Watchtower members fall into this second group. Both groups however must fall under the authority of Scripture. Unfortunately therein lies the problem. Jehovah’s Witnesses hold Watchtower doctrine above God’s word. They are not unlike the Mormons as they too hold their man-made Book of Mormon (Joseph Smith) over Scripture. Nevertheless, Scripture will be our only authority. First we will examine the Watchtower salvation doctrine.

Watchtower publication October 1, 1967, “Make haste to identify to the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, complete in accepting every aspect.”

Summary: Life is only given to those who identify with the Watchtower as God’s visible organization accepting all their teachings.

Watchtower February 15th, 1983 pg. 12: “To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it.”

Summary: Salvation is predicated upon identifying the Watchtower as God’s organization and serving God as part of it.

Watchtower November 15th, 1981 pg. 212: “Come to Jehovah’s organization for salvation.”

Summary: Salvation is contingent upon coming to the Watchtower.

The Watchtower references reveal their salvation doctrine. First and foremost Scripture must be our only authority. Scripture must authenticate Watchtower material. That said no Scripture references are made. For example: Watchtower members must … come and identity the Organization as God’s instrument and … accept all of their teachings as a salvation prerequisite. The Watchtower did not show any biblical support to substantiate their salvation doctrine. I will now use Scripture to illuminate the Bible teaching on this topic.

God’s Love For Mankind

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” 

Eternal life is given by God when you believe in His son Jesus Christ.

God’s Perfect Salvation Formula

Romans 10:9: “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Salvation encompasses confessing Jesus as Lord, and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

Note: This is a major problem for Jehovah’s Witnesses because they do not believe the body of Christ rose from the dead. They do not know what happened to His body.

God Saves Us

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

(1) God sets the Eternal Salvation guidelines (not man)!

    (2) God’s Grace allows Eternal Salvation (not man’s rules).

    (3) Believing Jesus Christ is Lord is an imperative for Eternal Salvation (not Watchtower teachings)!

    (4) Eternal Salvation is God’s free gift (no man-made rules to qualify)!

    (5) Eternal salvation can never be earned (no amount of religiosity will earn you salvation)! 

    Bible Salvation Vs Watchtower Salvation

    As I said at the beginning, “Jehovah’s Witnesses hold Watchtower doctrine above God’s word.” So does the Bible affirm or reject the Watchtower salvation doctrine? Based upon Scripture God’s free gift of salvation is given to anyone but only because of His grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. As demonstrated the Bible categorically contradicts the Watchtower salvation premise.

    My article intent was to shine light over this topic in hopes of giving Jehovah’s Witnesses a new path to follow or at the very least something to think about. God allows us to choose our path in life. He allowed me to join the Watchtower as He has allowed you (the reader) to walk yours. After years of walking the Watchtower trail and then discovering the path I chose was not what I had imagined (thinking it was God’s path), I came to a crossroad. We are free to change course at any time. It is my hope and prayer that this article shines light on your path.

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    BEFORE THE BEGINNING

    April 28, 2025

    JOHN 1:1 TELLS US, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Verse 14 further explains the events after the beginning, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

    My articles are primarily directed toward Jehovah’s Witnesses because AS A FORMER MEMBER, I know what they have been taught therefore know what they haven’t. John 1:1 is a perfect example. All Jehovah’s Witnesses fail to understand the subject matter of this Scripture. Let me explain.

    WHAT EXISTED BEFORE the beginning?

    “The first important word to consider is the verb ‘was.’ This is in the imperfect tense. It is unfortunate that we do not have a true imperfect tense in English, and therefore it is difficult to translate the Greek imperfect. The Greek verb een, ‘was,’ holds the key to the understanding of John’s statement. This is what we call the durative imperfect of the verb eimi, ‘to be.’ And what does that tense convey to us here? It speaks of a time before the beginning of things. In other words, John tells us that this Logos, this Word, was in existence before the created world. Therefore we would be fully justified in translating this first clause, ‘Before there was a beginning, the Word had been.’

    …

    The Apostle John, then, is not interested primarily here in who created the world or who existed before the beginning, but since when has this Logos or Word existed? His subject is the eternity of the Word. The emphasis is not on the Word but on the time element, ‘in the beginning,’ and that is why it is placed at the beginning of the verse and of the whole Gospel. If this Logos, Jesus Christ, of whom he is about to speak, did not exist before there was a finite beginning, then the whole foundation falls. Whatever he says will be sheer nonsense. The verb een, in the durative imperfect, takes the Word far back of the created world, farther than can be imagined by our finite minds. In it there is the concept of eternity. Eternity is timelessness. But we as limited human beings can only think within the limited concepts of time and space. It is hard for us to imagine anything or anybody not bound by them. Yet God, who is free of these boundaries, has to use human language to make us understand His thoughts, as far as that is possible. But the very humanity of the language blurs the divinity of the thought behind it. With God there is neither past, nor present, nor future. God is timeless, yet whatever He says to us has to be put within the periphery of time. He has to give us a starting point, and that starting point He calls, ‘the beginning.’ But we must remember that God Himself is not limited by the beginning of which He makes mention. What John actually implies here is that, when there was no time, the Word was; when no human mind existed, the Word was.

