The End of Time Report
An unmistakable sign for the imminent end
of the world and the hitherto connected returning of Christ is the open
emergence of the accomplished Antichrist who, at the end of time, according to
the words of Apostle Paul, will be seated in the temple of God like a God and
pretend that he is God. We are waiting for the Antichrist and he
will be a culprit. He resembles Christ so «that to be tempted into the
delusion, if it were possible, even the chosen few». His resemblance to
Christ renders the Antichrist a fascinating potential. Antichristianity is not disbelief, but
misconception belief, a supernatural religion with a mystical touch. Wherever it
occurs, it appears as a superior, deeper, mightier religion. It makes the human
being important by making him equal to God. Antichristianity always fulfils
itself by idolizing the human being.
A Report of
Helmut Seeger
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TABLE OF CONTENTS The Accomplished Antichrist 1
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Another unmistakable sign for the imminent end of the world and the returning of Christ in this connection is the open emergence of the «Accomplished Antichrist», who, according to the words of Paul, will sit itself in the Temple of God deceptively pretending to be the returning Christ:.
While the apostasy from the Christian faith which the large Christian churches have been suffering particularly since the end of the Second World War and the dying of church life are recognisable for everybody, the identification of the accomplished Antichrist meanwhile appears to face considerable difficulties, especially as he resembles the true Christ so much, «that being deluded, if it were possible, even the chosen few.» For this reason we will be able to unmask him only if we proceed selectively and above all concentrate on those signs that are given to us in the Bible.
Prof. D. Luetgert, Eisenacher Bund, had at one time occupied himself in detail with the «signs of the Antichrist» and described them in the year 1921 on a conference in Kassel as follows:
«Connected to the Biblical Prophecy is also the expectation of the Antichrist... With the coming of the Kingdom of God the enmity against Christianity is reinforced and deepened. The prophecy prepares Christendom for this increased resistance against Christ and his Kingdom. This battle against Christendom consolidates in the Antichrist.
Antichristianity is not an irreligious, but a religious contrast to Christianity. It is a religious movement that consolidates in a personal head, a religion that wants to establish itself in place of Christianity. The expected Antichrist will not only dethrone Christ, but replace him. For this reason the accomplished Antichristianity will not emerge from the world but from Christianity itself. It is Christianity completely reversed. At the same time it is heathendom in perfection. However, simple heathendom is not yet Antichristianity. But Antichristianity is such a heathendom which has exceeded the rejection of Christianity. Only by the clear and conscious negation and battle against Christianity the naive heathendom becomes Antichristianity. It is not simple godlessness, but a religion that develops out of opposition against Christianity. It is not flesh but spirit, not folly but wisdom, not weakness but strength, not inertia but effectiveness, not human but demonic, not natural but supernatural, not rational but mysterious, not darkness but radiant light.
The Antichrist is expected at the end of history according to Biblical Prophecy, however, he is not coming unprepared. Already now, says the Apostle, many Antichrists have come. He is the final head of the movement that runs through the entire Christian church. With Christianity the opposite of Christianity will soon arrive. He arouses approval, but also opposition, love, but also hatred, devotion, but also contempt; besides the Yes, he will encounter indifferent silence, but also a determined No; and this is, like any No, a Yes to the other. Antichristianity necessarily develops in opposition to Christianity, the Spirit of the World in opposition to the Spirit of God, the Glory of the Lord to the gloomy Light of the Prince of the World. Likewise it happened already at the time of the Apostles. Antichristian tendencies appeared simultaneously with Evangelism. Besides the Truth there was delusion, but also the lie, besides conversion temptation and obduracy.
We are waiting for the Antichrist, and he will be a culprit. He resembles the Christ and the Bible describes him as a miracle maker, «so that being tempted, if it were possible, also the chosen few». An apt motto has been written at the beginning of Selma Lagerlöfs novel "The Miracles of the Antichrist": "When the Antichrist arrives, he will appear to look absolutely like Christ, a great plight will prevail and the Antichrist will wander from country to country and give bread to the poor and he will gain many followers."The numerous Antichrists in the apostolic era are very successful. The world listens to them. The similarity with Christ renders the Antichrist a tempting power. The Antichristian religion also resembles Christianity very much. It is not disbelief but wrong belief, a supernatural religion with a mystical touch. Wherever it appears, Antichristianity seems to be a higher, deeper, mightier religion. It is not dispassionate, but enthusiastic and intoxicating. It makes the human being great by making him equal to God. The ancient alluring words: "Thou shall be like God" repeat themselves again and again. The human being attains infinite significance, which is expressed in an excessive self -confidence. Antichristianity is always accomplished by the apotheosis of Man.» 21
The comprehensive and detailed comments by Prof. Luetgert show clearly, that as an «accomplished Antichrist» only such an opponent of Christ comes in question, who:
• denies that Jesus is Christ!
1.Joh. 2;«Who is the liar? It is such one who denies that Jesus is Christ. That is the Antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.No one who denies the Son has the Father; but he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also.» -
• pretends to be Christ himself!
- Matth.24; 4-5;«Watch out that no one deceives you. For many shall come in my name, saying, 'I am the (returning) Christ', and shall deceive many." »
• strikingly resembles the true Christ!
- Matth. 24; 24«For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall perform great signs and wonders; inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.»
• will sit itself in the Temple of God at the end of time pretending he is God!
«Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come, because at first the apostasy must take place until the man of sacrilege appears, the son of perdition. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, even so that he sets himself up in God's temple and proclaiming himself to be God. And now you know what is holding him back, so that he will be revealed first in the for him destined time.» (2.Thess.2
; 1-6).The classical model of the «Accomplished Antichrist» is Antiochus Epiphanes, «a bold and malicious King», of the Greek-Syrian Seleucids Dynasty. (1.Makk.).
In the prophecy of the «Ram and the Billy Goat» he is symbolized as a «small horn» which had grown from one of the four horns of the Greek billy goat. (Dan.8). We encounter this «small horn» also in another face of Daniel, which he had had two years before. In this night-face he saw «four enormous beasts» arising one by one from the «sea of people», which, according to the Angel, (Dan.7;8) embody four subsequent empires. Daniel reports as follows:
«While I fixed my attention precisely on the ten horns (of the fourth beast), I saw how another small horn shot out between them, whereupon three of the first horns were plucked out before him and now I saw, that this horn had eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking daring things.»
Here it is no longer Antiochus Epiphanes, who is symbolized by the small horn, but the accomplished Antichrist himself, whose appearance reveals itself as the effectiveness of Satan and who says he is the returning Christ while all treacherous forces, signs and miracles of the lie unfold.
His deceit will be unsuccessful, as we have the possibility - according to precise biblical information to determine more closely the time of his birth, which is symbolized by the «breaking forth of the small horn». Daniel saw the small horn break forth between the «ten horns of the fourth beast» only after the beast had arisen from the «sea of people» - at a time, therefore, when England had been a leading empire already for a long time and also the League of Nations, lead by them and which is illustrated by the ten horns of the four beasts, had resumed work in Geneva. But since the «small horn» broke forth between the ten horns of the fourth beast, b e f o r e three of the ten horns were pulled out, we can assume that the birth of the «Accomplished Antichrist» will occur between the year of 1919 (foundation of the League of Nations) and the «pulling out» of the three horns.
If it is possible for us to now also interpret the Plucking of the Three Horns correctly, it should be possible to isolate the "Birthday of the Accomplished Antichrist" even more.
The first indication is the number «Ten», which is used in Biblical Prophecy also symbolically as a full number. Because just as the ten horns of the fourth beast symbolize all the members of the two world organisations, likewise the «three plucked horns» can alone signify members of these organisations, and precisely such members that have withdrawn from the organisation over the years.
However, only members of the «League of Nations» are eligible, as according to their regulations it was only left to their discretion to quit the organisation. While such an article is not even provided in the Charter of the United Nations.
The solution is easy: The League of Nations counted totally 66 countries during the duration of its existence. Therefore at a ratio of 3:10 horns (30%) 20 countries must have withdrawn.
In reality, by 1942 altogether 20 countries had to cancel or give up their membership in the League of Nations as we can gather from the following list:
17 countries have withdrawn «fallen out» (Dan.7; 20):
1925 Costa Rica, 1926 Brazil, 1927 El Salvador, 1933 Japan and Germany,
1935 Paraguay, 1936 Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras, 1937 Italy,
1938 Chile and Venezuela, 1939 Hungary, Peru and Spain, 1940 Rumania,
1942 Haiti;
Two countries had to withdraw their
memberships from the League of Nations «were pulled out»
(Dan.7; 8), since they had been annexed by other countries:
1938 Austria - annexed by Germany;
1939 Albania - annexed by Italy;
One country was excluded «humiliated» (Dan.7; 24) due to violation of the regulations of the league:
1939 USSR (after attacking Finland).
22Thanks to the early withdrawal of Costa Rica from the League of Nations, we are in a position to limit the «year of birth» of the accomplished Antichrist to the period between the formation of the League of Nations (1919) and the withdrawal of Costa Rica (1925).
With this in view if we look around to find who under these circumstances is the possible «Accomplished Antichrist», we will soon discover that there are indeed only a few possibilities and finally only one remains to which all biblical signs does apply. They are «Jehovah's Witnesses», a world-wide organisation that has emerged from the Bible Researchers and began working on a small scale in the year 1919. (Wt. 1.5.92).
The establishment of their organisation lasted a little over three years. "In the year 1922 it was prepared to start work". In September of the same year began a great wave of the proclamation of the Kingdom of God that had been established in heaven in the year 1914. It commenced with the war-cry: "Proclaim thee the King and his Kingdom!" on the occasion of the Congress in Cedar Point (Ohio, USA). "With this day", explained the President of the Watchtower Society , J. F. Rutherford, "began the organised testimonial work" (Wt. 1.4.1989).
While the large Christian churches since the end of the Second World War had suffered a remarkable membership decrease and the visitors to Sun-daily services sank under ten percent, Jehovah's Witnesses recorded, for example, in the year 1999 an increase of 2 %, which means that in the year 1999 about 114.000 additional preachers have joined.
For the training of their preachers the Watchtower Society annually spends many millions of Dollars. In the «Work Year» 1999 approximately 64.5 million US Dollars were spent to support their special pioneers, missionaries and travel supervisors with regard to their preaching work allocations.
Their success is chiefly due to the fact that each «Jehovah's Witness» is a specially trained preacher, who - supported by an increasing missionary consciousness - is constantly in search of still faithful Christians and good-willed people, to convince them of their supposedly one-and-only «true religion» and the perniciousness of all other religions by overwhelming them with Bible texts and specious arguments.
