WARNING: If you are not a JW or unfamiliar with who they are, i suggest you kindly find other threads because what you will find here is beyond your comprehension.


The purpose of this thread is to try to find a way to relate with people like me who are trapped among fellow Christians who are bent on accepting as truth only what the watch tower teaches. I believe we are living in the last days of this wicked world, so my salvation supersedes every other endevour.

I also want to enjoin JWs that the information provided here is not meant to stumble anyone, but rather bring to the fore what the present situation among God's people.

I will like to state first of all that my opinion here is a product on my continuous search for God and the truth. I have searched for a people whose believes and teachings are compatible with scriptures and my conscience, and i found it among JWs but then again i realized that they too have their challenges.

I have been interested in Watchtower teachings since 2009, and i have been through many tutors and till date it seems to me that non of those teachers understand exactly certain fact about watchtower teachings. You may be wondering the difference between Jehovah's witnesses and watchtower society. Well the watchtower is a very big corporation located in Newyork, United States and other of such corporations around the world, they are responsible for all the magazines and books, most famous is the Awake! and the WATCHTOWER magazines. They are also in charge of all the doctrines that most Jw believe. I say "most" because not all JW accept and believe in all that the watchtower teaches. I understand JW to mean adherents that follows teachings of the watchtower society and are baptized.

Having said this, let's go right into it point by point:

1. Most of the teachings that the founder of watch tower Russel thought are either abandoned or modified by the watchtower: The founder of Watch tower society Charlse Tazz Russel thought many doctrines that either have been modified or out rightly discarded such as the end of the world in 1914 which was modified to the "beginning of end time of the system of things" when eventually the system of things didnt end in 1914 as predicted by Russel. Others teachings discarded are the fact that Russel consulted with idols when he went for the great pyramid in Egypt in his attempt to find the exact date for the end of the world as we know it of which the watch tower society later discarded as "Jehovah does not need any stone witnesses" to reveal his will. Do you also know that previously they observe Christmas, Easter and some other celebrations which they vehemently condemn today! There are tones of teachings that have gone through refining over the years. The one explanation the society gives to JWs about these changes and inconsistencies is that "the part of the righteous is like a light that becomes brighter". Imagine Apostle Paul or Peter teach something to the Corinthians and later come back to modify it as the new truth? Obviously most JWs do not know something is wrong about all of this conflicting teachings.


2. MARRIAGE IS SECOND IN IMPORTANCE TO THEIR DOCTRINE OF DEDICATION: There was one occasion where Jesus referred to something as being dedicated to God. Let's read about that at Matthew 15:3-6:

"In reply he said to them: “Why is it YOU also overstep the commandment of God because of YOUR tradition? 4 For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Let him that reviles father or mother end up in death.’ 5 But YOU say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother: “Whatever I have by which you might get benefit from me is a gift dedicated to God,” 6 he must not honor his father at all.’ And so YOU have made the word of God invalid because of YOUR tradition."

The Jews had the tradition that a person could dedicate things to God by giving it as a gift to the temple. Jehovah did not require it but neither was there anything wrong with it. What was wrong, though, was the overstepping of God's own commandments in the process, as Jesus pointed out. The fourth commandment said: "Honor your father and your mother..." (Exodus 20:12) The religious leaders taught that God should come first in a person's life and thus ahead of one's parents. Therefore, dedicating something to God by which the parents could have benefited was viewed as a good thing. Putting God ahead of ones parents sounds noble, doesn't it? Yet Jesus condemned them for it. He told them "you have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition." And then he went on to say:

"YOU hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about YOU, when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’"―Matthew 15:6-9.

God viewed them as hypocrites because they were breaking his commandments in order to keep their own. Their worship was in vain because they were "teaching commands of men as doctrines." How could they expect Jehovah to accept that?

Look at how Watch tower have made things even worse than the example Jesus used above, by their doctrine of Dedication. A husband's and wife's relationship is much closer than that of a man and his parents. Concerning this Jesus said: "For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh.”―Matthew 19:5.

This is what the Awake! magazine said on this:

“Jesus made clear that marriage was to be permanent when he answered a question put to him about the propriety of divorce. He stated: “Did you not read that [God] who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh”? So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has yoked together let no man put apart.” –Matthew 19:4-6.

Immediately after the above paragraph, though, it goes on to say:

“It has rightly been said that in the life of a Christian, marriage is second in importance only to his or her dedication to God. The latter binds one to the Creator forever, and baptism makes that publicly manifest. Marriage is the public declaration of commitment to another person – forever. It is unthinkable either to dedicate oneself to God or to forge a marriage bond while having serious reservations. Therefore, those contemplating marriage do well to examine carefully the prospective mate’s beliefs, goals, attitudes, and disposition.” —Awake! 2/8, 2002 Marriage Should Be A Permanent Bond, page 9. (Italics mine)

Is that true? Is marriage second in importance only to his or her dedication to God? It sounds noble! But is that what Jehovah says, or any of the Bible writers? It is more likely the personal opinion of some single brother on the Governing Body, because it definitely contradicts God's own view on marriage, which is expressed at Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:28-31, 33; besides many other scriptures on the relationship of a husband and wife. Jehovah has clearly expressed his view on the marriage arrangement, but where does he say anything about a dedication to him?

They have made something that is NOT taught in the Scriptures more important than something that IS clearly taught? Is that not the very thing Jesus condemned the religious leaders of doing? They taught that God should come first in a person's life, even if it meant breaking God's law, and is that not what they are doing by means of their dedication? It is their doctrine, their tradition. Let us see how they have made God's word invalid by means of it:

Absolute endangerment of spirituality also provides a basis for separation. The believer in a religiously divided home should do everything possible to take advantage of God’s spiritual provisions. But separation is allowable if an unbelieving mate’s opposition (perhaps including physical restraint) makes it genuinely impossible to pursue true worship and actually imperils the believer’s spirituality. Yet, what if a very unhealthy spiritual state exists where both mates are believers? The elders should render assistance, but especially should the baptized husband work diligently to remedy the situation. Of course, if a baptized marriage partner acts like an apostate and tries to prevent his mate from serving Jehovah, the elders should handle matters according to the Scriptures. If disfellowshipping takes place in a case involving absolute endangerment of spirituality, willful nonsupport, or extreme physical abuse, the faithful Christian who seeks a legal separation would not be going against Paul’s counsel about taking a believer to court.—1 Corinthians 6:1-8. —w88 11/1 22-3 When Marital Peace Is Threatened.

