It has never been easy for even godly people to put faith in a God whom they cannot see. It is much more convenient to look to humans rather than to God. Over and over again the Jews fell into the snare of idolatry in the mistaken belief that they could fashion a visible representation of God. It is not that God was left out of the picture entirely, but that he was misrepresented. Thus, when Aaron fashioned a golden calf, he presented it to the Hebrews, who then proclaimed: "This is your God, O Israel , who led you up out of the land of Egypt ."  

The tendency for all religious people is to allow their worship to degenerate into the worship of the religion itself rather than worshiping God by means of religion. We see the pattern repeated over and over again. For example, the Jews in the time of Jeremiah were so awed by Solomon's magnificent temple that they simply could not imagine that Jehovah would ever allow such an edifice to be destroyed. Apparently that's why God commanded Jeremiah to stand in the gate and say to them: "Do not put your trust in fallacious words, saying, 'the temple of Jehovah , the temple of Jehovah , the temple of Jehovah they are!'" (Jeremiah 7:4)  

The Jewish apostles apparently were similarly enamored with the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and were shocked when Jesus told them that 'a stone would not be left upon a stone.' Even years into the Christian era Paul felt compelled to remind the Hebrews Christians, many of whom were struggling with the tendency to revert back to formal Judaism, that, "we do not have here a city that continues."  

The pattern of focusing on the physical, earthly, material aspect associated with the worship of Jehovah seems to have firmly established itself among Jehovah's Witnesses today. It is undeniable that the Watchtower is at the center of the organization. Numerous videos, magazines, brochures, and books have been published emphasizing over and over that the Watchtower Society is God's "visible organization." Each year we receive a yearbook reporting on the construction of new branch offices, assembly halls, and other impressive facilities connected with "Jehovah's visible organization."  

Jehovah's Witnesses have come to trust in the permanence of the Watchtower institution to the extent that many assume that the physical infrastructure of the Society will remain even after the great war of Armageddon. Our institutional prophets have even interpreted Isaiah's reference to the "interior rooms" as applying to our many kingdom halls, as if these will be places of refuge during the coming holocaust. However, the inspired Psalmist foretells something quite different may be in store for our kingdom halls. Psalm 74:8 gives voice to our enemies, who say: "All the meeting places of God must be burned in the land."  

No wonder the Scriptures refer to the "secret place of the Most High" as being the only place of safety when God brings this system into judgment. Certainly no kingdom hall could be rightly described as a secret place! It is a secret place in that only those with genuine faith will be allowed entry, as it were, when the time comes for Jehovah to rock this world to its foundation.  

As an example of how our faith in God has been subtly supplanted by faith in men, consider a simple question posed in the August 1st, 2002 , Watchtower. The last question of the 1st study article asks the question: "How has reviewing the account of Korah strengthened your faith in Jehovah's visible organization?"  

Contrary to what the apostle Paul taught, we have been made to believe that we do have here, on earth, a city that continues. But, the sobering question we ought to ask ourselves is: If our faith is in the men who supposedly make up Jehovah's visible organization, what is to happen to our faith when God's visible organization goes astray, as it surely has and will again? More disturbingly, where will our faith be when God's so-called visible organization gets trampled underfoot as the prophets foretell?  

That brings us back to the 28th chapter of Isaiah, where Jehovah speaks these words: "Because you men have said: 'We have concluded a covenant with Death; and with Sheol we have effected a vision; the overflowing flash flood, in case it should pass through, will not come to us, for we have made a lie our refuge and in falsehood we have concealed ourselves.'"  

Is this judgment of God directed towards Christendom? Apparently not, as up in verse 12 it says, regarding God's will for his so-called visible organization: '"This is the resting-place. Give rest to the weary one. And this is the place of ease," but you were not willing to hear.' Are we prepared to believe that God intended Christendom to be a place of spiritual refuge for the weary? If not, then, we must come to terms with the fact that God does not find his congregation measuring up to his standards. Apparently in Jehovah's judgment, his congregations have become places of oppression rather than true spiritual refreshment.  

Instead of our having faith in the impressive physical infrastructure of the Watchtower Society, or even in the leadership of the faithful slave, shouldn't our faith really be in Christ Jesus alone? Christ is the absolute bedrock foundation of Jehovah's invisible organization? To have faith in the organization, rather than the Organizer, is to lose sight of the truth. A question Paul might ask of Jehovah's Witnesses today could be---Are we really walking by faith instead of sight?  

We come to take refuge in a lie and try to conceal ourselves in falsehood if we suppose that our salvation comes from our mere association with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York Inc.  Undoubtedly we have developed a conception of the future that completely disallows any sort of disciplinary action by God to come against his organization. The doctrinal basis at the core of our taking refuge in a lie, is the myth that God's kingdom began ruling in the year 1914; that since that time the kingdom has been operating through the Watchtower. Elsewhere, the apostle speaks about God allowing an operation of error go forth to his people, in order that those who do not actually love the truth might be judged. The truth is, Jehovah's glorious Messiah was not given the kingdom of the world in 1914. That is an operation of error that will soon starkly confront us when Christ Jesus actually arrives in his kingdom to initiate judgment upon Jehovah's house.  

