But, as for whether the Watchtower Society will eventually come to view all types of blood transfusions as a conscience matter, time will tell. Hopefully, though, if they do come to that point, it will not be because they are merely acting on the advice of the legal team in trying to minimize litigation or government sanctions.

Moses knew well in advance that he was not going to be allowed to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. As a result of his offending Jehovah on one occasion when he took credit for a miracle, Jehovah forbade him to lead the Israelites into Canaan. Instead, the 31st chapter of Deuteronomy relates how Moses commissioned Joshua as his successor. Then Jehovah took Moses up into Mount Nebo from where he never descended, nor was his body ever found again. (If you recall, the disposition of Moses' body was what gave rise to the dispute between Michael the archangel and the Devil; as recorded centuries later in Jude) Jehovah prophetically took Moses from the earth. Afterwards Joshua proceeded to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land.

Elijah established another similar portent, as is recorded in II Kings chapter two. After serving for a number of years as God's official prophet to the nation of Israel, Jehovah told Elijah to choose his successor. Elijah then found Elisha plowing in a field and he went up and draped his prophet's mantle over Elisha's shoulders. (Apparently, that's where we get the expression: passing the mantle in reference to promoting a successor) Then as the two men walked along together, Jehovah's fiery chariot swung low from the heavens and Elijah climbed on board and ascended into the sky; as Elisha and 50 other prophets looked on. Afterwards, Elisha picked up the cloak that Elijah left behind and he took up the work of a prophet with twice Elijah's spirit—in that he performed exactly twice the number of miracles as his master.

Of course, neither Moses nor Elijah were literally taken into Jehovah's heavens. We know that because centuries later Christ told Nicodemus that "no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man."  But, what is most interesting is that Jehovah enacted a prophetic drama, whereby these two prominent prophets and leaders of God's people, after delegating their authority and position to a qualified successor, were both symbolically taken by God into the heavens—never to return. Amazingly, centuries later Moses and Elijah show up together, as it were, up on top of the mountain of the Transfiguration in a vision conversing with the Christ. Similarly, this Moses and Elijah are in reality the two symbolic witnesses depicted in the 11th chapter of Revelation. That's because the two witnesses are described as performing miracles that only Moses and Elijah performed.

It is apparent, then, that Jehovah intended Moses and Elijah to provide a portent and pattern for the anointed concerning their future departure; which, not coincidentally is what Moses and Elijah were discussing with Jesus during the Transfiguration miracle.

Like those two prophets that Jehovah took, the anointed will not be allowed to enter the new earth of God's promise—apparently as a rebuke for some shortcoming. Instead, they pass on all earthly leadership to human successors. Interestingly, when Elisha saw Elijah taken up in the fiery chariot, he exclaimed: "The war chariot of Israel and his horsemen." That would seem to confirm that Jehovah will gather all of his remaining chosen ones during the time of tribulation so that all will be in heaven when Christ's heavenly cavalry is eventually unleashed to annihilate Satan's world.  Zechariah 14:5 foretells as much.

The point, as it relates to your question, is that the transference of authority in the organization from the anointed heavenly class to the non-anointed earthly class is not necessarily a power-grapping coup by non-anointed individuals, if that is what you are supposing; but it is exactly what we would expect Jehovah to gradually accomplish in preparation for the final ingathering of the sons of the kingdom—especially going forward. However, while the process of the passing of the office of authority is legitimate, that does not necessarily mean that all men currently in offices of responsibility are loyal to God.

The other aspect of this issue is that we may expect a considerable amount of turmoil within the organization in the days to come. No doubt there are a fair number of ambition-driven men who covet power and authority in the organization—whether anointed or otherwise. Bible history is full of accounts about such men and we should not suppose that such individuals are not presently in positions of authority over God's people. But, the real test will come when the system crashes—giving rise to the antichrist.

As a glimpse into the future—consider the past history of the Watchtower. Back immediately after the charismatic C.T. Russell unexpectedly died in 1916, the Watchtower Society was plunged into confusion and chaos. There occurred a power struggle in the upper levels of the Watchtower's leadership. In his privately published, Faith on the March, Brother Macmillan provided a firsthand account of the trials that befell the brothers back then. No doubt that tumultuous period stands as a miniature modern example of what looms ahead for the Watchtower Society.

We may, therefore, be sure that the greatest tests of faith await all of Jehovah's Witnesses in the days ahead, but that ultimately Jehovah's purposes to create a new heavens and new earth will succeed and any presumptuous usurpers will meet a similar Korah-like fate at Jehovah's hand.

Interestingly, after Elijah's departure in the chariot of fire, the 50 prophets unsuccessfully looked for Elijah for three days—imagining that Jehovah might have "thrown him upon one of the mountains or in one of the valleys." No doubt that was portentous of when the disciples and apostles were perplexed by Jesus' unexpected disappearance in death for three days.