In addition, the Bible’s words at 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, while encouraging marriage mates to stay together, allow for separation. Some, after trying very hard to preserve their marriage, feel they have no choice but to separate. What can be acceptable Scriptural grounds for such a step?

One is willful nonsupport . . . (1 Timothy 5: Another is extreme physical abuse. . . (Galatians 5:19-21; Titus 1:7; Psalm 11:5)

Another ground for separation is the absolute endangerment of a believer’s spirituality - - one’s relationship with God. When a mate’s opposition, perhaps including physical restraint, has made it impossible to pursue true worship and has imperiled the believer’s spirituality, then some believers have found it necessary to separate.” –Matthew 22:37; Acts 5:27-32. —g02 2/8 10 Marriage Should Be A Permanent Bond, [Box, Heading: Divorce and Separation]. (Italics mine)

Watch tower taught that we have "scriptural grounds" for breaking up a marriage if our spirituality is endangered, because "our marriage is second in importance only to his or her dedication to God." And do we actually believe that Jehovah is pleased with this? This is much worse than what Jesus condemned the Pharisees for in Matthew 15.

Do you know of any marriage break-ups over this issue? I know some who are doing “better in the truth” after they split up. Others have used this as an excuse to get out of an unhappy marriage. Is that what pleases Jehovah? It was in connection with something dedicated to God that Jesus uttered these words:

6 ...You cancel God's command by your rules.
7 Frauds! Isaiah's prophecy of you hit the bull's-eye:
8 These people make a big show of saying the right thing,
but their heart isn't in it.
9 They act like they're worshiping me,
but they don't mean it.
They just use me as a cover
for teaching whatever suits their fancy." ―Matthew 15:6-9 MSG.



to be continued..............

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Please tell them. The JW are the most deceptive religious group on earth. They are not Christians because they do not believe in the death burial and resurretion of Christ. There commitment though admirable but their doctrines are false.

Ken4Christ:
Please tell them. The JW are the most deceptive religious group on earth. They are not Christians because they do not believe in the death burial and resurretion of Christ. There commitment though admirable but their doctrines are false.

obviously that is not the purpose of this thread, JWs are still God's peaple regardless of what watch tower teaches. As this thread progresses i will bring out scriptural proves supporting my statement. The evil element among them is the watch tower society which i am out to lay their sins bare in no distant time.

3. They Teach Most JWs that they are not part of the new covenant: Infact this particular teaching is the one that scares me most, how can you tell me that i am not part of the new covenant of which Jesus Christ shed his precious blood for? The watch tower teaches that since 1935, the gathering of the "great crowd" started and they associated the great crowd of Rev. chapter 7 with the "other sheep" Jesus talked about in John 10:16, a teaching that has been proven false by context since Jesus was talking to the Jews that He (Jesus) have other sheep (the gentile nations) which are not of this fold (the jewish nation) which he will bring together so that the little flock (the jews) will be one flock with the other sheep (the gentile nations) and they two will become one flock. This bringing together started when Cornelius became the first non-jew to be converted to Christianity. Since then the epistles teaches that there is no more distinction between the jews and other nations, meaning that the two flock have become one.

But the watch tower does'nt see it that way, they teach JWs that the little flock consist of only 144,000 co-rulers with Christ, and that the new covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ include only them. They explained other sheep as the great crowd that came out of the great tribulation and which their destiny is to live on earth forever while the little flock have their destiny in the heavens. Thus the "other sheep" are not in the new covenant, but simply associating with Jesus's brothers (the 144,000). If you attended the memorial earlier this week, you may notice either one or two persons partook in the emblems or no one at all! why? Because according to the watch tower's teaching only those in the new covenant can partake from the wine and bread.

At first when President Frank Rutherford identified the great crowd in 1935, they were not regarded as JWs, they were called the "jonandabs" and later it was changed to other sheep of the great crowd. In early 1930s, these set of witnesses are not allowed to be baptized, it was later on that the accepted them as Jehovah's witnesses and subsequently started baptizing them.

Does the above understanding make any sense? my reasoning is that if i am not in the new covenant, then i can never be saved, if not how can my sins be forgiven if i am not allowed access to the "blood of Christ" which is the blood of the new covenant? As a JWs doesn't this teaching border you? if it does'nt then your salvation is probably not important to you.

An average JW that comes knocking at your door probably do not know these facts, because technically peeping into these things will invalidate their "dedication" which includes accepting the governing body and their teachings as the faithful and discrete slave.

The issue of the New Covenant, and who's included, has been examined many times that I have seen. However, a brother that I've come to know has a saying that keeps me grounded... "The truth is simple, it only becomes complicated when we deviate from it". Back while Jesus was on earth, we know how religious leaders were in charge of teaching the Jews the law. However, we also have come to understand that Jesus condemned them for corrupting that law, by adding to it abundantly. (Matthew 15:1-6)

To better understand the New Covenant, we should review the Abrahamic Covenant, and the subsequent Law Covenant Jehovah had made with the nation of Israel:

“I shall surely bless you and I shall surely multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore; and your seed will take possession of the gate of his enemies. And by means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves due to the fact that you have listened to my voice." (Genesis 22:17, 18)

It is good to remember that up to this point Jehovah's cryptic promise about the "seed" that was to crush the head of the serpent has not yet been expanded upon. (Gen. 3:15) Now, Jehovah, "the One telling from the beginning the finale", has stated that this promised seed will come through Abraham's lineage. This promised seed will "take possession of the gate of his enemies" and, the most important point of all: all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves because of this seed. Additionally, Jehovah promised to multiply Abraham's seed "like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore".

Of course, Abraham's seed multiplied greatly, through his grandson, Jacob, who had 12 sons. Jacob's name was later changed to Israel, hence we have the 12 tribes of Israel. Under Joseph, this Abrahamic family was protected, and grew exponentially over the course of 400 years. (Genesis 15:13)

After their miraculous escape from Pharaoh's army by Jehovah's hand, Jehovah made a covenant with the nation of Israel:

"And now if YOU will strictly obey my voice and will indeed keep my covenant, then YOU will certainly become my special property out of all [other] peoples, because the whole earth belongs to me. And YOU yourselves will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the sons of Israel." (Exodus 19:5, 6)

However, if we were to stop right here, one would ask: "Didn't Jehovah promise that all nations will bless themselves by means of this seed?" Yes, he did, which brings us to an important point. Jehovah has always intended on turning his attention to the Gentiles, the non-Jews. It was not predicated on whether or not the Jews were faithful.

“Look! There are days coming,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “and I will conclude with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant; not one like the covenant that I concluded with their forefathers in the day of my taking hold of their hand to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt, ‘which covenant of mine they themselves broke, although I myself had husbandly ownership of them,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.” “For this is the covenant that I shall conclude with the house of Israel after those days,” is the utterance of Jehovah. “I will put my law within them, and in their heart I shall write it. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people.” “And they will no more teach each one his companion and each one his brother, saying, ‘KNOW Jehovah!’ for they will all of them know me, from the least one of them even to the greatest one of them,” is the utterance of Jehovah. “For I shall forgive their error, and their sin I shall remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Notice the reason why Jehovah instituted this New Covenant. True, Jehovah did mention that the Israelites did break the first covenant, but that was not the reason why he is concluding a new one. This new one, as Jehovah says, will allow permanent forgiveness of their sins. Remember, the original covenant had two very big limitations:

(1) It only applied to the natural Jews, but Jehovah's original promise to Abraham regarding his seed would benefit ALL mankind.

(2) As the Apostle Paul noted, the old Law Covenant, with the sacrifices that were offered through the Levite priesthood, does not allow for complete forgiveness of sins, but instead pointed out the need for Christ's perfect sacrifice:

"For since the Law has a shadow of the good things to come, but not the very substance of the things, [men] can never with the same sacrifices from year to year which they offer continually make those who approach perfect. Otherwise, would the [sacrifices] not have stopped being offered, because those rendering sacred service who had been cleansed once for all time would have no consciousness of sins anymore? To the contrary, by these sacrifices there is a reminding of sins from year to year, for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take sins away." (Hebrews 10:1-4)

So this New Covenant was not instituted for the sole benefit of the 144,000 chosen to rule with Christ, but rather, it is what allows all faithful mankind to have their sins permanently forgiven, and declared righteous by means of their faith. (Galatians 3:7-9)

In Hebrews chapter 9, Paul compared the two covenants. Here are a few excerpts, showing the superiority and subsequent need for the New Covenant:

"However, when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come to pass, through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, he entered, no, not with the blood of goats and of young bulls, but with his own blood, once for all time into the holy place and obtained an everlasting deliverance [for us]. For if the blood of goats and of bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who have been defiled sanctifies to the extent of cleanness of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Christ, who through an everlasting spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works that we may render sacred service to [the] living God?" (Hebrews 9:11-14)

We further read:

"Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.[a] 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Hebrews 9:15-22; English Standard Version―ESV Footnote: a. Hebrews 9:15 The Greek word means both covenant and will; also verses 16, 17)

As we can see, the purpose of the New Covenant, is the redemption of all mankind, be it Jew or Gentile, anointed or non-anointed. The Old Covenant Jehovah had made with nation of Israel was voided, serving its purpose of pointing the Jews to Christ. (Galatians3:24)

Under this New Covenant, faithful mankind's sins are forgiven permanently, something that was not possible until Jesus' death as Paul mentioned. Through Jehovah's mercy and love for the entire human race, he has opened a way out of the turmoil that Adam placed his offspring in due to his disobedience. (John 3:16; Romans 5:12)

As Paul stated, under this New Covenant validated by Jesus' perfect blood, all faithful Christians are finally able to worship Jehovah with a clean conscience. Furthermore, as you can see, there is no mention of these provisions being exclusive to the anointed ones.

Jesus states that his blood validates the New Covenant: "This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf." (Luke 22:20)

In Revelation, John's vision of the "great crowd" that survives the Great Tribulation references Jesus' words: "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. That is why they are before the throne of God, and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple…" (Revelation 7:14b, 15a)

Consider this final point: Did you notice a parallel in John's vision, and what Paul stated in Hebrews 9:14? Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we are all able to render "sacred service" that is acceptable to Jehovah. Or in other words, it is impossible to worship Jehovah without being part of the New Covenant! This fact alone precludes the notion that only the anointed are included in this covenant, for such a premise would mean that the vast majority of God's people are unable to worship him. Jesus' perfect blood gives all of Jehovah's people a righteous and clean standing (depicted by the white robes); and they are all "in his temple," which would be impossible unless they are in the New Covenant. The same was true with the physical tabernacle, where only those who were in the covenant mediated by Moses, and were clean in Jehovah's eyes, could worship God acceptably. (Exodus 30:17-21; Leviticus 22:1-3; 1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18)

4. Most JW do not know that the watchtowers governing body are not the faithful and discrete slave: Do you know that since 1919, the governing body of JW claim they are the faithful and discrete slave Jesus talked about in Matthew 24:45. they base this teaching on the premise that Jesus returned in 1914 and judged Christendom (other churches) as wicked servants and apostates and bestowed on them (watch towers governing body) the position of the discrete and faithful slave that the master found feeding his domestics, and as such rewarded them with the task of all of Jesus's domestics. This teaching and doctrine is very dear to the heart of most JW and because of this they are obligated to accept all their teachings as "truth" even when the bible warns that we should test all inspired expressions to know if they originate with God.

The facts remains that Jesus did not return in 1914, and he definitely did not apoint anybody as faithful and discrete slave in 1919. This is a pure lie not found in the bible and unfortunately most JW are blinded to this truth.

A good indicator as to the nearness of Jehovah's day is not necessarily studying world events, but more importantly witnessing certain developments within God's household. These things must first take place as foretold in the Scriptures. (Matt. 26:54) Having convinced ourselves that we are nothing but wonderful in Jehovah's eyes, and shrugging off his condemnatory prophecies as applying to the world, particularly the churches of Christendom rather than to ourselves, we have failed to comprehend our true situation before Jehovah. (Amos 3:2; 4:12) Jehovah's people have been led astray by being told that they have "peace, when there is no peace." (Jer. 8:11; Ezek. 13:10) For that reason it will be just as Jesus warned, we will be caught by surprise when he arrives to settle accounts with his slaves at a time we do not think to be it. (Luke 12:40; Rev. 3:3) Paul wrote for our benefit—those living in the last days—that Jehovah's day will not come unless there are first certain developments taking place, and this in connection with an apostasy and revealing, or identifying, of "the man of lawlessness."

