«Spiritual paradise»

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«Spiritual paradise».

In its publications «Watch Tower» society mentions this notion quite often. It states that today there already exists a spiritual paradise within the earthly organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.You can read more about it in "Watch Tower" magazine dated March 1, 2001 on page 8 in article: «What is spiritual paradise?» As I started learning the Bible with the Jehovah's Witnesses in the year 1992 and joined the assembly in 1996, I could myself see what was going on within the organization the moment that article was published. That is why I had to immediately disagree with such point of view. I decided to scrutinize that article and check in what way the statements set out in it correspond to reality. Further I would like to share what the result of it all was.

On page 8, paragraph 4 there is an explanation that: «spiritual paradise – is the environment which pleases one’s eyes and calms one’s nerves, in which people are enjoying peace with their neighbors and with God».

Further, on page 9, paragraph 2 of the last sentence it is stated why this paradise is with the Jehovah's Witnesses – «that is because they are distinguished for their great mutual love».

Further, on page 9, paragraph 2 it is said that this paradise was foretold by prophet Sofoniya (3:13) : «Remnants of Israel will not do lie, they won’t tell lies, an there will be no insidious tongue in their mouth, as they themselves will pasture and rest, and no one will disturb them…». Here I would like to ask several questions:

1) In case the leaders of “Watch Tower” say that the information they publish in their magazines comes from God Jehovah, and then it turns out that it was false, how can they claim that today they already «tell no lies»?! Or probably God Jehovah feeds his servants with lies??? In case it is so, then how can a situation like that be called a paradise? Or maybe paradise for Jehovah's Witnesses means feeding on lies???

2) «…They themselves will rest, and no one will disturb them…» I do not realize in what way can Jehovah's Witnesses already today *, and how do the words come true, that nobody will disturb them?

3) And the last question related to this quotation. Why is verse No.13 torn away from the context, from verse No.15? It is written there: «…God has driven away the enemy of yours! ...you will see no more evil!» It is common knowledge that in the period of World War II Jehovah Witnesses were sent to concentration camps. Maybe they do not regard it as evil? Or did those staying in the concentration camps just not see it??? And in what way are words of verse 13: «…and no one will disturb them», connected with words from verse 15 : «…has * the enemy of yours…you will see no more evil…»???

Further on. Page 10, paragraph 4, the last sentence: «…but they are unanimous, which fact is difficult to realize without having experienced it». I give an immediate answer: yes, it is really so. Why?! Because all the rest, who express their disagreement, are told to shut their mouth and are immediately thrown away. That is why only those who do agree, or those who prefer keeping silent stay in the organization…

Further. Page 11, paragraph 5, the first sentence: «Even today people, who enjoy spiritual paradise, feel that there comes true the prophecy of Isaiah 49:10 in the spiritual sense: «They will not suffer from hunger and thirst, and no heat or sun will hit them; as the Merciful will lead them and will bring them to water sources». In this quotation the managing body contradicts to itself. They constantly state that in case something is not quite clear for Jehovah’s Witnesses or they have got a question to which there is still no answer, one should patiently wait. As an example they give brethren and sisters who had waited for the answer in the course of some 10-15 years and finally got it… Moreover, these brethren and sisters acknowledge that it was difficult for them to wait… Let us imagine the situation: a man is hungry and wants something to drink, and he is told: « You are already in paradise, that is why just wait! In 15 years we will feed you and give you something to drink…that is why even today you can already enjoy spiritual paradise… and though you are going to get the answer to your question only in 15 years, we still think that you have already slaked your thirst and appeased your hunger…it is told this way in the prophecy…and in case you are not unanimous with us in this issue, we will declare at the assembly that you are an apostate opposing the «faithful and wise servant», who feeds the people of Jehovah not with his own understanding of the Bible but only with the information which comes right from God Jehovah himself…

The last sentence of the article is the following: «What a nice description of the spiritual paradise!»

Have you paid attention to the fact that I have not given any comment concerning the first two quotations? Quotation No.2: «…they are distinguished for their great mutual love…». I think you will agree that one can argue with such a statement and even find witnesses who will acknowledge that nobody helped them when they were in need of it? And quotation No. 1 will be considered later when it comes to «Watch Tower» magazine of October 15, 2004.

Thus, after all those investigations I came to the conclusion that information about spiritual paradise is false. But it seemed to me that my proofs lacked convincingness. Many verses from the Bible can be treated in more than one sense. I needed al least one, but very convincing argument. For instance, when Satan was trying to seduce Jesus, he said: «In case you are the Son of God – take a down leap…». The Satan’s words contained strong logic, but Jesus managed to refute them with just one verse!!! I went on looking for one such argument as well and finally I found it!!!

I did not write all the information which you have read above to the leaders of «Watch Tower», I just asked them:

-- The thing that you call spiritual paradise – is it already «the very appearance of things» or «only the shadow of future goods»??? (apostle Paul’s epistle to Jews 10:1)

After that I felt I was the winner. It seemed to me that the blow delivered by me was fatal. I went on looking through the issues of «Watch Tower» waiting that they would start repenting of their mistake. However…

A year passed since I sent my question, and suddenly I saw that in «Watch Tower» magazine dated October 15, 2004 in article «Is your hope for paradise firm?» Jehovah’s Witnesses not only avoid repenting but are also trying to substantiate the accuracy of their views once more. The following quotations to which I paid attention at the very start were of interest:

1) Page 8, paragraph 3: «Expression «spiritual paradise» may seem somewhat abstract and difficult to understand, however such a paradise was predicted and it really exists».

