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What was the significance of the baptism by John the Baptist? After his baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus commenced his ministry, and went about selecting and instructing his disciples. The baptism performed today by Jehovah's Witnesses does not seem to follow this pattern, in that, people are sent out to preach even before they are baptized. John the Baptist stressed repentance as a requirement for baptism, showing that a person's heart-condition was involved in this more than anything else. Is there a double-standard in the Watchtower's application of Mathew chapter 28 verses 19 and 20? |
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The Watchtower teaches that baptism is an outward symbol of a person's dedication to do God's will. But, those who were originally baptized by John were already members of a nation dedicated to doing God's will. Jewish circumcision was the outward symbol of their being dedicated to God. With the coming of Christ, however, Jehovah required the Jews to make an outward expression of their repentance by being immersed in the Jordan, as a requirement to being accepted by Christ as one of his disciples. In the case of Christ himself, his baptism was not in symbol of his repentance, but rather his baptism was a symbol of his presenting himself to do God's will above and beyond what was called for in the Jewish Law. So, there is a fundamental difference between the relationship the Jews had at the time of John's pre-Christian ministry and the relationship Jews and non-Jews had with God after Christianity was instituted. Interestingly, if for whatever reason the Jews who were baptized by John were not anointed on the day of Pentecost, they had to be re-baptized in the name of Christ in order to receive the holy spirit. The account at Acts 19:1-5 sheds light on your question. That span of scripture reads: In the course of events, while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland parts and came down to Ephesus, and found some disciples; and he said to them: "Did you receive holy spirit when you became believers?" They said to him: "Why, we have never heard whether there is a holy spirit." And he said: "In what, then, were you baptized?" They said: "In John's baptism." Paul said: "John baptized with the baptism in symbol of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Please notice that the men Paul was talking to were "believers"—having repented and been baptized by John the Baptist. However, they needed to be baptized in the name of Christ in order to become anointed. So, in that respect, Jehovah's Witnesses do follow the 1st Century pattern, in that, we require believers to demonstrate repentance before being baptized in the Christian baptism. |
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In view of the Genesis 6:1,2 scriptures saying that the "sons of God" began to notice the daughters of men, that they were good looking; and they went taking wives for themselves... why is it that you describe them as being "sexless" angels (Question from Reader week of Sept.28th, 2004). My question is: being of neither sex, why would they desire "women"? |
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| Jesus informed us that the angels in heaven are neither male nor female. However, according to every account in the Bible where angels materialized in the flesh, they always incarnated as males. Because angels and humans are both made in the image of Jehovah, mankind being just 'a little lower than the angels,' some angels allowed themselves to develop an unnatural desire to cohabit with women and father children. The letter of Jude refers to the "the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place." For the angels to leave their "own proper dwelling place," that means they took up residence in a place that was improper and unnatural for them. In effect, some of God's angels became perverts because they willingly degraded their own nature when they forsook their heavenly positions by becoming humans. |
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Just one question—with all due respect: How in the world can you continue to support, and encourage others to continue supporting, in any way, an organization which has (by your own admission) fallen into gross idolatry, corruption at the top, and the host of other things (which you have brought out)? |
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Take Jesus' example: As a Jew, Christ was fully aware of how corrupt the Jewish system had become. However, did Jesus advise his followers to leave off worshipping God within that system? No, he did not. In fact, even though the Pharisees were not part of the original Mosaic arrangement but--as Jesus stated, they had "seated themselves in the seat of Moses"--nonetheless, Jesus still counseled his followers to do whatever the Pharisees commanded, just not according to their hypocrisy. Eventually, though, Jehovah brought the Jewish system of things to an end—while preserving Christ's congregation. Jehovah's Witnesses today stand in the same position relative to the Watchtower as did the original disciples of Christ relative to the Jewish system. In effect, we are also under law. No, obviously not the Law of Moses, but rather, Jehovah's Witnesses are under an oppressive organizational law, imposed in pharisaic fashion. The purpose of e-watchman is to call attention to the many prophecies that foretell how the present organizational aspect will be dissolved in a similar manner as the Jewish system was in the 1st Century. |