Apostasy, from Jehovah's standpoint, is a turning away from him and a rejection of his word. (Isaiah 9:16,17; Jer. 17:13, NWT) It is clear that apostasy can develop only from among God's own people, within his household, his temple. It is not at all unusual for an anointed one of Jehovah to become presumptuous and apostatize. We can recall such well known examples as the anointed cherub (who made himself Satan the Devil), Saul, Solomon, and Jeroboam, just to mention a few, each of these having been anointed for their privileged position before apostatizing. Sadly, the great majority of God's anointed kings proved rebellious; some becoming extremely wicked and cruel, resulting in much suffering for their subjects. It should therefore not be at all surprising to God's people today that a wicked "man of lawlessness" would be seating himself prominently right inside God's temple, "publicly showing himself to be a god." This "son of destruction," as he is also called, is said to be actually sitting in "opposition" to true worship.

Paul says that the man of lawlessness, in his ambition to be "someone or something considered to be extremely valuable or important" (Webster's definition of "god", has elevated himself over those who are "called 'god' or an object of reverence." (John 10:34-36) Who does the Bible identify these ones to be? The Scriptures speak of them as "holy" (NWT) or "chosen ones" (CEV), who will receive "the kingdom and the rulership and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens," and upon their proving faithful unto death will "rule as kings with the Christ for the thousand years." Yes, they are the ones who make up the foundation stones of God's temple, each one of them chosen and put in place by Jehovah God himself. Evidently, the man of lawlessness has desired to especially dominate these within God's temple. —Dan. 7:18, 27; NWT; 1 Cor. 8:5; Rev. 2:10; 3:21; 20:6.

In agreement with what Paul foretold, among God's people today there is actually a small group of men who have fulfilled this prophecy in great detail. It is the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society. The members of this elite group of men assert that there was such a governing body arrangement over God's people in the first century, and therefore justifies their exalted position within God's household. A recent Watchtower article states: "The apostles and the elders of the Jerusalem congregation acted as a governing body. Christ used this instrument to lead the entire group of his anointed 'brothers' on earth. (Heb. 2:11; Acts 16:4, 5) In this time of the end, Christ has committed 'all his belongings'—all the earthly interests of the Kingdom—to his 'faithful and discreet slave' and its representative Governing Body, a group of anointed Christian men." —September 15, 2010 Study Watchtower.

Contrary to their claim, though, there is no scriptural evidence to support the idea of a governing body in Jerusalem that Christ used to "lead the entire group of his anointed brothers on earth." The apostle Paul certainly did not recognize any "special leaders" (CEV) exercising authority over him or other fellow believers; nor, as he says, did he submit to any such ones. And neither did Jesus acknowledge such an entity when he wrote directly to the seven congregations in Asia Minor. (Gal. 1:15-19; 2:47; Rev. 1:11, 19,20) In fact, the very idea of a governing body goes contrary to what Jesus told his disciples on his last night with them, when once again they argued as to who the greatest among them was: "The kings of the Gentiles dominate them, and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving." —Luke 22:24-26, HCSB; Matt. 20:25,26.

In imitation of the kings of the nations, and in connection with a secular corporation, the governing body members have elevated themselves within God's household over God's people, and "dominate them." They have publicly shown themselves to be a "god" by the authority they have claimed for themselves, and by presenting their teachings as equal in authority to God's Word, considering their publications as official as the Bible itself. (Matt. 23:2-4) For example, in one Watchtower article elders were told: "If the Bible and the publications of the 'faithful and discreet slave' do not clearly outline a course, the elders should not impose their personal likes and dislikes, as if these were rules to be followed by the others." —w75 8/1 p. 474 par. 12, Elders Presiding in a Fine Way.

Another article addressing congregation elders admonished: "What is your attitude toward directives from 'the faithful and discreet slave'? Loyalty should move you to be 'ready to obey.' (Jas. 3:17) Always try to capture the spirit of information published by the 'slave' class. Then convey this to the congregation. The brothers need your loyal example as you cooperate with the rest of the body of elders." (w81 12/1 pp. 11-14 “Kingdom Loyalty”—What Does It Mean to You?) You may have noticed in your congregation that the visiting Circuit Overseer will frequently refer to the Society's publications as the authority for establishing a scriptural matter, or "proving" one of their many traditions. This, of course, is in an effort to instill trust and confidence on the part of God's people in the self-proclaimed "faithful and discreet slave," and encourage loyally following their leadership. You can see many of the elders imitating this.

They also teach that we cannot enjoy a relationship with Jehovah apart from the governing body: "We cannot hope to acquire a good relationship with Jehovah if we ignore those whom Jesus has appointed to care for his belongings. Without the assistance of 'the faithful and discreet slave,' we would neither understand the full import of what we read in God’s Word nor know how to apply it. (Matt. 24:45-47)". The same Watchtower says further: "The anointed and their other sheep companions recognize that by following the lead of the modern-day Governing Body, they are in fact following their Leader, Christ." (September 15, 2010 Study Watchtower) Another article declared: “It is vital that we. . . respond to the directions of the 'slave' as we would to the voice of God, because it is His provision." —Watchtower 6/15/1957, p. 370, JEHOVAH’S CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION.

Compare the above Watchtower statements with Jesus' own words: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Also note the apostle Peter's statement regarding the uniqueness of Jesus' position: "There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved." (Acts 4:12) The governing body should be teaching God's people to obey Jehovah's command, "Don't put your trust in human leaders. Don't trust in people. They can't save you." —Psalms 146:3, NIRV.

Aaron, as high priest, was called by God and blessed with a prominent and prestigious position within the nation of Israel, as did his sister Miriam as prophetess. (Heb. 5:4,5; Ex. 15:20) Yet both of them coveted the superior appointment of their brother Moses, for God had "entrusted [Moses] with all his house," and spoke with him "face to face." (Ex. 33:11; Num. 7:89; 12:7,8; Heb. 3:5,6) Therefore Aaron and Miriam started to complain: "Is it just by Moses alone that Jehovah has spoken? Is it not by us also that he has spoken?" The account goes on to say: "And Jehovah was listening," and "Jehovah's anger got to be hot against them. . . and, look! Miriam was struck with leprosy as white as snow." (Num. 12:1,2, 9,10) Has the governing body not become guilty of the same aspiration as that of Aaron and Miriam? Are they not in effect saying, as expressed in the above Watchtower quotes, "is it by Jesus alone that Jehovah has spoken? Is it not by us also that he has spoken?"

