Chapter 2 – THE TRUTH

I​magine the excitement it generated when Jesus caused the startling announcement to be heralded throughout the land: “The Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near!”

It had been nearly 2,000 years since Jehovah had originally made the covenant with Abraham, intended to eventually produce a messianic seed for the blessing of all the nations. Despite the apostles’ many unfounded expectations regarding the Kingdom, on the occasion of Jesus’ baptism and anointing, the Kingdom of God had really drawn near.

No king of David’s lineage had sat upon Jehovah’s throne in Jerusalem since the Babylonian conquest five centuries earlier, making even more poignant Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem seated upon an ass’ colt—hailed as the King of Israel. This was in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, which foretold: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem. Look! Your king is coming to you. He is righteous, bringing salvation, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a female donkey.”

While earthly Jerusalem was no longer the throne of the kingdom of Israel and Judah at that time, it remained the exclusive religious center for the worship of Jehovah God while Jesus Christ was on the earth. But even that would eventually change.

Jesus himself told a Samaritan woman of the coming change, saying to her: “The hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you people worship the Father.” The advent of the Kingdom of God, which originally manifested itself in the form of Christ’s apostolic congregation, marked the beginning of the end for the temple-centered Jewish form of worship.

The writings of the apostle Paul, particularly his letter to the Hebrews, explain that the traditional form of religion had merely foreshadowed much greater spiritual realities. The real truth lay beyond the sanctuary pall, the inspired apostle revealed. Paul further argued in his letter to the Galatians that the Law covenant had accomplished its intended purpose by serving as a tutor that led to Christ.

Consequently, with the coming of Christ, the tutoring course had reached its natural conclusion, and with it, the entire Jewish system had become obsolete and was about to violently pass out of existence. Less than a decade after Paul penned his letter to the Hebrews, the city of Jerusalem and the holy place of Jehovah’s worship were completely demolished by the Roman legions.

Contrary to what one might have expected, the very system that God had originally provided as a life-saving tutor leading to Christ was also a potential snare to the Jews who did not have the faith to make the complete transition from Judaism to Christianity.

Centuries have now passed since the Kingdom of God was said to have drawn near. Perhaps not coincidentally, it has been nearly 2,000 years—roughly equivalent to the same interval from God’s covenant with Abraham until Christ’s baptism. And in the interim, since the end of the apostolic era, Christianity has lurched down the same path of corruption, idolatry, and apostasy as did Israel, so that the pure teachings of Christ have long been marinating in Babylonish mysticism, nationalism, and other worldliness.

Then, toward the close of the 19th century, a much-needed reform began to take shape among a small circle of Bible students, under the leadership of a young man named Charles Taze Russell. The effect was not unlike that which occurred during the reign of a young and zealous Judean king named Josiah (659-629 BCE). Consider a few similarities: Prior to Josiah’s reign, the kingdom had sunk to such deplorable depths of ignorance and idolatry that even the book of the Law of Moses had been lost! However, the record at 2 Chronicles 34:14 informs us that during the restoration of the dilapidated temple initiated by Josiah, “Hilkiah the priest found the book of Jehovah’s law by the hand of Moses.”

As a result of the Law of Moses being read to him, King Josiah ripped his garments apart in demonstration of the realization that the nation had broken their covenant with God and had obviously greatly offended Jehovah by practicing various forms of pagan idolatry. Josiah no doubt realized that the Law of Moses called for the destruction of the nation if they broke their sacred covenant with God. God-fearing Josiah sent a delegation to inquire of a prophetess named Huldah to see whether their repentance might avert the prescribed punishment. The prophetess informed the king that Jehovah was still determined to bring calamity upon the wayward nation. But in consideration of the reforms that he had undertaken, Jehovah would not destroy Judah during Josiah’s lifetime. Then Josiah gathered all the people and had the book of the Law read to them.

In a similar pattern, in the Christian era, the Bible seemed to be lost to the world from the Dark Ages onward. Ignorance and superstition thrived in the darkness. For centuries, the Catholic Church suppressed the Bible and fiercely opposed its translation into the common languages of Europeans. In reality, even though the Bible itself was not literally lost, the truth certainly was. And although numerous individuals before Charles Russell undertook to rediscover and publish long-lost Bible truths, none were as successful in bringing them to light as was Pastor Russell.

