August, 23, 2024
Hi, RM ❤️
As promised, I am sending you the scriptures on idolatry. We had read so many :) I really enjoyed comparing the original Greek and Hebrew words while you read the scriptures from the NWT. Shocking, wasn’t it, to discover just in the scriptures you had read, the many original Hebrew and Greek words the NWT has omitted or changed the meaning? Changing a word conceals the meaning of the passage! Not only that, but the same cherry-picked verses WT uses to support the WT doctrine makes no sense when reading the context of the verse, as you saw. But they do like to claim they have “updated” their translation so that it’s “easier to read.” Scripture does not have to be difficult to read when shown the spiritual things contained within. Spiritual truth doesn’t change.
Jesus’ words are Spirit, he is truth, and Spirit-anointed who are taught by the Spirit and instruct others on the spiritual things contained in Jesus’ words will teach truth (Job 33:4; John 6:63,68; Prov.2:6; Job 32:8; 2 Cor.1:21-22; 1 John 2:27; 1 Cor.2:11-12,14,10,13; Job 38:1,36,2). How can the anointed “governing body” [gb] instruct on spiritual things contained in Jesus’ words when they themselves admit that they are not “inspired”? Inspire in scripture means “God-breathed,” so to be inspired means you are breathing in and out of Spirit - the Spirit of God is the breath that gives understanding (Job 33:4; 32:8; John 6:63; Gal.5:25,16-17). Anointed without Spirit are “carnal,” “fleshly,” and so will use their own human reasoning and ideas to understand and explain scripture - which will end in a bunch of man-made rules…and confusion (1 Cor.2:10-16; Rom.8:8-11; Matt,15:9; Isa.28:7-10). Yet, despite the gb admitting they are without Spirit, JW’s continue to trust in and believe the teachings of the gb leaders because they claim that they are the “faithful and discreet slave,” spiritual servants who gives them “food in due season.” Spiritual servants/priests who are faithful servants to their master, Jesus, abide and remain in him and the Father and so retain the Spirit and produce “good fruit”/food to others that nourishes and gives life. However, unfaithful spiritual priests are “cast out,” they do not abide in Jesus and the Father and are without Spirit, and so their teachings offer no life, only death to all who ingest their “bad fruit” (John 6:63,68; 14:10; 15:5,4; 8:31; 15:6; Matt.7:17-20; 12:33; Prov.18:20; Matt.12:34-35; Prov.18:21; Matt.12:37). This is essential to understand for all who seek spiritual instruction from those who claim to be anointed - we will either be instructing/receiving instruction on true worship of God in Spirit and truth (John 4:24) or will be worshipping in vain following man-made doctrine as commandments of God, teachings of demons (Mark 7:7-9; 1 John 4:1; 1 Tim.4:1).
The scriptural accounts of God’s people and the consequences, both during times of faithfulness and when rebellious, help us to understand the end time prophecies and the occurrences and condition of God’s people during the end time. We will then understand what that - time as a JW/time in Watchtower - was all about.
Before I give you the scriptures we had read about idols and how idols are not referring to physical statues, country flags (and all other physical objects Watchtower interprets an idol as), let’s get a good grasp on what scripture tell us about anointing:
- Anointing symbolizes divine appointment by God. The anointing oil used for divine appointment of a priest is symbolic of Holy Spirit divine appointment of a spiritual priest who is to instruct in the knowledge of God (Exod.28:40,43,41; Lev.8:12; Exod.30:30; 27:21; 19:3,5-6; Heb.9:6-10; Heb.10:1; 9:23-24; 9:11; 2 Cor.5:17; 2 Cor.1:21-22; Rom.8:1-2; 5:5; 12:1; 1 Pet.2:9; Heb.13:15; 1 Pet.2:5; Mal.2:7; Rev.1:5-6).
- Spirit-anointed are taught knowledge of God by the Spirit within them, and by the spiritual contributions provided by their Spirit-anointed brethren (1 John 2:20,27).