In coveting the glory and the authority that has been given only to Jesus—the greater Moses—the governing body members have also become guilty of imitating the ambitions of the infamous rebels Korah, Dathan and his brother Abiram. By wanting to elevate themselves to the position of Moses as leader over God's people, those three men, along with their 250 followers, became guilty of rebelling against Jehovah. By the awesome display of power that Jehovah used in executing them and everything that belonged to them he proved beyond any doubt to all onlookers that those rebels had "treated Jehovah disrespectfully." Yes, it was not only Moses that they had opposed, but also Jehovah himself.—Num. 16:12-14, 30-35; Jude 11; Matt. 23:10; 1 Peter 3:22.

The modern-day Korah·Dathan·Abiram claims to be God's channel of communication in our day. Thus in one Watchtower it was stated: "God spoke to his people through Moses and other prophets. Then, Jehovah spoke to them through his Son, Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 1:1, 2) Today, we have God’s complete inspired Word, the Holy Bible. We also have 'the faithful and discreet slave,' appointed by Jesus to provide spiritual 'food at the proper time.' (Matthew 24:45-47) Thus, God is still speaking. But are we listening?" (w98 7/15 p. 12 par. 15 Beware of a Lack of Faith) Yes, today Jehovah is still speaking to his people; no, not by any men or group of men, but rather by means of his Son Christ Jesus, as Paul tells us: "God, who long ago spoke on many occasions and in many ways to our forefathers by means of the prophets, has at the end of these days spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things." (Heb. 1:1,2; 2:16-18; 8:1,2) The above Watchtower appropriately notes, "today, we have God's complete inspired Word." It is within the pages of that inspired Word that we find Jesus' teachings preserved for our benefit, by means of which God is speaking to us. There is no need for anyone else to replace Jesus, for he himself promised his disciples: "And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things."—Matthew 28:20.

We are commanded not to add anything to God's Word, nor take away from it. (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18,19) In fact, it is this food—Jesus' teachings—that God's appointed servants ought to be dispensing. (John 6:35; Luke 12:42) Rather than any governing body, Jehovah has provided "the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive," which not only teaches his people but also unites them. That has not changed since the first century! This truth never changes. (John 14:16,17, 26) The man of lawlessness, whose "presence is according to the operation of Satan," has replaced Jesus as head in the congregation. He has also blasphemously replaced the holy spirit within God's household. Therefore, he does not have "the spirit of the truth," and neither can he receive it. To him it is not about truth, but about authority and domination! The apostle Paul explains, "because they did not accept the love of the truth," but "took pleasure in unrighteousness," God allows "an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie." (2 Thess. 2:10-12) This explains why many of their predictions have failed to materialize, and the reason certain "truths" taught at one time are now no longer valid. That is why the apostle John wrote: "Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God, because many false prophets have gone forth into the world." —1 John 4:1.

The apostle Paul says that the existence of the man of lawlessness, and his identity, would be revealed in God's due time. Jesus also said: "For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all." (Luke 8:17, NLT) Thanks to the internet, the ambitions and errors of our leaders have now become widely known. They have been humiliated yet it has not humbled them. Neither have they felt embarrassed. On the contrary! Their insistence on our absolute trust and obedience has become even more pronounced. It is as Jeremiah wrote: "Prophets and priests and everyone in between twist words and doctor truth. My people are broken—shattered!—and they put on Band-Aids, Saying, 'It's not so bad. You'll be just fine.' But things are not 'just fine'! Do you suppose they are embarrassed over this outrage? No, they have no shame. They don't even know how to blush. There's no hope for them. They've hit bottom and there's no getting up. As far as I'm concerned, they're finished."—Jer. 6:13-15, The Message.

They have not blushed in connection with their bold promise as expressed back in a 1969 Awake! magazine: "If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the 'last days' in 1914, Jesus foretold: 'This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.' Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers." (Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15) Ironically, many of the ones especially trusting in the Society's leadership and their promises are now suffering the most, finding themselves destitute. Contrary to their expectations, they have grown old in this present system of things and are now working at menial jobs way past their retirement age, not having prepared financially for their old age. But do not allow the failed promises of the self-professed "faithful slave" throw you off your spiritual balance! You can continue to have full confidence in Jehovah's promises, for they will never fail to come true, nor lead to disappointment, although appearing to delay.—Habakkuk 2:2-4.

The Governing Body members, in their effort to hold on to their lofty position within God's temple, have hired powerful lawyers whom they trust and who have become their advisers rather than Jehovah or Jesus, even when their advice goes contrary to what the Scriptures teach. (John 13:34,35) Under the direction of these lawyers they have dealt harshly with many of Jehovah's sheep. It is not unusual to have one of the Society's lawyers represent in a court of law a prominent elder who has been charged with child molestation, or sexual harassment of a sister. Thus they protect their own interest and wealth from lawsuits, and attempt to hide wrongdoing, and in the process deny justice to the innocent ones, although they know full well Jehovah's view of such matters: "Woe to those enacting crooked statutes and writing oppressive laws to keep the poor from getting a fair trial and to deprive the afflicted among my people of justice, so that widows can be their spoil and they can plunder the fatherless. What will you do on the day of punishment when devastation comes from far away? Who will you run to for help? Where will you leave your wealth?"—Isaiah 10:1-3, HCSB.

Anyone not submitting to their authority is expelled from the congregation as being apostate; even God's chosen ones. (Matt. 24:22,24,31; Col. 3:12) They are Diotrephes personified, of whom the apostle John wrote in his short third letter: "I wrote something to the congregation, but Diotrephes, who likes to have the first place among them, does not receive anything from us with respect. That is why, if I come, I will call to remembrance his works which he goes on doing, chattering about us with wicked words. Also, not being content with these things, neither does he himself receive the brothers with respect, and those who are wanting to receive them he tries to hinder and to throw out of the congregation." (3 John 9,10) Do they imagine that God approves of their action, and that there will be no accountability? —Romans 14:12; Hebrews 4:13.

If we seem surprised, even shocked, by all this development within God's organization we should remember Paul's words: "Do you not remember that, while I was yet with you, I used to tell you these things?" (vs. 5) Yes, these things must take place in order for the Scriptures to be fulfilled. (Luke 21:22) This wicked element was already evident in Paul's day, in the form of the "superfine apostles" who had elevated themselves over their fellow believers and had started to rule over them. But as Paul said, any such authority they felt they had was not from Jehovah. (1 Cor. 4:8-10) In fact, their presence and position of authority within God's temple is "according to the operation of Satan," and reflects his own ambitions. —2 Thess. 2:9.

