Recounting the future before it occurs is not an easy thing to do. Even students of Bible prophecy may have great difficulty accepting as authentic, a vision of the future that runs counter to the organization's current expectations.

But, as an instructive example, look at the difficulty the apostles had in coming to terms with the reality of Jesus' death. For us now, it is an elemental fact that the Hebrew prophecies foretold that the Messiah would be put to death and resurrected and that there would also be a second coming. However, it wasn't so clear-cut with the 1st century disciples. Even though Jesus told them over and over again that he was going to be handed over to the Jews and put to death, the disciples simply could not accept it. All they knew was what they could see before them. It made no sense to them that the world-conquering Messiah was going to be killed by his enemies. They could not grasp that there was a second coming in the future.

The situation of Jehovah's Witnesses today is very similar to the dilemma the apostles faced. Like Jesus' first disciples, our understanding of prophecy is based primarily upon what we see before us. We really do not have true insight into future events—other than our knowledge of the Thousand Year reign. Just as the talk of Jesus' death was originally incomprehensible to the apostles, so too, it is presently beyond our understanding how the prophecies could be fulfilled in any other way than what we have been taught.

As an example of how the Watchtower's insight into prophecy is predicated primarily upon seeing what is before our eyes, as opposed to actually foreseeing events before they occur, consider this quote from the September 1, 1994, Watchtower. The 12th paragraph, on page 16, reads:

How faith strengthening it is for Christians today to see Bible prophecies fulfilled before their very eyes! Consider, for example, the words of Isaiah 60:22: "The little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. I myself, Jehovah, shall speed it up in its own time." At the Kingdom's birth in 1914, only 5,100—a little one—were actively preaching. But during the past five years, the size of the worldwide brotherhood has been increasing at the average rate of 5,628 newly baptized Witnesses each week! In 1993, a peak of 4,709,889 active ministers was reached. Just imagine! This means that "the little one" of 1914 is literally close to becoming "a thousand"!

The reader will likely agree that statements in the Watchtower strongly asserting that Jehovah's Witnesses are seeing "Bible prophecies fulfilled before their very eyes," leaves very little room for any alternative explanations as to possible future fulfillments. Convincingly, even the math appears to roughly parallel the relative growth in the numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses from 1914 up to the present: 5,000 X 1,000=5,000,000.

Truly, why should anyone question that we are seeing the fulfillment of the prophecy?

For one thing, we do well to remember that the apostles were also firmly convinced that they were seeing "Bible prophecy fulfilled before their very eyes." And, of course, they were—just not the prophecies that they imagined. The truth is that while Jehovah revealed to the apostles that Jesus was the Christ, God did not allow them to understand what Jesus was talking about when he spoke concerning his death.

Luke 9:45 explains why the apostles could not understand Jesus. It reads: "Give lodgment to these words in your ears, for the Son of man is destined to be delivered into the hands of men." But they continued without understanding of this saying. In fact, it was concealed from them that they might not see through it, and they were afraid to question him about this saying.

The passage at Luke 9:45 clearly indicates that it can serve God's purpose to conceal vital information from even his otherwise-enlightened servants. Do we, today, suppose that we are somehow superior to the apostles and that God cannot similarly conceal certain vital truths from us if he so chooses?  

Too, consider Jehovah's dealings with Jeremiah, where the prophet protested to God, saying: "You have fooled me, O Jehovah, so that I was fooled. You used your strength against me, so that you prevailed. I became an object of laughter all day long; everyone is holding me in derision."

Are we so wise that Jehovah cannot similarly fool us by allowing us to believe a delusion that we are seeing Bible prophecy fulfilled before our very eyes, when such is not the case?

With the above cautions in mind, let us more closely consider the context of the prophecy in the 10th chapter of Isaiah.

Isaiah 60:1-2 reads: "Arise, O woman, shed forth light, for your light has come and upon you the very glory of Jehovah has shone forth. For, look! darkness itself will cover the earth, and thick gloom the national groups; but upon you Jehovah will shine forth, and upon you his own glory will be seen."

According to the prophecy, Jehovah beautifies his woman-like organization during a period when the nations of the world are plunged into darkness and gloom. Of course, we recognize that the world has always been under the pall of demonic deception; hence, alienated from the light of God. So, the prophecy must be foretelling of an exceptionally gloomy period of foreboding in store for the nations. The Watchtower, of course, reckons that 1914 was the beginning of the time when nations became immersed in hopeless darkness, while God's people began to bask in divine light. But, is that reasonable?