When they appeared under the name of «Jehovah's Witnesses» in 1931 the number of their preachers had grown to 39 372. In 1947 there were approximately 200 000. Today there are more than approximately 5.6 million preachers with rising tendency that are strictly organised into 89 985 assemblies world-wide (Wt. 1.1.2000).
In 1935 the organisation officially divided itself into two groups: the «anointed remnant», which is called upon to live a divine life and the «worldly class of the other sheep» which, after the "Battle of Armageddon", would live eternally on this paradise transformed earth.
The leading corporation of the New York World Centre looks after a uniform programme of "biblical" teaching. Each assembly has 5 gatherings weekly: the Theocratic Preaching Work School, the Work Assembly, the Assembly for the Public, the Watchtower Study and the Assembly Book Study. The Theocratic Preaching Work School should help their participants to be able to approach people «effectively» with their teaching.
In their «Work Year Report 1999» the Watchtower Society published their world-wide activities. Among other things the following data was published: The number of their preachers that fanatically propagate their teaching of the in 1914 supposedly erected «Kingdom of Jehovah» has meanwhile risen in Germany to 164 263. In Japan, 222 663 Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses roam throughout the country performing as many as 152 198 Bible studies in the homes of the people. In Italy 225 104 Jehovah's Witnesses form the second largest religious group after the Catholics. In Argentine the number of preachers count 117 809; in Brazil there are 483 113; in France 114 918; in Great Britain 121 723; in Canada 108 437; in Korea 86 256; in Mexico 515 785; in Spain 96 239; in the USA 940 650; and in Russia the number of preachers has meanwhile risen to 102 513 (Wt. 1.1.00).
The «Watchtower Magazine» is published twice a month in 128 languages and is circulated today in 234 countries and islands with an edition of 22.4 million copies (Wt. 1.1.00). Some of their books have sold two-digit million times. The book «You can Eternally Live in Paradise on Earth», published in 1982 in 130 languages, in the same year sold 80.9 million copies. The book «Du kannst fuer immer im Paradies auf Erden leben/The Truth, that Leads to Eternal Life», published in 1968, was printed approximately 106.5 million times in 116 languages by May 1987 («Awaken» Wt. 8.10.90).
Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the «anointed remnant» of their organisation would consist of «Christ-like people», that, in contrast to all other beings, «would not only be resurrected to live eternally but to be immortal and non-decomposable». In the Watchtower Magazine dt. 1.5.1990, P. 27, they give the following explanation:
«The future reward of immortality was promised to a few faithful Christ-like people and was to be realised only when Christ's kingly power was transferred in heaven - not immediately after his ascension in the first century....
By the way, this perspective was given to relatively few people only. Jesus described them: "a small herd" (Luk. 12:32). Those belonging to this group - 144 000 in number - are resurrected to live life in heaven as immortal spirits in order to rule the earth together with Christ from his heavenly kingdom.»
The significance of «144 000 Christ-like people», is explained in the book "Die Neue Welt/The New World", P. 95, published in 1949 in Germany:
«Together these 144 000 make up the "Bride" of Jesus Christ or "the Wife of the Lamb"... These must all be anointed with the Spirit of God, i. e. as spirit-begotten Jehovah's Witnesses be officially appointed.»
The essence that they derive from this deceptive wording is as follows:
«Therefore The Christ or The Anointed is a collective or compound corporation with Jesus Christ as the "Head", and the 144 000 members of its assembly as the "Body"».
The creator of this Antichristian teaching is the second President of the Watchtower Society, Lawyer J. F. Rutherford. Initially he was a legal adviser, but after the death of the first President, Charles Taze Russel (1916), he became head of the subsequent "Jehovah's Witnesses". Based on his teaching of the «New League» (1880 and 1907), according to which "also the 144 000 did not require a middleman, but the middleman for the rest of humanity, the Christ, should consist of Jesus and the church - the Head and the Body" (Prof. James Penton), Rutherford gave a new interpretation to the teaching of Russels: He defined the Watchtower Society as an endtime Society and introduced a solid theocratic leadership.
During his tenure of office from 1916 to 1942 he adjusted the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses to the changed conditions that prevailed after 1914, after Russel’s' expectations had not arrived and the subsequent disappointment of the "fervent Bible Researchers" - as they were still called at that time -. Heredrafted the teaching and distributed it in many texts and books in millions of editions world-wide. In his book «Schoepfung/Creation», published in 1922, he proclaimed as a «New Creation» the following self-willed version of Christ:
«The new creation is the "Christ". The Christ is a corporation composed of many limbs (members). The head of Christ is Jesus Christ, God's beloved Son. Such beings that are withdrawn from humanity, justified, begotten and anointed by the Spirit of Jehovah and thereupon persevering faithfully until death, will constitute the limbs of the accomplished Christ.» (P. 200)
The brochure "The Final Battle" furthermore mentions:
«God decided, that the Christ or his anointed organisation shall consist of Jesus Christ, the head and the 144 000 others, which have to be made equal to Jesus Christ.» (P. 13)
To give their «Corporation-Christ», moulded out of the «144 000 Christ-like human beings», a genuine appearance, «so that being tempted into the delusion - if it were possible - also the chosen few», Rutherford did not even hesitate to hypocritically use the name «Jesus» in order to make him the head, thus misusing him to advertise his «Pseudo-Christ». As he includes Jesus in his version of Christ, he cunningly denies that Jesus is the Christ; because as a member - even though a great and mighty head of their «Christ-Corporation», Jesus could barely be «THE CHRIST» himself.
