Dear friends,
I know you feel the same as I do about just the mere mention of the word “apostate”…a strong feeling of revulsion wells up. That is a good thing! Who wouldn’t fear rebelling against the Most High. We are incredibly thankful that through preservation of God’s word the Bible, we can clearly identify an apostate. Since we are unable to meet in person at the moment due to safety precautions, I am writing you, and perhaps in your personal study, you, too, researched this subject of apostasy. Did you realize that an apostasy was prophetically foretold to occur? You may have, but it is still shocking to read about it in the scriptures.
The Hebrew and Greek scriptures give us a complete blueprint for identifying apostasy. In the Greek scriptures, “apostasia,” translated “apostasy” (2 Thess.2:3) means a rebellion, a falling away, a defection from truth – “Jesus said to him [Thomas]: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Apostasy, a defection from truth, is a departing from Jesus, rebelling against his instruction, and not imitating his example (1 Tim.6:3; 1 Tim.1:3; 2 Tim.4:4; 1 Cor.11:3; Luke 21:8; Rom.16:17; Matt.7:15; Heb.3:12; 1 John 2:6; 2 Thess.2:3). The scriptures recorded the history God’s chosen ancient nation of Israel’s actions, both good and wayward, “examples…written for our admonition” (1 Cor.10:6-11; Heb.3:5; 9:1,6,9; 10:1,11,3,5-8). In the Hebrew scriptures, we find God’s people, his nation of Israel, repeatedly became rebellious. A Hebrew word was used for their disobedience: “meshubah,” defined, “apostasy,” “turning back/away,” “backsliding,” “waywardness,” and “unfaithful” (Prov.1:32; Jer.3:6,8,11,12,22; 5:6; 8:5; 14:7; Hos.11:7). Time and again we read scriptural accounts of Israel’s unfaithfulness/apostasy due to their “abominations,” which described various kinds of wickedness they were warned against and described as “detestable things/images” and “disgusting thing/idols/god/practices” (Deut.12:31; 18:9-12; 20:18; 1 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3; 21:2; 23:24; 2 Chron.28:3; Jer.4:1; 16:18; 32:34; Ezek.5:11; 7:20; 11:18). Ancient Israel was God’s “treasured possession,” a “holy people,” and where He dwelled, but their abominable idolatrous practices were considered adultery/prostitution/“acts of harlotry,” and resulted in God describing them as a “prostitute”/“harlot” (Deut.7:6; 26:18; 14:2; Exod.34:14-16; Num.35:34; Jer.2:11,20; 5:7; 13:27; 16:18; Hos.3:1; 4:15; 9:1; Psalm 106:39; Isa.1:21; Ezek.16:15,22,25,34,36). Did you ever take note of the pattern of ancient Israel’s priesthood? The priesthood were the only consecrated persons to permitted to carry out “daily sacrifices,” or offerings in God’s tabernacle and Temple…all others/”foreigners uncircumcised”/Gentiles/non-consecrated persons were forbidden from duties in the Temple, at the penalty of death (Jer.33:18; Deut.17:14,15; Lev.3:16; 17:5,6; 2 Chron.23:6,7; 1 Chron.9:33; Exod.29:38-40,42-44; 40:45,46; Num.18:7; 28:6; Lev.6:9-12; Ezek.44:9). Despite being repeatedly told that that no one “except the priests and Levites” were permitted to serve in the Temple, the Israelites even departed from that divine command and appointed uncircumcised foreigners to “keep charge” of God’s sanctuary (Ezek.44:6-8,10,12,15; 20:30,31; Num.18:7).
We recall that “all the things that were written beforehand were written to instruct us” (Rom.15:4). What a constellation of apostate acts have been recorded and described in the scriptures! Both the Hebrew and Greek scriptures come together perfectly to present a complete picture that perfectly guides us on how what apostate acts are, and how to identify apostasy, according to God and Jesus. Let’s first start with the Hebrew scriptures, which describe God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel, and the divine commands regarding worship they were not to depart from:
The apostles drew attention to the first covenant Temple arrangement as it foreshadowed, illustrated, and served as a pattern for the spiritual Temple arrangement under the new covenant established by Jesus’ sacrificial death (1 Cor.10:6,7,11; Heb.7:19; 8:5; 9:1,8-10; 10:1; Col.2:17; Rom.4:18,22-25).
We now have the keys, the scriptures, to identify an apostate! Carefully examine the example of ancient Israel, God’s people, and take note of the divine laws regarding the Temple/tabernacle arrangement….THIS is a pattern and foreshadow of God’s spiritual Temple (Eph.2:14-16; 1 Cor.10:6,7,11; Rom.4:23; Num.18:1,5-7; 2 Chron.23:5,6,18,19; Heb.8:5; 10:1; Col.2:17). According to scripture, here is what we are shown:
What Temple of God was the apostle Paul speaking about? Ancient Israel? No. Remember, the scriptures tell us that those anointed by Spirit are “living stones,” they are God’s Temple. (1 Pet.2:5; 1 Cor.3:16,17). Is it feasible to think the Father departed, apostatized from His own truthful words, breaking His covenant with His people and directing His son Jesus to select a religious group among all the religions on the globe as a representation of the Most High? That instead of all anointed being God’s Temple, anointed leaders are to imitate surrounding physical religious organizations common today, perhaps imitating televangelists, or churches, in the sense of man-made buildings/structures. Did Jesus depart from his own teaching that anointed, who are the parts of his “body” and taught directly by Spirit, are now, not to receive direction from him, their “head,” and that he now, diverts his authority over his own “congregation”/”body” to not-anointed elders/overseers/physical Gentiles to teach and judge them? (Ezek.20:32; 2 Cor.6:16; 1 Cor.6:15,19,20; 12:12,13,27,28; Eph.1:23; 1 John 2:27; John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7,13; 1 Thess.1:9; Eph.5:5; Isa.42:8; Lev.19:4; 26:1; 1 John 5:21; Rom.1:21-23; Gal.1:6-9; Deut.12:29-32; Lev.20:22,23; Jer.10:2-4; 1 Cor.2:14; Deut.7:26; Matt.24:15; Mark 13:14). We are warned that an “apostasy comes first” before “God’s day.” “Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it [God’s day, vs.2] will not come until the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the Temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god” (2 Thess.2:3,4).