On the one hand, the two world wars that dominated the first half of the 20th century could well be described as a period of extraordinary gloom for the nations, particularly the nations of Europe. However, the nearly 50 years since the end of WWII has generally been marked by cultural optimism and progress. How then may we determine if the nations were actually enveloped in darkness and gloom during the 20th century in fulfillment of the prophecy in question? 

The prophet Jesus also spoke of a period of extraordinary foreboding when he said in the 21st chapter of Luke: "Also, there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and its agitation, while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken."

The "signs in sun moon and stars," and the expression "the powers of the heavens will be shaken," are to be understood as a parallel expression of Matthew's account, where Jesus is recorded as saying: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."

According to Christ, the period when the nations of the world are plunged into darkness, as if the heavenly luminaries literally failed to shine, is "immediately after the tribulation of those days."

Can we reasonably characterize the peoples of the nations today as being faint out of fear from what they perceive is coming upon the world? Hardly! While some people may have feelings of anxiety and concern over issues such as terrorism, degradation of the environment or overpopulation, most people, generally speaking, are relatively unconcerned about the future of the world at this present moment. The fact that the period of heart-melting terror immediately follows the tribulation and immediately precedes the revelation of the sign of the Son of man from heaven, indicates that the interval of darkness for the nations that Isaiah foretells is still in the future. That being the case, neither has the glory of God been conferred upon the Christian organization yet.

Consider next Isaiah 60:3, which reads: "And nations will certainly go to your light, and kings to the brightness of your shining forth."

Who are the kings that go the brightness of God's woman-like city of light? The Watchtower teaches that the kings of Isaiah's prophecy are the remnant of the 144,000 since 1914. But, in what sense may they be called kings? Remember, even Paul did not in any sense consider himself a king and he even chided the anointed Corinthian brothers for their ease-of-life, by saying to them: "You have begun ruling as kings without us, have you? And I wish indeed that you had begun ruling as kings, that we also might rule with you as kings."

The anointed remnant of today are not ruling as kings either; although, like the Corinthians, some may take on regal airs to that effect. But really, it is not proper to refer to them as being kings at this juncture. However, when Christ actually arrives in his kingdom to initiate the conclusion of the system of things, there is to occur a final sealing of the living saints, at which point the sons of the kingdom actually do become more than mere ambassadors of the kingdom. They become actual kings, along with their resurrected brothers in heaven. Further, it is the martyrdom of the fleshly kings of God's kingdom, during the so-called attack of Gog, which serves as a direct attack upon the kingdom of God and provokes Jehovah's wrath, culminating in the war called Armageddon.

There is certainly more to be said about the martyrdom of the saints, but let that suffice for now. Still, it should be noted that when the kingdom comes the approved rulers of the kingdom will be in a position to fulfill the prophecy in a way that is not possible now. So, by that method of reasoning, we are aided to "see" how the prophecy may have an application in the future.

Consider the next verse of Isaiah 60:4, which reads: "Raise your eyes all around and see! They have all of them been collected together; they have come to you. From far away your own sons keep coming, and your daughters who will be taken care of on the flank."

Have all of God's anointed sons and daughters been collected together? The Watchtower teaches us that the anointing was concluded in 1935 and that any who claim to be anointed since that time are either frauds or mere replacements for unfaithful ones. So, in effect, we believe that all the sons have been gathered.

However, according to Isaiah 26:15-18, God's spiritual nation expands its symbolic "borders" during the distress of the tribulation; when Jehovah disciplines his people. In fact, just as the 12th chapter of Revelation depicts the difficult birth of the kingdom, Isaiah's prophecy foretells that complications will set in during "delivery" of the nation.

Those verses read: "You have added to the nation; O Jehovah, you have added to the nation; you have glorified yourself. You have extended afar all the borders of the land. O Jehovah, during distress they have turned their attention to you; they have poured out a whisper of prayer when they had your disciplining. Just as a pregnant woman draws near to giving birth, has labor pains, cries out in her birth pangs, so we have become because of you, O Jehovah. We have become pregnant, we have had labor pains; as it were, we have given birth to wind. No real salvation do we accomplish as regards the land, and no inhabitants for the productive land proceed to fall in birth."

The prophecy noted above indicates that the "birth" of the sons and daughters of the kingdom is a virtual stillbirth—necessitating Jehovah to perform a miracle of salvation. So the point, as regards our argument here, is that it is premature to say that God has finished his work in regards to gathering all of his sons and daughters. And again, according to Jesus the final gathering of the chosen ones of the kingdom takes place during the tribulation. That is when "he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity."

What about Isaiah 60:8? Which reads: "Who are these that come flying just like a cloud, and like doves to their birdhouse holes?"

According to the Watchtower's present teaching, the doves that flock to their roosts represent the gathering great crowd of Revelation. However, a seemingly minor inaccuracy in our theocratic terminology is that according to the angel who explained to John the meaning of the vision, the great crowd is made up of individuals who "come out of the great tribulation." Since the great crowd is composed entirely of those who survive the great tribulation, and since it is obvious that no such tribulation has taken place yet, it is improper to refer to the other sheep as the great crowd. More than likely the great crowd will form during the tribulation. That's when, again, according to Jesus, "one will be taken along and the other abandoned." At the very least we ought to refer to non-anointed Christians as the prospective members of the great crowd.

But, that trivial point aside, does the gradual growth in the numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses over the past few decades fulfill the prophecy? Not necessarily. For one thing, if we analyze the import of Jehovah's illustration regarding doves as thick as a cloud flying to their roosts, it suggests a sudden migration, en masse, to a place of security. The image does not seem to be depicting the gradual 2% annual increase in the numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses, as we now suppose.

According to the next verse, Isaiah 60:10, Jehovah becomes disgusted with his organization and strikes it; afterwards there is a restoration. That's when "foreigners will actually build your walls, and their own kings will minister to you; for in my indignation I shall have struck you, but in my goodwill I shall certainly have mercy upon you."

According to the Watchtower's interpretation, Jehovah was indignant with the early Bible Students and so struck them with his disciplinary rod back in 1918. God's discipline came upon the organization when eight Watchtower officials were carted off to prison for a few months. However, according to the verse quoted above from the 26th chapter of Isaiah, Jehovah's discipline comes during a time of distress when no salvation appears possible. And according to the context, the disciplining of God's servants occurs immediately before God's denunciation of the world, which is why God tells his chastened ones to hide themselves in their interior rooms for a moment until the denunciation passes over. It should be evident to sober minds that God's indignation towards his people has not been expressed yet.

Unfortunately, Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower apparently lack the honesty and humility to recognize that Jehovah could possibly become indignant with us. It is truly beyond our comprehension that the organization could be crushed and then later be restored. But, if that is to be the case, and we may be sure that it is, then the prophecy of doves as thick as a cloud flying back to their roosts is meant to depict those who endure Jehovah's discipline during the tribulation and afterwards humbly flock to a cleansed and chastened organization.

Does Jehovah have reason to be indignant with those who bear his name today?

Consider the verse immediately preceding the original verse in question: "And as for your people, all of them will be righteous; to time indefinite they will hold possession of the land, the sprout of my planting, the work of my hands, for me to be beautified. The little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. I myself, Jehovah, shall speed it up in its own time."

Notice, please, that the above verse says that "all of them will be righteous;" that is all of the people who inhabit God's land will be righteous. But, do we dare make the claim that all of Jehovah's Witnesses today are righteous? No reasonable person would make such a claim. How could we believe such a thing when there are tens of thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses who are disfellowshipped every year for practicing various forms of immorality and many more who are reproved for such gross sin? Is Jehovah "beautified" by an organization such as that? Even allowing for human imperfection could we make the claim that all are righteous? No way!

Furthermore, Isaiah 60:17 foretells in symbolism how Jehovah will make certain improvements in the structure of his organization and provide his people with righteous overseers. The verse reads: "Instead of the copper I shall bring in gold, and instead of the iron I shall bring in silver, and instead of the wood, copper, and instead of the stones, iron; and I will appoint peace as your overseers and righteousness as your task assigners."

Have we seen the fulfillment of the prophecy noted above? Well, consider as an example that just over the span of the last few months there have been numerous articles in the news reporting various crimes committed specifically by Jehovah's Witness elders. For example, there was a notorious case in Montana where two elders shamelessly bilked millions of dollars from a trusting elderly widow in the congregation.  A similar case of fraud and deception on the part of a trusted elder was recently reported in Florida. There have also been several cases where appointed servants in the congregations have not only been accused, but also convicted of seducing and raping children under their charge.

Thankfully, while the congregations have failed miserably to protect the orphans and widows from predatory elders in their midst, the governmental powers-that-be have the authority from God to put such treacherous con men behind bars, where they belong.