    …

    ‘Mother, who made God?’ ‘That’s a hard question, Jimmy. Why don’t you go out and play for awhile?’ answered the puzzled mother. But when Jimmy insisted on an answer, the mother was inspired to take off her ring and hand it to her little boy, saying to him, ‘Here, Jimmy, show me the beginning of it and the end of it.’ After careful examination Jimmy turned to his mother and said, ‘But mother, this has no beginning and no end.’ That actually is the meaning of the durative imperfect verb een, ‘was,’ in this first clause of John 1:1.

    When John later speaks of John the Baptist and of the coming of the Word to the world in human form (verse 6), he uses an entirely different verb, egeneto, meaning ‘became’ or ‘came,’ which definitely refers to a particular time in an historic setting, for it is the second aorist of the verb ginomai. In other words, there was a time when neither John the Baptist nor Jesus the man were in existence. But there was never a time when Christ, as the Word, the Logos, was not. The verb een, then, found in verses 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, and 10, indicates continuous existence; while the verb egeneto, found in verses 3, 6, 10, and 14, refers to a limited existence. There is a wealth of knowledge in just understanding the distinction between these two verbs in this important passage of John 1:1-18.'” (WAS CHRIST GOD, by Spiro Zodhiates, Chapter 9, pgs. 39-42)

    FINAL THOUGHTS:

    THE SUBJECT under discussion at John Chapter One was not about who created the world but rather when did the Logos/Word come into existence. The Logos/Word was already here before the beginning said John, but that was not what he was underscoring. The emphasis was placed on the time element (in the beginning). “In the Beginning was the Word.”

    To help us understand the meaning behind this Greek word used by John (was) Greek Scholar, Spiros Zodhiates, enlightens us: “The verb een, in the durative imperfect, takes the Word far back of the created world, farther than can be imagined by our finite minds. In it there is the concept of eternity. Eternity is timelessness.” When did the Logos begin to exist? Verses 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10, indicates continuous existence. In other words the Logos/Word had no beginning. The Logos/Word is Eternal.

    The Watchtower dances around Scripture. They are generally not interested in the true meaning of Scripture especially when it contradicts their kind of ideology. John 1:1 is a prime example. To reiterate, the Logos/Word had no beginning regardless of what the Watchtower teaches. When the Watchtower attempts to prove their ideology through textual manipulation (using another Scripture), never ever forget and always remember, God will never contract Himself. Jesus Christ the man had a beginning but the Logos/Word had none!

    After examining the meaning of the Greek word “was” in the context of John Chapter One we find that the Logos/Word had no beginning. In other words, not created (unlike Watchtower teachings). The Logos/Word is Eternal. This is something Jehovah’s Witnesses have not been taught.

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    NEW JERUSALEM

    January 17, 2015

    The Eternal Home of The Church

    “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3

    This article will not be an exhaustive piece, but it will give you an overall picture of our future heavenly residence. Unlike my previous articles which compared Watchtower doctrine to Scripture, here I will focus exclusively on the text and will not discuss the Watchtower’s view. With help from Dr. J. Vernon McGee, B.D. Th.M. Th.D, the words of Christ and Scripture concerning our future heavenly residence will be brought into focus. I chose Dr. McGee as my source because of his credentials, but also for his entertaining manner of delivery and unique teaching skills. This entire article is virtually word-for-word out of Dr. McGee’s book, “Man’s Fascination With The Future On Prophecy.” The page number(s) will be noted after each quotation, and I have replaced the Scripture quotations with the New American Standard version, rather than the King James version:

    “The fourteenth chapter of John was given by our Lord in the Upper Room, and He introduces something that is entirely new. The first part of the chapter was given to a man to cushion the shock of failure that was to come into his life. Also it was to comfort and put down the fears of this little band of apostles across whose pathway the shadow of the Cross had fallen. Sin was knocking at the door in the Upper Room, demanding it’s pound of flesh. These men were frightened men, and our Lord was speaking to their hearts. He begins by saying, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. (John 14:1)

    He is putting, as essential, faith in Himself along with faith in God – which, of course, is the thing that makes a Christian today. I was in a hospital visiting a Christian friend, and after I had prayed with him, the man who was in a bed across the room called to me, ‘Preacher, will you pray for me?’ I went over and talked to him and asked, ‘Are you a Christian?’ ‘Well, yes, I believe in God.’ ‘That does not make you a Christian,’ I said, ‘it simply means that you are not an atheist.’ Then I gave him this verse. ‘Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.’ Our Lord begins with His men on that plane, and He continues.

    In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

    …

    What is the Father’s house? When you go out tonight, look up into the vaulted sky above you, and you will see the Father’s house. That is His house. Our Lord said, ‘In My Father’s house are many moni, many abiding places, many place to live.’ …

    Then He says, I go to prepare a place for you.

    This place is different from any other in His universe – ‘I go to prepare a special place for you.’ It is a prepared place for prepared people. The One who was the carpenter of Nazareth down here about two thousand years ago is at this moment preparing a place up yonder for those who are His own. Have you ever wondered about that place He is preparing? Do you wonder what it is like? We are going there some day, and we shall live there eternally.

    Then He makes the statement,

    And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:3

    As far as I know, this is the first time in the Word of God where it mentions that He is going to take someone off the earth out into space. You will not find that in the Old Testament at all. God did not promise anyone in the Old Testament that He would take him off this earth to a place called heaven. The hope of the Old Testament saints was that there might be a heaven down here on this earth, and that is what I understand the expression, the Kingdom of Heaven, to mean – the reign of the heavens over the earth, the day when this earth becomes a heaven. That is the hope of the Old Testament.” (Pgs 235-238)

    “ … The glorious hope of the church is the coming of our Lord Jesus to take us into space to that home He has prepared.