5. The watchtowers teaching on "dedication" deflects honor from Jehovah and bestows it on the watch towers governing body: Salvation according to the watct tower happens when somebody accept Jesus Christ and there after make a "solemn dedication" to Jehovah to do his will and they symbolise it by water baptism. Well since the concept of "dedication" as a requirement for salvation is not found in the bible, the society therefore preys on it to manipulate JWs into doing their own bidding, thereby making themselves god rather than direct all honor to Jehovah.

But how do they do this? well they strike fear in the hearts of most JWs that their dedication, in other words their vow to do Jehovah's will is directly tied to their salvation, meaning that whenever the vow is broken, the loose favour in the sight of God. Part of that vow also include accepting the governing body as the "faithful and discrete slave".

The most dangerous thing about this teaching is that it is not found anywhere in the bible, neither is it a requirement for salvation. This simply suggests that they earn their salvation by living up to their dedication to God, something clearly forbidden in the scriptures that one cannot earn salvation through works, but by grace through Christ Jesus. They even go further boasting about how they work tirelessly for God by keeping record of how many hours they spend in their preaching work, and the watchtower in turn boast about their efforts in the year book how they print millions of literature for the preaching work.

While dedicating oneself to God is noble, it should be noted that since Jesus didnt preach dedication (actually Jesus taught repentance) nor the apostles, it has obviously gone beyond what is written, something clearly violating God's word that we should neither add or remove from scriptures.

The Watchtower of August 15, 1997 said: “Studying the Bible, applying what is learned, dedication, and baptism are steps leading to salvation.” —w97 8/15 7 Salvation-What It Really Means.

There are some Bible subjects that evoke strong emotions in their believers. Christendom has its Trinity. To question the Trinity is to question the very identity of God himself and to deny Jesus. To them, accepting the Trinity is necessary for salvation. Is it taught in the Scriptures? We argue that it is not; that neither the word nor the idea is found in the Bible, and that those who teach it are twisting the Scriptures. But we have our own "Trinity."

The apostle Paul asks, "Do you, however, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself?..." (Rom. 2:21) If we find fault with the Trinity teaching because of its lack of clear scriptural support, then why are we just as zealous about our own teaching on Dedication, when we have even less Scriptures to point to? Look at the following Watchtower quote regarding the purpose of our baptism:

For What Purpose?
Why did Jesus require that his disciples be baptized? Well, it was a fitting symbol of their wholehearted dedication to God. . .
Being dipped under the water showed that those being baptized had died to a life course that had centered on themselves. Their being raised up out of the water symbolized that they were now alive to the doing of God’s will and were putting it first in their lives, as Jesus had done. (Matthew 16:24)

What Will You Do?
A person who truly has such love and wants a special relationship with Jehovah God would not hold back from freely dedicating his life to him. Baptism is but an outward symbol of that dedication. It is a necessary step toward salvation. —w93 4/1 5-7 Should You Be Baptized? (Italics mine)

How many Scriptures will you find to support the above statement from the 1993 Watchtower? What Scriptures do you use when you teach your bible study as to WHY they must get baptized?

Acts 2:37-38 simply says: "Now when they heard this they were stabbed to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Men, brothers, what shall we do?” Peter [said] to them: “Repent, and let each one of YOU be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of YOUR sins, and YOU will receive the free gift of the holy spirit."

By our "Dedication and the symbolizing of it by baptism" are we not teaching that we must EARN salvation? That is what the following Watchtower articles say:

Dedication and Our Obligation to God
Some baptized Christians need to pray earnestly because they are not living up to the ministerial obligations they assumed when they made a dedication to God. —w99 11/15 19 Are You Fulfilling Your Whole Obligation to God? (Italics mine)

Therefore, regardless of how many years we may eagerly have awaited the end of this wicked, unjust, and violent world, we must zealously live up to our dedication in accord with our circumstances. —w98 6/15 21 Jehovah's Organization Supports Your Ministry.

May we therefore fulfill our dedication to Jehovah and not “shrink back to destruction.” —Hebrews 10:39. —w98 7/15 19 Have You Entered Into God's Rest? (Italics mine)

The articles offer no Scriptures that mention the necessity for any dedication. Neither will you find any at all. Like Christendom with its Trinity, we cite a scripture and then stretch it a bit here and there to make it fit just what we want it to say. And we fully expect faithful servants of Jehovah to accept that. But, just as we tell others, if it is not found in the Bible it is not from God. And somewhere along the line it will conflict with God's Word.

Teaching that we gain salvation due to our dedication contradicts what the Bible teaches.

Ephesians 2:4-7,
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 5 made us alive together with the Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses—by undeserved kindness YOU have been saved— 6 and he raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus, 7 that in the coming systems of things there might be demonstrated the surpassing riches of his undeserved kindness in his graciousness toward us in union with Christ Jesus."

Hebrews 2:9,
"but we behold Jesus, who has been made a little lower than angels, crowned with glory and honor for having suffered death, that he by God’s undeserved kindness might taste death for every [man]."

Galatians 2:21,
"I do not shove aside the undeserved kindness of God; for if righteousness is through law, (or works of law) Christ actually died for nothing."

Galatians 5:4-5,
"4 YOU are parted from Christ, whoever YOU are that try to be declared righteous by means of law; YOU have fallen away from his undeserved kindness. 5 For our part we by spirit are eagerly waiting for the hoped-for righteousness as a result of faith."

Romans 4:2-5,
"If, for instance, Abraham were declared righteous as a result of works, he would have ground for boasting; but not with God. 3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham exercised faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the man that works the pay is counted, not as an undeserved kindness, but as a debt. 5 On the other hand, to the man that does not work but puts faith in him who declares the ungodly one righteous, his faith is counted as righteousness."