But, not to lose sight of the point: How can the Watchtower lightly dismiss such wicked behavior, as if it were mere human imperfection, and continue to insist that we are living in the foretold spiritual paradise? Is it too much for us to expect that in the beautiful kingdom of Isaiah's prophecy, that our God-appointed elders will not rape and rob the orphans and widows in their care? Indeed, how could such morally depraved men today serve as righteous "task assigners" and overseers of peace in an organization where God claims everyone is righteous, to his own glory? Clearly, they could not. It would even appear to be delusional on our part, if not blasphemous, to credit God with supposedly already having given us gold and silver-like organizational improvements, when we are obviously still plagued with inferior elements. Tragically, our organization is in desperate need of the very thing the Watchtower supposes that Jehovah has already supplied to us.

If we are not intent on deluding ourselves, we will accept the undeniable truth that Jehovah has not refined his organization yet. Instead of constantly boasting before the world about how clean and righteous Jehovah's organization is, Jehovah's Witnesses ought to humbly recognize that our God, Jehovah, has every reason to be indignant with us; especially with the leadership of the Watchtower organization for its stubborn refusal to do justice and for its dogged denial of the truth regarding these matters.  

According to Jehovah's good promise, after he refines and beautifies his city-like organization there will be none of the problems that we are presently plagued with. That's why verse 18 reads: "No more will violence be heard in your land, despoiling or breakdown within your boundaries. And you will certainly call your own walls Salvation and your gates Praise."

Again, according to the greatest prophet, Jesus, the conclusion of the system will be marked by an increasing of lawlessness, betrayal and stumbling. In other words, Jehovah's Witnesses are yet to be subjected to violence, despoiling and breakdown within our boundaries. Those who endure to the end may expect to be ushered through the gates, and find salvation behind the secure walls of Jehovah's fortress.

Finally, Isaiah 60:19 says: "For you the sun will no more prove to be a light by day, and for brightness the moon itself will no more give you light. And Jehovah must become to you an indefinitely lasting light, and your God your beauty."

Careful students of the Bible will note that this expression is similar to Revelation 22:3-5, which reads in context: "And no more will there be any curse. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his slaves will render him sacred service; and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Also, night will be no more, and they have no need of lamplight nor do they have sunlight, because Jehovah God will shed light upon them, and they will rule as kings forever and ever."

The vision in Revelation is depicting nothing short of the glorious kingdom of God as it begins to rule over the nations. That is what the 60th chapter of Isaiah is all about also. While it is painfully obvious that we are not yet enjoying the blessings due the subjects of the enlightened city of God, even though we suppose that the kingdom began ruling way back in 1914, neither should we imagine that the prophecies are fulfilled after Armageddon.

The truth that is yet to shine more brilliantly than the sun in the sky is that God's kingdom brings the blessings of enlightenment and salvation during the bleakest period in history—during the tribulation. According to Isaiah 30:26, Jehovah's truth will shine with an intensity never before seen by his people in the immediate aftermath of his severe wounding of them. That verse reads: "And the light of the full moon must become as the light of the glowing sun; and the very light of the glowing sun will become seven times as much, like the light of seven days, in the day that Jehovah binds up the breakdown of his people and heals even the severe wound resulting from the stroke by him."

The Watchtower should no longer tickle the ears of Jehovah's Witnesses by teaching that the prophecy above is fulfilled merely in the new world. The preceding verse says very plainly that God enlightens his people "in the day of the big slaughter when the towers fall." That is to say—during the great tribulation. Apparently, the obstinate blindness that presently grips the organization can only be cured by an intense flash from a nuclear blast, as it were.

As a result of accepting the discipline from the catastrophe that God is yet to allow to come upon his wayward organization, the chastened anointed sons of the kingdom will eventually shine as "brightly as the sun"; being brilliant earthly luminaries of their heavenly Father's kingdom for a time immediately prior to their departure.

Now we are in a position to actually anticipate how it may come about in the future that "the little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. I myself, Jehovah, shall speed it up in its own time."

First, let it be noted that according to its scriptural usage, being little or small can also mean being humiliated and demeaned in the eyes of others. For example, Jehovah's judgment in Obadiah against Edom states: "Look! Small is what I have made you among the nations. You are despised very much."

Accordingly, at Malachi 2:9, Jehovah's judgment against his anointed priests states: "And I also, for my part, shall certainly make you to be despised and low to all the people, according as you were not keeping my ways, but were showing partiality in the law."

Similarly, Isaiah 60:15 foretells that the city of God will be afflicted and hated, but that Jehovah will repurchase it and glorify it. So that, "instead of your proving to be one left entirely and hated, with nobody passing through, I will even set you as a thing of pride to time indefinite, an exultation for generation after generation. And you will actually suck the milk of nations, and the breast of kings you will suck; and you will be certain to know that I, Jehovah, am your Savior, and the Powerful One of Jacob is your Repurchaser.

In view of all of the foregoing, hopefully we have been empowered to actually see into the future. Instead of imagining that we are seeing Bible prophecy fulfilled before our very eyes, the "little one" that becomes "a thousand," and the "small one a mighty nation," will undoubtedly be fulfilled in the future; as a result of Jehovah repurchasing his people from a captive condition that we are yet to experience. We should no longer childishly imagine that the "Powerful One of Jacob" became the organization's Savior back in 1918 when the brothers made bail. Instead, the great ingathering is evidently a regathering of sheep that are yet to be scattered and afflicted.

Moreover, in view of the sad fact that the growth in the numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses is stagnating and even in decline in some places, it would appear that the "speeding up" is actually slowing down. But, again, instead of supposing that the prophecy is already fulfilled by the gradual increase in disciples, the time when Jehovah "shall speed it up" will likely take place during the critical phase when the tribulation is "cut short" on account of the chosen ones. That's when we may expect the fully enlightened, reclaimed lovers of Jehovah to flock, en masse, as a great crowd, to the splendid city-like kingdom of God, as an immediate prelude to their salvation at the end of the world.

Yes. Many things are relevant to Jehovah's Witnesses today. It is a foregone conclusion that there will be true Christians on earth during the period immediately leading up to the end of the system. Jesus promised that he would be with his true disciples all the way until the conclusion. So, there is a congregation of true Christians, somewhere. Why not Jehovah's Witnesses?

For one thing, Jehovah's Witnesses fit the profile of those who are called by God's name and who are preaching about the kingdom. Furthermore, many of the essays and commentaries on e-watchman pertain to various prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures that apply to the organization that comes under God's judgment during the culmination of things. For that to occur, reason tells us there has to be a functioning organization of Christians prior to the judgment period.

For example, in the essay on Justice for the Silentlambs, the reader is directed to the book of Hosea as to how the "sin of Gibeah" bears an amazing parallel to the deplorable way in which the Watchtower establishment has covered over the many shocking cases of child sexual abuse in the organization. Of course, the Watchtower doesn't see it that way, but ironically, their prideful denial of any wrong-doing is also part of prophecy.

Although the Watchtower imagines that the judgment upon the house of God occurred way back in 1918, such a view is unreasonable and does not line up with the way the prophecies situate the judgment as occurring during the final tribulation period.

But, while most of the Watchtower's interpretations of prophecy are askew, for the most part they are off-center only in their timing, which is in keeping with the way the apostles jumped the gun in regards to the kingdom being immediately established back then.

The important thing is to be patient and faithful and wait on Jehovah to shake things up. Hopefully, our faith in God's Word is stronger than the Watchtower's folly.

E-watchman came on-line for two reasons. One, to serve as sort of an ongoing open-letter to the Watchtower, similar to the way Paul publicly rebuked Peter in the 1st century and the way the Hebrew prophets publicly denounced the Jewish establishment. Secondly, it is my hope that a few of the stumbled and disheartened souls might be strengthened and encouraged to look at the problems facing Jehovah's Witnesses from a fresh prophetic perspective.

Obviously, you know something about Jehovah. You stated that Jehovah will not forever allow his servants to remain blind to the truth. And you are quite right. But, please realize that there is more to it than that. The more pertinent question, if I may articulate it for you, is this: Why does God allow his servants to wallow in blindness in the first place?

To help you put things in perspective, consider just a few of the many, many prophecies that not only speak to the presently prevailing spiritual blindness, but also outline Jehovah's ultimate cure for it.

Consider Isaiah 48:1-2, which reads: "Hear this, O house of Jacob, you who are calling yourselves by the name of Israel and who have come forth from the very waters of Judah, you who are swearing by the name of Jehovah and who make mention even of the God of Israel, not in truth and not in righteousness. For they have called themselves as being from the holy city, and upon the God of Israel they have supported themselves, Jehovah of armies being his name."

Ask yourself, do Jehovah's Witnesses swear by the name of Jehovah and make mention of the God of Israel? Do we not support ourselves on Jehovah God? Of course we do. The anointed witnesses specifically call themselves the citizens of heavenly Zion and spiritual Israel. However, Jehovah's piercing vision bluntly states that our service to him is "not in truth and not in righteousness."

But, now use your power of reasoning: If Jehovah himself takes his own organization of people to task for not worshipping him in truth and righteousness; does that mean that the people prophetically addressed through Isaiah are not his people? No, it means the very opposite. It means that Jehovah does indeed recognize a specific group of people who do have a relationship with him but who have been corrupted and who are blind to certain aspects of the truth. That perfectly describes our present situation.