- Spirit-anointed are God’s dwelling place of Spirit in their hearts, they each are a “living stone” that builds the spiritual temple. God’s temple is spiritual. Worship to Him is not at a location, not at a physical religious organization but within the heart (2 Cor.1:21-22; Rom.5:5; 1 Cor.3:16-17; 1 Pet.2:5,9; Eph.2:20-22; John 4:21,24; 2 Cor.6:16,19; Acts 17:24; 7:48-51).
- Spirit-anointed are the “body of Christ” with Christ Jesus as head of the body. Not all are the same part (e.g., eye, hand, foot), but the different body members/parts function together as one (Rom.12:1-8; 1 Cor.14:29-32,27-28,33; 12:12-27; 1 Pet.2:5,9,25; Col.1:13-18; John 14:9; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; Eph.1:22-23; 5:23; 4:1-6).
- Spirit-anointed are members of one another. They do not lord it over one another (or those they shepherd), but being one in Spirit they serve each other and any who seek instruction on spiritual things (Luke 22:25-27; Matt.20:25-26; John 13:12-15; Gal.5:13; 1 Cor.1:10; 1 Pet.4:9-11; Col.3:16,23-24). They are divinely appointed, anointed by Spirit “to keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger [angel] of the LORD of hosts” (Mal.2:7; Heb.1:7,14; Psalm 103:20-21; 104:4).
- Anointed are Christs [meaning: anointed] - they are not the Christ, Jesus, the bridegroom and head/master of his bride. They are the bride, the holy city New Jerusalem (Eph.2:20-22; 5:25,30-32; Rev.3:12; 19:7-8; 21:2-3,10-11).
- The holy city, New Jerusalem is a bride and mother (Gal.4:26; Rev.19:7-8; 21:2; Heb.12:22; Rev.3:12; Micah 4:1-2). Scripture shows us that mothers represent covenants, an alliance, marriage (Gal.4:24-26). The bride of Christ must be faithful to Jesus, for they are in alliance, betrothed to him (Gen.2:24; Matt.19:6; Rev.21:9-10; John 1:36; Matt.22:1-14; 2 Pet.1:10-11; 1 Pet.2:9,5,21-22; 2 Cor.11:2-4; 1 Cor.3:16-17; Rev.19:7-8; Prov.12:28; Rev.21:2). We are told Jesus cleanses his bride with washing of water through the word to present her to himself as holy and blameless (John 14:6; 6:63; Eph.5:25-27,29-30,32). Holy and blameless, cleansed, the bride is a mother covenant of life - those nourished by her will receive true instruction and so, will be born again/spiritually regenerated through belief in the truthful teachings of Jesus words, because his words are Spirit and life (1 Pet.2:5,9; Mal.2:1,5-7; John 6:63; 3:5-7,3; Mark 10:13-16; Rom.10:11-13; John 14:1-2,23-24; 3:16-18; Rom.10:14-15; John 3:34; Rom.10:16; Isa.2:2-3; 66:10-13,22-23; Rev.19:5).
- The bride, the faithful anointed, the spiritual priesthood, is the Kingdom of Heaven. Heaven is not about a physical location in the sky where anointed go and literally look down and watch people on the planet earth. Heaven is Spirit and the “heavens” declare the glory of God, the “skies”/pour forth speech (Gen.1:1-5; 2 Pet.1:19; Psalm 136:7-9; John 8:12; 12:35-36; Psalm 119:130; John 6:63; Psalm 19:1; Gen.1:8; 150:1,6; Job 33:4; John 6:63; Psalm 19:2; 148:3; 19:3-5; 50:1-2; 74:2; 50:3-6; Rev.19:7-8; 21:2-4; Matt.22:1-14).