2) Page 11, paragraph 13: «We have got the world with cobelievers, who strive to look as different from animals and be as kind and thoughtful as possible…We came to the spiritual paradise, because we wanted it, but if we do not care about saving our relations with God, we can be cut adrift or we may be asked to get away from that paradise».

3) Page 11, paragraph 14: «We are greatly assisted by the fact that we still continue to derive our strength from the Words of God».

It was right after these events that I made up my mind to try and launch my site in the Internet.

But let us go back to the article. Let us have a look, what was new about the suggestion of the leaders of «Watch Tower» in confirmation of their dogma. I can tell you at once – nothing! From paragraph 4 up till paragraph 6 there is an explanation of the vision of apostle Paul. It is wrong, but this issue is in no way related to our today’s topic and will be considered some other time. Today we are interested only in 3 quotations from that place:

1) Page 8, paragraph 4: «This extract immediately follows the verses in which Paul defends his right to be called an apostle».

2) Page 8, paragraph 4: «But what «paradise» did he happen to visit in a supernatural way?»

3) Page 8, paragraph 5: «Thus what Paul saw, was something elevated, unearthly – or spiritual».

Thus in quotations 2 and 3 we can see that apostle Paul happened to stay in spiritual paradise. Now I would like to remind you, that while analyzing the article dated March 01, 2001 I did not comment upon quotation No. 1 (page 8, paragraph 4 contains an explanation that: «spiritual paradise – is the environment which pleases one’s eyes and calms one’s nerves, in which people are enjoying peace with their neighbors and with God».) and promised to do it later. Thus there arises a question for us: did there exist spiritual paradise in the assembly of Christians within the life span of apostle Paul? To answer it, let us open page 10 of «Watch Tower» of October 15, 2004, and have a look at paragraph 9: «Paul…knew that after his death the assembly will be swept over with a wave of recreancy. When recreancy spread… Christians could hardly be compared with a garden in bloom». Hence the board of leaders considers that – yes!, spiritual paradise existed already in the first century.

But there arise many questions:

1) in case spiritual paradise already literally existed in the assembly of Christians of the first century, so what spiritual paradise could then Paul happen to visit? And how could he use this information in order to defend his right to be called an apostle?

2) What kind of situation was it that apostle had to defend his right, and why did it occur in the spiritual paradise?

3) In what way does the situation, described by Paul in 1 to Corinthians 6:8 confirm the existence of spiritual paradise: «But you offend and deceive, and you offend and deceive your brethren, don’t you»? I would like to add one more quotation to the words of apostle Paul from «Watch Tower» page 11, paragraph 11: «That is why in the assembly of Jehovah’ Witnesses you are surrounded by peaceful people with whom it is pleasant to socialize». I can add on my behalf: «…but try to talk with them about mistakes traced in the publications of a «wise servant »…»

4) Why don’t first Christians mention such a notion in the Bible?

5) And why does this situation occur within the life span of Paul? Spiritual paradise was to disappear after his death.

On page 9, paragraph 6 in order to support the dogma a verse from Isaiah is quoted 51:3: «…God…will make his deserts look like paradise…». I’d ask you to pay attention to the fact that this verse tells that God will not turn a desert into a paradise, but he will make it «look like» paradise. But already on page 9, in paragraph 8 the editors of «Watch Tower» take away the word «look like» and write: «What a change! A desert becomes a paradise». As we see, the manipulation is simple enough, but it works!!!

Further on page 11, paragraph 12 verse 20:24 from Leviticus is used: «I…give you as a heritage the land, in which there flows milk and honey…» Here «wise servant» drops a hint that this land used to be a paradise. Hence the conclusion: paradise existed on earth already 3 times!

1) It was the paradise from which Adam and Eve were thrown away.

2) That was the paradise in which Philistines, Ammorines, Jevusines used to live … Oh! They appear to have lived in paradise! Then the people of Israel came to own that land, but they were punished for disobedience and taken to Babylon. Paradise turned into a desert.

3) After liberation they came back to the native land and, as it was written in «Watch Tower» on page 9, paragraph 8, again started living in the paradise, which was already the third one.

Let us recall what is said in Sofoniya 3:13,15 : «…and no one will disturb them», «…God has driven away the enemy of yours! ...you will see no more evil!» Let us consider what is written about life in «paradise» of Israelites who came back from captivity in the Book of Nehemiah 4:1,8,17 : «And heard Sanavallat that we are constructing a wall …and tortured Jews …and decided they all together to start a war against Jerusalem and destroy it …Those who built the wall and carried burdens, given to them, did their job with one hand and held a spear with the other one». In chapter 5:3,5 we can read the following: «there were also people who said: we pledge our fields and vineyards so that we could have some bread not to die of hunger …now we are forced to make our sons…and daughters slaves, and some of our daughters are already enslaved». If you want to get more information what kind of «paradise» it was, read the Book of Nehemiah.

Why did the leaders of «Watch Tower» decide that Jews lived in paradise? If you have a look at paragraph 16 on page 12, you will see that is can possibly be connected with the influence which was produced upon them by the soil scientist Walter Laudermilk, who called Israel «a pastoral paradise» in the magazine «Scientific American» …

Here I would like to stop the present consideration and ask the same question which I asked 2 years ago. Today I am going to do it in a more modern language. So:

-- Is what you call «spiritual paradise» already an original or does it only bear any resemblance to the original?!!

Further updating of the site is going to take place approximately in 30 days. In case you wish to provide backup, see chapter «backup». Write letters in Russian or at least in English. Otherwise they won’t be read.