    Now, where is that place? What kind of place is it? I turn to the only chapter I know of in the Word of God where there is a description of it, the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation.

    As we look at this chapter, I shall not try to make a comprehensive study, but rather I shall make a few suggestions that may intrigue you into probing deeper into this fascinating subject. I believe that if Christians were more interested in the place to which they are going, they would be more concerned about the way in which they are living down here.

    If you have read Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, which is actually the experience of Bunyan himself, you will notice that when he got up out of the Slough of Despond and started out, the hope that he had from the beginning was this: ‘I am a pilgrim, and I am on the way to the Celestial City.’ And when he would fall down, he would always get up, brush himself off and say, ‘I am a pilgrim on the way to the Celestial City.’ And when he was incarcerated in Doubting Castle, the key that unlocked the doors and set him free was this promise. When he had mountains to climb, when the way was difficult and discouraging and it seemed as though he would not make it, he got his mind and his heart fixed on that Celestial City.

    I believe there are many believers today who have lost sight of this city. They have become discouraged along the way. I say to you, friend, that this world is only a camping place for the night. We all are here temporarily – we are merely pilgrims down here on this earth. We are on the way to the Celestial City. We are on the way to the New Jerusalem. The thing that would encourage the hearts of many today would be to know a little about this place to which we are going.

    And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. Revelation 21:1

    John here tells us that God is going to trade in this old earth and the old heaven on a new model. He is going to get a new earth – not get rid of earth entirely but merely get a new one. He calls attention to only one great change in His new earth: there will be no more sea. That which covers three-fourths of the earth’s surface today will be entirely removed. What a tremendous population can then be put on the earth! Someone asked the other day, when I made the suggestion of the population explosion that will probably take place during the Millennium, ‘Where in the world will they go, when we don’t even have room today?’ May I say to you that there will be three-fourths more surface on earth, plus the fact that the curse of sin will be removed from the earth so that it will produce as it never has before. You will be able to find a parking space in that day; there will be plenty of parking spaces! That appeals to me, because we need more parking space in Southern California, and if we could use the Pacific Ocean, we would have the problem solved!” (Pgs 239-240)

    Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D in his book, “The Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible” (pg 1696), further explains Revelation 21:1: “Here we have the description of a new heaven and a new earth. The word ‘new’ in Greek is rendered by the word kainos (2537) which means ‘qualitatively new’ and not simply another earth and another heaven. Since our resurrection bodies will be changed, so will the environment in which these new bodies will live.”

    “But these are things that concern the earth, and we are not an earthly people. We are to leave this earth. The things that interests us is what John sees in the next verse:

    And I saw the holy city new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, make ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2

    Now, this is the first time the New Jerusalem comes into view. The question is asked, ‘Is it in existence before this?’ I do not know, but I rather think that at the Rapture the church will be brought to this place. I believe this city is to be our permanent home. I think that during the Millennium it will be a matter of commuting back and forth from the earth to the New Jerusalem. Yet the New Jerusalem does not come into view until this point because now eternity opens up and reveals the eternal home of the church.

    Notice that the city is a holy city. The inhabitants have been made holy in Christ and in no other way. He is there. That makes it a holy city.

    The new Jerusalem is in contrast to the old Jerusalem down here on the earth, and it is coming down from God out of heaven.

    Now there are men today – better men than I – who believe that the New Jerusalem comes to the earth. I never have been able to see that, I cannot move it that far. I think it comes out into space, and it comes, apparently, within sight of the earth.

    The loveliest thing that God could say about it is that it is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. … Thus God uses the figure of a bride to characterize this city. It is a thing of exquisite beauty.

    And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them. Revelation 21:3

    The New Jerusalem is the temple for the universe of God. This will be the place, apparently, where Israel and the gentile nations of the earth will come to worship. They will come to worship and then return to their homes on the earth.” (Pgs 240-241)

    and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things things have passed away. Revelation 21:4

    “The second thing that makes the New Jerusalem a wonderful city is ‘there shall be no more death.’ No death. That makes it different from any city I have heard of down here. There will be no cemeteries, there will be no undertakers. … No more death. Would you like to go to a place like that? … What a wonderful place this will be!

    And then it says, ‘neither sorrow, nor crying, nether shall there be any more pain.’ All the hospitals will be closed, doctors and nurses will be out of a job, ‘for the former things are passed away.’ Then we come to something that is quite wonderful:

    And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:5

    I love that. Would you like to start all over again? I want to make a confession. I never have been the preacher that I have wanted to be. I never have preached the sermon that I longed to preach. I honestly never have been the man that I have wanted to be. I have not attained, really, my ambition. I have not reached my goal in life. I never have been the husband that I have wanted to be, and I never have been the father that I have wanted to be. As I come to this place in life and look back, I have regrets. I would like to go back and do things differently. And God is going to let me! He says to my heart, ‘In that city, McGee, I make all things new.’” (Pgs 242-243)

    And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and hight mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. Revelation 21:10, 11

    “The jasper stone is evidently similar to our diamond. The city from the outside looks like a diamond. I like to think of its being the wedding ring of the church. It will be like a diamond flashing out through God’s vast universe. I believe it will be the most beautiful thing that you have ever seen because the twelve foundations, which would be the outer surface, are all precious stones through which the light passes. Varied hues and tints from a galaxy of rainbow colors:

    Jasper – perhaps the blue diamond
    Sapphire – opaque with a greenish or yellowish color
    Chalcedony – perhaps green
    Emerald – green
    Sardonyx – white and yellow
    Sardius – red
    Chrysolite – golden lustre
    Beryl – sea green, aqua
    Topaz – greenish yellow
    Chrysoprase – golden green
    Jacinth – violet
    Amethyst – purple or rose red

    The presence of the primary colors suggests that every shade and tint is reflected from this city. A rainbow that appears after a summer shower gives only a faint hint of the breathtaking beauty of the city of light. I believe it will be the most thrilling sight in the world to see this city. Nothing in all God’s universe will compare to it.” (Pgs 244-245) [Revelation 21:19-20 identify the stones.]