Are we not "parted from Christ. . . fallen away from his undeserved kindness," by our insistence that we can receive everlasting life only through works by living up to our dedication? Are we not also robbing Jehovah by emphasizing our dedication rather than his undeserved kindness? Does Jehovah owe us anything? Must we earn everlasting life? As Paul clearly explains, if we were to be "declared righteous as a result of works," then we would have ground for boasting, because we had earned it as payment of a debt, and not as a result of God's undeserved kindness. By teaching that we must "live up to our ministerial obligations" that we assumed when we made a dedication to God, we have placed a heavy burden on all who want to please God. And, of course, those in responsible positions are free to define, by means of their many publications, what living up to our dedication involves. (Matt. 11:30; 23:4) Note how they boast about doing this:

Each year, printing plants of the Watch Tower Society and similar legal bodies supply Jehovah’s Witnesses with millions of Bibles, books, brochures, and magazines for use in their worldwide preaching activity. These legal entities are therefore invaluable in helping dedicated servants of God to live up to their dedication to him. —w98 3/15 18 Living Up to Christian Dedication in Freedom.

If they agree that the unbaptized publisher has a reasonable understanding of Bible teachings and qualifies in other ways, they will tell him that he may be baptized. As a result of his dedication and baptism, he becomes ‘marked’ for salvation.—Ezekiel 9:4-6. —w96 1/15 17 Jehovah's Sheep Need Tender Care. (Italics mine)

Interestingly, the Daily Text for Thursday, January 14, 2010, noted the following in contrast to the above quotes: "Sinful humans cannot earn everlasting life by their imperfect efforts to do what is right. (Isa. 64:6) Gaining everlasting life is possible only by putting faith in God’s loving provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. Let us do all that we can to show our appreciation for that undeserved kindness of God! —w08 6/15 2:2, 3".

Why the contradiction? If we cannot "earn everlasting life by [our] imperfect efforts to do what is right," and that our salvation is due to the "undeserved kindness of God," then why the insistence on living up to our dedication? We may not be confused about the identity of Jesus and GOD, but when it comes to the ransom and salvation we ARE confused, and for the same reason that Christendom is about their Trinity; we have broken "the rule" about not going beyond what is written. (1Cor. 4:6; Deut. 12:32) Whereas Christendom's Trinity deflects honor from Jehovah and bestows it upon his Son, our "Dedication" deflects the honor from Jehovah and his Son and bestows it upon ourselves.

Proverbs 30:5,6 also says, "Every saying of God is refined . . . Add nothing to his words, that he may not reprove you, and that you may not have to be proved a liar."

6. The entire believe system of watch tower is built around the year 1914: Tell this to an average JW and they will quickly discard it as a hearsay. But the truth is that the watch tower is founded on a foundation that is based on 1914. The founder Russel taught that the world as we know it will end in that year, and that Jesus's presence started in 1874. You may have known about this controversial date and the many inconsistencies surrounding it, a simple google search will help. It might interest you to know that how they arrived at this date has been proven wrong time after time, this is because 1914 is based on another pivotal year 607BC which watchtower believe to be the date of the fall of Jerusalem, a date every intellectual researcher discarded as false, in fact the most probable date for the fall of Jerusalem is 586/587BC, but since much of their believes and doctrines hover around that date such as the 1919 date watch tower taught is the year Jesus appointed them as the faithful and discrete slave, it becomes therefore impossible to shift grounds, if they do, they have to humble themselves and tell JWs that they are never appointed to any faithful and discrete slave, but of course pride will not let them humble themselves.

According to C. T. Russell's explanation, the date 1914 was itself dependent on another pivotal date, namely, 606 B.C.E., the year it was believed that Jerusalem was destroyed. This, however, was later changed to 607 B.C.E. Why? Here is how one Watchtower article explained the discrepancy:

At this point some will inquire why Charles T. Russell in 1877 used the date 606 B.C. for the fall of Jerusalem whereas The Watchtower of late years has been using 607 B.C. This is because, in the light of modern scholarship, two slight errors were discovered to have been made which cancel each other out and make for the same result, namely, 1914. Concerning the first error, Russell and others considered 1 B.C. to A.D. 1 as being two years whereas in fact this is only one year because, as has been said above, there is no “zero” year in the B.C.-A.D. system for counting years. “The Christian era began, not with no year, but with a 1st year.”—The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, p. 102.—w52 5/1 p. 271 pars. 21-22 Determining the Year by Fact and Bible. (Bold mine)

As explained above, Russell had made a mistake in that he did not take into consideration the fact that there was no zero year between 1 B.C. and 1 A.D. (now commonly referred to as B.C.E and C.E.—Before Common Era; Common Era). If he had understood this from the beginning, he would have publicized the year 1913 rather than 1914, and we probably would not have heard anything further about it. When the mistake was discovered after his death, it became necessary to make an adjustment to his calculation. This error and its correction was finally acknowledged in 1944. For obvious reasons 1914 was untouchable! After all, did not the outbreak of the great war that same year vindicate Russell as a prophet from God, whereas nothing significant took place in 1913? (See footnote)

It's a delicate matter to correct a mistake without losing one's credibility. It could not simply be announced that upon further examination it was discovered that Russell was off by a year, and then go ahead and remove the one year from the far end in the way of correction. The adjustment needed to be justified and explained, which is called Russell's "second error." It was proposed that due to "inaccurate" and "not up to date on archaeological evidences," C. T. Russell used the wrong year as the starting point in calculating his 2,520 years. In other words, Pastor Russell made not one but two errors, and the two errors cancelled each other out, resulting in the wonderful truth as we know it today.

This is how The Watchtower in 1952 explained the necessary adjustment made to legitimize the correction to Russell's "slight second error":

The second error had to do with not beginning the count of the 2,520 years at the right point in view of historic facts and circumstances. Almost all early Bible chronology ties in with secular history at the year 539 B.C., in which year the fall of Babylon to Darius and Cyrus of the Medes and the Persians occurred. In late years several cuneiform tablets have been discovered pertaining to the fall of Babylon which peg both Biblical and secular historic dates. The one tablet known as the “Nabunaid Chronicle” gives the date for the fall of Babylon which specialists have ascertained as being October 12-13, 539 B.C., Julian Calendar, or October 6-7, 539 B.C., according to our present Gregorian Calendar. This tablet also says that Cyrus made his triumphant entry into Babylon 16 days after its fall to his army. Thus his accession year commenced in October, 539 B.C. However, in another cuneiform tablet called “Strassmaier, Cyrus No. 11” Cyrus’ first regnal year is mentioned and was determined to have begun March 17-18, 538 B.C., and to have concluded March 4-5, 537 B.C. It was in this first regnal year of Cyrus that he issued his decree to permit the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. (Ezra 1:1) The decree may have been made in late 538 B.C. or before March 4-5, 537 B.C.—w52 5/1 p. 271 pars. 21-22 Determining the Year by Fact and Bible. (Bold mine)