This very thing was prophesied to occur, is happening now, and has been revealed in Revelation. What anointed leaders have departed from Christ’s teachings and have become adulterous, a “prostitute,” by their idolatrous acts, lauding and claiming a physical religious organization, an idol, is “God’s earthly organization”? “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I, then, take the members of the Christ away and join them to a prostitute? By no means!” (1 Cor.6:15). This “wild beast,” Watchtower, is led by a “false prophet” who has “breathed life,” a spirit of divine authority into its “image,” not-anointed elders/overseers (Rev.13:1-18). The only spirit this “image” has been given is out of the mouth of the “false prophet,” a deceiving spirit that originates from Satan and blasphemes God, “slandering his name and his dwelling place,” His holy people…inciting God’s wrath (Rev.13:4,7-10; Rom.2:5-8; Rev.14:9-11; 1 Pet.2:9; Heb.13:14; Col.3:12; Eph.2:6-10-12,19-22; Phil.3:3; Rom.2:28,29; 1 John 14:6; 2:44; 8:44; Jude 1:4; Deut.7:26; 29:17; Jer.16:18; Isa.62:12; Ezek.5:11; 11:21; 16:36; 20:7,8; Ezra 9:1,2; Rom.2:17-24; Acts 17:24; Acts 7:48-53; Titus 1:2). Do you dare to confront the leaders of Watchtower or their elder/overseer representatives who speak for them about their false teachings, or openly disagree with them? If so, will you be left “unharmed” (avoid shunning, disfellowshipping)? “Who is like the wild beast [Watchtower], and who can do battle with it?” (Rev.13:4). “And it [the false prophet] was permitted to give breath [appearance of divine spirit and authority] to the image of the wild beast [not anointed elders/overseers], so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed (symbolic for disfellowshipping and shunning) all those who refuse to worship the image of the wild beast” (Rev.13:15).
Can you now, using scripture, spiritually
discern the apostasy that has occurred and the man of lawlessness/Gentiles/not-anointed
that have taken a seat in God’s Temple and are trampling God’s spiritual Temple?
(2 Thess.2:1-4; Exod.20:3; 1 Cor.3:16,17; 6:2; Mark 13:1,2,14; Luke
21:20-24,28; 17:20,21; Matt.24:12,15,16; Rom.12:1; Dan.11:31; Rev.11:1,2; 13:7;
17:15; 21:27; John 18:36; Matt.24:4; Ezek.5:11; Deut.7:26; 2 Kings
17:41). God’s spiritual Temple and Jesus as the head of this
“congregation,” is being surrounded, hemmed in and trampled by not
anointed/physical Gentiles (Luke 21:24; Rev.11:2; 12:17; Heb.10:29; Dan.8:13;
Acts 3:17-20; Jer.12:10; 17:5; 32:36-44; Isa.1:4-9; Rom.9:31-33; 6:16,20-22). Do you discern the abomination? It is
time to flee! (Matt.24:15; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:21; Dan9:27). “But a
physical man does not accept the things of the spirit of God, they are
foolishness to him; and he cannot get to know them, because they are examined spiritually”
(1 Cor.2:14).
God is right 100% of the time…all His prophecies
come true (Dan.8:13; 1 Thess.5:20,21; 1 Cor.14:32; Deut.18:18,19; Jer.12:10;
17:5; 32:36-44; Heb.10:29; Hos.12:10; Amos 3:7; 2 Chron.20:20; 24:19;
Isa.1:4-9; 8:20; 30:10; Matt.5:11,12; Rom.12:6,7; Eph.4:11-13; 1 John
4:1). God always warns His people when they become wayward, sending
messengers to warn them, and with good news...a remnant will repent, and return
to their “head,” Jesus, worshiping God in truth and spirit (Rev.22:12-16,18,19;
21:22-27; Eph.4:15; 5:23; Col.2:10; John 4:23,24; 16:13; Rev.3:12; 12:17;
19:20; Acts 3:17-20; Jer.4:1; Isa. 10:20-23; Ezek.11:18; 2 Kings 19:30,31;
Rom.6:16; 9:27). Who do you believe and have more faith in…Christ’s teachings,
or the Watchtower’s? (John 5:22-24: Luke 10:16; 1 John 2:23; Isa.29:13; Mark
7:6; Matt.15:8; Eph.2:8,9; Titus 1:16).
“Get out of her, my people, if you do not want
to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her
plagues” (Rev.18:4).
Rachel Pruden-Roman, personal email: lifeswaterfree4u@gmail.com
Please contact me, in confidentiality, should you have any questions or desire more scriptural explanation.