What is the problem exactly? Jehovah goes on to explain, see if it does not exactly address the root of the problem afflicting the Watchtower Society.

"The first things I have told even from that time, and out of my own mouth they went forth, and I kept making them heard. Suddenly I acted, and the things proceeded to come in. Due to my knowing that you are hard and that your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead is copper, I also kept telling you from that time. Before it could come in, I caused you to hear it, that you might not say, 'My own idol has done them, and my own carved image and my own molten image have commanded them.'"

First, understand that most of Isaiah, from chapters 40-60, is a monologue of God. If we see it as the actual pre-recorded judicial decision of God due to come alive during the judgment phase, then, aided by our faith, we may actually peer into the future and listen in on God when he speaks to his organization during its oncoming collapse.

Now, by your own observation, you have verified that the Watchtower organization stubbornly refuses to budge by discarding the erroneous 1914 chronology, and all that goes with it. But, isn't that exactly what Jehovah is saying, that his organization is headstrong and stubborn? But, more than that, the real problem is not merely stubbornness, it is idolatry! But how could Jehovah's Witnesses possibly be guilty of idolatry? According to Jehovah, the idol his people worship is able to speak commandingly about the things to come. No doubt we will agree that is no ordinary idol. But what could it be?

From Jehovah's standpoint, the reason his people do not worship him in truth and righteousness is because they worship an idol that represents Jehovah; an idol that speaks like the very mouth of God. Does that sound familiar? It should. The Watchtower itself has become the idol. We do not look to any single cult figure. We idolize an image of an all-knowing, righteous institution that is privy to all of the sacred secrets of God. We have been seduced to worship Jehovah's visible organization instead of the invisible God who guides it. That's the problem.

And according to the rest of the prophecy, Jehovah's cure is to hold his truth in reserve in order to discredit the idol we are looking to for guidance. God acknowledges that his people are deaf and do not know the things God has hidden in reserve.

Isaiah 48:8 says: "Moreover, you have not heard, neither have you known, nor from that time on has your ear been opened. For I well know that without fail you kept dealing treacherously, and a 'transgressor from the belly' you have been called. For the sake of my name I shall check my anger, and for my praise I shall restrain myself toward you that there may be no cutting you off."

Obviously, it is Jehovah's intention to completely discredit the organizational sacred cow we have come to worship.  The fact that the Watchtower is totally oblivious to certain truths in the Bible that are now being made available to Jehovah's Witnesses through an alternate channel, is a harbinger of things to come.

God's spiritual cure is brought about by his allowing our idol's "inspired" proclamations to lead us down a dead end road. That's when, during our affliction and humiliation, we hear Jehovah's voice projected far above the faint whisper of our then-discredited Watchtower idol.

Consider the complimentary prophecy in the 30th chapter of Isaiah. It reveals that Jehovah's people will be blind to certain truths until such time as God allows hardship and catastrophe to come upon us. Then, and only then, will the scales fall off of our eyes allowing us to see the truth as never before—free from the organizational idolatry that plagues us presently.

He will without fail show you favor at the sound of your outcry; as soon as he hears it he will actually answer you. And Jehovah will certainly give you people bread in the form of distress and water in the form of oppression; yet your Grand Instructor will no longer hide himself, and your eyes must become eyes seeing your Grand Instructor. And your own ears will hear a word behind you saying: "This is the way. Walk in it, you people," in case you people should go to the right or in case you should go to the left.

The challenge before us, now, is to disavow the idolatry of the organization without also discarding our faith as Jehovah's Witnesses.

In a sense, it is the very idolization of the Watchtower that causes us to stumble in the first place. That's because most of Jehovah's Witnesses place far too much importance on the "Society."

It begins in infancy, when we are first studying. We are perhaps awed by the truth, and rightly so, for we know the truth in some measure, otherwise Jehovah would not bother to even correct us. But the untruth and unrighteousness comes in because we are gradually enamored with the Watchtower as if it is the source of the truth, and that's the problem.

For when we are made aware that our idol is not worth the adoration we bestow upon it, we feel betrayed somehow by our religion. And we are inclined to look for a more worthy object of veneration—perhaps another religion, or we simply end up worshipping the god of our own belly, or sex organs, or something equally degrading.

There is no question we are in a serious mess. But there is no problem that God cannot correct.

But, if we listen in to God speaking to us in the future, it can serve to help us gain perspective now. In the future is when God steps in, as if towering over our puny planet, that's when Jehovah declares his greatness in more than mere words. That's when Jehovah speaks to his anointed congregation in a thundering voice that will send shudders through each God-fearing person. That's when Jehovah will not only declare his greatness, but he will demonstrate in a power never before seen why he likens all the people of earth to mere grasshoppers.