    And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. Revelation 21:16

    “It is fifteen hundred miles long, fifteen hundred miles wide, and fifteen hundred miles high. Some men have concluded that it will be a cube; others see it as a pyramid. It is difficult to conceive of either a cube or pyramid project out in space. Cubes and pyramids are appropriate for earthly buildings. I cannot believe that, since God has made everything in space globe-shaped, He would make this square. I do not say this in a dogmatic fashion, for there are many fine Bible students who disagree with me, but I believe that the New Jerusalem is a sphere and these measurements that Scripture gives are the dimensions on the inside of the sphere, a cube within a crystal-clear sphere. I took this problem in solid geometry to a man in the field of theoretical engineering. He worked it out for me and came up with a sphere that is slightly larger than our moon. The diameter of the moon is about 2,160 miles, and that of the New Jerusalem sphere is about 2,600 miles. We live on the outside of the planet called earth, but if my theory is correct, our eternal home will be within the planet called the New Jerusalem.” (Pg 244)

    And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:23

    “The New Jerusalem will be independent of the sun and moon for light and life. What a contrast to the earth which is utterly dependent upon the sun and the moon. The sun and moon may even be dependent upon the Celestial City for power to transmit light, since the One who is the source of light and life will dwell within the city. Neither will light be furnished by the New Jerusalem Light and Power Company. The One who is light will be there, and the effulgence of His glory will be manifested in the New Jerusalem unhindered.” (Pg 245)

    “The New Jerusalem will be the center of the universe. All activity and glory revolve about this city. The nation of Israel and the gentile nations of the earth will walk in the light of it and bring to it their glory and honor. They will not live in the city but will come, as the priests of old came to the holy place in the tabernacle and temple, for the purpose of worship. There will be no need to bring a blood sacrifice, for the Lamb is there in person.

    And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. Revelation 21:22

    This city has no temple because it is a temple – God is there and Christ is there. It is the holy place, if you please, because Christ is present. That is the thing that makes it such a wonderful place. The Lord Jesus said,

    for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2-3

    We are to be with Him throughout eternity. That, after all, will make it heaven – Christ will be there.

    Many folk ask, ‘Will I know my loved ones in heaven?’ We shall certainly know our loved ones in heaven. As Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said years ago when someone asked that question of him, ‘I do not expect to be a bigger fool there than I am here, and I know them here.’ Yes, we shall know our loved ones in heaven.” (Pg 246)

    “I hope you will want to go to this city. Someone may ask, ‘Well, how do you get there?’ That brings us back to where we started.

    When our Lord was talking to His men in the Upper Room, He said, ‘And you know the way where I am going’ (John 14:4). Sitting there was one of His disciples, a man who had a question mark for a brain, Thomas. This man had doubts. He raised questions about everything and he always saw a dark side of things. He really was not a very pleasant fellow to have around, and I do not know why our Lord called him. In fact, I have never figured out why He called any of them – who would want Simon Peter, Thomas, Andrew, James, or John? All of them were problem children, every one of them. But I am glad He called them because if He will use them there is still hope for me and there is hope for you. This man Thomas is a doubter. He says, ‘Wait a minute, Lord. You say that we know where You are going and we know the way. We don’t!’

    Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way. John 14:5

    I am glad he was there. He raised my question – he save me from having to ask it.

    Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. John 14:6

    My friend, Jesus is the way to the Celestial City. He has gone before us, and He is preparing an eternal home for all of us who have become children of God through faith in His name.” (Pgs 247-248)

    Conclusion:

    Our Lord Jesus Christ went away to prepare our eternal home in heaven. The Author of Scripture describes this heavenly abode in beautiful detail. The Apostle Paul reminds us all that death is only the beginning and our heavenly home is much preferred over our earthly residence … “we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

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    Blood Transfusions

    December 20, 2014

    Does The Bible Prohibit Blood Transfusions?

    The purpose of addressing this particular subject is to allow the Bible to answer the question: “Does The Bible Prohibit Blood Transfusions?” The Watchtower declares that Jehovah forbids blood transfusions. While the Watchtower policy changes from time to time, one fact remains — their membership fears the Organization’s wrath if they accept a blood transfusion. Therefore, I wish to bring biblical clarity to this topic.

    First and foremost, we never want to oppose God’s Inspired Word. His Word is absolute and non-negotiable. With that in mind, we look at whether the Bible forbids life-saving blood transfusions, as the Watchtower suggests.

    The Organization insists that God’s Word condemns human to human blood transfusions. They base this upon the supposed authority of Acts 15:29. But does this Scripture actually affirm their position, or is the Organization improperly isolating one Scripture from its surrounding context and creating a man-made doctrine?

