Chapter 3 – THE LIE

Jehovah has become King” is not just a Bible quotation or a provocative title of a book. It is much more profound than that, or at least it will be.

The phrase “Jehovah has become King” is a prerecorded pronouncement that will soon be proclaimed worldwide by the chosen ones who will have the unspeakable privilege of experiencing the manifestation of the glorious Lord, Jesus Christ. His presence will herald God’s entry onto the world’s stage. And a grand entry it will be! And it is as certain as tomorrow’s sunrise.

Jehovah’s presence will be impossible to ignore. No ridiculer will wag their tongue in mockery. That is why it is called the day of Jehovah—the Lord’s day. We have God’s word on it: “And people will enter into the caves of the rocks and into the holes in the ground, because of the terrifying presence of Jehovah and his majestic splendor, when he arises to make the earth tremble in terror.” – Isaiah 2:19

Needless to say, the transition from the rulership of Satan to the reign of the Kingdom of God will be the most tumultuous calamity ever. This “presence” will occur during the bloodiest, bleakest episode in human history, when all seems lost. Should a world as wicked as ours expect anything less from the ignored, misrepresented, maligned, and slandered Savior except for Him to allow wayward mankind to go to the brink of self-destruction?

Some people may reason that any such declaration that “Jehovah has become King” is meaningless since Jehovah has always been the king of all creation, even the King of eternity. This, of course, is true. Jehovah God has always been the Sovereign of all that He has brought into existence.

But Jehovah’s Witnesses well know that the issues raised in Eden by the serpent challenged God’s right as sovereign and called into question the rightness of His rule.

It is most ironic that when the Devil slandered Jehovah and claimed God was unfairly withholding knowledge and privilege that every creature is entitled to—symbolized by the fruit of the forbidden tree of knowledge—the crafty cherub evidently confronted God knowing that since he did not challenge the Almighty’s power, only his fairness, that, in His fairness, God would allow time for Satan to make his case.

Although Jehovah has never and will never abdicate his throne, he has allotted a specific time period for the Slanderer to rule the world and oppose the divine purpose. In that sense, Jehovah has taken a backseat—temporarily.

When tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, the Son of God did not dispute that all of the kingdoms of the world had been delivered to Satan. Jesus acknowledged that the Devil is the ruler of the world when he said: “Now there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” – John 12:31

The declaration that “Jehovah has become King” will take place when the time allotted for Satan to rule the world expires, and he is cast down, and God reasserts his sovereignty through the agency of Christ’s Kingdom. This is what is called the good news—the gospel. But there is a challenge, a test, yes, a potential stumbling block especially designed for the preachers of the good news.

“GOD ALLOWS A DECEPTIVE INFLUENCE”

As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 25 years ago, I realized that 1914 and all that the Watchtower has attached to it are what the apostle Peter called “artfully contrived false stories.” However, this does not mean there is any other organization that represents heaven’s interests, at least not at this time. This epiphany prompted me to begin my ministry as Jehovah’s watchman, intent not merely on refuting the doctrine but on explaining why God would permit such a thing and how it suits the divine purpose to allow a specific lie to hold sway.

To be sure, my argument with the Watchtower leadership encompasses many issues beyond 1914. Or, better worded: Jehovah’s contention with the leaders of His people involves many issues which are addressed by the prophets, some of which are expounded upon in this publication.

Yes, there is the grievous mishandling of thousands of instances of child sexual abuse, the Watchtower’s secret 10-year partnership with the United Nations, and the business-like mentality that has taken over the leadership, not to mention the Governing Body’s recent glowing endorsement of the deadly COVID vaccines—all of which will be discussed from a biblical perspective. But all things considered, 1914 is the proverbial elephant in the room. It is what the prophet Paul called “an operation of Satan” that Jehovah permits to influence those who otherwise know the truth so that they might come to believe “the lie.” But why?

Paul explained it to the Thessalonians: “That is why God lets a deceptive influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie, in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.” – 2 Thessalonians. 2:11,12

And what is the lie? Is it that you have an immortal soul or that God is a Trinity? No. Those are lies, of course, but it is not “The Lie.” Read the context. The Lie is that the presence of Christ has begun, and the day of the Lord is here. And coinciding with that, the Watchtower is a spiritual paradise, the manifestation of the Kingdom of God, and a permanent arrangement. 

Furthermore, it is undeniable that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, while sponsoring the worldwide preaching of the good news, which, astoundingly, is now published in over 1,000 languages, is also the sole source of authoritative spoken and written messages heralding that the Kingdom is ruling and Christ’s parousia is among us. Essentially, the Devil has been permitted by God to fake his own ouster from heaven and create a kingdom-has-come delusion, and a faux spiritual paradise. The “deceptive influence” ultimately emanates from a man of lawlessness who sits like a god in the spiritual temple. (More on this in the chapter The Man of Lawlessness)

1914 is not merely the supposed date that the conclusion of the system began. Certain teachers claim that Jehovah became king at that time. In fact, the assertion is made that Jehovah also became King in 1919 and will become King again in the future, when Babylon the Great is destroyed.