Commenting on the importance of the work of Charles Russell, the book Kingdom Proclaimers states:

“Then how did Russell perceive the role that he and his associates played in publishing Scriptural truth? He explained: ‘Our work… has been to bring together these long scattered fragments of truth and present them to the Lord’s people— not as new, not as our own, but as the Lord’s.’”

Through his intense study of the Scriptures, Russell realized that Christendom was doomed to be destroyed for its idolatry and corruption. It was, then, with a sense of urgency that the Watchtower Society was formed and the International Bible Students undertook an intense worldwide preaching campaign to sound the warning of God’s impending judgment.

As a result of Heaven’s evident blessing upon their restoration work, the fundamental truths of the Bible began to shine once again. Pagan teachings like the Trinity, the immortality of the soul, and the fiendish doctrine of eternal torment in hellfire were vigorously overturned. The Catholic practices of devotion to the saints and Mary, the deified “Mother of God,” were likewise publicly exposed as mere vestiges of pagan idolatry.

Just as Josiah had literally crushed and desecrated the numerous idols and pagan altars that had been erected in Jehovah’s temple and throughout the land, in the same spirit, Christendom’s idolatry and false doctrines were smashed and pulverized as it were, by Russell’s zealous and skillful use of the Bible.

Charles Russell also revived the use of God’s personal name—Jehovah, in English. Other vital truths, such as the biblical hope of surviving Armageddon and living forever on earth, began to be put forward as authentic Bible teachings. The issue of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty was understood for the first time, which explained so much that had previously confused Christians as to why the God of love has for so long tolerated evil and allowed his servants to suffer much persecution. The Watchtower Society began to function in a manner similar to the first-century Christian congregation — “as a pillar and support of the truth.”

Another fascinating parallel exists in connection with Josiah’s discovery of the Book of the Covenant. The record in 2 Kings 23rd chapter tells of a great Passover celebration that was held after the temple was restored: “The king now commanded all the people, saying: ‘Hold a passover to Jehovah your God according to what is written in this book of the covenant.’ For no passover like this had been held from the days of the judges that had judged Israel, nor all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this passover was held to Jehovah in Jerusalem.”

Just as a great Passover was held to renew the covenant and celebrate the reforms that had taken place under King Josiah, it appears as though the new covenant that Christ had originally instituted with his apostles was similarly renewed in connection with the Bible Students; evidenced not only by the promulgation of the truth, as they then understood it, but also by the reappearance of anointed partakers, who, with a deeper appreciation of Christ’s sacrifice, commenced the celebration of a great Christian passover meal, which has continued to this day.

Although they were laboring under many false expectations, as were the original apostles and early Christians, with the reemergence of Christ’s anointed congregation, the International Bible Students Association sensed that it was the time and season for the Kingdom of the heavens to begin its rule.

“IN THE VALLEY PLAIN OF MEGIDDO”

In spite of his zeal for Jehovah and the reforms he brought about, Josiah was tragically killed in an ill-advised military campaign against Pharaoh Nechoh. The account at 2 Kings 23:29-30 reads: “In his days Pharaoh Nechoh the king of Egypt came up to the king of Assyria by the river Euphrates, and King Josiah proceeded to go to meet him; but he put him to death at Megiddo as soon as he saw him. So his servants conveyed him dead in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his grave.”

Jeremiah and all of Judah lamented Josiah’s untimely death for generations. It is evident, for a number of reasons, that the fall of King Josiah at Megiddo was portentous. One reason is that the word “Armageddon” is derived from the Hebrew “Megiddo.” That in itself does not necessarily mean the account is a prophetic pattern of greater realities; however, the prophecy of Zechariah, which might be thought of as a Hebrew precursor of the book of Revelation, attaches prophetic significance to the mourning over Josiah, saying. “In that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be great, like the wailing of Hadadrimmon in the valley plain of Megiddo.” (Zechariah 12:11)

What is the connection to Josiah? The encyclopedic Insight on the Scriptures states the following under the topic of Hadadrimmon:

“Evidently a location in the valley plain of Megiddo. Hadadrimmon is often identified with Rummana, a site about 7 km (4.5 mi) SSE of Megiddo. The ‘great wailing’ at Hadadrimmon mentioned in Zechariah’s prophecy perhaps alludes to the lamentation over King Josiah, killed in battle at Megiddo.”