The core of their teaching thus consists of the evil lie: Not Jesus is the Christ, but the Christ is a «collective corporation composed of 144 000 Christ-like members» or «anointed organisation» that they, moreover, declare as the «accomplished Christ».
Supposedly the majority of the «144 000 Christ-like human beings» has already since 1918 participated in the «first resurrection» and now rules the earth from heaven. In their numerous publications Rutherford and his successors in office try to biblically substantiate this plump presumption as follows:
«The Holy Bible proves the definite fact that the Lord came to his temple in 1918 to the tribunal and that he began this tribunal with the people of God; furthermore, that God had the ones he desired anointed in 1922 by Christ, brought to the temple and gave them the robes of grace and the coat of justice." (Licht/Light Vol. 2, P. 269).»
«To finally unite with Christ in the heavenly assembly, the Apostles and others that were selected after them, had to, just like Jesus, complete their worldly life in faith until death. Although they were all accepted in the League for the Kingdom or in the heavenly assembly, they did not immediately ascend to heaven after death to unite with the head of the assembly. They slept in the grave until the time of the first resurrection that occurred when Jesus Christ came to the temple of Jehovah in the year 1918 whereupon they were awakened in order to share the glory with him, their head.» (Gott bleibt wahrhaftig/God remains truthful, P. 139.)
«The "small herd" of 144 000 Christians that will rule with Christ has been gathered for more than 1900 years. Presently only very few are still alive on earth, most of them rule already with Christ in heaven...» (Du kannst fuer immer im Paradies auf Erden leben/You can eternally live in paradise on earth, P. 163/164
«The leading corporation in the New York World Centre as well as all the other «anointed remnant members» of their organisation belong to the 144 000 Christ-like human beings. Presently only 8798 people that claim that they belong to this "heavenly class" live on earth (Wt. 1.1.98). Rutherford describes them as "feet" or "foot limbs (members)" of his Pseudo-Christ. While the majority of the imaginary limbs (members) of their "Christ-Corporation" consisting of "144 000 people" merely function as staffage, the active "foot members" that live on earth embody the «speaking» part of their idol erected in the heavenly temple in the year 1922 (Rev. 13;14-15; Matth.24;15):
GOD'S VISIBLE ORGANISATION
«...in New York exists a leading corporation of elderly Christian men from different parts of the earth that supervises the world-wide activities of the people of God. This leading corporation consists of members of "faithful and sympathetic servants". It acts as mouthpiece of this faithful "servant".» (Du kannst fuer immer im Paradies leben/You can eternally live in paradise on earth, Page 195.)
Jehovah's Witnesses demand the most supreme position in the universe for their Antichrist, the position right next to the almighty God
and they give the following reason for this requirement:«The perfect body of the human being is a wonderful God-created organisation. Likewise also the royal family of the "Kingdom of Heavens" consisting of Jesus, the Head, and the limbs, the "Body of Christ", is God's special organisation. As God the supreme has assigned Jesus Christ the highest position in the universe, the position immediately after him, and since the "Body of Christ" is united here with Jesus Christ, Jehovah God makes the royal family to the chief organisation of his universe. Naturally, the royal family is a part of the divine universal organisation consisting of holy beings, yet it assumes a distinguished position due to its rank and special ministry and it is the supreme element of the universal organisation of Jehovah.» (Das Koenigreich ist herbeigekommen/The Kingdom has come, P. 272.)
They arrogantly ignore in this connection that they have installed their «accomplished Christ» as it were as «accomplished Antichrist» in the position that Satan wanted to occupy when he rose in his heart saying:
«I will ascend into heaven and I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.»
- Jes. 14.Rutherford further maintains in his immeasurable arrogance that the «anointed remnant» of their organisation is already «lodging in the heavens», although this one is still on earth in the flesh. For the ascension of the «anointed remnant» into heaven he gives the following explanations:
«Satan had been thrown out of heaven where he could remain no longer and now the Lord gathered his witnesses to form a part of the new heaven and to accomplish his kingdom-testimonial.» (Licht/Light, Vol. 1, P. 218).
«The remnant or the faithful servant class on earth in actual fact is now lodging in the heavens or in heavenly places as they own a conditional right to eternal life» (Licht/Light Vol.1, P.249).
In the book "The Harp of God" Rutherford designates «Christ» as the «divine Lord». As, however, he denies that Jesus is «Christ» and the «anointed remnant» itself claims it is Christ, by referring to «divine Lord» he can only have meant their «Pseudo-Christ» which is made up of «144 000 Christ-like human beings»:
«Christ the divine Lord.
Jesus was killed in the flesh and awakened as a divine being... God had promised to bestow on him divinity by giving him the power and the right to have life in itself. Only divine beings have life in themselves and need nothing to sustain life.» (P. 165)
The contradictory «Divinity» demand for his Pseudo-Christ, that Rutherford derives from this wording is explained by him as follows:
«The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to divine nature is a guarantee that all limbs of his body have to be awakened to the same nature and to immortality.»
«The church of Christ consists of Christ Jesus, the head, and the 144 00 limbs of his body... This new creation will, as soon as it is accomplished, possess divine nature... The nature of the church will thus be the same as the one of Jehovah's God.» (Schoepfung/Creation, P. 251; Die Harfe Gottes/The Harp of God, P. 277).