Jehovah’s witnesses from 1877 up to and including the publishing of “The Truth Shall Make You Free” of 1943 considered 536 B.C. as the year for the return of the Jews to Palestine, basing their calculations for the fall of Babylon on secular histories that were inaccurate, not up to date on archaeological evidences. This meant that Jeremiah’s seventy years of desolation for Jerusalem ran back from 536 B.C. to 606 B.C., instead of more correctly as now known from 537 B.C. to 607 B.C. (2 Chron. 36:21; Jer. 25:12; Zec. 1:12) With the above Absolute date for the fall of Babylon, the date 607 B.C. is on solid ground for the fall of Jerusalem, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon terminated the reigning Davidic dynasty by taking Jerusalem’s last ruler, King Zedekiah, captive. This leads to the important modern date of 1914, which marks the end of the “seven times” of 2,520 years of Gentile domination since the first fall of Jerusalem 607 B.C. (Dan. 4:9-16; Luke 21:24) This adjustment of one year for Jerusalem’s fall to 607 B.C. was acknowledged in the book “The Kingdom Is at Hand” of 1944, footnote of page 171, and also in The Watchtower of 1952, page 271.—w55 2/1 p. 94, Questions From Readers. (Bold mine)

How reliable is the claim that "the date 607 B.C. is on solid ground for the fall of Jerusalem," when it is based on two slight errors, which cancel each other out? Please reflect on Jesus' words when he said: "What I teach is not mine, but belongs to him that sent me." (John 7:16,17) Can you imagine Jesus making two errors in his teaching—which cancel each other out to make a truth—and yet still claim that he is taught by his Father? As is evident in the above case, and as we shall further see, a lie always takes longer to explain than a simple truth. Often, the person telling a lie will get confused in the process of explaining it, spawning yet other lies, in the believe that one lie will cover another, thereby canceling each other out. Prosecutors in a court of law seize on the inconsistencies to expose these errors, and thus in the end the person is found guilty, having been condemned out of his own mouth. (2 Sam. 1:16; Isaiah 3:12-15; Luke 19:22)

The 2,520 years, mentioned in the above article, was the number Russell had deciphered from the Bible as indicating the length of the "Gentile Times" ("appointed times of the nations," NWT) as spoken of by Jesus, which he identified with Daniel's appointed time, appointed times and a half. (Luke 21:24) He reasoned that the Gentile Times started in 606 B.C. (today's 607 B.C.E.), with the destruction of Jerusalem and the removal of the last Israelite king, who was said to sit on Jehovah's throne. With that information, he calculated that they would end 2,500 years in the future, in 1914, when God would again establish his kingdom, and have a king sit on his throne. (1 Chron. 29:23; Matt. 25:31) Permit me to refer to the book LET YOUR KINGDOM COME, published in 1981, to explains this:

We are helped to fix the calendar date for the start of the Gentile Times by consulting God’s Word. As we have already noted, Jehovah allowed the Babylonians to conquer his people, destroy Jerusalem and its temple, remove Zedekiah from “the throne of the kingship of Jehovah” and take the Jews into Babylonian exile. (1 Chronicles 28:5) Events that followed “in the seventh month” led the few Jews who had remained in the land to flee to Egypt, so that Judah then lay completely desolate. (2 Kings 25:1-26; Jeremiah 39:1-10; 41:1–43:7) Jehovah’s prophet Jeremiah had foretold that the desolation would last for 70 years. (Jeremiah 25:8-11) Then Jehovah would ‘call to account against the king of Babylon his error’ and ‘bring His people back to this place,’ their homeland.—Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10.

Daniel himself lived in Babylonian exile for many years. On the night that Babylon fell to the Medo-Persians, he was an eyewitness to the fulfillment of his own prophecy, and of other prophecies, against that city. (Daniel 5:17, 25-30; Isaiah 45:1, 2) Historians calculate that Babylon fell in early October of the year 539 B.C.E. Soon thereafter, Daniel discerned from Jeremiah’s prophecy that the 70-year captivity and desolation for Jerusalem was about ended. (Daniel 9:2) And he was right! In the first year of Cyrus the Persian, which most historians date from the spring of 538 B.C.E., Cyrus issued a decree permitting the Jews to return to their homeland to repopulate it and to rebuild Jehovah’s temple there. (2 Chronicles 36:20-23; Ezra 1:1-5) The inspired historical account tells us that the Jews responded readily to Cyrus’ decree, so that “when the seventh month arrived the sons of Israel were in their cities.” (Ezra 3:1) By our calendar that would be October, 537 B.C.E., which date therefore marks the completion of the foretold 70 years of desolation.

That historical information is important to us in determining the beginning of “the appointed times of the nations.” Since the 70 years of desolation for Judah and Jerusalem ended in 537 B.C.E., they began in 607 B.C.E. That would be the year when Zedekiah ceased to sit upon the “throne of the kingship of Jehovah” in Jerusalem. It therefore marks also the date for the beginning of the Gentile Times. Counting from October 607 B.C.E., the “seven times” of 2,520 years bring us down to early October 1914 C.E., when, as we have already seen, Jesus’ great prophecy on “the conclusion of the system of things” started to be fulfilled. Reliable information in God’s Word is the basis for this conclusion, which the Watchtower magazine has been championing now for more than 100 years.

Thankful, indeed, we can be that Jehovah preserved in his inspired Word an accurate picture of the needed details involving the Jews, the Babylonians and the Medo-Persians in the sixth century B.C.E. Otherwise it would be difficult to piece together the exact timing of events back there, for secular records of that period are certainly incomplete.—kc chap. 14 pp. 136-139 pars. 25-28 The King Reigns!

The above article explains how the momentous year of 1914 was arrived at, based on the pivotal year of 607 B.C.E. Does it merit our confidence? In fact, does it really matter how 1914 was calculated? Have events since then not confirmed it as being accurate? Let us allow the Society's own publications to establish the claim that "the date 607 B.C. is on solid ground for the fall of Jerusalem." It is vital that we do so because an entire system of worship has been built upon that declared "solid ground"; and unless our worship is solidly based on God's Word of truth, our worship is in vain. (Matt. 15:8,9; John 4:23,24; 17:17; Acts 20:30; 2 Tim. 4:3,4)

TO BE CONTINUED............