That's what Jehovah is speaking about at Isaiah 28:16 where he says: 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "Here I am laying as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tried stone, the precious corner of a sure foundation. No one exercising faith will get panicky."  

If Jehovah's kingdom began ruling decades ago, why then does Isaiah foretell that God lays his messianic cornerstone during the time of judgment? Also, that those who actually exercise faith "will not get panicky" indicates that it is a time for panic, but that those with faith in Christ will not succumb to the terror and panic brought on by the onrushing flood of tyranny and persecution unleashed at that time. Bear in mind that in all likelihood, Satan and his demons have not been cast down yet. Since that is evidently the case, it certainly explains why God's time for judgment will initiate a period of panic, when men become faint with fear, having to deal with an enraged army of demons.   

Jehovah's sweeping away the lie and breaking up our covenant with death is connected with the fact that God's earthly place of worship becomes a place of trampling. Isaiah 28:18 says in this regard: "And your covenant with Death will be dissolved, and that vision of yours with Sheol will not stand. The overflowing flash flood, when it passes through---you must become for it a trampling place." This judgment is in harmony with the fact that Isaiah and the prophets, including Jesus, have foretold that God's holy place will be trampled on by the nations as a prelude to Armageddon.  

The 118th Psalm is useful in connection with Isaiah, in that it verifies that Christ is not installed as king until during the time of tribulation.  Psalms 118:18 foretells the discipline that God will soon administer. It reads: "Jah corrected me severely, but he did not give me over to death itself. Open to me the gates of righteousness, you people. I shall go into them; I shall laud Jehovah." Connected with God correcting his servant severely, verse 22-23 says: "The stone that the builders have rejected has become the head of the corner. This has come to be from Jehovah himself; it is wonderful in our eyes."  

The modern day "builders" can be none other than the Watchtower Society. But, where will we be when Jehovah causes the work of the builders to be trampled underfoot? What a severe discipline Jah is going to mete out upon his own "house builders!" Those with true faith in God will accept the correction and will recognize a greater spiritual reality that Jehovah will then reveal. Apparently, the Watchtower will by then have served its purpose and Jehovah will discard it. Those with faith merely in the Watchtower will ultimately reject Christ as being the true corner and will thus lose out on the salvation they had hoped to earn through God's visible organization.  

Psalms 118: 25-27 seems to symbolize the activities of the great crowd of Revelation, when Jehovah gathers them for salvation during the tribulation. In reference to the palm branches that the great crowd wave before their Savior, verse 27 reads: "Jehovah is the Divine One, and he gives us light. Bind the festival procession with boughs, O you people, as far as the horns of the altar."  

Of note, too, is that Jehovah is described as giving light at that time. In harmony with that, Isaiah 30:26 foretells that Jehovah will give a seven-fold increase of light "in the day of the big slaughter when the towers fall." The Watchtower has taught us that the foretold increase of light will come in paradise. But, according to Isaiah, the time for giving his people an increase in spiritual enlightenment is on the occasion when "Jehovah binds up the breakdown of his people and heals even the severe wound resulting from the stroke by him." Either way we look at it, Jehovah has scheduled us to be severely disciplined and tested during the oncoming tribulation, and only afterwards will we be blessed with his divine light.  

No doubt many of Jehovah's Witnesses will find it difficult to believe that God has purposed to severely discipline and correct his people and that the Watchtower itself could be swept away. That's why at Isaiah 28:21 Jehovah refers to his purpose as strange and unusual. The verse reads in part: "that he may do his deed---his deed is strange---and that he may work his work---his work is unusual." Isaiah goes on to especially caution us about scoffing at Jehovah's strange and unusual work---"And now do not show yourselves scoffers, in order that your bands may not grow strong, for there is an extermination, even something decided upon, that I have heard of from the Sovereign Lord Jehovah of armies, for all the land."  

Isaiah then gives an illustration about how a farmer uses exacting techniques to achieve the desired outcome concerning each crop. For example, verse 27 says: "For it is not with a threshing instrument that black cumin is given a treading; and upon cumin no wheel of a wagon is turned. For it is with a rod that black cumin is generally beaten out, and cumin with a staff."  

What was the purpose of this illustration? As verse 26 indicates, it has to do with how God corrects his own people. He doesn't completely crush us, but he only afflicts us to the proper degree in order to instruct us. Jeremiah 46:28 says as much, where we read: "Yet I shall have to chastise you to the proper degree, and I shall absolutely not leave you unpunished."  

Now, we must soberly ask ourselves how this marvelous prophecy in Isaiah could possibly apply to Christendom. The truth is---it cannot. Otherwise, God would have to correct them and become their instructor during the time of tribulation. How reasonable is that?  Since the Scriptures indicate that Jehovah is going to severely correct his people with his stern rebuke at a future time, the prophecy of Isaiah can only apply to us.  

Jehovah is going to sweep away the Watchtower's fraudulent covenant with Death and Sheol. But those who accept God's discipline, and who have their full faith and trust in God, will be blessed with the privilege of welcoming Christ Jesus when he comes to inspect and cleanse his Father's spiritual temple and begin his glorious kingdom rule.

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Copyright © 2002, by Robert King
All Rights Reserved.