This absurd conclusion is interpreted by the leading corporation in Brooklyn as follows:
«...In the article IMMORTALITY indicates that Jesus Christ on the occasion of his resurrection from the dead attained immortality and thereafter possessed "indestructible life" (1. Tim. 6:15,16; Hebr. 7:15-17). As "the express image" of his Father, the eternal God (Hebr. 1:3; Tim. 1:17), the resurrected Jesus is also eternal
As the heirs of Jesus will be united with him in the similarity of his resurrection they will like him as creatures of the spirit not only be awakened to eternal life but to immortality and imperishability....
The term immortality therefore obviously means the nature of their life, its endlessness and indestructibility while the term imperishability seems to be used for the organism or the body that God gives to them and which is actually neither perishable nor destructible. It seems that God bestows them with the ability to sustain themselves independent of any exterior energy source in contrast to his other creatures, the worldly and the heavenly...» («Hilfe zum Verstaendnis der Bibel/Aid to Comprehend the Bible», Vol. 8, P. 1506/07).
As according to their teaching the «144 000 Christ-like human beings» are supposedly rewarded with immortality and begotten to divine nature signifying eternal and indestructible life, and they also have the ability to sustain themselves independent of any exterior energy source and thus would «possess life in itself», they elevate their Pseudo-Christ to be the «Divine Lord».
What did Paul write to the Thessalonians: «That man of sin, the son of perdition, the opponent who will sit himself as a God in the temple of God and say that he is God!»
The decree of the «accomplished Antichrist» was already issued, when Esekiel made the following proclamation in the name of God:
«Because your heart is lifted up and said: "I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the middle of the seas", while yet your are a man, and not God, though you will set your heart as the heart of God, - Behold, you believe you are wiser than Daniel; that nothing can be hidden from you...You shall die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken it, said the Lord God.» (Esekiel 28; 2-10).
Jehovah's Witnesses assert in their texts to be an organisation «that is theocratic and functions in a theocratical manner, i. e. is lead by God» (Wt.1.5.93). But how little they do to this noble demand and how carelessly they deal with the truth is revealed clearly by their fatal errors and lies to which they persistently hold on against all knowledge: «For this reason God shall send them great delusion that they should believe a lie; That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.» (2 Thess. 2;11).
The «Two-Witness»-Lie
In Revelation John mentions a seven-headed beast that arose from the Sea of People. Later, at a time that he was in the spirit it emerged again in the desert where it disappeared for a short time in the «abyss».
Rutherford erroneously identified «the beast of the Sea of People» (Rev.13
;1) with the «Hague World Court» and «the beast that emerged from the abyss» (Rev.17;3-8). with the «Leage of Nations». In 1930 he published In in the book «Licht/Light» following historical interpretation:«This "beast"...emerged forth in 1899 and was active until the end of the World War. Then it disappeared in the abyss and became inactive. After the World War it emerged again from the abyss and resumed work as the League of Nations. The Hague World Court and the League of Nations are the same organisation. The following historical proof confirms this.»
23When Rutherford's historical proof proved purely speculative and the end of the world did not arrive as expected after the League of Nations, instead the United Nations emerged, they quickly changed their Biblical interpretation to agree with the prevailing conditions and announced the following version in their book «Gott bleibt wahrhaftig/God remains truthful» published in 1948 covering up Rutherford's fatal mistake:
«...during the second World War the League of Nations under bows retreated from the scene... The beast that you saw (the old League of Nations) was and is not (it was without life during the second World War) and will emerge from the abyss (as the organisation of the United Nations
24With their new version that the United Nations and not the League of Nations were the ones that «emerge from the abyss» they were faced with an entirely unsolvable time problem. Rutherford had complacently proclaimed that the prophecy of the «two Witnesses of God", who according to the revelation of John will be overcome in battle and be killed by the beast that emerges from the abyss, fulfilled itself in the year 1918 at a time when he and another six Russelites had been sentenced to each twenty years imprisonment for instigating violence. Referring to Revelation 11;
7 he declared:«...at the end of the twenty-two months God agreed that 'the beast that emerges from the abyss fought in battle with them and conquered them'...
This occurred also in line the facts on 7th May 1918 when the active servants of the Jehovah's organisation were arrested and all connections between the headquarters and the sub-offices in other countries were interrupted.»
25
With their modified interpretation they suddenly found themselves troubled with the delicate question: How Rutherford and the other six accused could have been overcome and killed by the «beast of the abyss» already in the year 1918 although it, i.. e. the «Organisation of the United Nations», appeared only 27 years later on the surface of world history according to their own information
As they also cannot come forth with any «witnesses in replacement» that could in that case have been overcome in battle and killed by the United Nations instead of the League of Nations, they find themselves caught in a vicious circle that they can escape from only by frankly admitting their error. For this they obviously lack courage and sincerity.
Desperately struggling to prevent their teaching construct from collapsing and to save what can still be saved they hit on the absurd idea to refer «the beast of the abyss» neither to the League of Nations nor to the United Nations but to simply transfer its existence to the «century after the deluge». In their book «Dann ist das Geheimnis Gottes vollendet/Then the Secret of God is Fulfilled» they declare without any logic
«The symbolic "wild beast" did not emerge from the abyss until after that time. This "wild beast" is the same beast that emerges from the abyss of the sea according to the description in Revelation 13;
1-2. In reality it emerged in the century after the great deluge in the days of Noah. It became the world-wide political system of the devil. This political system that resembles the beast that emerged from the symbolic abyss at that time, progressed against God's "two witnesses" after the 26/27 March 1918...On 7th May 1918 they effected the arrest of the President and the Secretary Cashier of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society..., and on the 21st June... the federal judge proclaimed the sentence over these men that represented the class of the "two witnesses»...26
It seems that the absurd «deluge version» was not unanimously accepted by their own community; because 18 years later they silently withdrew from it and restored their old 1948 version. In their 1988 published book «Die Offenbarung - ihr grossartiger Hoehepunkt ist nahe/The Revelation - their great vertex is nearing!» (P. 246-248), they again proclaim the «beast of the abyss» is the United Nations.
Whoever expected that Jehovah's Witnesses would refrain from their «Two-Witnesses-Blunder» would be disappointed. A sect that pretends to be a «theocratic organisation» lead by God and that boasts with the belief that God's holy spirit would protect them as Christ's followers from false teachings («Hilfe zum Verstaendnis der Bibel»/Aid for the Comprehension of the Bible", P. 1553), could by no means admit having made such a major mistake, especially as their interpretation of the «two witnesses» is one of the supporting pillars of their teaching. Therefore they preferred to hold on to Rutherford's fatal error concealing it with their doubtful well-tried methods.
Under this deceptive sign they published in the already mentioned book «Die Offenbarung - Ihr grossartiger Hoehepunkt ist nahe»/The Revelation - Your great vertex is near!» the following absurd explanation:
«The two witnesses shall be killed ... John writes: ‘'When they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the abyss shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them...' (Rev. 11;7-10).
This is the first of 37 times in the Revelation in which a wild beast appears. At the appropriate time we will take a closer look at this as well as other beasts. In the moment it may suffice to say that 'the wild beast that emerges from the abyss' is a political system of the things that Satan has entered upon.... The two witnesses did not remain dead... These two prophecies in Esekiel and the Revelation strikingly fulfil themselves in the year 1919 when Jehovah awakened his "dead" witnesses again to active life.»
27Naturally they could have also referred to Page 248 of their above-mentioned book and explain that «the beast of the abyss» signifies the United Nations that emerged from the abyss as successor organisation of the League of Nations in the year 1945. Because then they would also have had to examine in detail the question concerning the time difference of 27 years existing between the death of the two witnesses (1918) and the founding of the United Nations (1945). However, they could not do this nor did they want to, because they do not know who is behind the two witnesses. But with the ingenious explanation that the wild beast is mentioned 37 times and a closer examination of this as well as other beasts would take place at the appropriate time, they avoid disclosing their «Two-Witnesses Blunder» which has meanwhile become a lie and they avoid the embarrassing confession that their teaching is a completely imposed lie and that they have for 70 years spread nothing but errors and lies far beyond Christianity
Jehovah's Witnesses even misrepresent history. To veil their fatal errors and lies they proclaim against all knowledge that the Kingdom of God was erected in heaven 1914 and that the «first resurrection» occurred already in 1918.How did they of all things fall upon the year «1914» as the time for the erection of the Kingdom of God? Raymond Franz, a former member of the leading corporation in Brooklyn and nephew of the fourth President of the Watchtower Society, answers this question in his book «Der Gewissenskonflikt»/The Moral Conflict» as follows
«In short, one arrives at the year "1914" as follows: In the fourth chapter of the book of the Prophet Daniel appears the wording 'seven times'... The 'seven times' are interpreted as seven years with each 360 days. Seven times 360 is 2520 days. Other prophecies in which the term 'one day for one year' appears³ are also included. Using this mathematical law, the 2520 days become 2520 years, a time period lasting from 607 BC to 1914 AD. As already mentioned, today's teachings of the society, the beginning of Christ's supremacy, the last days, the commencement of the resurrection and thereto connected things are all relevant for this calculation.» (Claudius Verlag München, 2nd Edition 1991, P. 138/139).
Their book «Babylon the Great has Fallen/Babylon die Große ist gefallen!» (P. 454/55) published in 1985 contains an explanation as to how they arrived at the year 1918 as the supposed date for the «first resurrection». It reads as follows
«Here we aspire to carry out some calculations taking into consideration events that happened simultaneously 1900 years ago. In spring 33 Christ was awakened from the dead. That was three and a half years after he became the Messiah, the prince, on account of the anointment with holy spirit. Starting from the beginning of autumn 1914 and adding three and a half years we arrive at spring 1918, the period immediately after the Passah,... Correspondingly, the faithful followers that had ended their worldly life by self-sacrifice would have awakened around this time
Since the Jewish Whitsun fell exactly on
the fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead something
was supposed to occur in 1918 according to the rules of time parallelism. What
was supposed to have happened? Those members of the 144 000 that were faithful
unto their death were to be awakened invisibly, not as human beings of flesh
and blood but as spirit beings, and this was to occur in February 1918.» 28
So, this is how simple it all is. One
refers to any «rules of time parallelism» and draws certain parallels
between the events that occurred before 1900 years. Then one dubiously utilises
the estimated year of «1914» as a basis and is immediately in the
picture that the «first resurrection» must have happened naturally
«in spring 1918» The starting point of their obscure
mathematical trick is the year 607 BC; a year that Jehovah's Witnesses
designate as the year of the destruction of Jerusalem although all historical
dates point clearly to the year 586 BC In the appendix of their book «Dein Koenigreich komme/Your Kingdom Shall Come» (P.188/189) they try to justify this plump historical
misrepresentation with the following adventurous mathematical construct: «Historians recognise that Cyrus
conquered Babylon in October 539 BC and that his first year in parliament began
in spring 538 BC. When the decree of Cyrus was issued at the end of his first
parliamentary year, the Jews could easily have been in the seventh month
(Tishri) in their homeland, as written in Ezra 3;
If we, therefore, count back 70 years from the year 537 BC, the time when the Jews returned to their homeland, we arrive at the year 607 BC. In this year Nebuchadnezzar (in his 18th year in parliament) must have destroyed Jerusalem...»
29This is truly a masterpiece of dishonest distortion. However, it will not work out; because they deliberately ignore the fact that in the ninth chapter of the book of Daniel it reads: «that a period of seventy years was to pass the ruins of Jerusalem» - a prophecy that as we learn from the Biblical report in the book of Ezra did not fulfil itself immediately after the return of the Jews from Babylonian imprisonment. In Ezra 38 it says that the Jews commenced the construction two years later after their return from Babylon by laying the foundation of the temple
«Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judas, and troubled them in building.» (Ezra 4; 4).
They effected that a decree was issued by the Persian King Arthasastha reading, «that the reconstruction of the city was to be forbidden to those men,... and forced the Jews with barbarous violence to stop building. At that time the construction of the temple of God in Jerusalem stopped and did not resume before the second parliamentary year of King Darius of Persia.» (Ezra 4;
23-24; Sach.1; 1-17).On account of a decree issued by Darius,
the temple in Jerusalem could be reconstructed in the years between 520-516 BC
(Ezra 6), so that the word of God to the Prophet Jeremiah, «that a period
of seventy years was to pass the ruins of Jerusalem», fulfilled itself in
the year 516 BC. Which is, by the way, a date that the Watchtower Society
explicitly confirms in their «Hilfe zum Verstaendnis der Bibel/Aid to Comprehend the Bible» (P. 1452).
So if, as we can take from the Biblical
report, the «Reconstruction of the temple and the city» could only
have happened in the period between 520 to 516 because of political intrigues -
which is 21 years after the return of the Jews from Babylonian imprisonment -
then it becomes obvious that the statement of Jehovah's Witnesses - against all
known historical facts - that Jerusalem was already destroyed in the year 607
BC is absolutely incorrect. If they, basing on the facts, would count back 70
years from the year 516 BC, they would inevitably arrive at the year 586 BC, a
historical date that is confirmed by historians as the year of the destruction
of Jerusalem With this the basis for their doubtful
«seven-times-calculation» is not applicable which by no means - as
they presume - would indicate the historically significant year of 1914 but the
year 1935; a year has hitherto not been specifically recognised by Jehovah's
Witnesses In the meantime doubts relating to the
correctness of their teaching have surfaced also in their very own ranks of the
leading corporation. Raymond Franz writes:
«...As already described in one of the
previous chapters, enquiries concerning the book "Hilfe zum Verstaendnis der Bibel/Aid to Comprehend the Bible"
have revealed that the year of the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, 607 BC,
has contradicted all recognised historical facts. Despite of lacking evidences
I still trusted the correctness of this year, because I presumed that it was
guaranteed by the Bible. Without the year 607 BC, the decisive year 1914 would
be doubtful. I presumed that the historical evidences were inadequate and I
also defended this view in the book». («Der Gewissenskonflikt/The Moral Conflict», P.
138 Although Jehovah's Witnesses - as we can
without doubt notice - are aware of the fact that their teaching is based on
fatal errors, they stubbornly hold on to it, involving themselves in more and more
lies so that, according to the words of the apostle, they will be damned
because they did not believe in the truth, but took pleasure in
unrighteousness. (2.Thess. 2;
In view of the enormous accusation that Jehovah's Witnesses had created their own Christ, it should be extremely revealing to find out how millions of preachers of Jehovah's Witnesses that are not included in the «heavenly class» and have only joined after the «Era of Rutherford» react to this accusation
If we ask them, «Who is Christ?» they answer hesitantly that Jesus is the Christ. But if one informs them that this opinion is not in line with the published teaching of their organisation they do not want to believe it and consider the whole matter a joke. If one proves with the help of their own writings that the Watchtower Society under the overall control of their second President, Richter J. F. Rutherford, and the assistant of his at that time closest collaborator and later fourth President, Fred Franz has proclaimed a Christ that consists of a collective corporation of «144 000 Christ-like human beings», which they pretend is the «accomplished Christ», they do not really know how to react upon this out of embarrassment
As soon as they become aware of the significance of the massive accusations and have to fear that they have possibly been deluded by the Jehovah's Witnesses, they confusedly search for a plausible explanation. Because something cannot be what is not supposed to be, and their dream of everlasting life on a paradise transformed earth would burst like a bubble, in their religious naiveté they refer stubbornly and infallibly to «a higher ascending light», that has supposedly revealed new facts to their leading corporation in Brooklyn
Old preachers still chiefly twaddle about «old hats» that no human being would read anymore. This concerns older study books of the Watchtower Society that have been replaced by new ones because the former books contained fatal errors that they try to veil by deceptively rewording the text.