    Acts 15:29 states as follows:

    “that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

    When interpreting an isolated Scripture (those pulled out of their original context), its primary source must be examined. Understanding the surrounding context is the key to unlocking the meaning of the text. Therefore, a variety of questions must be asked:

    (1)    What is the historical event?
    (2)    Who is the passage speaking to?
    (3)    Why was the content necessary?
    (4)    How does it apply to me?

    By asking these types of questions, we discover the true purpose of the message being delivered. This, in turn, reveals the actual meaning of the isolated scripture being quoted. So let us apply these questions to Acts 15:29:

    1.     What is the historical event?

    The Gentiles were accepting Christ, and certain Jews were demanding that the Gentiles become circumcised and be directed to observe the Law of Moses, as seen below at Acts 15:1, 3, 5:

    verse 1: “And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’”

    verse 3: “Therefore, being sent on their way by the Church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.”

    verse 5: “But certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees who have believed, stood up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.’”

    As we see from these beginning verses of Acts 15, a wonderful thing was happening — Gentiles were being saved by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We also see how certain Christian Jews (a sect of the Pharisees) became annoyed. The Christian Jews were telling these new Gentile believers that their salvation was contingent upon being circumcised. They also said that these Gentiles needed to observe the Law of Moses.

    2.    Who is the passage speaking to?

    The apostle Peter answers this by refuting the words of this certain sect of the Pharisees:

    “And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the words of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.’” (Acts 15:7-11)

    Peter’s words help us to appreciate that “through the grace of the Lord Jesus” we are saved. He also points out that these Christian Jews were “placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.” There was no need to circumcise these new Gentile believers in order for them to receive salvation — simply accepting Christ was enough. [As a side note, this reminds me of the yoke of the Watchtower. Their yoke of rules improperly make salvation contingent upon behavior, as if accepting Christ alone is not sufficient.]

    3.    Why was the content necessary?

    The content was necessary because of the spiritual weakness of some Jewish believers. So James recommended this at Acts 15:19:

    “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.”

    Acts 15:22-29 is what the Holy Spirit decided upon, with the final resolution set forth in verses 28 and 29:

    “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: “that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

    The context of Acts 15 and the final resolution of the council are very specific and abundantly clear. This sect of Christian Jews wanted the new Gentile believers to follow certain aspects of the Law of Moses; however, since we are no longer under the Law (which was replaced with Grace), the Jerusalem Council only imposed certain restraints. One of those was the blood issue.

    Now in order to fully understand the application of Acts 15:29, we must look to the original blood restriction under the Law of Moses. In other words, what kind of blood was the Mosaic Law referring to:

    Leviticus 17:13-16:

    “So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’ And when any person eats an animal which dies, or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his cloths and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean.” [Emphasis added.]

    Even prior to the Law of Moses, Jehovah similarly instructed Noah:

    Genesis 9:2-4

    “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the terror of you shall be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.’”

    Now that we have examined the entire context of Act 15, thereby shining God’s light of truth over our subject, the interpretation of Acts 15:29 becomes evident. The Law of Moses prohibited the eating of animal blood. The Bible is totally silent on accepting human blood. Even Orthodox Jews have no problem with human-to-human blood transfusions.

    To add to this, Greek scholar Dr. Spiros Zodhiates comments on Genesis 9:8-17 (Hebrew Greek Study Bible, pg. 14):

    “Throughout history God has dealt with man through covenants or agreements. Later the Jews regarded this covenant between God and Noah as the basis of the relationship between God and all mankind, but the covenants with Abraham and with Moses at Mount Sinai were seen as forming the basis of God’s special relationship with Israel. Some believe that the stipulations laid on the Gentiles in Acts 15:20,29 find some of their source here in the covenant between God and Noah. In spite of the fact that the distinction between clean and unclean animals existed (Gen. 7:2), God allowed the eating of any plant or animal. The only restriction was the eating of animal blood, for that is where the life of the animal resided (Gen. 9:4). Later Israel was forbidden to eat not only blood but also the flesh of certain animals. The Lord removed the clean-unclean distinction from food altogether (Mk. 7:15; Acts 10:15). [Emphasis added.]

    As you can see, Dr. Zodhiates affirms the animal blood restriction. Human blood was not the topic under the Law … His conclusion is in complete harmony with Scripture, unlike the Watchtower’s position.

    Jehovah’s Word fails to lend any support to the Watchtower’s human blood doctrine, so we are left to wonder. Since God’s word is absolute and non-negotiable, who gave the Watchtower permission to add human blood to the text? The Author of Scripture certainly did not. If Jehovah meant to include human blood in the restriction, He would have said so. Since His restriction was limited only to animal blood, why does the Watchtower continue to masquerade this doctrine in the name of Christianity? Whatever the answer, it is abundantly clear that the Watchtower’s man-made blood doctrine is nothing more than that … man-made. The Inspired writings of Scripture reveal that the Watchtower dogma on this topic goes beyond God’s Inspired Word.

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    The 144,000 Identified

    November 28, 2014

    This article will set to rest the true identity of those mentioned in Revelation 7:4:
    “And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.”

    It will also reveal the actual identity of the other sheep spoken of in John 10:16:
    “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.”

    In a nutshell, the Watchtower asserts that the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation are those exclusively destined for heaven, and the other sheep mentioned in John 10 are those chosen to live on Earth. In other words, only 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses will go to heaven, and the rest of the Watchtower’s organization will reside on Earth. So the question is … does Scripture harmonize with the Watchtower’s theology?