However, the context of the prophecy in Zechariah concerns the bewailing over the death of the Messiah, not King Josiah. The messianic nature of the prophecy was confirmed by the apostle’s application of Zechariah 12:10 to the execution of Christ. But, as is the case with many prophecies, Zechariah seamlessly weaves together aspects of both the first and second coming of Jesus. In the latter instance, Christ comes as a refiner and cleanser of his people. Like Josiah, he initiates the removal of all the idols from “the land.”

Zechariah 13:1-3 foretells: “In that day a well will be opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for cleansing sin and impurity. ‘In that day,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will rid the land of the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. And if a man should prophesy again, his father and his mother who caused his birth will say to him, ‘You will not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of Jehovah.’ And his father and his mother who caused his birth will pierce him through because of his prophesying.’”

The “well opened to the house of David” has to do with fully applying the sin-atoning provisions of Christ’s sacrifice, to the extent of accomplishing the complete removal of the sins of the “house of David,” which is the 144,000 co-rulers with Christ.

But it is obvious that the time period— “in that day”— does not apply to the first-century congregation. That is evident by the fact that God’s judgments upon the Christian congregation back then did not purify “the land” of idols and false prophets. On the contrary, the apostles specifically warned Christians to be on guard against false prophets within the congregation. Furthermore, the letter of 1 John abruptly concludes with an admonition to the sons of God: “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” Clearly, the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah has to do with the establishment of the Kingdom of God—when at last, “the Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out from his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling and people who practice lawlessness.”

Only then will Christ’s congregation be completely free of the stumbling blocks of false prophets and idolatry. But just as the earnest efforts of Josiah did not permanently stave off God’s condemnation, neither have the restoration efforts of the Watchtower Society altered God’s determination to set things straight “in the valley plain of Megiddo.” Indeed, the need for God to set things straight is greater now than ever.

The reason is that, although Jehovah’s Witnesses may have abandoned the blatant Babylonish idolatry of Christendom, in the process, the Watchtower itself has become a mere organizational golden calf. While the Watchtower Society has brought about a restoration of basic Christian doctrine, Jehovah’s Witnesses, nevertheless, continue to labor under the burden of false prophecy. Indubitably, because the Watchtower and all of Jehovah’s Witnesses have “spoken in the name of Jehovah,” as cited above, it is they who are more accountable to the Bearer of that name than any other people.

The prophecy of Zechariah goes on to say of God’s coming judgment: “In that day each of the prophets will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; and they will not wear an official garment of hair in order to deceive. And he will say, ‘I am no prophet. I am a man cultivating the soil, because a man bought me when I was young.’ And if someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds between your shoulders?’ he will answer, ‘Wounds I received in the house of my friends.’”

The verse above is followed by the command to strike the shepherd and let the sheep be scattered. That aspect of Zechariah was, of course, fulfilled when Jesus was arrested and impaled, and his apostles and disciples were momentarily scattered. Yet the prophecy’s context also suggests a fuller fulfillment at Christ’s second coming. That being the case, the “prophet” who is destined to be wounded and “struck in the house of my friends” must correspond to the faithful and discreet slave, who, according to Luke 12:48, will be beaten with a few strokes for his ignorant neglect when Christ comes to judge God’s household.

Soberingly, Jehovah’s Witnesses are the only people against whom the following words of Jehovah could possibly be directed: “You who are swearing by the name of Jehovah and who make mention even of the God of Israel, not in truth and not in righteousness.” – Isaiah 48:1

By reason of the fact that the Watchtower has brought such reproach upon the name of God, as if “swearing by the name of Jehovah,” reasonably, they are the official prophets who will “become ashamed” for the error and deception they have perpetrated in Jehovah’s name.

But in what way do God’s ministers make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness?