Chapter 25 – AMOS & OBADIAH

All of the prophetic books of the Bible are intertwined with overlapping themes. While many Psalms and prophecies directly foretell events related to the ultimate coming of God’s Kingdom and the end of this present system, other prophecies cast shadows of things to come. It is Jehovah’s preferred means of communication to establish types and patterns that are to be later repeated in different settings and circumstances. Essentially, the prophecies constitute the pre-recorded judicial decisions of judgment day for God’s people and the unbelieving world.

As an example, in Acts 15:15-18a, James and the apostles quoted directly from the book of Amos and applied it to the original Christian congregation. Those verses read: “And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written: ‘After these things I will return and raise up again the tent of David that is fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the men who remain may earnestly seek Jehovah, together with people of all the nations, people who are called by my name, says Jehovah, who is doing these things, known from of old.’”

Jehovah was, of course, “known from of old” in the first century, whereas Jesus was a relative newcomer on the earthly scene at that time. So, any secondary fulfillment would similarly involve a people called by the name of Jehovah. At any rate, “the tent of David” has reference to Christ’s Kingdom. The house of David fell to the Babylonians approximately 600 years before our Common Era, but Jesus, being a son of David and an heir to David’s throne, restored it when he fulfilled the messianic prophecies and began to rule as king over the Christian “Israel of God” in 33 CE. It is clear, then, that the so-called minor prophecy of Amos had import for followers of Christ in the first century, far beyond the time when the prophecy was initially fulfilled.

But the prophecy also lends itself to a final fulfillment during the ultimate unveiling of Christ. How can we be sure of that? The actual prophecy in the 9th chapter of Amos, from which the apostles quoted, went on to say: ‘“So that they may take possession of what is remaining of Edom, and all the nations on whom my name has been called,’ declares Jehovah, who is doing this.”

However, by the time of the first century, the nation of Edom no longer existed; there was nothing “remaining of Edom”—it had been annihilated out of existence, even as others of the prophets had foretold.

However, students of prophecy recognize that Edom, along with Ammon and Moab, have prophetic significance. This is evident from the book of Daniel, where Edom, Ammon, and Moab are mentioned in connection with the incursions of the king of the north during the time of the end. Since the prophecy at Daniel 11:41 had no minor fulfillment in ancient times, but specifically foretells events that are to occur during the time of the end—long after Edom, Ammon, and Moab ceased to exist—it is evident that Edom, Moab, and Ammon have prophetic significance in relation to the Christian Israel—“the land of the Decoration.”

The opening chapter of the prophecy of Amos denounces Edom for killing his brother, saying: “This is what Jehovah says, ‘For three revolts of Edom, and for four, I will not reverse it, because he pursued his own brother with the sword, and because he refused to show mercy; in his anger he keeps tearing them apart relentlessly, and he remains furious with them continually.’”

Edom, Ammon, and Moab were closely related to the Hebrews. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. Ammon and Moab were the two sons Lot had by his daughters after they were reduced to a caveman-like existence following the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The three nations that descended from Esau, Moab, and Ammon had similar customs and dialects and were geographic neighbors to the sons of Jacob after the Exodus. What is the significance of that as it applies to the prophetic Edom, Ammon, and Moab? The Watchtower offers no interpretation—for reasons that will become apparent. But it should be evident that Christendom is aptly symbolized by those three nations, since nearly all its sects today have evolved from the three main branches of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. And just as Edom was the most dominant of the three nations and is mentioned most frequently in prophecy in relation to Jacob, it appropriately pictures the Catholic Church.

Relative to the Christian Israel Christendom has similar customs and speaks a comparable language of scripture, so to speak, in that, nominal Christians use the Bible and profess Jesus to be their spiritual father—even as ancient Edom, Moab and Ammon recognized Abraham as their father, or in the case of the descendants of Lot, Abraham’s father, Terah, was their common ancestor.

Because Jehovah’s Witnesses share a common heritage with Christians of all denominations, biblical stories and principles are not foreign concepts to modern-day spiritual Edomites and Moabites. It is crucial to recognize the relationship between ancient Israel and Edom, Moab, and Ammon because it has significance for the ordering of events in the judgment to come.

According to the established order in the Bible, God’s judgment begins first with his people. Ezekiel 9:6 confirms the same sequence of events, wherein God orders the judgment to commence in his very temple sanctuary. And the apostle Paul likewise states in the second chapter of Romans that judgment starts with the (spiritual) Jew first, and then the Greek (non-anointed) secondly. Seeing that the Scriptures clearly establish that the judgment commences first with God’s household, how is it that the Watchtower dogmatically insists that the tribulation begins when Christendom and all of Babylon the Great is destroyed by the eighth king? This brings us back to the relationship between Edom and Israel and the basis for God’s judgment against false religion.

“MY PEOPLE IN THE DAY OF THEIR DISASTER”

The short prophecy of Obadiah, which follows the book of Amos, also records God’s judgment specifically against Edom. The prophet reiterates that the reason Jehovah determined to destroy Edom was that Edom was gleeful over the disaster that befell the Israelites. Verse 10 says: “Because of violence to your brother Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will have to be cut off to time indefinite.” Similarly, the 13th verse says: “You should not come into the gate of my people in the day of their disaster, you should not gloat over his calamity in the day of his disaster, and you should not lay your hands on his wealth in the day of his disaster.”

For better or for worse, the Israelites were God’s people. Even when Jehovah brought disaster upon them for their many sins and transgressions, they were still his people. That is why, through Obadiah, Jehovah calls them “my people.” Accordingly, even though Jehovah God chastised his people for their sins, he also punished other nations that rejoiced and reveled in their disaster or directly participated in it.

The third verse of Obadiah describes Edom’s elevated level of haughtiness: “The presumptuousness of your heart has deceived you, you who reside in the retreats of the crag, dwelling in the height, saying in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the earth?’”

Edom’s presumptuous attitude smacks of the same haughty spirit exhibited by the harlot of Babylon, who similarly boasts that she will never be brought down from her lofty pedestal.

Another interesting facet of the brief prophecy of Obadiah is the relationship between Edom and the eventual despoiler. Obadiah 6-8 says: “O how Esau has been searched out! How his hidden treasures have been sought after! They have driven you to the border. All your allies have deceived you. The men at peace with you have prevailed against you. Those eating bread with you will place a net under you, but you will not discern it. In that day,’ declares Jehovah, ‘Will I not destroy the wise ones out of Edom and discernment out of the mountainous region of Esau?’”

The prophets portrayed Edom, also known as Esau, as dwelling on a lofty, fortified crag, from where the Chaldeans brought him down, and his great wealth was despoiled. Apparently, Edom felt a false sense of security in his presumed good relations with the Babylonians. Edom was deceived. They did not discern that Jehovah had appointed the Chaldeans as the earthly executor of divine judgments.

In a similar pattern to Edom, the Vatican also possesses tremendous wealth, including priceless works of art and other treasures—the “hidden treasures.” The Holy See even maintains formal diplomatic relations with 174 nations and countless international organizations, including the United Nations. In fact, among the world’s religions, only the Vatican enjoys Permanent Observer Status at the United Nations. However, the Vatican is no mere passive observer. It exerts a powerful influence over policymakers regarding reproduction and overpopulation issues. The Catholic Church is so powerful and influential that it must surely feel secure in its special relationship with the rulers.

Amazingly, the modern counterpart of Edom has also forged an ill-advised covenant of peace with the very agency that may well become Jehovah’s executioner in the future. The more familiar prophecy of Revelation says that God will put it into the hearts of the kings of the earth to carry out their own thoughts, giving their authority to the beast to destroy false religion from the earth.

The Catholic Church is unquestionably the most prominent segment of Christendom—dwelling on a craggy pinnacle, as it were—secure in its cozy relationship with the kings of the earth—oblivious to the thoughts her “allies” will be certain to think against her when the time comes for the execution of God’s judgments. Truly, the antitypical Edom will be deceived as to the true intentions of the last king, even as Jehovah’s prophet, Obadiah, foretold. But again, what is the justification for making modern applications of such obscure prophecies?

As Amos the prophet, Obadiah prophesied of things to come that simply did not fit into the original setting. For example, the prophecy of Obadiah says: “The house of Jacob will become a fire, the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau like stubble; they will set them ablaze and consume them, and there will be no survivor of the house of Esau, for Jehovah himself has spoken.”

But how could that be? In actuality, Edom was destroyed by Babylon, not the house of Jacob. The Jews did not directly avenge themselves against the Edomites, as the prophecy seems to suggest. How could they have when the house of Jacob was in captivity in Babylon, when Edom was destroyed? The only reasonable explanation is that the prophecy has much greater application than to the Israel and Edom of old.

Furthermore, the prophecy of Obadiah concludes by saying: “And saviors will go up on Mount Zion to judge the mountainous region of Esau, and the kingship will become Jehovah’s.”

Since it would be several centuries before the fallen “tent of David” would be erected in the form of the Christian congregation, how could it be true that “the kingship will become Jehovah’s” upon the destruction of ancient Edom? Besides, the Jews were held captive in Babylon for 70 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, during which time Nebuchadnezzar also annihilated the nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon. How did the kingship become Jehovah’s then, when Mount Zion was a mere desolate waste?

The plurality of “saviors” and judges associated with Jehovah becoming King can be none other than the 144,000 kings and priests, as they are also depicted in Revelation standing upon the pinnacle of heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb of God. Their judging Edom relates to Christ and his 144,000 associate saviors as they perform a grand salvation for the great crowd of Jehovah’s worshippers and avenge themselves upon Babylon the Great for having spilled the blood of God’s servants down through the centuries up to the very moment when the last one of the saints is martyred.

Revelation 6:11 establishes that God’s judgment of the present system is withheld until the full number of the brothers of Christ who are to be killed have been killed. Presumably, that is when the sins of Babylon the Great will have finally amassed clear up to the heavens, and God will then judicially call her many acts of injustice to mind. So, it is manifest that the prophecy of Obadiah relates to something much grander than literal Edom.

The kingship becoming Jehovah’s on the occasion of the destruction of Edom is really a parallel prophecy to the vision of Revelation; when, in the aftermath of the destruction of Babylon the Great, the angel proclaims: “Praise Jah, you people, because Jehovah our God, the Almighty, has begun to rule as king.”

The Watchtower generally does not recognize that Edom, Moab, and Ammon symbolize Christendom because doing so would require acknowledging that Israel does not represent apostate Christendom in prophecy. And if the prophecies are to be interpreted correctly, then instead of Christendom being judged first during the oncoming tribulation, “the Israel of God” and those associated with the genuine Christian congregation are brought to ruin with the aid and approval of Christendom. Apparently, that is also why the prophecy of Daniel depicts Edom, Moab, and Ammon escaping the initial thrusts of the king of the north during the time of the end, while the land of the Decoration succumbs to the tyrannical king. Christ will only afterwards judge Christendom for having approved of the atrocities that are yet to be committed against Jehovah’s people.

Imagine the shock and humiliation when the Watchtower and Jehovah’s Witnesses are brought to ruin while the churches of Christendom look on in smug satisfaction! But why would Jehovah allow such a thing to happen? Consider now the prophecy of Amos.

“NOT A FAMINE FOR BREAD”

Amos 8:11 is one of the most oft-quoted verses of Amos by the Watchtower, and which reads: “‘Look! The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, ‘When I will send a famine into the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah.’”

The Watchtower always applies Amos 8:11 to Christendom’s supposedly spiritually famished condition. But, rather than a spiritual famine, the exact opposite seems to be the case in some respects; inasmuch as many of Christendom’s denominations seem to be experiencing a revival of sorts. Consider a few relevant facts.

Compared to the medieval age, when the Catholic Church had a stranglehold on the Bible and forbade it from being preached or even translated into the common languages of Europeans, modern churchgoers now have much greater access to God’s Word. Although the Catholic Church once opposed the translation of the Bible, there are now numerous Catholic Bible translations and commentaries available.

Although shrinking in numbers relative to the growing population, is there evidence of a modern spiritual famine within the Catholic organization?

Evangelical and fundamentalist denominations also offer in-depth Bible studies, and their numbers are growing rapidly as a result. Those desirous of hearing a Bible-based message, skewed though it may be, do not even have to go to church anymore to hear it since Bible preachers of various persuasions dominate the radio. Mega-churches and their celebrity evangelizers are also quite popular on television. The Internet has thousands of Christian-oriented websites and online Bible study programs. The rapid growth of the modern evangelical movement, particularly in Latin America, has been hailed as a phenomenon of the modern era. Certainly, there is no evidence of spiritual famine among many of the evangelical denominations. As for the orthodox branch of Christendom, the Russian Orthodox Church has seemingly returned from the grave after having been suppressed for decades under the communist USSR. There is no evidence of spiritual famine from that quarter either.

In the past, the Watchtower has pointed to declining church attendance as fulfilling prophecy about the so-called “waters” of Babylon drying up. The truth is, though, many religious denominations are much more vibrant today than in the past. While they have never taught the correct doctrines of the Bible, it is simply not in the realm of reality to insist that Christendom is more spiritually impoverished now than before.

As regards the spiritual famine foretold in Amos, since the “famine” specifically concerns “hearing the words of Jehovah,” and since the Watchtower is inseparably linked with the distinctive name of Jehovah and is the only channel recognized by Jehovah’s Witnesses as offering true spiritual nourishment, the spiritual famine must relate to the coming collapse of the Watchtower Society.

Virtually every prophecy and many of the Psalms offer foregleams of the coming judgment upon the house of God. Amos is no exception. Besides, the Watchtower seems to be overlooking the fact that the spiritual famine described in Amos is not the result of slow attrition. The verse preceding makes it very plain that the famine is caused by a sudden disaster that Jehovah brings upon his people. Amos 9:9-10 words it this way: “For look! I am giving the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, just as one shakes a sieve, and not a pebble falls to the ground. They will die by the sword, all the sinners of my people, those who are saying, ‘the calamity will not come near us or reach us.’”

But why would Jehovah cause a modern-day spiritual famine to afflict his people? The prophecy of Amos sheds some light on that question.

According to Amos 3:2, the reason that God held the wayward Jews accountable—more so than any other people on earth—is because of the special relationship that Jehovah had with the nation. Of all the peoples and national groups that existed before the time of Christ, Israel is the only nation with which Jehovah had direct dealings. Hence, Jehovah spoke through Amos, saying: “You alone I have known out of all the families of the earth. That is why I will call you to account for all your errors.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses boast of being the one true religion. If that is the case, then Jehovah’s Witnesses are as inescapably accountable before God as were the Israelites. Not as faithless faultfinders or unspiritual malcontents, but as people of God with true Christian humility, let Jehovah’s Witnesses now consider how Jehovah looks upon the modern organization, doing so through the lens of prophecy. At Amos 3:13 Jehovah commands his prophet to sound the warning: “‘Hear and warn the house of Jacob,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, the God of armies.”

Contrary to the prevailing mindset among Jehovah’s Witnesses that all internal scandals must be kept secret so as not to bring reproach upon Jehovah, Amos was commanded by God to publicize to the nations Israel’s spoiled spiritual condition. At Amos 3:9, Jehovah told Amos: “Proclaim it on the fortified towers of Ashdod and on the fortified towers in the land of Egypt. Say: ‘Gather together against the mountains of Samaria; see the turmoil in her midst and the defrauding within her. For they do not know how to do what is right,’ declares Jehovah, ‘Those who are storing up violence and destruction in their fortified towers.’”

It is in the same spirit of the prophecy of Amos that the Watchtower’s turmoil and defrauding are now exposed to public view by this publication.

“YOU TURN JUSTICE INTO WORMWOOD”

According to the fifth chapter of Amos, Jehovah brings judgment upon his people because they became unjust and acted immorally and faithlessly. Amos 5:7 says: “You turn justice into wormwood, and you cast righteousness to the earth.”

True justice is a sweet thing. The Scriptures reveal that Jehovah God is a lover of righteousness and justice. He has deep concern for those who are afflicted and disadvantaged, and he expects—yes, he demands— that his people and especially their leaders follow his laws and principles and always strive to honor the name and person of Jehovah by doing what is right and just. Because the name and reputation of Jehovah were bound up with ancient Israel, it brought enormous reproach upon God’s good name when the Jews acted unjustly, as if turning justice into the bitterness of wormwood.

Today, the overseers and Governing Body of the Watchtower Society are especially accountable before Jehovah to make sure that the name of God that Jehovah’s Witnesses publicize is not brought into disrepute in any way. But regrettably, Jehovah’s Witnesses have unquestionably brought tremendous reproach on the name of Jehovah. And the organization’s leading men are especially reprehensible. How has that come about?

One aspect of unfaithfulness to God has become manifest in the recent, widely publicized reports drawing public attention to numerous cases of seduction, rape, and child abuse among Jehovah’s Witnesses. Over the years, literally thousands of children and teens have been sexually molested by adult Jehovah’s Witnesses and also by minor children of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But as shocking as the reports of child sexual abuse are, even more disturbing has been the scandalous way in which the Watchtower has dealt with the problem.

Alas, though, according to the Watchtower’s media spokesmen, there is no real problem with the way that child abuse has been handled in the congregations. In the view expressed by the late J.R. Brown, the scourge of child abuse is no worse among Jehovah’s Witnesses than in other religious organizations that are grappling with the problem. Ironically, critics have said all along that Jehovah’s Witnesses are no different than other religions. But should the Governing Body really take pride in the fact that the “spiritual paradise” of Jehovah’s Witnesses is no worse than the world that the Watchtower often characterizes as the modern Sodom and Gomorrah?

The Watchtower insists that there is an effective Bible-based policy in place to justly deal with child abuse, and the victims are given the highest priority. However, since both as an organization and as individuals, all are accountable to God for the way in which afflicted ones are treated within the congregations, should not the Watchtower’s claims be examined more closely? If Jehovah is in fact going to judge the leaders of his people, is it not the responsibility of each individual to honestly evaluate the policies and practices of the organization that elders are obligated to defend? After all, it is not human opinion that determines how God judges. If even one child has suffered harm due to the negligence of appointed overseers or because of their having enforced tactics and policies emanating directly from Bethel’s Legal Department, is that not reason enough for them to humbly confess and repent of such badness? That is the choice Jehovah placed before the house of Israel. Either they repent, or Jehovah would set their house on fire. In fact, Jehovah pleaded with his people to repent of their wickedness so they could continue living. Amos 5:6 reads: “Search for Jehovah, and keep living, so that he does not burst out like a fire on the house of Joseph, consuming Bethel, with no one to extinguish it. You turn justice into wormwood, and you cast righteousness to the earth.”

Surely those who fear Jehovah cannot dismiss such divine warnings as somehow applying to Christendom. Searching for Jehovah means seeking his perspective on matters of importance and adopting his values. That requires each Christian to use their God-given thinking ability to honestly reason upon matters and arrive at righteous conclusions. With that in mind, take the matter of the Watchtower’s policy regarding two witnesses: According to the Law of Moses at Deuteronomy 19:15, “No single witness may convict another for any error or any sin that he may commit. On the testimony of two witnesses or on the testimony of three witnesses the matter should be established.”

Although in other matters, such as observing a weekly sabbath, the Watchtower is quick to point out that Christians are not bound by the law that God gave exclusively to the ancient Hebrew nation, when it comes to allegations of child sexual abuse the Watchtower has come to view the “two witness” aspect of Jewish law as more than a mere principle, but rather, as a binding law.

One reason God gave his nation a law requiring two witnesses was to serve as a safeguard against wicked individuals falsely accusing an innocent person. That is why the law went on to say at Deuteronomy 19:16-18: “If a malicious witness testifies against a man and charges him with some transgression, the two men who have the dispute will stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges who will be serving in those days. The judges will thoroughly investigate, and if the man who testified is a false witness and has brought a false charge against his brother, you should do to him just as he had schemed to do to his brother, and you must remove what is bad from your midst.”

Analyzing the passage above, even Jewish law stipulated that if there were not the mandatory two or three witnesses to substantiate the charges, the judges and priests were obligated to investigate and make a determination. How could the judges know if the accuser was scheming against his brother? As it says, they were to make a “thorough investigation.” The case was not simply dropped because there were no other witnesses. The accuser and the accused were not told to “wait on Jehovah.” It was up to the men serving as judges to establish the accused’s guilt or innocence, and, consequently, the accuser’s as well. So, if the elders of Bethel are going to make a pretense of following Jewish law in the administration of Christian affairs, they are obligated to follow the whole law, even as Paul wrote in Galatians 5:3.

Of course, Jesus Christ also invoked the two-witness principle of the Law of Moses when he instructed his followers on how to resolve problems within the Christian brotherhood. In Matthew 18:15-17, the Lord Jesus said: “Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go and reveal his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he does not listen to them, speak to the congregation. If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector.”

Jesus outlined a three-step process that is intended to make peace between Christian brothers. However, it is apparent that the judicial process is not primarily intended to establish the accused’s guilt. It is already a given that a sin has been committed, even as Jesus said: “If your brother commits a sin, go and reveal his fault.” The intent of the inquest is to convince the guilty party of his guilt, laying bare his fault in order to move him to repentance. Furthermore, Jesus did not say that the one or two outside witnesses that are brought in had to be witnesses to the specific act that caused offense. The accuser brings along one or two witnesses to attest that the accuser at least tried to gain his brother. They may also serve as witnesses to the validity of the charges and provide further proof of the wrongfulness of the act. Also, the third step in the process Jesus outlined does not establish guilt either. It is the burden of the accused to listen to the reproof of the congregation or else face ostracism. At any step along the way, if the accused admits to the accusations and takes appropriate steps toward repentance, the accuser regains his lost relationship with his brother. If the accused refuses to accept guilt or responsibility for his actions, the congregation may withdraw its hand of friendship.

The Watchtower claims to follow this legal precept of Christ and, therefore, insists that in the absence of a confession, there must be at least two witnesses to the actual crime of child abuse in order to substantiate the accusation of the abuse victim. Without a second witness and without a confession, no judicial action may be taken against the accused abuser. The matter is just dropped, and as the Watchtower is so very fond of saying, the victim is told to “wait on Jehovah” to set things straight. This appears to be a gross misapplication and perversion of Christ’s law to the congregation.

According to Jesus, even if the accused refuses to acknowledge the congregation’s reproof, he is to be considered guilty if the evidence warrants such judgment. Jesus did not instruct his followers to simply drop the matter if the offender refuses to take responsibility for his actions.

The Watchtower has announced to the public that Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse, but Bethel’s actions belie that claim. Instead of allowing congregation elders to make their own thorough investigation of these abhorrent crimes, as was called for in the Jewish Law, perhaps even availing themselves of professional police investigators and forensic evidence, the Watchtower’s legal department has used the very law of God to tie the hands of congregational elders and has therefore denied justice and protection to thousands of victims of sexual abuse.

As a result of this wicked policy, pedophiles have been shielded from exposure, and other innocent children have been recklessly exposed to the depredations of child molesters within the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In certain cases reported by victim advocates, the courts have found the crimes committed by some of Jehovah’s Witnesses (so-called) to be so heinous that the abusers were convicted and sentenced to long prison terms, even though the congregations took no action whatsoever against the perpetrators.

In one nationally publicized case in New Hampshire, in order to defend the Society’s coffers from a civil judgment, the Watchtower even provided free legal representation to a convicted pedophile who had received a 56-year prison sentence, legal representation that is reputed to have cost $500,000. Meanwhile, not one cent was spent ministering to the victims of his crimes. Think about the implications of the Society’s doings: They will spend untold sums of money donated by hard-working and generous Christians in order to legally defend and support convicted pedophiles, so as to avoid admitting error or compensating the victims of their harmful policies. Is that not a case of turning justice into wormwood and casting righteousness to the earth?

Another instance, this one in Washington State, U.S.A., is the case of young Erica Rodriguez, who, while between the ages of 4 and 11, was raped on a weekly basis by Manuel Beliz, an elder in her congregation. When she dutifully went to the elders to report the crime, no doubt expecting some form of justice, she was told that the matter would be handled. Nothing was ever done. The crimes were not even reported to the police, in violation of Washington state law.

Apparently, there was no collaborating testimony of an independent witness to verify Erica’s accusation, so the matter was just brushed aside. Not only was nothing done to the abuser, but Erica was also threatened with disfellowshipping if she spoke about the matter with anyone in the congregation. It seems as if poor Erica was raped again, the first time by the despicable Manuel Belize and then again by the entire body of elders and the Legal Department of Watchtower Inc. However, against the orders of her feckless congregational elders, Erica eventually did report the rapes to the police, and Manuel Beliz is behind bars serving an 11-year sentence. Jehovah apparently deemed it necessary to use his civil servants to do what the organization’s shepherds refused to do! Unfortunately, Erica Rodriguez’s case is not uncommon. According to the Sokolove Law Firm, as of 2025, the Watchtower has paid out over $100,000,000 in settlements.

“YOU DENY THE RIGHTS OF THE POOR”

According to the law of Christ already discussed, the offended party must first go lay bare the fault of his brother in private. If that is unsuccessful, then the brother is obligated to call upon at least one or two others to serve as witnesses to the wrongdoer. Ironically, the Watchtower has been called to account in private by many individuals who have suffered due to its evil child abuse policy. And Bethel has also been confronted by those serving as two or three witnesses. So far, the very judges who sit at the proverbial gate of Jehovah’s city-like organization have resolutely refused to listen.

Understandably, those who have been raped and otherwise abused are often reluctant to talk to others about their shameful ordeal. It takes courage to speak out, especially when the accused is a respected elder. And to their shame, the Watchtower has done everything in its power to muzzle the voice of those both within and outside the organization who might speak out against such evils. But with the popularity of the Internet, sex abuse victims have found a powerful medium and are no longer silent.

One such outlet is the website silentlambs.org. Having found their voice, in September of 2002, over one hundred abuse victims and their advocates showed up at the literal gates of the Bethel headquarters in Brooklyn to give witness to the Watchtower’s injustice in these matters.

But instead of humbly receiving those who have legitimate grievances—some even having been molested and raped by elders and ministerial servants appointed by the Watchtower Society—Bethel was having none of it. As is often the case with criminals who become perturbed and frantic when the cameras arrive, the gates of Bethel were locked, and the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses refused to show their faces or even meet with one of their accusers. Obviously, it is much easier for the Watchtower to publish press releases touting their abhorrence of child abuse than it is for them to actually minister to the abused or admit their neglect. Through Amos, Jehovah aptly described the present situation. Amos 5:10 reads: “They hate those who give reproof in the city gate, and they detest those who speak truthfully.”

Who can deny that anyone who dares to correct the Watchtower is held in contempt by its leadership and subject to the most severe punishment, even being castigated as an apostate? Like the haughty Pharisees of old, those who sit at the pinnacle of power within the Watchtower organization are virtually unaccountable to those whom they rule over.

The Society frequently invokes the biblical account of the rebellious Korah, who challenged Moses’ authority and who was subsequently swallowed alive when Jehovah caused the very earth beneath his feet to fissure. The implication is that anyone who dares call Bethel to account for its wickedness will be similarly plunged into Sheol, or worse—the everlasting fires of Gehenna!

But, alas, in spite of the hardships that all of the Israelites must have endured in their Wilderness trek, Korah was not the victim of Moses’ heartless and hurtful policies, was he? Jehovah described Moses as being the meekest man on earth, by far. In fact, Moses met with Korah and tried to reason with him. Does the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses exhibit what could be described as meekness? Although some members of the Governing Body and the Society’s extended leadership may possess Christ-like humility, as an institution, it has become ruthless and hypocritical.

Amos 5:12 relates these additional words of God: “For I know how many your revolts are and how great your sins are —You harass the righteous, you take bribes, and you deny the rights of the poor in the city gate.”

There is no barrier to Jehovah’s laser-like vision. God is able to see behind any façade or pretense that may be erected by men. God even sees into the future so as to offer reproof in advance!

For a certainty, Jehovah is fully aware of the fact that not only has the Watchtower crushed the plaintive cry of the afflicted and has arrogantly scoffed at any criticism of its unrighteousness, but as the prophecy indicates, it takes bribes.

As the outcry of complaint against the Watchtower’s failed child abuse policy grows louder and louder, as the number of lawsuits mounts, the organization has enlisted the help of Jehovah’s Witness lawyers, as well as non-Witness lawyers, in order to defend its financial interests. As everyone who is familiar with how the legal system works knows, defense attorneys’ first consideration is to keep a lawsuit from going to court in the first place, where the potential is usually much greater for a jury or judge to award a large sum to the plaintiff. Typically, lawyers are not concerned with matters of righteousness and justice. It is all about winning the case. Of course, if it appears the plaintiff has a good case, lawyers usually try to cut their losses and reach an out-of-court settlement for their client. Has the Watchtower done that? Yes, they have.

One of the reasons the Watchtower capitulated and settled out of court is that a judge had ruled that the Society’s secret database of pedophiles, as well as congregation judicial committee records, could be opened in court. That would have been a public relations nightmare for Bethel, and no doubt the specter of exposure struck terror into their hearts. So, after years of rebuffing abuse victims and resorting to every known lawyering tactic in the book to avoid taking any responsibility for the hideous evils that had been perpetrated against the children of their congregations, the Society quietly paid out millions, not because they wanted to compensate the victims, but because it was simply the most expedient way out for them.

Apparently, it is also standard practice in such cases to bind the recipient with a so-called “gag order,” intended to legally prevent the plaintiff from disclosing the terms and details of the settlement. So, that is what was done. Basically, it means that the Watchtower has paid off abuse victims with hush money to “gag” them from speaking about the affair—and this with funds donated to advance the cause of Jehovah’s Kingdom!

In effect, though, the Watchtower not only pays out hush money but also receives it, as out-of-court settlements save it from much greater loss and give it a legal means to keep such matters undisclosed. All the while, Jehovah’s Witnesses are kept in the dark as regards the Society’s unseemly backroom doings and led to believe that all the accusations against the Watchtower are nothing more than a media smear campaign.

Of course, the right and honorable thing to do would be to publicly acknowledge the immense pain and suffering that so many of the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses have endured at the hands of sexual molesters in the congregations and to make some sort of above-board restitution to the victims—as the Catholic Church has recently done. But, instead of ministering to Jehovah’s battered sheep in any meaningful way, the Watchtower seems bent on crushing their faith completely, abusing the victims again by unleashing their stable of attorneys to call into question the character of the victims and discredit the claims of any plaintiffs who dare to seek legal recourse for their anguish.

Jehovah’s prophet appears to precisely address the situation by saying at Amos 8:4: “Hear this, you who trample on the poor and who bring the meek of the land to an end…” Appropriately, Jehovah also says through Amos that his judgment will come against the leaders of his people, “Because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. They trample the heads of the lowly into the dust of the earth, and they block the path of the meek. A man and his father have relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name.” — Amos 2: 6-7

How many meek and lowly seekers of God have been or will yet become stumbled by the Watchtower’s wicked doings and injustice? How many children have to be sacrificed in order to protect the Watchtower’s public image? The Watchtower has profaned Jehovah’s holy name in another way.

It is a fact that even known child molesters are encouraged to go out in the public ministry, door-to-door. As all of Jehovah’s Witnesses who have participated in the house-to-house ministry know, oftentimes young children open the door; sometimes just clad in their pajamas or even in half-naked innocence. How absolutely irresponsible and reckless to expose innocent children to the potential danger that pedophiles pose! The Watchtower feels that requiring sexual predators to work in the company of another minister is an adequate safeguard, as if that should make parents more comfortable with the idea that perhaps only one of the ministers that shows up on their doorstep is a pedophile!

While local communities and even the US Department of Justice require convicted sexual predators to identify themselves on a public registry, to the shame of all of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Watchtower actually approves of sending known sexual predators unannounced into unsuspecting neighborhoods to preach the good news of God’s Kingdom!

Whereas, pioneers have been instructed to use alternate means of contacting not-at-home householders through letter writing and telephone witnessing and such, the Service Department insists that pedophile “ministers” have the right to go door-to-door and make personal contact. What reproach Bethel has brought upon the name of God!

In the verse quoted above, Jehovah makes a connection between the immorality of prostitution and the selling of lowly persons for mere money. Today, among Jehovah’s Witnesses, instead of temple prostitution between presumably consenting adults, Jehovah’s name has been profaned by the even more morally repugnant sin of child molestation.

Similar to Jehovah’s condemnation of Israel in ancient times, the rebuke applies to Jehovah’s Witnesses today for tolerating and coddling child molesters while persecuting their victims and advocates and paying out millions in donated funds to buy their silence. And while the Watchtower has quietly revised its child abuse policy and no longer prevents elders from involving the police, isn’t that an admission that the previous policy was inadequate?

“THEY LIE ON BEDS OF IVORY”

The primary concern of the top level of the Society’s hierarchy does not appear to be the spiritual welfare of those whose faith has been shattered, but of merely keeping the status quo and protecting its public image. Above all other things, the financial welfare of the vast Watchtower publishing empire appears to be Bethel’s main consideration.

Therefore, it seems that these words of Amos are directed toward those who are the honored ones of Bethel, the princes of Jehovah’s earthly estate —living at the expense of others: “They lie on beds of ivory and sprawl out on couches, eating the rams of the flock and the fattened calves; they improvise songs to the sound of the harp, and like David, they invent musical instruments; they drink wine by the bowlful and anoint themselves with the choicest oils. But they are unconcerned about the catastrophe of Joseph.” —Amos 3:4-6

It is tragic indeed when a few mere words of humble apology could snatch untold numbers from the flames of doubt. But true to prophecy, Bethel is wholly unconcerned that hundreds of thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses and millions of prospective witnesses have been stumbled. Like any worldly multinational, the Watchtower views individuals as mere cogs in the corporate machinery—easily replaceable.

As an example, thousands of young people have heeded the Society’s exhortation to make Bethel life their career. Foregoing an education, family, and many of the niceties of life, some have served at Bethel for 20, 30, or more years. But like many corporations facing financial headwinds, the Society is downsizing, and hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of full-time Bethelites are being let go with nothing to show for their years of dedication. That is because all Bethelites are required to enter into a special religious order and even take a vow of poverty. And poverty is what they attain.

But the Bethel princes themselves certainly do not live in poverty. Although they do not have personal fortunes like many of the clergy, it is as if they are sprawling on couches of ivory and enjoying the finest foods—killing the fattened calves, as it were; improvising their Kingdom melodies, like David; living in palatial surroundings, enjoying all the accruements of presiding at the headquarters of Jehovah’s earthly organization; going about their service using the choicest anointing oils; unconcerned that Jehovah’s people under their oversight have been made spiritually sick. In reality, the Governing Body and leadership have everything provided, including luxury cars, first-class flight and all-paid vacations to luxury resorts.

Sometime around 2013, the Watchtower began construction on a new headquarters in Warwick, New York. With real estate prices inflated by the massive Wall Street bailout a few years earlier and artificially suppressed interest rates for buyers, the Watchtower seized the opportunity to sell off the iconic Brooklyn headquarters campus for a reported $1,000,000,000. Because the organization has its own semi-skilled construction company of unpaid volunteers, it exploited 3,800 volunteers to construct a new headquarters facility in the peaceful countryside —far away from the grime and crime of the big city, where Bethel has been located for over a century. The London Bethel followed the same scheme, selling off prime real estate and purchasing property in rundown Chelmsford, where a new facility was constructed by unpaid laborers.