    Whenever we consider biblical topics, it is imperative that we use Scripture as our ultimate authority. That being said, let us examine the Watchtower’s teachings with respect to the 144,000, and shine the light of Scripture over the Organization’s interpretation.

    The 144,000

    “And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: Out of the tribe of Judah 12,000 sealed; out of the tribe of Reu’ben 12,000; out of the tribe of Gad 12,000; out of the tribe of Ash’er 12,000; out of the tribe of Naph’ta∙li 12,000; out of the tribe of Ma∙nas’seh 12,000; out of the tribe of Sim’e∙on 12,000; out of the tribe of Le’vi 12,000; out of the Is’sa∙char 12,000; out of the tribe of Zeb’u∙lun 12,000; out of the tribe of Joseph 12,000; out of the tribe of Benjamin 12,000 sealed. After this 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.” Revelation 7:4-9 (NWT)

    I will start our analysis of Revelation 7 by allowing Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates to share with us what the above passage, in context, is actually communicating. This is taken from his book, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible —New American Standard Bible (pg. 1680):

    “This contains the parenthetical portion between the sixth and seventh seals mentioning two distinct groups: (1) The 144,000, which are sealed, are from the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. This does not mean that the number of Israelites who will be saved will be limited to 144,000. Rather, it refers to 12,000 out of each tribe who are sealed from the wrath of Satan and the antichrist. These are called ‘the first fruits to God and to the Lamb’ (Rev. 14:4). (2) A great multitude, without naming the exact number from all nations as distinct from the nation of Israel, will also be saved. These are described as ‘the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’ (Rev. 7:14).”

    In Revelation 7, Scripture describes two groups: the numbered 144,000 sealed who come from the literal twelve tribes of the Nation of Israel (the tribes are named), and an unnumbered great crowd who come out of all nations. Both are seen coming out of the Great Tribulation; both wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.

    The Watchtower asserts that the 144,000 is a literal number, representing those who are heaven-bound after death. However, they do not take literally who (what people) make up the 144,000, even though that information is specifically set forth in verses 5-8. In other words, the Watchtower insists that verse 4 is literal, but verses 5-8 are not. Then they revert back to a literal position for verse 9 (concerning the great crowd).

    However, the Bible message is very clear. Jehovah even distinguishes both groups by name: natural Jews and those of the Gentile nations. Nowhere in this biblical passage or context do the Scriptures communicate that the 144,000 are heaven-bound — only that they are seen coming out of the Great Tribulation. There is no reference to them going to heaven.

    Since the Watchtower’s interpretation is not supported by Scripture, their dogma questions God’s ability to communicate. Essentially, the Organization is calling Jehovah a liar. They not only contradict Him, they replace His message to mankind with their own.

    If we listen to Jehovah Himself, He explains who the 144,000 are and from where they come:

    “And I said to him, ‘My lord, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’” Revelation 7:13-14

    Scripture clearly contradicts the Watchtower’s doctrine regarding the 144,000. Jehovah explicitly states that this group does not even appear until the Tribulation. Hence, they are not even known until that terrible time of future history. Why is this, and what is their function?

    In his book, Israelology: The Missing Link In Systematic Theology (pg. 537), Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Th.M., Ph.D., helps us further identify the 144,000:

    “This is an exact number because of their special role in the Tribulation. They are sealed for the purpose of being preserved through the Tribulation and, therefore, ‘are not subject to death.’ For that reason, they ‘must be viewed as a separate company.’ … Because these are set apart by God as special witnesses, then there should be no problem with such a specific number like 144,000, and no reason not to take that figure literally. The 144,000 are to be viewed as being ‘part of the remnant of Israel, but not the entire remnant itself.’ This is obvious from at least one fact alone: the 144,000 are saved at the beginning of the Tribulation, while the nation or ‘the remnant’ of Romans 11:26 is not converted until the second advent of Christ. Furthermore, these 144,000 are not only a part of the remnant, they ‘are ministering as sealed witnesses immediately after the church has been raptured.’ … The 144,000 in Revelation seven are ‘set apart … before the great tribulation begins’ and are ‘sealed at the very outset of the tribulation period.’ The myriad of Gentiles saved ‘come to a knowledge of salvation through the ministry of this group.’ In Revelation 14, the same 144,000 are viewed as being with the Messiah in the Messianic Kingdom. These 144,000 Jews are called firstfruits which means ‘they are the first of the harvest of the tribulation period that will come into the millennium to populate the millennial earth.’ They are the firstfruits of many more Jews to come to saving faith. … The specific destiny of the remnant is the Messianic Kingdom when their Messiah will rule over them from the Throne of David.”

    From the above, it is clear that the 144,000 do not appear until the Great Tribulation and are chosen because of their special role during the Tribulation period. Thus, the Organization’s position that the 144,000 are Watchtower members destined for heaven fails to find support from Scripture and, therefore, cannot be correct.

    The “Other Sheep”

    Now we will analyze John 10:16 by addressing the following questions:

    (1) Who are the “other sheep”?
    (2) Why are they called “other sheep”?
    (3) Does the context of John Chapter 10 support the Watchtower “other sheep” doctrine?

    To avoid any misunderstanding about the Organization’s position with respect to the identity of the “other sheep,” their doctrine is set forth below:

    Identifying the Great Crowd …

    “In 1923, Jehovah’s servants discerned that ‘the sheep’ of Jesus’ parable found at Matthew 25:31-46 and the ‘other sheep’ to which he referred as recorded at John 10:16 are people who would have the opportunity to live forever on earth. In 1931 those described at Ezekiel 9:1-11 as being marked in their foreheads were also seen to be those with the earthly hope. Then in 1935 it was learned that the great crowd form part of the other sheep class Jesus spoke about. Today, this favored great crowd numbers in the millions.’” (wt chap. 13 pp. 120-127 – Worship God wt)

    Man’s opinions and their interpretation of Scripture cannot usurp God’s intended message. The Bible is and must always be our ultimately authority. Therefore, the Watchtower’s doctrine must be supported within the context of the Scripture they quote from; otherwise, their theology is nothing but a man-made doctrine which is condemned by God, because the true message Jehovah is communicating through Scripture is not being accurately represented.

    I want to begin by discussing my third question (does the context of John Chapter 10 support the Watchtower “other sheep” doctrine). According to the Watchtower’s article, the “other sheep” do not receive a heavenly reward but an earthly one. Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught that only a certain number are destined for heaven (that is, 144,000). The remainder of Watchtower members fall into the category of the “other sheep,” and they are told that they do not receive a heavenly reward after death but will live forever on earth.

    As we examine John 10:16, we will look for any support of the Watchtower’s teaching regarding the “other sheep:”

    “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.” John 10.16

    Jesus Christ is communicating here that He has other sheep who will listen to Him and will become part of the one flock. However, this Scripture and its surrounding context fail to address who they are or their final destination after death. So where did the Watchtower learn that information? What biblical passage teaches that the “other sheep” live on earth? From where or whom did the Organization gain the discernment that Christ meant these “other sheep” would not live in heaven but on earth? Similarly, the Watchtower has said, “in 1935 it was learned that the great crowd form part of the other sheep class Jesus spoke about.” Where did they gain this knowledge? Who told the Watchtower that the people of all nations coming out of the Great Tribulation were the “other sheep” Christ was referring to at John 10:16?

    Before I continue, I want to illustrate why it is imperative to understand the context which surrounds any biblical verse quoted. The “why” of this will paint an indelible picture in your mind. In my example, I will bring two verses together (by pulling them out of their original context), and then I will form a doctrine around the message I want delivered. The verses I will use are Matthew 27:5 and Luke 10:37:

    Matthew 27:5: “And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.”

    Luke 10:37: “And he said, ‘the one who showed mercy toward him.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’”

    By combining these two verses, an erroneous doctrine can be created:
    Jesus Christ taught that suicide was biblically-approved.

    Obviously, this is an extreme example, but it demonstrates a dangerous practice called collapsing context. This is the method used by the Watchtower in creating their interpretation of the 144,000. They combine John 10 with Revelation 7, even though these two passages have individual and separate contextual meanings. The context of John 10 and the context of Revelation 7 involve different settings, time frames, audiences and discussions — they have absolutely nothing to do with each other. By collapsing (ignoring) the context of these passages, the Watchtower disregards the art and science of correct biblical hermeneutics (i.e., whenever interpreting Scripture, you cannot pull a Scripture out of its original context and bring it alongside a different context of Scripture to form a doctrine.) In doing this, the Watchtower creates an erroneous doctrine.

    Organizations (like the Watchtower) who practice this method substitute God’s truth for their own man-made doctrine and inflict spiritual harm on the unwary and innocent. Please protect yourself from being misled. How? By reading the entire context of the passages being discussed.

    Now turning to my first two questions:

    Who are the “other sheep” Christ spoke of …
    and why are they called the “other sheep”?

    When the Gospel was first preached, it was only preached to the Nation of Israel, although most of the Jews rejected Christ as the Messiah. However, Christ assured us that other sheep would listen to Him and they, too, would be included in the one flock. So who was He referring to? The Gentiles (the rest of mankind). It was the Gentiles who would later be given a chance to accept Jesus Christ, and the ones that did accept Him, Christ referred to as the “other sheep.”

    “The eye that Christ had to the poor Gentiles. He had sometimes intimated his special concern for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but, saith he, I have other sheep. Those who in process of time should believe in Christ, from among the Gentiles, are here called sheep … Christ speaks of those other sheep to take off the contempt that was put upon him, as having but a little flock, and therefore, if a good shepherd, but a poor shepherd: ‘But saith he, ‘I have more sheep that you see.’” Matthew Henry’s Commentary (pg .1564)

    In John 10:16, Jesus Christ was simply saying that the Jews were not the only sheep. When the time was right, the Gentiles would also come into the one fold. They were called “other sheep” because they were not Jews. To read anything else into this passage would be improper. Nowhere in the context of John 10 does Jesus Christ inform us that these “other sheep” are something other than what the passage is communicating. They are called other sheep because they were not part of the original Nation of Israel fold. The Gentiles would also listen to His voice and as Christ said, “they shall become one flock with one shepherd.”

    Conclusion

    Now that we have compared the Watchtower teachings concerning the 144,000 to Scripture, it is obvious that the Organization’s doctrines are not supported by the Inspired Word of Jehovah. Nevertheless, to further illustrate the erroneousness of their 144,000 doctrine, we can look to history itself. The Watchtower asserts that the 144,000 started to be fulfilled in the first century and was completed by 1935 (about 2,000 years later).

    But ask yourself, how many Christians accepted Christ in the first century? The answer is 500,000!

    According to some published material, 500,000 Christian were accounted for in the first century, and 7.5 million accepted Jesus Christ during the first three centuries. Yet the Watchtower insists that the 144,000 number was not fulfilled until the year 1935 (which is within the 20th century). When I mentioned this fact to a former member of the Watchtower and close friend of mine, he said, “I don’t understand.”

    I explained it to him this way: If the door for the great crowd did not open until 1935 (waiting for the 144,000 number to be completed), where did the 500,000 go in the first century, or for that matter, where did the 7.5 million go during the first three centuries? Christians at that time were eaten by lions, burned at the stake to light Nero’s torches, and made to drink boiling hot oil … yes, these Christians were martyred because they were faithful to Jesus Christ. With that, my friend replied, “Oh, I get it now … I understand … the 144,000 number would have been completed during the first century.” So as you can see, history also contradicts the Watchtower’s 144,000 doctrine.

    The Bible teaches us that anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will live in heaven once they die.

    “we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

    Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates has this to say about the context of 2 Corinthians 5:1-10:

    “This passage tells us very clear what happens to the believer when he dies. He goes to be with the Lord, The chapter is closely connected with v. 18 of the previous chapter in which we are told to look at the things which cannot be seen with the physical eye.”

    Therefore, everyone accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is guaranteed an eternal future in heaven when they die.

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    Cochise’s NEW Cause …

    August 4, 2013

    My NEW Cause is MONUMENTAL but with the Lord’s blessing, NOTHING is impossible!   As you all know, I am now taking seminary courses from Professor Freddy.  It gives me more on which to draw from biblically.  In other words, the How To in biblical understanding.  His mission and passion is teaching and equipping the brethren.  If more pastors (I say this in all love) spent more time teaching the “Why we believe What we believe,” cults would loose their hold.  My idea and NOW Cause and Mission: Provide FREE seminary teaching and training to the body of Christ on a large scale.

    Provide a place to be trained and biblically taught, thus equipping God’s people to defend true biblical doctrine from cult doctrine (Watchtower, Mormon, etc.), and learn ALL subjects taught in seminary style.  This CAUSE which will bless the body of Christ, is now my prime focus.

    We all need money to live, and our economy has placed millions out of work. My Cause needs money to build, and people need work to live. My idea and solution for helping both financially is using the Pure Leverage vehicle.  As one penny is doubled each day for thirty days, it turns into over Five Million Dollars.

    The POWER of The PEOPLE (aka MLM), the Pure Leverage vehicle, will accomplish the same kind of wealth IF EVERYONE participates.  It is that simple.  Join me, and let us together, create incomes for people (THROUGH OUR PARTICIPATION), and then donate $.10 cents on every dollar you earn to this CAUSE.  If we ALL join ranks and participate (that is the secret ingredient) spreading our Cause, with God’s blessing, people will join because the reason for making money is bigger than themselves, consequently, both financial needs will be met. I cannot do this myself.  It is much-too-big.  I pray that you see the importance of both undertakings.  For more information, go to my site and click on opportunity for a deeper look: http://www.pureleverage.com/brokenomore53

    JOIN ME to HELP People financially, AND, provide a FREE teaching institute for the body of Christ by Professor Freddy … 

    Your bother in Christ,

    Cochise

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    SEE and TALK To Cochise FACE To FACE on Christianity 101, on 5-5-13 at 3:00pm (PST)!!

    May 5, 2013

    Hello everyone!!  I wanted to invite all my subscribers to the Christianity 101 program today, May 5, 2013, at 3:00PM (PST).  No need to call in because, those with a computer can now log into the program and WATCH the entire program on their computer screens.  Yes, like a television program.  AND, anyone wanting to come up on stage with me, CAN!!  The audience (those just watching on their computer screens) will be able to SEE and HEAR you,  too.  So, make sure you dress for the occasion.

    Note: If you computer does not have a cam, you will still be able to see me … but, if your computer does not have speakers, no sound will come through.

    Those wanting to join me on their computers, click the link below, and after you do, type your name where asked so I know you are in the audience.  I hope to see all you there today as this is the debut of new technology on Christianity 101 …

    Oh, I almost forgot … those only wanting to see and hear this new technology, can, but are also able to communicate with me through texting on their screens.  I hope you all come today and support me on this debut … LOVE to everyone and God Bless Us All

    Here is the link:

    http://login.meetcheap.com/conference,33655540

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    The Bible Verses Watchtower Doctrines

    March 16, 2013

    Hello everyone.  Here are some of the soon-to-be-posted articles that will appear on my site and which, will all be biblically analyzed.    The topics will include but are not limited to:

    Who are the 144,000?

    Heaven and Hell

    How To Receive Eternal Salvation … How The Gift is Given

    The Purpose of The Great Tribulation

    Armageddon

    What is a Christian (According to Jesus Christ)

    The 1,000 year reign of Christ

    The Faithful and Discreet Slave

    The Trinity Doctrine (Who is Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and  Holy Spirit)

    These are but a few more subjects that will be biblically addressed in article form, and posted here on The Bible Vs The Watchtower …

     

    Your brother in Christ,

    Cochise

     

     

     

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    CHRIST’S RESURRECTION

    March 9, 2013

    Hello everyone!!  I am glad to announce that my article “Christ’s Resurrection” has posted.  Please feel free to copy any article posted on my site.  The finished resurrection document brings me one step closer to refuting all major Watchtower doctrines using God’s word as the authority.  I am now working on the “Salvation” topic, and will post it too, very soon.   God bless everyone!  Your brother in Christ, Cochise

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