We may rightly expect that the Watchtower institution is going to melt in the glow of Jehovah's glory and the heat of his anger. But, the faith that Jehovah has planted in our hearts will endure—provided we actually have the faith.

Read the 29th chapter of Isaiah. It outlines Jehovah's judgment upon Ariel, and describes, again, how God's spokesmen are spiritually drunk and blind. The fire of the tribulation is going to purge God's organization of wicked men and idolatrous attitudes.

But it holds out hope of enlightenment for the meek even during the time of Judgment upon the organization. Isaiah 29:18-21 reads: "And in that day the deaf ones will certainly hear the words of the book, and out of the gloom and out of the darkness even the eyes of the blind ones will see. And the meek ones will certainly increase their rejoicing in Jehovah himself, and even the poor ones of mankind will be joyful in the Holy One of Israel himself, because the tyrant must reach his end, and the bragger must come to his finish, and all those keeping alert to do harm must be cut off, those bringing a man into sin by his word, and those who lay bait even for the one reproving in the gate, and those who push aside the righteous one with empty arguments."

The portion of prophecy above indicates that God's children are spiritually blind and deaf up until the time when our disaster eliminates the organizational braggarts and tyrants we presently suffer under.

Finally, the last verses of Isaiah 29 are Jehovah's assurance that the faith imparted by God's organization will survive the organization's demise. That is in fact how God sanctifies his name.

Therefore this is what Jehovah has said to the house of Jacob, he that redeemed Abraham: "Jacob will not now be ashamed, nor will his own face now grow pale; for when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they will sanctify my name, and they will certainly sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and the God of Israel they will regard with awe. And those who are erring in their spirit will actually get to know understanding, and even those who are grumbling will learn instruction."

"Almost identical" is the operative phrase. A close examination reveals some intriguing dissimilarities. First, take note that their weapons are different. In the sixth chapter of Revelation, Jesus is depicted as carrying a bow. In Revelation 19 he is carrying a sword. What is the significance of that? Well, a bow is a long-distance weapon. It is used when the enemy is not yet in close proximity. The sword is of no use, though, except in direct hand-to-hand combat. Okay, so?

Well, the opening of the 1st seal is when Christ initially goes forth in conquest. And what is the first thing Jesus does? He ousts Satan from heaven, which serves as a sign that Christ's war steed is on the gallop. But, other things must take place. Other apocalyptic steeds follow, bringing war, famine and so forth. So, from our perspective on earth, when Jesus is first given his crown and begins to fight for his kingdom, it is as if he is still some distance from the actual battlefield but he is charging hard into the fray, firing from his bow those arrows of precision, from behind the scene.

But, the vision in the 19th chapter portrays Christ at a much later stage in his conquest. Then Christ and his armies engage the enemies of the kingdom with a drawn sword, which means that Jesus and company are on the actual field of battle at Armageddon.

Secondly, the context indicates that there are two different aspects involved. The opening of the first six seals leads up to the ultimate destruction of Babylon the Great, followed by the marriage of the Lamb. It is after the marriage of the Lamb when Christ, in company with all of the resurrected saints, completes the kingdom's conquest by destroying all remaining enemies.

But, rather than the 1st seal having been opened 90 years ago, we may expect the sign of Christ's sallying forth to become evident at the beginning of the next erupting world war. Then, in relatively short order, his conquest will be complete.

Yes to the first question. One of the sub-themes of the Bible is the ongoing war between Zion and Babylon. The destruction of Zion by Babylon, in the culmination, is the situation that requires Jehovah to provide a miraculous salvation and restoration of his fallen "city." (See the latest essay: Babylon Destroys Zion.)

According to the prophets, the destruction of Zion by Nebuchadnezzar served as discipline for God's people. Afterwards, the restored nation is attacked again by the symbolic Gog of Magog. That second attack is what is likened to poking God in the eye, as it does not serve as discipline for his people, but instead serves as the reason for God to destroy Satan's world.

How this may actually play out in the future, we may expect the organization to be crushed by the 8th king and his harlot consort—during the tribulation. So, Babylon the Great will appear to have trumpeted Jehovah's people, again. That will serve as our discipline. Then, by miraculous means, Jehovah will cause a restoration, in some as-of-yet unforeseeable fashion. (I expect a second Pentecost-like outpouring on the faithful.) After which Babylon the Great is totally destroyed by the political powers. Then, after her destruction and after we have been restored to God's favor comes the second attack. (The prophecy of the king of the north denotes 2 separate attacks as well)

The second unsanctioned attack is analogous to God getting poked in the eye—resulting in instantaneous annihilation for the 8th king.

It should be noted that while Jesus used the first century setting for the prophecy of his presence, there are some things that simply do not apply to the 1st century.

For example, at Luke 21:35 Jesus said that the day of anguish "will come in upon all those dwelling upon the face of all the earth." Clearly, the Roman armies did not crush the entire world. They merely destroyed Jerusalem. So, we cannot insist that every aspect of Jesus' multi-faceted prophecy had a first century parallel.

The point in the essay you referred to is that we can find no valid basis in Christ's prophecy to assert that the trampling of Jerusalem by the nations, for an interval known as the so-called gentile times, began back when Nebuchadnezzar first destroyed Jerusalem. True enough, that destruction ended the royal Davidic dynasty and brought Judah and Jerusalem under perpetual foreign domination, but that fact does not justify our interpreting Christ's words to that first destruction.

Jesus was talking about a future trampling of God's holy city that would persist for the duration of the appointed times of the nations. But, the point is that the destruction of the literal city of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. could not have been the start of the appointed times either. That's because at that point Jerusalem was no longer the city of God. The New Jerusalem associated with spiritual Israel is the new city of God. And the entire body of prophecy foretells that it is the symbolic city associated with Christ's congregation that is due to be trampled underfoot by the nations during the actual conclusion of the system of things.

Revelation 11:2, which was written after Jerusalem was laid waste by the Romans, foretells that the holy city associated with God's spiritual temple is to be trampled on by the nations for 42 months. In other words—an appointed time of the nations.

I was told by a pioneer that, 'a time will come when people will be queuing up for Bible studies, and we will turn them away because there has to be a cut off point’. I can't find this in the Bible. It does not sound very Christian. Surely, if someone wants to know God's message we are obliged to share it.

It occurred to me that if WT was to make a declaration to the affect that our ministry is over; say, if the Vatican was attacked and a major earthquake hit Israel, or something; I just mean a major event damaging BTG. Would such a declaration be apostasy or just another stumbling block to many? I have noticed that recent talks seem to indicate a level of urgency. Only a man of lawlessness would make such a declaration, surely. When disaster strikes, lots of people start thinking about God, the meaning of life etc... If we denied them knowledge saying 'It's too late for you,' I think we would probably be suitably hated by all the nations.

Of course there is a cut-off point when the harvest ends. But no man can announce any such thing. The current phase of our preaching work will end when the Watchtower goes down. Think about it, we have become so accustomed to using the Watchtower as an "aid" in preaching, as if a crutch, that if we are ever deprived of it we would realize that we are crippled and lame.

The 1st chapter of the book of Joel is, without a doubt, foretelling the events surrounding the end of our preaching work. But rather than Jehovah's Witnesses willingly ceasing in the harvest work, turning people away, as it were, Joel indicates that the work ends abruptly as a result of a global catastrophe that also immiserates the "farmers" and "vinedressers" who are ministering to the "field."

Joel describes this in symbolic imagery, saying:  "The field has been despoiled, the ground has gone to mourning; for the grain has been despoiled, the new wine has been dried up, the oil has faded away. Farmers have felt shame; vinedressers have howled, on account of wheat and on account of barley; for the harvest of the field has perished. The vine itself has shown dryness, and even the fig tree has faded away. As for the pomegranate tree, also the palm tree and the apple tree, all the trees of the field, they have dried up; for exultation has gone ashamed away from the sons of mankind."

Isaiah 17:10-13 relates that the reason the harvest is lost is because the harvesters have forgotten Jehovah.

"For you have forgotten the God of your salvation; and the Rock of your fortress you have not remembered. That is why you plant pleasant plantations, and with the shoot of a stranger you set it. In the day you may carefully fence about the plantation of yours, and in the morning you may cause the seed of yours to sprout, but the harvest will certainly flee in the day of the disease and incurable pain."

Also, notice in the following verses that the loss occurs when the nations become boisterous and foam like the sea. Jesus, of course, said that would occur in the tribulation, when the sea of mankind will roar and men will faint in terror.

"Ha for the commotion of many peoples, who are boisterous as with the boisterousness of the seas! And for the noise of national groups, who make a din just like the noise of mighty waters! The national groups themselves will make a din just like the noise of many waters."

Isaiah and Joel are both foretelling that the sudden onset of the tribulation will bring our preaching work to an end. However, that is not the end of the matter. There is a final witness to be given. But, perhaps that discussion can wait for another time.