Not only were headquarters facilities sold off, but Bethel seized approximately 1,000 Kingdom Halls, evicted the congregants, and sold the properties to the highest bidder. It is not that those hundreds of Kingdom Halls had become run down, were in bad neighborhoods, and had served their usefulness—just the opposite. The facilities, built and paid for by thousands of devoted Christians and solemnly dedicated to Jehovah God, were confiscated and sold because they were in nice neighborhoods and could command top dollar. Some of the buyers have converted the Kingdom Halls into liquor stores, mosques, cannabis shops, churches, etc.

It is as though the leaders of the Watchtower have stolen from Jehovah. Not only that, but with their ill-gotten booty, the Watchtower has set up its own hedge fund in Ireland to play the markets with the big boys of the financial system.

Unfortunately, they will not discern the time of their inspection. Or as Jehovah states in Amos chapter 6: “Woe to the self-assured ones in Zion, to those feeling secure in the mountain of Samaria, the prominent men of the foremost of nations, those to whom the house of Israel comes! …Are you putting out of your mind the day of calamity and bringing in a reign of violence?”

“The day of calamity and bringing in a reign of violence” refers to the collapse of the present system and the ushering in of the tyrant of the nations. It is the farthest thing from the minds of “the self-assured ones.” They have no inkling that they face an inspection day. All of that is supposed to be theocratic history. It would also appear as if the words of Amos 3:15-14 foretell an accounting with that which is called “Jehovah’s organization” today. Those verses read: “‘I will also call for an accounting against the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the earth. I will strike down the winter house along with the summer house. The houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will come to their end,’ declares Jehovah.”

No doubt this aspect of Jehovah’s denunciation relates specifically to Bethel headquarters, including the “great houses” like the Patterson and Warwick complexes, as well as dozens of other assembly halls and branch houses around the world. Interestingly, one very expensive assembly hall built outside of Houston, Texas—complete with gigantic retractable big-screen television monitors on stage—was so extravagant that some brothers dubbed it the “Taj Ma-hall”—houses of ivory, indeed!

The exile of the sprawling ones will mean that not just one branch will be shuttered as in the ongoing downsizing program, but all of them! As virtually all the prophets foretell, the coming crash will silence the insightful faithful slave, even as Amos 5:13 states: “Therefore, those with insight will keep silent at that time, for it will be a time of calamity.” And those who now speak in the name of Jehovah will no longer do so when their Bethel houses are struck down, as Amos 6:10-11 foretells: “Keep silent! For it is not the time to make any mention of the name of Jehovah. For it is Jehovah giving the command, and he will strike down the great house into rubble, and the small house into debris.”

“WOE TO THOSE WHO YEARN FOR THE DAY OF JEHOVAH”

All the prophets and apostles exhort believers to keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, or alternatively, the Lord’s day. But how might persons bring woe upon themselves by yearning for that “day,” as the following verse relates? — “Woe to those who yearn for the day of Jehovah! What, then, will the day of Jehovah mean for you? It will be darkness, and not light.” (Amos 5:18)

It is unclear how the Israelites to whom the prophecy was originally directed may have yearned for the day; it is likewise unclear how the misguided parishioners of Christendom might be wishing the day of Jehovah upon themselves. For that matter, how could the “woe” possibly apply to true Christians who are faithfully awaiting —keeping close in mind the day of Jehovah? How is the verse to be understood?

It may be helpful to consider an expanded paraphrase rendering of the verse from the New Living Translation, which reads: “What sorrow awaits you who say, ‘If only the day of the Lord were here!’ You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light.”

The reader who has arrived at this point in this publication has been presented with what this author considers to be irrefutable documentation of the Watchtower’s considerable error in interpretation as regards the nature of the day of Jehovah. Not only that, but far worse than doctrinal and interpretive error, the Society is guilty of faithlessly violating the most basic tenets of Christianity. They have failed to remain without spot from the world—having made a political alliance with the United Nations—and have refused to plead the legal case of orphans and widows.

These three errors evoke the judgment of God contained in Amos: “This is what Jehovah says, ‘For three revolts of Judah, and for four, I will not reverse it, because they rejected the law of Jehovah, and because they did not keep his regulations; but the same lies their forefathers followed have led them astray. So I will send a fire into Judah, and it will consume the fortified towers of Jerusalem.’” — Amos 2:4-5

In view of the irrefutable fact that the “Jerusalem” of prophecy represents the corrupted congregation of Christ and not Christendom, it is Jehovah’s Witnesses themselves who have no idea what they are wishing for! Indeed, who else but Jehovah’s Witnesses long for the day of Jehovah to arrive?

Virtually all the prophets foretell that the day of Jehovah will bring woe and desolation upon God’s people and result in a massive purge of faithless men from the midst of Christ’s congregation. Amos is no exception. Hence, Amos 5:3 says: “For this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘The city that marches out with a thousand will have a hundred left; and the one that goes out with a hundred will have ten left, for the house of Israel.’”

If the prophecy applies in a broader sense to the end of Christendom, then can it be expected that there will be a remnant of survivors?

But because Jehovah’s Witnesses have had their ears tickled as regards these matters, it is beyond their comprehension that the fiery destruction of Israel and later Jerusalem stands as a pattern of things to come as regards the Watchtower Society. But considering the context of the verse in question, it is apparent that it is the formal worship of Jehovah that is due to come under judgment.

For example, the same paraphrase rendering goes on to say: “I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” (Amos 5:21-24)

Jehovah’s Witnesses are well known for gathering together in large conventions and solemn assemblies, which could well be described as religious festivals. But is it not hypocritical to offer praise to Jehovah, to offer up burnt offerings and grain offerings, as it were, praising him with hymns and Kingdom melodies, and yet ignore the weightier matters of justice and righteousness? Jehovah does not care for an outward show of religiosity. He wants his people to worship him in sincerity and truth. True religion is the practice of justice and righteous living. Anything less is sheer hypocrisy!

In view of the Watchtower’s self-serving Bible interpretations and the self-righteousness endemic to the entire organization, no wonder Amos 6:8 says: “‘The Sovereign Lord Jehovah has sworn by himself,’ declares Jehovah the God of armies, ‘I detest the pride of Jacob, I hate his fortified towers, And I will hand over the city and what fills it.”’

From Jehovah’s standpoint, his people have become enamored with an organizational golden calf. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been subtly seduced into giving glory to the “faithful and discreet slave” and the Watchtower, while relegating Christ to the secondary role of organizational mascot.

Just as the Israelite cities of Bethel and Gilgal became centers of calf worship, these words of God should eventually take on real meaning for Jehovah’s Witnesses in the near future: “For this is what Jehovah says to the house of Israel: ‘Search for me and keep living. Do not search for Bethel, do not go to Gilgal or pass over to Beersheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.’”

“JEHOVAH WILL NOT DO A THING UNLESS…”

The Watchtower frequently applies to itself the verse from Amos 3:7: “For the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets.” But as should be evident, Jehovah’s “confidential matter” primarily had to do with bringing his wayward people into judgment. And as the Bible testifies, Jehovah did indeed notify individual Hebrew prophets as regards his intentions. However, the nation and its institutions did not accept the inspired messages of Jehovah’s prophets. That is why Jehovah said through Amos: “‘I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not so, O people of Israel?’ declares Jehovah. ‘But you kept giving the Nazirites wine to drink, and you commanded the prophets: “You must not prophesy.” So I will crush you in your place…’” —Amos 2:11-13

Amos was personally confronted by an enraged priest who commanded him to stop prophesying about the city of Bethel’s coming downfall. Amos was told, “O visionary, go, run away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and there you may prophesy. But you must no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is the sanctuary of a king and the house of a kingdom.”

In a similar manner today, the Watchtower is actually proud of the fact that it allows no place in the organization for individuals who, from Jehovah’s standpoint, may serve a function similar to that of the biblical prophets of old. Bethel’s mentality was eloquently expressed in a telephone conversation this author once had with a member of the Governing Body. He scoffed at the suggestion that the Watchtower’s interpretation of Joel was in error and resolutely refused to reason upon the matters presented before him, saying instead that if Jehovah wants to reveal something to them, he will do so through one of the members of the Governing Body directly and not from some publisher on the outside.

In the first century, however, there were anointed individuals who functioned as prophets, apparently not part of the establishment. They did not consult with the apostles before issuing their messages—being directly motivated by the roving spirit of God. One such prophet was Agabus, who was impelled by the holy spirit to foretell a famine, which the Bible reports actually occurred in the days of Emperor Claudius. Agabus also prophesied that Paul would be bound at Jerusalem. That also came true.

Yet today, those whom Jehovah may anoint to serve as special Nazirites and who seek to set God’s confidential matters more clearly before the brothers will find themselves rebuked and marginalized by Bethel’s institutional priests. As in the days of Amos, the modern Bethel establishment does not allow any prophesying since it considers itself to be the hallowed “sanctuary of a king and…the house of a kingdom.”

No Bethel outsider is allowed to speak Jehovah’s prophetic word within the organization except in the manner in which the priests of Bethel have carefully scripted it. As a result, the Watchtower’s message has become completely sanitized from any of God’s rebuke or the prophetic judgments against the house of God. That does not, however, negate Jehovah’s confidential matters. In fact, because the Watchtower has promoted the attitude that the organization will never experience calamity, for that reason it is inevitable!

“THE BOOTH OF DAVID THAT IS FALLEN”

“They will die by the sword, all the sinners of my people, those who are saying, ‘The calamity will not come near us or reach us.’ In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, I will repair the breaches, and I will restore its ruins; I will rebuild it as in the days of long ago, so that they may take possession of what is remaining of Edom, and all the nations on whom my name has been called,’ declares Jehovah, who is doing this.”

Even though the inspired Christian spokesman directly quoted from this prophecy and applied it to the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom over the congregation, it is evident that certain aspects of the prophecy have a much broader application. That is because by the time David’s kingdom was restored in the person of Christ, the calamity that God had originally wrought upon Judah and the Davidic kingdom was centuries in the past. Yet the prophecy says “in that day,” meaning in the day when Jehovah brings calamity on those who are saying: “The calamity will not come near or reach as far as us.” Furthermore, the sinners among those whom God calls “my people” cannot possibly apply to the parishioners of Christendom.  The calamity that Jehovah refers to serves as a means of sifting those who are members of God’s household. Amos 9:9 reads: “For, look! I am commanding, and I will jiggle the house of Israel among all the nations, just as one jiggles a sieve, so that not one pebble falls to the earth.”

Surely, no reasonable person would insist that the difficulties of the Bible Students during the First World War fulfilled the prophecy that calls for a final, decisive disaster to rock the house of God. The prophecy at Haggai 2:6-7 likewise says that Jehovah is going to rock the very heavens, earth, and all the nations, so that “the desirable things,” meaning godly people, come into glorify the restored house of God.

Paul quoted Haggai in Hebrews 12:27 and explained that the prophecy refers to the institutions of this system of things being shaken into oblivion. Needless to say, WWI did not prove to be this system’s undoing. The great shaking is coming. Therefore, the “jiggling” and sifting of God’s people has not occurred yet either. But it too is coming.

The prophecy of Amos foretelling the coming crash of the “booth of David” apparently parallels many other prophecies concerning the establishment of God’s kingdom, corroborating the truth that the coming of Christ to rule the earth first results in God’s holy place being devastated.

So, the rebuilding of the “booth of David” has to do with the grand salvation, spiritual healing, and recovery that will take place during the tribulation period. Numerous places in the Bible render an account of Jehovah glorifying his great name and expressing his indignation over the fact that his covenantal servants have not given him the respect and glory that he rightly deserves and have instead reproached their own God. Amos is but one of those accounts.

In view of the reproach that the Watchtower and Jehovah’s Witnesses have brought upon the name of God, and the fact that the day of Jehovah will bring desolation upon the Christian sanctuary and the Israel of God, fearers of Jehovah ought to take to heart the blood-chilling declaration of our God at Amos 4:12-13: “As a consequence of the fact that I shall do this very thing to you, get ready to meet your God, O Israel. For, look! the Former of the mountains and the Creator of the wind, and the One telling to earthling man what his mental concern is, the One making dawn into obscurity, and the One treading on earth’s high places, Jehovah the God of armies is his name.”