Their flimsy arguments cannot be misleading the fact that between what they believe and what the Watchtower Society propagates as the official teaching there is a remarkable contradiction that they cannot eliminate with whatever wordy explanations. This also shows clearly how carelessly Jehovah's Witnesses generally deal with the truth. Because it obviously does not worry them in the least that Rutherford for 25 years spread his lie about the «accomplished Christ as collective corporation» unhindered world-wide without being accused and condemned by the Watchtower Society as an untruthful teacher, but instead was posthumously praised as a distinguished Jehovah's Witness and was furthermore, sarcastic as it may seem, selected as the Prophet of God 30 years after his death (Gott bleibt wahrhaftig/God remains truthful 1958, P. 237; Wt. dt. 1.7.72, P. 390/391). Moreover, it does not make them in the least suspicious that the leading corporation in their Watchtower publication No. 9 dt. 1.5.1990 (P.27) adheres to the deceptive statement that the anointed remnant members of their organisation are supposedly «Christ-like human beings» that alone would be rewarded with «immortality» and «begotten to divine nature» .
If they critically examined their study texts, they would very soon discover that nothing has changed regarding the Antichristian teaching of their organisation. Even, if it were true - what they obviously believe - that the leading corporation of "older men", that, as faithful retinue of Rutherford, has propagated his teaching with fanatical enthusiasm world-wide for more than decades, has now, thanks to better understanding, refrained from Rutherford's deceitful teaching, the question still arises why they do not at least from now on follow the wording of the Bible and openly admit that «Christ is the Head of the Community» instead of still propagating that Jesus and the corporation mutually constitute an ominous «Christ corporation», an «accomplished Christ».
Exactly the opposite is the case! As already in the time of Rutherford they still discriminate between Jesus and Christ and for purely optical reasons accept Jesus as head of their assembly of Christians. In the Watchtower Magazine of 1.8.1991 they write: «The anointed that constitute the assembly of Christians accept Jesus as 'the head of the body, the assembly» (Col.1:18; Eph.5:23).
When applying this presumption they refer to the Apostle Paul although they should have noticed when studying his letters that their teaching of Christ is in contrast to the Bible; because in the letter to the Ephesians, which they expressly give reference to, the Apostle Paul emphasises unmistakably that «CHRIST is the Head of the Community». He thereby excludes any speculation about Jesus and the community together constituting a «Christ corporation» resp. the «accomplished Christ» that Rutherford propagates as «new Creation».
Obviously with deceitful intention to hide their true Antichristian identity behind a Christian mask, they use a number of other expressions for their Antichristianism in the texts after the second World War, terms that may appear more innocent to the uninhibited reader. For example when they mention the «Bride of Christ», the «Wife of the Lamb», the «Kingdom of God», that is supposed to consist of Jesus and the 144 000 priests and kings, they constantly refer to their «accomplished Christ» whom Rutherford in 1922 situated at the Right of God in the heavenly temple thereby «gruesomely devastating the holy site» (Matth. 24; 15; Thess. 2; 4; Hebr. 8).
Bibliography:
21 Verlagshandlung der Anstalt Bethel, 1922
22 A HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS; WALTERS; Oxford University Press, Ely House, London W 1, 1950
23 J.F.Rutherford: "Licht" Bd.2, S.91, Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung Wachtturm
Bibel- u.Traktat-Gesellschaft, (Magdeburg 1930)
24 "Gott bleibt wahrhaftig", S.272, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc. (Brooklyn, New York, USA) Deutsch 1948
25 J.F.Rutherford: "Licht" Bd.1, S.208 und 210, Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung Wachtturm
Bibel- u.Traktat-Gesellschaft, (Magdeburg 1930)
26 "Dann ist das Geheimnis Gottes vollendet" S.317, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1970
27 "Die Offenbarung - Ihr grossartiger Hoehepunkt ist nahe!" S.167 und 169,
Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft Deutscher Zweig, e.V., Selters/Taunus 1988
28 "Babylon die Grosse ist gefallen!", S.454/455, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1965
29 "Dein Koenigreich komme", Anhang S.188/189, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V., Selters/Taunus 1981
BUECHERVERZEICHNIS:
Buecher und Schriften der Wachtturmgesellschaft
• J.F.Rutherford: "Die Harfe Gottes", Wachtturm Bibel- u. Traktat-
Gesellschaft Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung (Magdeburg 1926)
• J.F.Rutherford: "Schoepfung",, Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung
Wachtturm Bibel- u.Traktat-Gesellschaft, (Magdeburg 1928)
• J.F.Rutherford: "Licht" Bd.1, Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung
Wachtturm Bibel- u.Traktat-Gesellschaft, (Magdeburg 1930)
• J.F.Rutherford: "Licht" Bd.2, Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung
Wachtturm Bibel- u.Traktat-Gesellschaft, (Magdeburg 1930)
• J.F.Rutherford: "Der Schlusskampf", Wachtturm Bibel-u.Traktat-
Gesellschaft Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung (Magdeburg 1932)
• "Das Koenigreich ist herbeigekommen" Watchtower Bible and Tract Society,
Inc. Brooklyn, N.Y. - Bern (1944)
• "Die Neue Welt", Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc. Brooklyn, N.Y. - Bern
• "Gott bleibt wahrhaftig", Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc.
(Brooklyn, New York, USA) Deutsch 1948
• "Babylon die Grosse ist gefallen!", Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1965
• "Dann ist das Geheimnis Gottes vollendet", Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1970
• "Dein Koenigreich komme", Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V., Selters/Taunus 1981
• "Du kannst fuer immer im Paradies auf Erden leben" Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1982
• "Die Offenbarung - Ihr grossartiger Hoehepunkt ist nahe!", Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft
Deutscher Zweig, e.V., Selters/Taunus 1988
© Helmut Seeger