Does that sound a little crazy? Actually, it is the very core of what the Watchtower teaches. Here is an excerpt taken from the first volume of the Isaiah commentary. (Last two paragraphs of the chapter Jehovah is King.)

In modern times, Jehovah ‘became king’ in 1914 when he installed Jesus Christ as King in His heavenly Kingdom. (Psalm 96:10) He also ‘became king’ in 1919 when he demonstrated the power of his kingship by liberating spiritual Israel from bondage to Babylon the Great…²¹ Jehovah will again “become king” when he brings an end to Babylon the Great and the rest of this wicked system of things.

Thinking persons will be inclined to wonder why, if Jehovah became king in 1914, it would be necessary for God to become king again in 1919. Why ought God even bother becoming king over and over again? Is Almighty God’s kingship so ineffectual that he must repeatedly become king? Seriously, with Jehovah already becoming king twice in the past century, why ought we look with anticipation to his becoming king yet again in the future? What would be the point?

Other than those who have been indoctrinated by the deceptive influence, who else in all the world is even aware that Jehovah supposedly became king in 1914? The real question is: how can such a monumental event pass by unnoticed? After all, here is what a certain Bible passage says: “Jehovah has become King! Let the earth be joyful. Let the many islands rejoice. Clouds and thick gloom are all around him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his adversaries on every side. His lightning bolts light up the land; The earth sees it and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before Jehovah, before the Lord of the whole earth.” – Psalms 97:1-5

Not coincidentally, Jesus is also called “the Lord of the whole earth.” That is because Jehovah has given him all power and authority. While Trinitarians falsely claim that Jesus is God and always has been, the truth is more wonderful than that. The truth is: God will temporarily make the Son God to refute the Devil’s slander.

While we are on the subject, do you know that God will require everyone to worship Jesus when he comes as the King? For your convenience, here is what Paul wrote: But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.” – Hebrews 1:6

Let us not quibble about what it means to do obeisance. If God orders even his faithful angels to bow before the Son, we may be certain it is not merely a polite curtsey, or the kind of bow such as was the customary greeting in ancient times. Rather, it is an act of worship.

It is not idolatry because it does not diminish the true God since the Son is the exact representation of the Living God. That is why there is no difference between Jesus becoming king and Jehovah, because, as Jesus said, ‘The Father and I are one.’

And by the way, regarding the passage in the 97th Psalm quoted above, the two witnesses of Revelation are said to be standing before the Lord of the earth. If you follow the footnote to Zechariah 4:14, it says: “These are the two anointed ones who are standing alongside the Lord of the whole earth.”

The Watchtower has truthfully taught Jehovah’s Witnesses that the Greek word parousia does not mean “coming,” as some translations say. It means “being alongside.” That being true, what is the significance of the two anointed ones standing alongside the Lord of the whole earth? Well, if they are standing next to the Lord, the Lord must be alongside them.

Since the two witnesses are linked to Moses and Elijah, and Moses and Elijah appeared in glory in the vision of the Transfiguration alongside Christ, and Peter later wrote that he had been an eyewitness of the Lord’s magnificence, the two witnesses symbolize the chosen ones who will be witnesses of the visible manifestation of Christ when Jehovah again brings his Firstborn into the world. And it is the manifestation of the parousia of Christ that will bring the man of lawlessness to nothing.

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses even aware that the Watchtower claims that the Lord of the whole earth invisibly came into the world and came alongside some Bible students in 1918? What is really strange is that the two presumed anointed ones didn’t even know it. How could they have? At the time, Russell’s International Bible Students were laboring under the delusion that an invisible parousia had already begun in 1874! It was not until some years later, late in the 1920s, that the two witnesses of the Lord’s presence were said to have been standing alongside the Lord of the whole earth in 1918, or whenever.

Can you now better understand why the apostle was inspired to intimate that some will concoct artfully contrived false stories about the presence of Christ?

But there is more to “The Lie.”

Because God supposedly became king in 1914, the mighty angels of Revelation are said to have blown the trumpets and poured out the plagues of God’s anger on the world. Who knew?

Not only that, since 1922, billions of people have had their names blotted out of God’s book of life simply because they may have voted or supported the political system or thought that the defunct League of Nations or the United Nations was a good idea. Even more absurd is the fact that it is to these billions of souls who have been irrevocably condemned to suffer the second death that Jehovah’s Witnesses preach the good news of salvation.

Sadly, no one even seems to notice these glaring contradictions and manifold absurdities. That is because “The Lie” has been an integral part of “the truth” from the beginning. To be “in the truth”—as Jehovah’s Witnesses are fond of saying—you must believe The Lie. Such is the power of the operation of Satan with every powerful work, lying signs and wonders, and every unrighteousness deception.

The truth is self-evident, though: Jesus did not begin ruling the world in 1914. Neither has Jehovah become king. It is a lie—“The Lie.” Or have you allowed yourself to be deluded into believing that there cannot be another world war—a war far more destructive than the two previous world wars? To be sure, Jehovah becoming king will be much more impactful than anyone can imagine.

“HOW YOU TWIST THINGS!”

Admittedly, it can be very unsettling, even mentally and emotionally devastating, to come to the jarring realization that what you have long accepted as the truth is a lie and those whom you have trusted as the only reliable spiritual guides—even heaven’s appointed faithful slave—have misled you. But what if it is God’s will that you be deceived in this matter? Do you consider that to be impossible? But if true, if it is God’s will, why would the God of truth allow such a thing?

How well do you know the Bible? Not just chapter and verse. Really, how well do you know Jehovah? Do you really have a deep understanding and discernment? Indeed, do you really comprehend the divine purpose in all its detail? Is your knowledge derived solely from an institution, such as the Watchtower? Remember, even the apostles were initially ignorant of so much of what we now know to be true. Jesus once rebuked them for being senseless and slow to believe the things the prophets had spoken. Is the Governing Body above the rebuke of the Lord of the whole earth?

But if it is God’s will that Satan be allowed to influence those who have been called into Christ’s Kingdom—yes, anointed Christians—who are we to object?

And to be even more direct: if it is the very ones appointed by the Master to dispense spiritual food at the proper time to the household of God who are either willingly or unwittingly the source of “The Lie,” again, who are we to tell God his business?

Needless to say, if the so-called slave class is blind to God’s intention to subject you to the operation of Satan, those under their influence will be too. 

The Grand Instructor uses illustrations to teach us. In three instances in the book of Isaiah, Jehovah likens himself to a potter, and his people are the clay. Consider this instance: “How you twist things! Should the potter be regarded the same as the clay? Should what is made say about its maker: “He did not make me”? And does what is formed say about its former: “He shows no understanding”? – Isaiah 29:16

The American Standard Version says: “Ye turn things upside down! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay…? Indeed, the Watchtower has turned the presence of Christ and Jehovah becoming king upside down!

Consider the context and who twists things. Verses 13 and 14 state: Jehovah says: “This people approach me with their mouth and they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far removed from me; and their fear of me is based on commands of men that they have been taught. Therefore, I am the One who will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their discreet men will be hidden.”

Is it not true that Jehovah’s Witnesses approach Jehovah with their mouth and honor him with their lips? Every public prayer begins with “Dear Jehovah…” And the millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses speak to householders and the public, extolling the virtues of Jehovah.

A Christian may declare their love for Jehovah and publicly preach and teach by the authority of Jehovah, but God is the evaluator of our hearts, and it is God alone who determines whether one’s heart is far removed from Him.  Do we dare argue and try to reprove God?

Moreover, it is undeniable that the worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses centers around the Watchtower. It is the Organization that is the central focus. Jehovah is secondary. You know it’s true.

The Governing Body frequently reminds its followers that no one can understand the Bible on their own without the guidance of the faithful slave. To illustrate, if a small group of Jehovah’s Witnesses were to meet together privately to study the Bible on their own, without Watchtower literature, they would be considered borderline apostates. The elders would order them to cease and desist or else.

To demonstrate the matter of following the commands of men, until quite recently, male Jehovah’s Witnesses were not permitted to grow beards. If a brother went against “theocratic direction” and wore even a well-groomed beard, he would not qualify for privileges in the congregation. Now, though, the leaders of the Watchtower have given their blessing to whiskers, and a few of the Governing Body have foregone shaving. And just like that, a large percentage of brothers are now sporting beards. There are many other instances illustrating how the commands of men are preeminent.

As the passage of Isaiah indicates, Jehovah intends to rectify this condition by working wonder upon wonder. And to instill the true fear and love of God, “the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their discreet men will be hidden.”

Surely, the wise and discreet men are those who are presently regarded as the faithful and discreet slave. Their wisdom and understanding will fail when the time of the end actually begins, and the sign that Christ foretold becomes manifest, and “The Lie” that is central to the faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses is exposed.

That the prophecy applies to Christians at the time of the actual parousia is evident in the context of the 28th and 29th chapters of Isaiah. For example, verses 18 and 19 say: “In that day the deaf will hear the words of the book, and out of the gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The meek will rejoice greatly in Jehovah, and the poor among men will be joyful in the Holy One of Israel.”

In what “day” will the deaf hear the words of the book, and what book? Again, if you read the context, the “day” is judgment day, when Christ will judge the house of God. And the outcome of that judgment is explained in verses 20 and 21: “For the tyrant will be no more, the boaster will come to his finish, and all those keeping alert to do harm will be destroyed, those who with a false word make others guilty, who lay traps for the defender in the city gate, and who with empty arguments deny justice to the righteous one.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses assume they understand “the words of the book,” the Bible, specifically the prophetic books, such as Isaiah. By the way, the name Isaiah means the same as Jesus—extolling Jehovah as salvation. Clearly, the deaf have not heard the words of the book yet, since the boasters and tyrants have not come to their finish. But their day is coming.

The only unanswered question concerns whether we will be among the poor and meek who will have their ears opened to hear when Jesus speaks.

Central to the invisible parousia delusion is the chronology derived from the seven times of Nebuchadnezzar’s madness, which is claimed to be the times of the Gentiles. This esoteric teaching, unique to the Watchtower, will be examined in the next chapter.