2011 February Kingdom Witness

8/7/2019 2011 February Kingdom Witness

1/19

Kingdom Witness

February 2011

Do You Fear the Enemy? The Importance of Having True Faith

Jah is the only true God. With striking emphasis He so informed the people of Israel atMount Sinai. That He did for their own benefit. The Name Jah (Syriac, MaR YaH,Hebrew YaHWeH) signifies His purposes toward His people. That was the Name bywhich He revealed Himself to Moses and to others of Israel. His expressed purposewas to lead that people in the right way and show them the way to life. Had Israelfaithfully kept the Covenant God made with that people, life would have been the

result. You shall therefore keep my commandments and my judgments, which if aman do, he shall live in them; I am the Lord Jah. Leviticus 18:5.

Jah established with Israel the pure worship (James 1:27; Lamsa reads: pure andholy ministry); namely, that they should worship Jah as the only true God and haveno other gods besides Him. Satan the enemy, the chief of devils, and the invisible rulerof the other nations, established with those nations the false religion, namely, theworship of devils.

God raised a shield for the protection of Israel, by the terms of the Law which He gavethem. That Law provided severe punishment for any one who indulged in devil-worship. (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:26,27; Deuteronomy 18:9-14) The experiencesthrough which Israel passed were primarily to demonstrate to them the necessity ofloyalty and faithfulness to Jah. The evil one, satan, hated the loyal Jews and sought todestroy them in whatever way he could. His constant effort was to turn them awayfrom the true God. During the time of Joshua the Israelites were faithful to God.Shortly after his death they began to forget God and fell into sin.

And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord Jah, andserved the Baalim; and they forsook the Lord Jah, the God of their fathers, whobrought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the

peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down unto them: and theyprovoked the Lord Jah to anger. And they forsook the Lord Jah, and served Baal andthe Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord Jah was kindled against Israel, and hedelivered them into the hands of spoilers that despoiled them; and he sold them intothe hands of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before theirenemies. Judges 2:11-14.

1


2/19

And when the Lord Jah raised them up judges, then the Lord Jah was with the judge,and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for itrepented the Lord Jah because of their groaning by reason of them that oppressedthem and vexed them. (Judges 2:18) Then the Lord permitted the heathen to dwellnear Israel to test them.

Now these are the nations which the Lord Jah left, to prove Israel by them, even asmany of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan And the children of Israeldwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and theHivites, and the Jebusites: and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gavetheir own daughters to their sons and served their gods. And the children of Israel didthat which was evil in the sight of the Lord Jah, and forgot the Lord Jah their God, andserved the Baalim and the Asheroth. Judges 3:1, 5-7.

Again the Lord permitted the Israelites to have great tribulation, and when they criedto Him again He heard their cry and delivered them. (Judges 3: 9,10) Time and time

again the Israelites were unfaithful to their Covenant, and time and again were theypunished therefor, and when they cried to Jah He heard them and delivered them. Judges 4:1-15; 6:7.

Then Jah raised up the judge Samuel, who was true and faithful to Jah; and because ofhis faithfulness the Lord delivered Israel out of the hand of their enemies during all thedays of Samuel.

Be it noted that whenever Israel was faithful to Jah He always delivered them fromtheir enemies. Without doubt He did this to teach them that He was not only theirgreat God but their true and only Friend, and that satan was and is their enemy. Somemarked demonstrations of Gods loving-kindness to Israel are shown in the instancesrecorded in the Scriptures. A few of these are here recounted:

Gideon, who served God and who prayed unto God for help, with a little band of threehundred men put to flight a host of 200,000 Midianites, God causing these to slay oneanother. Without a doubt the Lord thus showed His favor because Gideon obeyed thevoice of Jah and defied the devil and his organization. (Judges 6:11-40; 7:1-25) In thisgreat conflict Gideon and his little company of three hundred did nothing but holdhigh their lamps and cry out: The sword of the Lord Jah, and of Gideon. Jah did therest and caused the destruction of the Midianites.

When Jehoshaphat was king, the combined armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seircame up against the Israelites. Jehoshaphat knew that he could not withstand theassault of this great enemy. He gathered the Israelites before the Temple at Jerusalem,the men, women and children. Standing before the Temple, and as the mouthpiece ofIsrael, Jehoshaphat prayed to Jah God, saying: O Lord Jah, the God of our fathers, areyou not God in heaven? and are you not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and

2


3/19

in your hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand you And all Judahstood before the Lord Jah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 2Chronicles 20:6,13.

Then the Lord heard the prayer of Jehoshaphat, and caused Jahaziel, a son of the tribeof Levi, to prophesy and to tell Jehoshaphat to not be afraid nor dismayed by reason

of this great multitude, but that he should go out to battle and the enemy should fall.He said: You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand still, and seethe salvation of the Lord Jah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor bedismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord Jah will be with you. 2Chronicles 20:17.

And then, under the instructions of the Lord, Jehoshaphat appointed singers to Jah,who should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army and praiseJah for His mercy and goodness. The next day they went out to battle; and as theenemy approached, these singers began to sing the praises of Jah. And when they

began to sing and to praise, the Lord Jah set liers-in-wait (ambushers) against thechildren of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and theywere smitten. Vs. 22.

On another occasion, the fourteenth year of the reign of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib,king of Assyria, came to give battle against the city of Jerusalem. The king of Assyriawas an arrogant, haughty heathen who worshiped the devil. This arrogant heathenking with his great army sent messengers to Hezekiah and defied Almighty God. WhenHezekiah heard this message he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackclothand ashes and went down to the house of Jah. Hezekiah was greatly in fear and introuble, and he sent his servant who came to Isaiah the prophet. And Isaiahprophesied:

And Isaiah said to them, Thus shall you say to your master, Thus says the Lord Jah,Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, wherewith the servants of the kingof Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall heartidings, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in hisown land. Isaiah 37:6,7.

Again the king of Assyria sent messengers to Hezekiah with a letter, attempting toweaken the faith of Hezekiah in Jah God.

And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; andHezekiah went up to the house of the Lord Jah, and spread it before the Lord Jah. AndHezekiah prayed to the Lord Jah, saying, O Lord Jah of hosts, the God of Israel, thatsits above the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of theearth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord Jah, and hear; openyour eyes, O Lord Jah, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to

3


4/19

defy the living God. Of a truth, Lord Jah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all thecountries, and their land, and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods,but the work of mens hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.Now therefore, O Lord Jah our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms ofthe earth may know that you are the Lord Jah, even you only. Isaiah 37:14-20.

Then Isaiah prophesied and said unto King Hezekiah: Therefore thus says the LordJah concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come to this city, nor shoot an arrowthere, neither shall he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it. Bythe way that he came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come to this city,says the Lord Jah. For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for myservant Davids sake. Isa. 37:33-35.

The silence of night settled down upon the holy city of Jerusalem, but the inhabitantsthereof did not sleep. They knew that there stood before the gates of the place of theirhabitation a mighty and terrible army that had never known defeat, an army so

powerful that it could snuff out the Israelites as the wind drives the chaff before it.They knew that nothing could save them from this terrible enemy except the mightyhand of God. Jah God had heard the prayer of Hezekiah, and the people waited. Andwhile they waited Jah performed His great work for His Names sake and for the sakeof David His beloved servant; and the devil and all his angels could not lift a finger toaid his servant Sennacherib and his mighty army.

When the curtains of night lifted, there lay spread out before the city, upon the hillsand plains, 185,000 dead men of Sennacheribs army.

The Israelites had not struck a blow. The God of heaven, the God of Abraham, Isaacand Jacob, had delivered them out of the hands of the enemy, as it is recorded: Andthe angel of the Lord Jah went forth, and struck in the camp of the Assyrians 185,000;and when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Isaiah 37:36.

Many other examples appear in the Scriptures of how Jah defended Israel His people.All these things Jah did that Israel might learn that He is the Almighty God, theCreator of heaven and earth, and that His power is without limitation; that He is theirfriend and deliverer, and could deliver them at any time out of the hands of thegreatest of all enemies. Notwithstanding this great deliverance Israel again yielded to

the seductive influence of satan the enemy and turned away from God.

These things are recounted here, not for the purpose of reproaching the Jews, but forthe purpose of proving that their hope, and only hope, is to trust Jah and obey Hisvoice. In the Law, God had warned Israel what they might expect to suffer if theydisobeyed His Law. To them He said:

4


5/19

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image,neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I amthe Lord your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am theLord.

If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give

you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the fieldshall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintageshall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell inyour land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down and none shallmake you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword gothrough your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you bythe sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put tenthousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will haverespect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenantwith you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I

will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walkamong you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. I am the Lord your God,which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen;and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments; and if youshall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that you will not doall my commandments, but that you break my covenant: I also will do this to you; I willeven appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consumethe eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and you shall sow your seed in vain, for yourenemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before yourenemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and you shall flee when none pursuesyou. And if you will not yet for all this listen to me, then I will punish you seven timesmore for your sins. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, andcast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. And Iwill make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will notsmell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: andyour enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter youamong the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall bedesolate, and your cities waste. Lev. 26:1-18, 30-33.

Because of their repeated violation of their covenant in forsaking the only true God andfalling to the wiles of the enemy, Jah caused His prophet Jeremiah to say to them:

Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says the Lord Jah, and I willsend to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them againstthis land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around; and I willutterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual

5


6/19

desolations. Jeremiah 25:9.

Zedekiah was Israels last king. He did evil in the sight of God. He mocked the prophetswhom Jah sent, and despised the words of God spoken by the prophets, and misusedthem. (2 Chronicles 36:12-16) Then the Lord, through the mouth of the ProphetEzekiel, pronounced the final decree against Israel:

Therefore thus says the Lord Jah: Because you have made your iniquity to beremembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings yoursins appear; because you have come to memory, you shall be taken with the hand. You,deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time ofthe iniquity of the end, thus says the Lord Jah: Remove the turban, and take off thecrown; this shall be no more the same; exalt that which is low, and abase that which ishigh. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more, until he comewhose right it is; and I will give it him. Ezekiel 21: 24-27.

Then Jah brought upon the Israelites the Chaldeans, who broke down the wall ofJerusalem and burned the house of the Lord and all the places thereabout and carriedaway the people captive to Babylon; and they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes,and then put out the eyes of the king, bound him in fetters, and carried him toBabylon. All this was done in fulfillment of the prophecy which had been given as awarning to Israel. (See 2 Kings 25: 6,7; 2 Chronicles 36:21)

Why did the nation of Israel fall? The answer is, Because of their unfaithfulness totheir God Jah. It is true that a portion of the Israelites returned from Babylon seventyyears later; but never again did they have a king, and never again did they have fullpossession of the land. They were subject to other nations, and finally were completelyoverthrown by the Romans, the last vestige of their power disappeared from their land.

But is Israel cast off for ever? The answer is, No, indeed! Mark the statement made byJah to Ezekiel at the time of pronouncing the final decree against them. It is: I willoverturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more, until he come whose right itis; and I will give it him. (Ezekiel 21: 27) The mere fact that Jah said He wouldoverturn it until a set time is conclusive proof that it is Gods purpose to restore thenation of Israel to His favor upon certain conditions. But when? The answer is, Withthe coming of Shiloh, the Messiah, to whom shall the gathering of the people be, aspromised in Genesis 49:10. Then He of whom Moses was a type shall come into His

own. (Deuteronomy 18:15-18) That will mark the time when the favor of God may beexpected to return to Israel.

Since it was unfaithfulness to Jah that caused them to be cast off, what should weexpect will enable Israel to be restored to Gods favor? The answer is, Faith in God andin His Word, and full obedience to Him. What is the reason why they were unfaithfulto God? Clearly the answer is, Because satan the enemy blinded them to the great

6


7/19

truths which God had told them. But this blindness is not to continue for ever; andwhen it is removed there shall come to them the great Messiah, who shall turn awayungodliness from the descendants of Judah; and his house shall be saved and returnedto Gods favor. (Romans 11:26,27) {R:L,cIV}

=============================

Living After the Flesh Its Consequences

For if you live after the flesh, you shall die. (Rom. 8:13)

What is it to live after the flesh? We answer, It is to live after, in conformity to, and ingratification of, the inclinations and cravings of the fallen human nature. And it is theeasiest thing possible to do this. All we have to do is just listlessly to abandon ourselvesto the current of our old nature, and cease to strive against it. As soon as we do this, webegin to float down the stream, and by and by we find the current more and more

rapid and resistance more and more difficult.

=============================

If We Dont Have Love

Love works no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law (Rom.13:10)

He who finds his heart not in harmony with this law of the New Covenant, love-mercy,kindness, gentleness, goodness-lacks the evidence or proof that he is in any sense ofthe word accepted as a son of God and a follower of Christ. If we have not love in ourhearts for the brethren, and the love of gentleness and benevolence toward all men,and even toward the brute creation, we have not the spirit which will carry us throughin making the sacrifices necessary under present conditions.

It will only be a question of time with such when the power of pride or vainglory,holding them in the way of sacrifice, will snap asunder, and selfishness take fullcontrol.

=============================

In His Own Time

Promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. ButGod is the judge. he puts down one, and sets up another (Psa. 75:6,7)

We may have desires and aspirations for usefulness which will never be gratified. Jah

7


8/19

may see that we could not bear the exaltation and honor which we seek. He knows farbetter than we do what is for our good, and so He would have us rest contented in Hisprovidence, not idle, but diligent; not careless, but watchful; not indifferent, but full ofintense, earnest longing to do the will of God; yet patient under restraint, and contentto be neglected and forgotten, remembering that they also serve who only stand andwait and that God in His own well-chosen hour can lead us forth to fulfill His

purposes.

=============================

Come Out of Her

Come out of her, my people, that you do become partakers of her sins, and that you donot receive of her plagues (Rev. 18:4)

Whoever are worthy the name, My people, will hear and obey Jahs voice and come

out of Babylon and not receive of her plagues; because their obedience in fleeing outas soon as they see Babylons real condition will prove that they were never in realaccord with her sins.

Those who remain after seeing Babylon and her blasphemous doctrines in the lightnow shining are reckoned as endorsing the blasphemies and deserving the plaguesmost thoroughly-as much as or more than the tare class of Babylonians, because theyhave greater light.

=============================

When They Persecute You

Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say allmanner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: forgreat is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were beforeyou (Matt. 5: 11,12)

Some form of opposition or persecution always come against us when engaged in theministry and in our general service to God, and such should be met with reason andcandor; and when these fail of their purpose, then, with solemn warnings of the

dangers of such a course, the wilful opposer should be left to pursue his own coursewhile we turn to others with the message of salvation.

In the opposition which our Lord incurred and the manner in which He met it, thereare valuable lessons for all who are similarly tried.

8


9/19

Stand Firm for Truth Theocratic Conference

February 1, 2011 Stand Firm for Truth Theocratic Conference

Assembled on this 1st day of February 2011, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA),

delegates from or of Canada, the United States of America, South America, theRepublic of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Moldova, being associates ofthe True Faith Association of Jahs Worshipers and True Friends of Jehovahs Way,and finally, the International Theocratic Bible Students Association, join our voices inharmony in making this statement as regards our stand:

We must stand firm for what we have and look forward to what we will be blessed withby Almighty God, remaining steadfast for His Truth found within His Word. We cameout of Babylon, the Watchtower organization, the false Mizpah, indoctrinated withteachings of darkness, the belief that the governing body is the highest authority on

earth for bringing Gods teachings to mankind, calling the Watchtower organizationthe visible organization of Jehovah on earth. We reject such ideology and cultthinking. Only God and His Son are our leaders.

Yes, we have much to work through to see the clear light of Gods written Word and wewill stand firm with what we currently have, using the Bible and to assist us, thevarious earlier, more stable publications and writings, adjusting our thinking whereour God Jah corrects us with the Spirit of Holiness.

1. For these and other reasons we have decided to undertake a serious study onchronology. Our previous association, the Watchtower organization has made so manychronological statements, or prophecies, that have come to fail, they and those whocontinue associating with that organization, appear as foolish and uncredible to everyright thinking man and woman. Thus we reject all of the erroneous teachingsconcerning chronology presented by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.(Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

2. We reject the teaching of the Watchtower organization concerning their reversal ofteaching concerning the higher authorities and proclaim that God and His Son arethe higher authorities. (Romans 13:1)

3. We reject the New World Translation in all its editions and revisions as a bad andbiased translation, which brings no benefit to a man who seeks after the pure truth ofGods Word. We believe that the use of the New World Translation as a source ofdoctrine will lead a man into darkness. (Exodus 23:1)

4. We believe the governing body of the Watchtower organization has become theman of sin. (2 Thessalonians chapter 2)

9


10/19

5. We disavow all cultic thinking and ideology that originated with the false governingbody of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and look to Almighty God as ourleader and His Son as our teacher through the Spirit of Holiness. (Psalms 119:1-9;Matthew 5:17-20; John 14:26)

Our Appeal:We invite all people who love righteousness and truth to come to the Creator and prayfor Him to reveal His truth to their eyes and to their ears. We stand firm with all whostand on the side of Jah and consider them as our brothers and our sisters in the truth.We shall obey God rather than men! (Acts 5:29) http://www.tfjw.org/

=============================

Imitating Christ

Be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, inpurity (1 Tim. 4:12)

Every Christian should strive to be a pattern worthy of imitation-a pattern of earnest,faithful endeavor to copy Christ in his daily life, and of active zeal in His service.Patterns of perfection, of the ultimate moral glory and beauty of holiness, we cannotexpect to be in the present life. Such a pattern we have only in Christ our Lord.

In no such sense did Paul ever say, Follow me, or Follow us; but he did say, Befollowers of me, even as I also am of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). The Apostle was a grandexample of earnest endeavor to attain perfection, but not of the ultimate perfectionwhich is in Christ only; and it is his zeal and intense earnestness in striving to copyChrist and to accomplish His will that we should seek to imitate.

=============================

Return to Your Rest

Return to your rest, O my soul; for the Lord Jah has dealt bountifully with you (Psa.116:7)

The Christians habit of thought has much indeed to do with his spiritual progress orretrogression, as it is also an index of his spiritual state; and good habits of thoughtneed to be carefully cultivated.

By habit of thought we mean that normal condition to which the mind habitually(characteristically) returns in the moments of mental leisure. While engaged in theactive duties of life, we must of necessity bend our mental energies to the work at

10


11/19

hand, for if we do anything merely mechanically and without concentrating thoughtupon it, we cannot do it well; yet even here Christian principle, well established in thecharacter, will unconsciously guide.

When the strain of labor and care are lifted for a time, the established habit of thought,like the needle to the pole, should quickly, return to its rest in God.

=============================

A Prayer of the Consecrated

In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgivinglet your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses allunderstanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:6,7)

Dear Heavenly Father, reverently, and in the name of Jesus, I approach Your throne ofgrace to renew my consecration vow today, not content with having made myconsecration years ago, nor even yesterday, I renew it today, and present to You mybody and all its powers, my heart and all its affections. I give to You willingly andgladly everything I possess to be wholly Yours today. I would not withhold from Youone single things.

Gracious and loving Father and dear Lord Jesus, come in all Your fullness into myheart and life take full possession and reign there supreme today, for there is noneabove You.

Dear Lord Jesus, my glorious High Priest and Head to Your Body, the Church,continue to offer me today upon Gods Holy Altar of sacrifice and until the sacrifice iscompleted in death.

May the Name of the Father Jehovah, the Creator of the Universe, and His Son belifted up high above the nations.

May the Theocratic Kingdom, hope of the peoples, come in our lifetime and in thelifetime of all those who seek You this day in Truth.

(This prayer is adapted upon the original by W.J. Thorn, appearing in the book The Call of the Bride byLardent).

11


12/19

Overcoming Lack of Faith

O you of little faith, wherefore did you doubt? (Matt. 14:31)

What must be done to overcome this lack of faith, and to have an increase of faith? We

answer that, like the Apostles of old, we should pray, Lord, increase our faith. Andthen, acting in harmony with this prayer, each should cultivate faith in his own heart:

(a) by refreshing his memory continually with the Divine promises, becoming veryfamiliar with these in the Fathers Word and

(b) by seeking more and more to remember that, having made his covenant with Jah,these promises are his, and in his heart and with his lips he should claim them as his before the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving. He should claim them in his ownthoughts, and in his conferences on holy things with the brethren.

=============================

Mind Over the Body

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. For they are life untothose that find them, and health to all their flesh (Prov. 4:20,22)

Few recognize the influence of the mind over the body. God has so organized ourbeings that pure, noble, holy thoughts in general have not only an elevating andennobling effect upon the mental and moral constitution, but also an invigoratinginfluence upon the physical system.

However, every unclean, ignoble, unchaste, unholy thought (as well as act) has a directeffect not only toward debasement of mind and morals, but also toward thegermination of seeds of disease already in the constitution of the fallen race.

=============================

To us the Scriptures clearly teach...

That the Lord Jah (Yahweh, YHWH, Jehovah) is the only true God, the Creator of theheavens and the earth, and is from everlasting to everlasting; that the Word was withGod in the beginning, taking part in the creation; that the Word became a man; thatHe is the Lord Jeshu (Jesus) Messiah in glory, clothed with all power in heaven andearth.

That God created the earth for man, created perfect man for the earth and placed him

12


13/19

upon it; that man willfully disobeyed Gods Law and was sentenced to death; that byreason of Adams wrongful act all men are born sinners and without the right to life.

That Jeshu was manifested as human being in order that He might become theRedeemer of man; that He gave His life as a ransom sacrifice for man and therebyproduced the ransom price; that Jeshu the divine arose from the dead, ascended into

heaven, and presented the value of His human sacrifice as the redemptive price forman.

That for many centuries God, through Messiah, has been selecting from amongst Hischildren the members of His true church, which constitutes the Body of Messiah theRemnant; that the mission of the Remnant is to follow in the footsteps of her LordJeshu Messiah, grow in His likeness, give testimony to the Name and arrangements ofJah God, and ultimately be glorified with Messiah Jeshu in His heavenly kingdom; thatMessiah, Head and body, constitutes the seed of Abraham through which all thefamilies of the earth shall be blessed.

That the Bible is the inspired Word of God, containing the Divine Arrangement or Planof the Creator for His people and that it should be studied on a daily basis; that it is theonly Book on which Jahs servants must base their beliefs.

That the modern-day return of Jews to the Land of Israel and the establishment of theState of Israel is in line with Biblical prophecies concerning the restoration of Godspeople to Divine favor. That the nation of Israel will eventually be restored toperfection under the Theocratic Kingdom of Messiah.

That the Lord Jeshu is now present with the Remnant; that Jah has placed MessiahJeshu upon His throne and now commands all nations and peoples to hear and obeyHim.

That the hope of the peoples of earth is restoration to human perfection during thereign of Messiah in His Theocratic Kingdom; that the reign of Messiah will provideopportunity to every man, woman and child to have a fair trial for life and those whoobey will live on earth for ever in a state of happiness.