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You have made it clear several times on your site that you believe that the Memorial must be observed at the congregation with fellow believers. However, it has also become clear that some of the anointed have been disfellowshipped for taking a stand similar to yours, and thus are not able to participate at the Memorial. What do you suggest these anointed brothers and sisters do when it comes to keeping the Memorial, since you have continued to strongly promote that the Memorial cannot be observed in one's home or "privately"? Please offer scriptural backing for your response. |
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There are circumstances when anointed individuals cannot publicly partake on the Memorial. For example, anointed brothers and sisters who were in prisons and concentration camps may not have observed the Memorial with fellow believers. Also, the Watchtower Society prohibits disfellowshipped brothers and sisters who may be anointed from participating in the Memorial at the congregation—as doing so would be deemed as an act of fellowship with the congregation. As you know, the Memorial is patterned after the Jewish Passover. Interestingly, a case came up in Moses' day concerning two men who happened to be ceremonially unclean at the time of the Passover celebration. Moses inquired of Jehovah as to whether these men should celebrate the event—seeing that it was a legal requirement that they do so. The following account may be found in the 9th chapter of Numbers: So Moses spoke to the sons of Israel to prepare the passover sacrifice. Then they prepared the passover sacrifice in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month between the two evenings, in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. Now there happened to be men who had become unclean by a human soul so that they were not able to prepare the passover sacrifice on that day. Hence they presented themselves before Moses and Aaron on that day. Then those men said to him: "We are unclean by a human soul. Why should we be restrained from presenting the offering to Jehovah at its appointed time in the midst of the sons of Israel?" At this Moses said to them: "Stand there, and let me hear what Jehovah may command regarding you." Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'Although any man of you or of your generations should happen to be unclean by a soul or off on a distant journey, he too must prepare the passover sacrifice to Jehovah. In the second month, on the fourteenth day between the two evenings, they should prepare it. Together with unfermented cakes and bitter greens they should eat it. They must not let any of it remain until morning, and they should break no bone in it. According to the whole statute of the passover they should prepare it. But when the man was clean or did not happen to be off on a journey and neglected to prepare the passover sacrifice, that soul must then be cut off from his people, because the offering of Jehovah he did not present at its appointed time. For his sin that man will answer. According to Jehovah's judicial decree, the men who were unclean according to the law, since they touched a dead soul, were not exempt from their obligation to observe the passover. So, Jehovah made a special amendment to his law that allowed the men to celebrate the festival exactly one month later—obviously, separate from the other Jews who had already observed the occasion a month earlier. Although Jehovah's Witnesses are not under Jewish law, this account may set a legal precedent for anointed Jehovah's Witnesses who are considered unclean by the congregation. That is not to say that they should privately observe the Memorial a month later, but just that they should privately observe it—as did those who were ceremonially unclean at the time of the Jewish Passover. |
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It seems evident that you have a remarkable and profound insight into Bible prophecy. To whom do you attribute this insight? Is the Watchman a group of individuals working together with the goal of explaining and clarifying Bible prophecy as they relate to our time, or do you pretty much work alone? |
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e-watchman is an individual. The Watchtower should hope that Jehovah is responsible for the insights presented here. It is humiliating enough for them that someone outside the Bethel establishment should have more insight than they, but it would be positively devastating to them if some fellow off the street were to just pick up the Bible and understand things hidden from those who claim to be the only ones capable of truly understanding the hidden and deep things of God's word. All of Jehovah's Witnesses yearn for God to sanctify his name. However, what if the sanctification of Jehovah's name depends upon God disciplining and humbling his people with his strong hand? Will we still be in harmony with our prayers for God's name to be sanctified then? Take the book of Ezekiel as a pattern. Over 60 places in the prophecy of Ezekiel Jehovah states that "and they will have to know that I am Jehovah." Most of the time those words applied to Jehovah's people and not to the nations. So, it seems to me that Jehovah's purpose is to make the first last and the last first, by revealing the deeper things to those who are considered to be nothing by those who have had the first place among God's people. More insight than all my teachers I have come to have, Because your reminders are a concern to me. With more understanding than older men I behave, Because I have observed your own orders. (Psalms 119:99-100) |
