Micah and Jehovah's Legal Case

The prophecy of Micah opens with Jehovah issuing a fear-inspiring warning to the realm below in advance of his flaming descent to earth. Yes, Jehovah God is coming down—he is coming down from heaven itself—he is coming down to set matters straight!

The descent of Almighty God from his abode in highest heaven, down to our tiny sphere, is so awesome and terrible it is as if the very mountains melt from the glory of his presence. Micah 1:3-4 puts it this way: “For, look! Jehovah is going forth from his place, and he will certainly come down and tread upon earth’s high places. And the mountains must melt under him, and the low plains themselves will split apart, like wax because of the fire, like waters being poured down a steep place.”

What has compelled the great God, Jehovah, to take such drastic action; as if to leave his own residence in the realms above to come down to earth? God himself answers that question in the very next verse of Micah: “It is because of the revolt of Jacob that there is all this, even because of the sins of the house of Israel.”

“All this” is due to the fact that Jehovah has a legal case against his nation—his people. But this is no ordinary case at law. No, not ordinary at all; for not only is God the Plaintiff in this case, but he is also both the righteous Prosecutor and the Judge.

Who can possibly hope to successfully argue against God?

But what are the legal issues at stake and what basis does God have for taking up a juridical case in the first place? The legal basis is founded upon the fact that the nation of Israel had entered into a solemn, binding covenant with God. And it is because of the covenant-breaking sins, stubbornness and pridefulness of God’s dedicated people that have, and will yet again, set into motion Jehovah’s earth-quaking judgments from above.

Of course, God did not literally come down from heaven; nor did the mountains actually melt like wax before him. In reality, God’s judgments in the past were first expressed through the prophets themselves, as they laid out the legal case God had against his people and their leaders. And when Jehovah determined beyond any denial that his people were guilty as charged, then a mere human agency—two human agencies in fact—the formidable Assyrian and Babylonian armies—both served as executioners of God’s judgments on separate occasions. Those armies were so ruthless it was as if they wrecked civilization itself. And to some extent they actually did. Soberingly, there is no reason to believe that the judgment to come will deviate from the pattern established in the Scriptures.

Micah is one of the oldest prophetic books of the Bible, yet its message is earmarked for fulfillment in “the final part of the days”—when God’s kingdom assumes power. (Click here for essay: In the Final Part of the Days) So, what is the significance of Micah for Christians in our day? Interestingly, the name of the prophet himself—Micah—is a shortened form of the name Michael, which, of course, is the name of the archangel who is elsewhere in prophecy described as the savior of Jehovah’s people. And, appropriately, woven throughout the prophecy of Micah the Messiah is prophesied to serve in a similar capacity as savior.

Like many of the Hebrew prophets, the book of Micah situates Jehovah’s Judgment Day in an ancient setting so that God’s judicial matters, which once pertained to Israel and Judah, might reveal vital patterns of the judgment to come concerning what is commonly called spiritual Israel—or the congregation of Christ.

The reason Hebrew prophecies may apply to both ancient and spiritual Israel is because spiritual Israel originally sprang from natural Israel and replaced it as the Israel of God. For instance, the very fact that Christ originally founded spiritual Israel upon the 12 apostles is surely patterned after the 12 tribes of Israel. Actually, the covenant God made with Abraham was intended from the beginning to produce an organization comprised of Christ and his anointed followers—the genuine seed of Abraham according to Galatians 3:29—who will be the means by which God will ultimately bless all the nations, primarily via the resurrection of the dead. That the organizations of physical and spiritual Israel are inseparably linked is further evidenced by the fact that the 12 gates of the symbolic New Jerusalem in Revelation are inscribed with the names of the 12 sons of Jacob; whereas, the 12 foundational stones of the heavenly city have the names of Christ’s 12 apostles inscribed upon them.

Appropriately, the very last verse of the prophecy of Micah alludes to God’s far-reaching covenant with Abraham: “You will give the trueness given to Jacob, the loving-kindness given to Abraham, which you swore to our forefathers from the days of long ago.”

As an example of how prophecies are intended to apply to spiritual Israel rather than the physical nation, consider the last two verses of the 2nd chapter of Micah, which read: “I shall positively gather Jacob, all of you; I shall without fail collect the remaining ones of Israel together. In unity I shall set them, like a flock in the pen, like a drove in the midst of its pasture; they will be noisy with men. The one making a breakthrough will certainly come up before them: they will actually break through. And they will pass through a gate, and they will go out by it. And their king will pass through before them, with Jehovah at the head of them.”

 In the historical setting the Jews were taken captive to far off Babylon. They were then repurchased by Jehovah, which came about when King Cyrus overthrew the mighty city of Babylon—opening the door for a remnant of Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem. That’s what we read at Micah 4:10 “And you will have to come as far as to Babylon. There you will be delivered. There Jehovah will buy you back out of the palm of your enemies.” However, the Davidic kingship was not reestablished at that time. There was no visible king that actually led a repentant remnant back to Zion. Cyrus served as the liberator, and as such, he merely prefigured Jehovah’s true anointed One—Jesus Christ. Jesus, of course, had not even been born when the Jews were in Babylon and while on earth Jesus most certainly did not lead the nation of Israel out of their captive condition to the Roman Empire. The re-gathering of all of Israel under God’s appointed king is what takes place during the final harvest, when the holy angels gather the chosen ones together from the four corners of the earth.

Even more puzzling—from the standpoint of any past application of Micah’s messianic prophecy—Micah 5:1-4 seemingly places the birth of Christ during the time of the Assyrian invasion of Judah. “At this time you make cuttings upon yourself, O daughter of an invasion; a siege he has laid against us. With the rod they will strike upon the cheek the judge of Israel. And you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, the one too little to get to be among the thousands of Judah, from you there will come out to me the one who is to become ruler in Israel, whose origin is from early times, from the days of time indefinite. Therefore he will give them up until the time that she who is giving birth actually gives birth. And the rest of his brothers will return to the sons of Israel. And he will certainly stand and do shepherding in the strength of Jehovah, in the superiority of the name of Jehovah his God.”

Strangely, the passage above seems to connect the restoration of Israel to the time of Christ and even seems to suggest that Christ will himself be struck by the invasionary forces. How can that be? The book of Micah even places the Babylonian conquest before the Assyrian invasion, which historically was definitely not the case. For instance, immediately before the prophecy foretelling the birthplace of the Messiah, Jehovah promised deliverance from Babylon and afterwards Micah 4:11-12 foretells: “And now there will certainly be gathered against you many nations, those who are saying, ‘Let her be polluted, and may our eyes look upon Zion.’ But as for them, they have not come to know the thoughts of Jehovah, and they have not come to understand his counsel; because he will certainly collect them together like a row of newly cut grain to the threshing floor.”

Those many nations that are gathered together to war against Jerusalem are collectively called the Assyrian, as it states at Micah 5:6: “And they will actually shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its entrances. And he will certainly bring about deliverance from the Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads upon our territory.”

In view of such seeming incongruities of prophecy, it should be apparent that Micah has prophetic significance that extends far beyond the time of the Babylonian and Assyrian invasions—it also being apparent that those invasions cast shadows upon spiritual realities not yet beheld. It is also evident that the prophecy has relevance far beyond the time when Jesus was on earth too. The ultimate fulfillment of Micah has to do with the future devastation and restoration of spiritual Israel and the final gathering of the remnant of the seed.

But before discussing the prophetic significance of Micah’s enigma and its fulfillment during the final part of the days, let us first consider the issues of God’s legal case against Israel.

Micah 1:5 calls out the docket, as it were: “What is the revolt of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?” In other words, the revolt of Israel (Samaria) and Judah is rooted within the very establishments of Samaria and Judah—even in Jehovah’s holy city of Jerusalem.

“WOE TO THOSE WHO ARE SCHEMING WHAT IS HARMFUL”

God goes on to indict those who scheme to enrich themselves at the expense of his people, saying at Micah 2:1-2: “Woe to those who are scheming what is harmful, and to those practicing what is bad, upon their beds! By the light of the morning they proceed to do it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they have desired fields and have seized them; also houses, and have taken them; and they have defrauded an able-bodied man and his household, a man and his hereditary possession.”

Elsewhere on e-watchman.com the case has been made that numerous Hebrew prophecies apply to the modern Watchtower Society, which occupies the place of the earthly capital city of spiritual Israel. That being the case, how could the above “woe” possibly apply? (For example, see essays on Hosea and Amos. See also chapters Jeremiah and Zephaniah in Jehovah Himself Has Become King)

Well, consider that the Founder of the Watchtower Society, Charles Taze Russell, originally established it as official policy that the Watchtower would never go begging for funds, and if they ever reached the point where operating expenses were not forthcoming, rather then solicit funds the Society would simply consider that as an indication from Jehovah that is was time to suspend publication. For decades since then the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses have prided themselves on the fact that no collection plates are ever passed among those attending meetings at the kingdom hall. Of course, everyone is frequently reminded at assemblies and meetings as to the importance of putting money in the contribution boxes—but there is nothing inappropriate about that. After all, the first century temple had a contribution box and Jesus even remarked about the generous spirit of a needy widow who made a small contribution. And the original Christians were encouraged to make regular weekly donations.

But in recent years the Society has not been content with the modest offerings Jehovah’s Witnesses have dropped into the contribution boxes. Evidently the Watchtower Society is now going after the “big money.” How so?

Beginning in 1999 the Watchtower began advocating much more sophisticated ways in which Jehovah’s Witnesses ought to make contributions. To that end for the past seven years the Society has annually published an article (reproduced below) exhorting Christians to sign over wills, real estate deeds, stocks, bonds, pension funds and insurance policies to the Watchtower Society. (Apparently, there are no questions asked as regards the nature of donated stock certificates. Evidently Bethel receives dividend checks from several unsavory sources, which no doubt will fully come to light when Jehovah’s day is manifest) Bethel even reminds the publishers that they will gladly accept jewelry too!

The Watchtower also published a 32 page brochure entitled Charitable Planning to Benefit Kingdom Service Worldwide in order to walk potential donors through the process of signing over their possessions to the Society.

Indeed, “because it is in the power of their hand,” as Jehovah says through Micah, the “commanders” of the Society have used their theocratic authority over the organization to remind Jehovah’s Witnesses in each annual issue containing the contribution article, that ‘Jehovah loves a cheerful giver.’ No doubt the apostle’s words are true—Jehovah does love a cheerful giver; but is it really “voluntary” when the Society puts their theocratic stamp of approval upon this unseemly money-raising scheme and uses its authority as the very spokesman of God to promote, among potentially vulnerable elderly Christians, the signing over of pensions and insurance policies and other forms of inheritance?

An inheritance is a sacred thing. It is something that parents and grandparents pass on to their children and grandchildren. Once an inheritance is legally signed away, that’s it—it’s gone, forever. What right does Bethel have insinuating itself into these intimate aspects of a family’s private financial matters? In contrast, Paul advised Christians to simply set aside something each week as a contribution. What is the scriptural basis for such exotic fund-raising schemes, such as the Watchtower is now promoting? Has the Governing Body given any thought to the fact that potential heirs may not be in agreement with a parent, grandparent, or even a spouse signing over possessions and assets to the Watchtower Inc?

Monies dropped into a contribution box are one thing, but actively seeking to persuade Jehovah’s Witnesses into signing over deeds and wills and pensions is a legally binding act that has potentially far-reaching harmful consequences upon entire households.

The Society featured the prophecy of Micah in the 2002 “Zealous Kingdom Proclaimers” District Conventions. The following year the talks were published in a series of study articles in the August 15th Watchtower Magazine. Commenting on Micah 2:1 the Society said: “Greedy individuals lie awake at night scheming how to seize their neighbors’ fields and houses. In the morning, they hasten to carry out their schemes. They would not commit such wicked deeds if they remembered Jehovah’s covenant. The Mosaic Law contains provisions to protect the poor. Under it, no family should permanently lose possession of its inheritance. However, that does not concern those greedy individuals. They ignore the words of Leviticus 19:18, which say: “You must love your fellow as yourself.”

By their own words based on the Law of Moses, no family should permanently lose their inheritance. Yet, Bethel has institutionalized the practice of promoting the very thing the Law of Moses condemned. While it is true that Christians are not under the Law Covenant, certainly the principles embodied in the Law of God are applicable. In light of the fact the Society actively practices and openly promotes the very thing they condemn, the words of Micah’s denunciation are most applicable to the leading men of the Watchtower Society: “Woe to those who are scheming what is harmful…they have desired fields and have seized them; also houses, and have taken them; and they have defrauded an able-bodied man and his household, a man and his hereditary possession.”

Another aspect is this: Would Jehovah’s Witnesses be so willing to sign over valuable financial assets to the Watchtower Inc if they knew the organization was using a portion of those dedicated funds for attorney’s fees for the purpose of waging legal warfare against sexually abused children; as well as paying secret out-of-court settlements to victims—all the while claiming that all contributions are earmarked solely for the world-wide preaching work?

Should we suppose that the All-seeing Jehovah is blind to such matters?

Not only that, but a conflict of interests surely arises due to the fact that the very men who have promoted this scheme of legally seizing houses and hereditary possessions (in the name of Jehovah) are themselves entirely dependent upon the donations of Jehovah’s Witnesses for their own welfare.

True, so-called fulltime servants at Bethel may not benefit in the form of a large salary, as many among the notoriously money-grubbing clergy have enriched themselves, but they are, nevertheless, given room and board and many other perks; like travel expenses for prominent Bethelites and in some cases luxury cars. Virtually all of their needs are met by the Watchtower Society—including health care, which many working Jehovah’s Witnesses can not even provide for their own families. Reportedly, Fred Franz even once boasted that his personal sacrifices were no hardship at all because he traveled the world and lived like a king. And indeed he did—at the expense of others. How appropriate Paul’s rhetorical question to the Corinthians: ‘So, you have begun to rule as kings without us have you?’

Obviously, the institutional men who would persuade widows to sign over their properties to the Society have a very real vested interest in those donations.

Every year since 1999 the following information has appeared in the November 1st Watchtower. No doubt the reason the November 1st issue was chosen to carry the Watchtower’s theocratically tuned sales pitch is because of the end of the year tax obligations.

Most disturbingly, our being motivated by a sincere desire to endear ourselves to God by being cheerful givers is apparently not sufficient motivation for the Watchtower. Bethel also makes a blatant appeal to self interest. Yes, we can also benefit ourselves financially, if we are smart and follow “the slave’s” wise counsel. Bethel’s financial adepts tell us: “A trust benefiting a religious organization may provide certain tax advantages….The brochure was written to provide information on a variety of ways that gifts may be made either now or through a bequest at death. After reading the brochure and conferring with their own legal or tax advisers, many have been able to help support the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide and maximize their tax benefits while doing so.”

____________________________________________________________

 

“MY OWN PEOPLE PROCEEDED TO RISE UP AS AN OUTRIGHT ENEMY”

After expressing his determination to humble his haughty people, Jehovah went on to say: “And yesterday my own people proceeded to rise up as an outright enemy. From the front of a garment you men strip off the majestic ornament, from the ones passing by confidently, like those returning from war. The women of my people you drive out from the house in which a woman has exquisite delight. From off her children you take my splendor, to time indefinite.” (Micah 2:8-9)

Interestingly, Micah specifies that the rebellion against Jehovah had taken place relatively recently—“yesterday.” How might this aspect of the judgments found in the prophecy of Micah apply now? First, since Christendom has always been at enmity with Jehovah it should be apparent that the legal case God brings against his people is as a result of a rebellion that takes place immediately prior to the final part of the days—when Jehovah sets matters straight.

This is in harmony with the Apostle Paul’s prophecy in connection with the man of lawlessness; namely, that Jesus’ presence would not commence until the apostasy comes first.

Secondly, as is obvious from a straightforward reading of God’s Word, the outrages described above occur among those whom Jehovah recognizes as his people. So egregious are the atrocities that they cause Jehovah’s splendor to be removed from the children of his people. How might this portion of Micah’s prophecy apply now?

As everyone knows, the lives of Jehovah’s Witnesses revolve around the Watchtower Society. Bethel determines virtually aspect of our faith. Over and over again Jehovah’s Witnesses are reminded that the Watchtower is the sole channel of spiritual truth. It is commonly believed that no one can understand the Bible on their own—even though it has never been explained how a lifeless organization goes about divining truth without some human input. Presumably there are thinking individuals involved in the process somewhere along the line, but apparently the human aspect is submerged so as to elevate the Watchtower in order to make it appear as if only it can impart enlightenment. Since that is the prevailing attitude fostered from the highest levels of the organization, any witness who does not unreservedly accept 100% of the Watchtower’s teachings will more than likely find themselves under some sort of judicial investigation. It doesn’t matter how long one may have been a Christian. Nor does it matter how tender in years one may be—if anyone speaks about or even privately harbors reservations about any of the Society’s teachings they are viewed as potential apostates and enemies.

Thus, any Christian who might read the Bible and come to a different understanding that deviates from the Watchtower’s accepted dogma will likely be subjected to harsh penalties. It does not even matter if his or her insights are true. All that matters is that they have broken ranks with the organization. Countless individuals have been disfellowshipped for this very reason.

Sadly, it has been demonstrated over and over again that institutional uniformity is more important than the truth. The Watchtower has even admitted that organizational conformity has priority over truth. The following is an excerpt from a court case in 1954 during which time one of the Society’s officers (Haydon Covington) was put under oath and made to answer the following questions:

Think of the implications of the Society’s policy. According to the Bethel’s own dogma it means that Jehovah and Jesus Christ require all Christians to knowingly accept and teach lies in order to remain in the truth—all in the name of Christian unity!

Is there any reason to believe that the Watchtower has changed their policy in this regard? No, far from it. The Watchtower has only become more rigid in its attitude. As evidence of that fact, in 1980 the Society sent a letter to all circuit overseers informing them that even though one of Jehovah’s Witnesses may not even speak to others and promote unapproved teachings, simply having ideas at variance with the Governing Body is cause for disfellowshipping. At least in 1954 Hayden Covington specified that action would be taken only if a person persisted in promoting their own views. Whereas, now Bethel’s present policy calls for possible judicial action against any of Jehovah’s Witnesses who are simply guilty of thinking thoughts that are not inline with the all-imposing organization!

The Society’s organizational mentality has had a devastating impact upon more than a few of Jehovah’s Witnesses who ran afoul of the organization. No doubt many individuals have been summarily dismissed from the congregations for what amounts to not giving glory to the Watchtower Society. It is as if Jehovah’s seal of approval has been ripped off those who confidently rely on God’s word rather than the Watchtower—even as described in Micah: “From the front of a garment you men strip off the majestic ornament, from the ones passing by confidently, like those returning from war.”

Women are not spared either.

Take the case of Barbra Anderson. Sister Anderson served at the Watchtower’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Apparently she had been given a research assignment that gave her access to the Watchtower’s secret files, which it maintains on suspected and known pedophiles within the organization.  Sister Anderson was horrified to realize that the Watchtower has a long-standing policy that is directly responsible for bringing lasting harm to thousands of children. When it became apparent that Bethel had no intention of changing, after some years of Sister Anderson went public with the Society’s dirty little secret. Consequently, headquarters demanded that she be disfellowshipped from her local congregation. Even though by that time Sister Anderson no longer even associated with the local congregation, it didn’t matter. The Society wanted to make an example out of the whistle-blower. As a result both the Andersons are now cut off from their children and grandchildren. The end result of the Society’s ruthlessness is as it says in Micah: “The women of my people you drive out from the house in which a woman has exquisite delight.”

How true Jehovah’s observation that the “prophets” declare war on any Christian who does not bow to the organization. “This is what Jehovah has said against the prophets that are causing my people to wander, that are biting with their teeth and that actually call out, ‘Peace!’ that, when anyone does not put something into their mouths, also actually sanctify war against him…”

Perhaps the Society’s wicked policies are the most damaging to children—not merely child abuse policies either. While the Watchtower has always derided Catholicism’s infant baptisms, the Watchtower’s emphasis on juvenile baptism is not so very different. Whereas Jesus Christ was 30 year old when he was baptized in the Jordan River by John, it is not at all uncommon for children as young as 10 to be baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses—sometimes even slightly younger. Typically if a youth is not baptized before they are 16 or so they are viewed as being spiritually weak.

Undeniably, there is enormous peer pressure brought to bear upon our young people to be baptized. But how many 10 or even 16 year olds have a clear idea of what they want to do with their lives? How can a child who is recognized as not being mature enough to accept adult responsibilities like making career decisions or marriage be expected to whole-heartedly and unreservedly dedicate themselves to Jehovah for all eternity?

Needless to say, the ritual of baptism does not automatically bring spiritual maturity. Quite frequently baptized teens fall into what Paul called the ‘sins incidental to youth.’ Consequently, thousands upon thousands of young people are routinely disfellowshipped, and at a critical phase of their transition to adulthood they are stigmatized as outcasts and cut off from family and friends at the very time when they need them the most. The emotional impact can be absolutely devastating. Some young persons have even committed suicide because of being disfellowshipped. How true Micah’s denunciation: “From off her children you take my splendor, to time indefinite.”

“LIKE FLESH IN THE MIDST OF A COOKING POT”

In the 3rd chapter of Micah Jehovah further lays out his legal case against the leaders of his nation, saying to them: “Hear, please, you heads of Jacob and you commanders of the house of Israel. Is it not your business to know justice? You haters of what is good and lovers of badness, tearing off their skin from people and their organism from off their bones; You the ones who have also eaten the organism of my people, and have stripped their very skin from off them, and smashed to pieces their very bones, and crushed them to pieces like what is in a widemouthed pot and like flesh in the midst of a cooking pot.”

The leaders of Israel are charged by God to take great care to administer justice in accord with revealed law. It is not merely a matter of knowing the law but of applying it, fairly. That’s why Jehovah appropriately asks: “Is it not your business to know justice?” Surely it is. Yet, Jehovah charges the very “commanders of the house of Israel” with hating justice and being “lovers of badness” to the extent of tearing the very skin from off his people—the very people that Jehovah expects his older men to minister to. What a deplorable situation!

From God’s perspective the abuses were so outrageous that he likened the injustice done to his people to the slaughter of innocent animals; when they are skinned and their very bones are crushed and their flesh is cooked in a large pot.

But, why does God use such grizzly imagery? Surely the Jewish religious leaders were not literally skinning people alive and boiling them in a cauldron, like cannibals might?

Apparently, it is in order to reveal the depth of God’s outrage over the mistreatment of his people. That is because Jehovah is keenly sensitive to all injustice and oppression. It pains him deeply to see people hurt and abused—especially if the abuse originates with the very men whom God appointed to protect and care for his people.

Actually, the symbolism used in Micah is not too dissimilar from the imagery Jesus invoked when he described the Jews of his day as sheep that were skinned and tossed about by their religious leaders. No doubt, that is why, knowing his Father’s deep concern and sensitivity, Jesus impressed upon his apostles the need for them to take great care to never oppress any of the sheep that would eventually be placed under their care.

Likewise, all Christian shepherds today, but particularly the leading elders, are similarly charged by God to know justice and to deal compassionately with the sheep of God‘s flock. But, again, does merely knowing what God requires necessarily mean that justice and mercy will always prevail? Obviously in the case of ancient Israel the answer was no. But there are compelling reasons to believe that the charges contained in Jehovah’s legal case are just as relevant for the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses in this period.

If polled it is quite likely that the vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses would say that the Watchtower and her elders exhibit the qualities of good shepherds. And it is true, many of them do. But remember this; when we examine prophecy in reality we are listening to God speak. We are considering his thoughts. Surely the Creator of the universe and the Grand Instructor even of the angels has an exalted perspective far above our own. Not surprisingly, God plainly tells us that just as heaven is higher than the earth, so too, his thoughts and ways are higher than ours. And because of his supreme position, God sees everything, including the secret motivations and intentions of men. Naturally, then, Jehovah’s legal opinions and judicial decisions cannot be expected to conform to our own narrow and biased views.

So when God charges the commandeers of his people with perpetrating injustice and abusing his sheep, it must be appreciated that Jehovah sees things that men cannot. That being the case, should it really come as any surprise if Jehovah’s exalted judgments are not understood by those whom God brings himself into judgment with? It is even as Micah 4:12 says of the unbelieving nations: “But as for them, they have not come to know the thoughts of Jehovah, and they have not come to understand his counsel…”

Since the prophecies written centuries ago are actually Jehovah’s pre-recorded judicial decisions that have been reserved for a future day of unveiling, how might such powerful legal denunciations apply to Jehovah’s Witnesses? Worded differently: If God’s judgments are to be revealed in the near future, can we at least approximate the basis for God’s legal case against the organization before it is manifest? Yes, given the facts at hand, partial though they may be, we ought to be able to appreciate to some extent the reasons for God’s legal case against his “nation”; otherwise, what is the purpose of prophecy? So, how might the above prophecy apply?

As already briefly pointed out, organizational loyalty to the Watchtower Society is paramount. And Bethel imposes the harshest punishment possible upon those who are judged to be disloyal to the organization—that being disfellowshipping. For the uninformed, disfellowshipping does not merely sever the relationship of Jehovah’s Witnesses with the congregation; it also severs personal, family and in some cases business relationships. It is analogous to a Jew being thrown out of the synagogue, which would result in total ostracism from the community.

While the Bible does prescribe removing wicked persons from the congregation, in recent decades the Watchtower has used disfellowshipping as the weapon of choice for punishing dissidents and terrorizing Jehovah’s Witnesses into submission.

Consider the offenses that Paul listed that might cause an unrepentant person to be removed from the congregation: They are fornication, drunkenness, greed, idolatry, and so forth—all moral offenses. However, the Society has added to the list of disfellowshipping offenses. Take the case of Barbra Anderson again. Here is a mother and grandmother whose sole concern was the welfare and safety of children within Jehovah’s congregations. She was not a fornicator; a reviler; an extortioner and any of the like. She was simply disturbed by the Society’s complacency over the many acts of child abuse that had taken place in the organization. Yet, she was cast out and branded as a wicked individual. From Jehovah’s perspective her skin was stripped off her organism and her bones were cracked open and into the widemouthed cooking pot she went.

Officially the charge against Sister Anderson (and countless others who may have protested the Society’s teachings, attitudes or policies) is causing divisions. However, even if that is true, causing divisions does not happen to be listed on the apostle’s list of wicked offenses that warrant disfellowshipping. At Romans 16:17 Paul specifically advised fellow Christians to “keep your eye on those who cause divisions…and avoid them.” In other words, it was up to each individual Christian to determine for themselves if they would associate with someone who caused stumbling or divisions.

In recent years, however, the Watchtower has begun using disfellowshipping as a means to winnow out those whom it deems to be undesirables. It has actually initiated a policy of searching out weak, inactive and stumbled Christians with the intent of either disfellowshipping them or “encouraging” them to disassociate themselves from the organization, which is essentially the same as being disfellowshipped. It does not matter if the person is even no longer regularly associating with the congregation. The Society has made it virtually impossible for anyone to withdraw from the organization and retain any honor or dignity. Instead, it is as if they are hunted down and skinned; their bones crushed to expose the marrow, and into the widemouthed cooking pot they go.

Even the elderly and infirm are not spared from being skinned alive and tossed into the boiling caldron. Doubtless there are many such cases, but to illustrate the point how some zealous Society men encourage weak and straying sheep to disassociate themselves, here is an excerpt from the commentary “Woe to the Shepherds Who Have Become Feeders of Themselves.”
 
“As one instance, e-watchman recently received an email from a sister; relating how her aged mother had in recent years become one of Jehovah's Witnesses; but tragically, she developed the cruel memory-robbing Alzheimer's disease and had to be put in a nursing home. The daughter repeatedly asked the local elders to call on her mother in the nursing facility in order to give her some spiritual encouragement. Months went by and the sister begged the elders to look in on her newly-baptized mother—to no avail.

In the interim, one of the residents at the nursing home kindly invited our Alzheimer's-stricken sister to attend her church services—it also being the former religion of the sister. She accepted. Apparently the elders heard of it and finally went to make a "shepherding call." But, instead of ministering to Jehovah's straying sheep in any meaningful way, the elders came prepared with a pre-written letter of disassociation. They asked her a few questions to determine her attitude about going to church and then they had the ailing sister sign her own letter of disassociation! In their twisted judgment the sister was irretrievably lost, since she had gone back to Christendom!”

Sadly, the disassociated sister passed away shortly afterwards and only one person from her former congregation paid their respects. Surely such heartlessness pains Jehovah’s tender heart.

It is because of these things that Jehovah is compelled to conduct a legal case against his people and inflict a painful punishment upon them, even as Micah 2:10 relates: “Get up and go, because this is not a resting-place. Because of the fact that she has become unclean, there is a wrecking; and the wrecking work is painful.”

What exactly is involved in Jehovah’s painful “wrecking work,” and can there be any reconciliation of God and his people afterwards? These questions will be considered in part two, entitled: Micah and the Coming of Christ.

---

Copyright © 2005, by Robert King
All Rights Reserved.