Given that the actual life of Elijah and his relationship with Elisha speaks to us on so many levels, the prophecy of Malachi that foretells a coming of Elijah in the final period should be of great interest to Jehovah's Witnesses. Seeing that Christ himself was an "Elijah," of sorts, in that he prepared his disciples to escape the fiery day of Jehovah that came upon the Jews, and he passed on the mantle to the apostles, as did Elijah, the ultimate coming of "Elijah" has to do with the future arrival and presence of Jesus Christ.

Seeing that Jesus is the coming "messenger of the covenant," referred to at Malachi 3:1, and that as such, Christ effects a refining and cleansing of the true Christian congregation in order to finally present it to Jehovah in a unblemished condition, we should recognize that "Elijah" performs the same function as the aforementioned messenger.

However, just as the 1st century pattern applied on different levels, so too with the final fulfillment. As discussed in the previous question, the anointed remnant also takes on an Elijah-like role. No doubt this is because when Christ arrives as the refiner, those who accept his correction who are part of the body of Christ, actually become ruling members of the heavens at that point, and so they come to fully represent Christ on earth. Jesus said as much concerning his spiritual brothers, that whatever is done to them is the same as doing it directly to Jesus and that is the basis for the judgment of the sheep and the goats during that period. Also, the ultimate fulfillment of the transfiguration, which included Elijah, has to do with Christ arriving in glory and the unveiling of the associate sons of God.

So, that's why Malachi 4:2 says: "And to you who are in fear of my name the sun of righteousness will certainly shine forth, with healing in its wings." Daniel and Jesus similarly both spoke about a time during the conclusion of the system when the sons of the kingdom would shine as brightly as the sun in Jehovah's kingdom. So, in answer to your question, the ultimate coming of Elijah will involve the arrival of Jesus, as well as all those who are called, chosen and faithful with him.

However, some may point out that Jehovah once destroyed the notorious cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and that he also sanctioned and assisted the Israelites in dispossessing and destroying the once populous nations of Canaan. But that is only half the story. Jehovah also provided his only-begotten Son to serve as a ransom sacrifice for all of mankind—including the Sodomites and others who were executed by God's judgments in the past. So, in what way can anyone accuse God of acting unjustly in his past dealings when even those once executed will be brought back to life? 

In the Christian era Jehovah has directly executed a grand total of three individuals, two of them being anointed Christians—Ananias and Sapphira by name; the other person being King Herod after he had the apostle James put to death. All during these past 2,000 years since the time of Christ, Jehovah has tolerated all manner of injustice and atrocities; foremost among these being the countless Christians that have been slain by persecutors. Yet, Jehovah has warned from the very beginning that there will be an eventual day of reckoning for this wicked world. The question is how will it come about?

Since the Scriptures legally establish Christ's claim to heaven's throne, Jesus is the rightful ruler of the world. However, the problem lies in the fact that the world is presently ruled over by Satan the Devil and his coterie of demons, and they have no inclination of voluntarily relinquishing their choke hold on mankind. Sadly, most people apparently prefer living a lie under Satan's authority and have imitated his behavior and attitudes in many ways.

To further compound the problem, the demons have, in effect, rigged the world with enough nuclear explosives and other WMD to unleash Dante's hellish inferno in the event that Christ attempts to take over the planet. So, an all-out war between the God of heaven and the gods of earth is inevitable. That war is, of course, the war of Armageddon. And, as in all wars, there are going to be an appalling number of casualties.

But, the truth is that the initial phase of God's judgment against Satan's world is that Jehovah simply allows the Devil to cause the collapse of the system that we have become so dependent on for our lives. True, Christ will initiate a chain of events by provoking Satan into pulling the plug on this system, when he boots him out of heaven, which is why it is considered as a judgment from Jehovah God. But, the prophecies are pretty clear that once Christ's kingdom is fully established, that is what actually spooks the demons into a fury so that they cause their beastly political apparatus to go into a near-death experience, only to revive and go on an earth-wide genocidal rampage.

Although most people prefer to live in ignorance and denial, it is no secret that a small but powerful cliché of oligarchs behind the Anglo-American duo already have been imbued with Satan's mind on matters, to the extent that their official policy is that earth's population should be reduced by roughly 80%. As it stands presently, that represents about five billions souls that have been targeted by the ruling class for elimination in the near term.

The prophecy of Habakkuk foretells that a large portion of the world is going to fall victim to a killer of hapless nations. The pouring out of the bowls of the wrath of God, as described in the book of Revelation, corroborates that judgment as well. For example, Revelation 16:10 and 11 states: And the fifth one (angel) poured out his bowl upon the throne of the wild beast. And its kingdom became darkened, and they began to gnaw their tongues for their pain, but they blasphemed the God of heaven for their pains and ulcers, and they did not repent of their works."

We should no longer suppose that somehow those plagues of God's wrath were poured out by the Watchtower when they wrote an assortment of articles and pamphlets on the topic back in the 1920's—or any time since then.  Christ said that during his actual presence and the conclusion, that, the very luminaries of the heavens would go into full eclipse. That means that the governments over mankind cease to function for our benefit. That's also what the above-cited verse is describing. The prophecy shows, though, that in spite of the dire straits brought upon the world by the failure of their institutions, that even during the ensuing holocaust the majority of people will stubbornly refuse to acknowledge Jehovah God's supremacy and instead blaspheme the only One who could possibly save them.

A question that you might want to ponder, in the event that George Orwell's nightmare soon becomes a reality, and the face of humanity might one day bear the imprint of a tyrant's jackboot: Is Jehovah morally obligated to save the world from its wicked rulers when they go completely berserk?

The Watchtower article that you cited deals with Jesus' counsel to the seven congregations during the "Lord's day." As discussed elsewhere on e-watchman, the Lord's Day has not begun yet. The Lord's Day is the actual judgment phase. According to the Revelation prophecy, then, phony apostles are something that we are going to have to deal with in the future. That the Watchtower fails to recognize such crucial facts, not only gives us some indication of where the modern day superfine apostles presently lurk, but the degree of severity of the test they will present to all of Jehovah's Witnesses when the time arrives.

The fact is that the evil slave and the faithful slave reside together in God's household up until the time that Christ arrives as a thief in the night and sends the evil slave packing. Apparently a few insightful brothers recognize the nature of the beast we are dealing with here. There is a saying at Bethel that seems now to be very profound. The saying goes: "It seems that half the brothers at Bethel are there to test the other half." Perhaps even the brothers who originally made that observation are yet to realize just how true that is!

Realistically, though, how often does a householder ask about 1914? For that matter, when was the last time a householder asked you any sort of question? In my ministry I just use the Bible and a few select brochures that highlight the hope of God's kingdom. After all, that's really what the good news is all about. Ultimately it doesn't make any difference if Christ began ruling in 1914, or whether the kingdom comes tomorrow. The end result will be just the same. But, if you are directly asked by a householder about some Watchtower teaching that you personally don't wholly agree with, you can always say something like: "Well, the Watchtower says such and such." And just leave it at that. The main thing is to help them at least understand the big issues having to do with God's name and kingdom.

Keep in mind, that as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, likely you became such as a result of someone knocking on your door and teaching you the truth—including the 1914 doctrine. Or perhaps your parents raised you to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses--whatever. At any rate, you have no doubt benefited spiritually from someone's Watchtower sponsored ministry. The fact that you want to go out preaching and that you even know how to go about witnessing to others is a result of the Watchtower's teaching you how to be a minister. Even as an anointed person, likely Jehovah didn't just choose you off the street. You are part of the organization—with its warts and all. So, the point is, just because we don't agree with everything the Watchtower teaches on certain things, we shouldn't deprive others from the benefit from learning all that the organization can teach them and from associating with the many fine brothers and sisters in the truth.

Rather then going it alone, the Proverb seems appropriate that says: "Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding." So, you can trust that Jehovah knows your situation and your conscience on these issues, and you can depend on him to help you deal with the questions should they ever arise.

I didn't venture an answer last week to the following question, but one of our readers supplied us with an answer, for which I thank him. The original question was:

The Governing Body directly appoints certain men to be "Bethel Elders."  Each branch office around the world has a number of these Bethel Elders.  Some Bethel Elders care for financial matters, others Bethel personnel, and others care for distribution of literature and so forth.

From among those Bethel Elders, the Governing Body directly invests a few with the authority and responsibility to appoint overseers and ministerial servants.   Usually, their realm of authority is limited to a particular country or territory.  Those specific Bethel Elders act representatively for a) the Governing Body of anointed ones, and b) the legal entity representing Jehovah's Witnesses in that particular country. The visible chain of authority is clear. The Governing Body delegates responsibility to those Bethel Elders.  And those Bethel Elders appoint Overseers and Ministerial servants within their area of jurisdiction. 

The role of the Circuit Overseers is to make recommendations only.  It is always the Bethel Elders who review the recommendations and make the actual appointments.

Jehovah's Witnesses around the world use numerous societies, associations, and other legal entities. The Bethel Elders use their delegated 'scriptural' and 'legal' authority on behalf of the Governing Body.  So what is stamped on the local letter of appointment will vary from country to country.  And it really doesn't matter anyway.  The important point is that those who do the appointing are in fact directly invested with that authority by the Governing Body.  And that is definitely the case because each Bethel Elder granted that authority receives a letter addressed to him personally advising him to that effect.