The JW leaders are completely obsessed with human sexual behavior. The spiritual things contained in scripture are about rules for physical human acts of sexual behavior? What spiritual things did we just review about the anointed spiritual priesthood? God’s people, His priests, are destroyed for a lack of knowledge when they play the harlot, do not speak truth, are unfaithful (Mal.2:7; Hos.4:6-7,12; 5:4; Jer.2:4-5; Rom.1:25). [https://inthenightaflyingscroll.blogspot.com/2021/10/apostasywhat-is-it-and-who-are.html?m=0]
Faithful anointed retain the Spirit, the Spirit within them teaches spiritual things, and enables them to offer life, truthful instruction to others. They do not speak, instruct, using their own imagination but the Spirit within them, the breath of God that created them, teaches them. Spirit-anointed do not guess or use human reasoning to interpret scripture [if needed, review the scriptures in the bullets above]. Do the WT anointed leaders who self-proclaim to be the “faithful and discreet slave” prove themselves to teach spiritual things, or are their teachings and prophecies truth or speculations that change and expire over time - lies (Deut.18-20-22)?
Testing the JW teachings against scripture shows the gb are not a faithful bride/a mother covenant of life/holy city, New Jerusalem that provides truthful instruction, eternal life to those who listen to them. They are wholly unfaithful. They teach man-made doctrine, teachings of demons, and have led many astray, even the elect - those chosen to be the bride of Christ (Matt.24:12,24; 1 John 4:1; 1 Tim.4:1: Matt.15:9; Mark 7:7-9; 2 Cor.11:13-15). God’s Kingdom is not waiting for political and commercial institutions to recognize His right to rule. His people, the bride/the spiritual priesthood of His son Jesus is His dominion, where God dwells, and He is who they are to worship, He they are to recognize as having the right to rule over them. Serving WT, is worshipping Satan as he is the head of WT. He is the father of the lie and is murderous (John 8:44; 1 John 4:8). Scripture and the prophecies and warnings are written about and directed to God’s people, warning them of rebelliousness/apostasy (turning away from God), something the gb claims they could never do, but was foretold to occur (Hab.2:2-3,18-19; Rom.15:4; 2:28-29; 2 Thess.2:2-3).
Many, along with the elect, have been deceived into believing WT teachings submit themselves to the false prophet leaders who speak for Satan, and who have created an image of themselves (their claimed God’s physical religious organization of not-anointed men who pose as spiritual priests and promote falsehood). I will now provide you the scriptures we read, and add more, about the spiritual meaning of idols. Idols in scripture are not speaking about religious lawn ornaments, flags, money, political institutions, and the like. The spiritual occurrences and condition of God’s people at the end times were all foretold to occur and have occurred. There is much to say about this, but we will start with the scriptures that talk about idols:
Matt.24:15, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),” [Dan.9:27; Luke 21:20; 19:43-44]
Deut.7:6, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 9 “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 25 You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. 26 Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.”
Deut.27:1, “Now Moses, with the elders of Israel, commanded the people, saying: “Keep all the commandments which I command you today.
15, ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’
“And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’
Jer.10:1, “Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says the Lord:
“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs [ordinances] of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree,
And they cannot speak;
They must be carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.”
8 But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish;
A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.
14 Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge;
Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image;
For his molded image is falsehood,
And there is no breath in them.
15 They are futile, a work of errors;
In the time of their punishment they shall perish.”
Hab.2:18 “What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute [dumb, cannot speak] idols [shepherds, false gods]?
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath [God’s Spirit]at all.”
Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath [in-breathing and out-breathing of Spirit] of the Almighty gives me life.”
John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I [Jesus] speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
Isa.42:1, “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
17 He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
They shall be turned back,
They shall be greatly ashamed,
Who trust in carved images,
Who say to the molded images,
‘You are our gods.’
Isa.44:9, “Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who would form a god or mold an image
That profits him nothing?”
Jer.5:1, “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
If you can find a man,
If there is anyone who executes judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
And I will pardon her.
2 Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’
Surely they swear falsely.”
11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,” declares the LORD.”
7 “How shall I pardon you for this?
Your children have forsaken Me
And sworn by those that are not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
Jer.9:2, “Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people.”
Psalm 82:1, “God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
He judges among the gods.
6 I said, “You are gods,
And all of you are children of the Most High.
John 10:34, “Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
2 Cor.1:21, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I [Jesus] speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
Isa.42:5 Thus says God the Lord,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.”
Psalm 135:15, “The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath [God’s Spirit] in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.”
Ezek.12:1, “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.”
Psalm 115:3, “But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
6 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
7 They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
8 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.”
1 John 5:21, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Deut.32:21, “They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God;
They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols [vapour, breath].
But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.”
Psalm 94:11, “The LORD knows human thoughts, That they are mere breath [vapour, breath].”
Rom.1:21, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts [imagination, reasoning, speculation], and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Job 38:2, “Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?”
Rom.1:22, “Professing to be wise, they became fools, 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
2 Thess.2:1, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
Matt.13:10, “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
2 Cor.4:6, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.”
2 Cor.6:16, “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
1 Cor.6:15, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
———
These were a lot of scriptures, but hopefully you discern that God’s people are those of Spirit, who are faithful, and teach not according to their own human reasoning. Who you listen to matters because there are organs of speech that produce fruit/teachings that leads to death [teachings without Spirit], and there are organs of speech that produce fruit/teachings that offer life [teachings of Spirit] (Prov.18:20-21; Job.12:11; Prov.10:20-21; Matt.12:34-37; Luke 6:43-45). Sadly, many JW’s will not test their belief because of the extreme discomfort and fear instilled in them by the WT leaders, and the threat of being cut off from their social circle and/or family for having questions or doubting the teachings of the “governing body” of JW’s. Are JW’s admonished not to test their doctrine…to stay away from what they are told is apostate lies”? Yes. But, how can anyone examine the scriptures to see whether what they are taught as truth is really truth if they are fearful of disobeying men rather than God (Acts 5:29; Prov.29:25; 1:7; Psalm 118:8; 27:1; Prov.14:27)? Then there are JW’s say, “Where else can I go?” Scripture tells us true worshippers worship in Spirit and truth, that is what God is looking for - everyone must keep seeking, keep knocking because you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 4:24; 14:6; 6:57-69; 5:24; 8:31-32; Matt.7:7-8; 10:7,9).
You must “test all things” - test what you are taught to be “truth” against the scriptures (1 Thess.5:20-21). Truth will withstand scrutiny. In fact, the Bereans were called “more noble-minded” for examining the scriptures daily to compare what they read with the gospel Paul preached and whether what he said was true, found in the scriptures (Acts 17:11-12). The Bereans did this daily…testing takes time, because a few cherry-picked scriptures are really not sufficient proof. You know all about cherry-picked scriptures! Bottom line is, we are individually responsible for who we listen to for guidance on how we worship God. It means eternal life so we must take the time to ensure we are worshipping God in Spirit and truth, and not in vain (John 4:24; Jer.17:10; 32:19; Matt.7:21-23; 15:9; Mark 7:7-9; Heb.4:13).
I commend you for taking the time and having the courage to test! This was a lot of info, and there is more to show you from scripture about the end time prophecy and identity of the abomination of desolation. I’ll leave you with this link to the blog of my anointed partner [https://pearl-disgustingthing.blogspot.com]. In the meantime, did any questions come to mind as you were reading scriptures and their explanation? There’s no such thing as a stupid question! Please ask.
Talk you you soon, Rachel ❤️❤️
Question #1 in response to post: https://inthenightaflyingscroll.blogspot.com/2024/08/what-do-you-believe-jws-should-be-doing.html?m=0
Question #2 in response to post:
https://inthenightaflyingscroll.blogspot.com/2024/08/what-does-jesus-words-are-spirit-mean.html?m=0