=============================

Listen to the Voice

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, whenyou turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left. (Isa. 30:21)

If we have come to the forks of the road to some crisis in our experience and do not knowwhether to turn to the right or to the left, we should stop at once and listen to the voice.

13


14/19

We should turn at once to the Word of God, and by pondering its precepts andprinciples, and its illustrations bearing on the perplexing subject, seek to learn the willof Jah, asking also the leading of His Spirit, and endeavoring to bring the mind into aloving, submissive and trustful attitude.

=============================

Sharing With Others in Your Ministry (February)

Dear brothers and sisters,

Go therefore, and teach all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, andthe Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I havecommanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20)

We encourage the distribution of Gods Word the Bible in as many formats possible,whether by printed page or electronic. The publication we suggest below should beviewed as a supplement or help to aid in the study of the Word of God, and never as areplacement to the Holy Scriptures.

Every Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, forcorrection, and for instruction in right doing; so that the man of God may be complete,perfectly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16, 17, Weymouth)

SUGGESTED FOR FEBRUARY 2011The Divine PlanPamphlet detailing the Divine Plan in brief. Asks the questions, What is Gods Plan for You, How Can You Find It? We suggest major distribution of this particularpamphlet as it draws attention to the Word of God by use of several Scripturequotations. Four pages. Can be printed back to back on two pages. There is a place foryour address label or other contact information.

=============================

CORRESPONDENCE

"I have been doing some research on the Watchtower Society's missionary effortsamong Jews in different countries, especially in Israel and the U.S. Do you have anyinformation and is the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures available inHebrew? Are you aware of any specific literature that was published in the Jewish-German (Yiddish) or Hebrew languages? What about Jewish-Spanish? And whatBible do Witnesses in Israel use? What are your thoughts on why there are not more

14


15/19

Witnesses of Jewish origin within the Organization?"- Florida, USA.

Dear friend, in our conversations with Israeli adherants of the Watchtower Society, wehave found there is very little literature available in Hebrew, yet they do not have theNew World Translation, although within the publications, various passages aretranslated, likely from English to Hebrew. While English is taught in the schools, there

are still many Israelis who only speak Hebrew. Without a copy of the New WorldTranslation in their language, they consult translations that are available to them and,as some have told us, often find discrepencies between Watchtower doctrines and theBible itself. A representative told us, "If the individual is honest with himself and trueto Jehovah, he will remain faithful to the text of the Bible and ignore that which doesnot agree with it. Even when certain verses are translated to Hebrew from the EnglishNew World Translation, we still consult the Bible translation familiar to us in ourlanguage." We could not agree more on this matter.

There are many Hebrew translations of the Bible, some in modern Hebrew, but there

is no Hebrew New World Translation. Thank God! The same individual told us, "Thishas caused some Witnesses in Israel to hold to slightly different beliefs than theWatchtower in the U.S. or certain other countries. This is the same situation with othercountries where there is no New World Translation in their language. You will find aslightly liberal population among Witnesses in those lands."

Just as there are Hebrew translations of the Bible, there are Yiddish translations of theHebrew and Christian Scriptures that Jews may consult. They too in America havefound error in the Society's doctrines because it is easy to discover that those doctrinessimply do not match up with what the Bible itself says. It is not likely the New WorldTranslation would ever be published in Yiddish.The Watchtower Society has published literature in Yiddish beginning in its early days.One of the first publications was the Book of Hebrews from the Christian GreekScriptures. This was during C.T. Russell's era. Back in the 1930's and 1940's theSociety published a few titles translated to Yiddish from the original English editions.Some of the literature in Yiddish, from previous years, included:

1) Treist far di Yiden (Comfort for the Jews) 1925 small book,2)Dos Konigraykh: Di Hofenung fun der Velt(The Kingdom Hope for All Mankind)1931 booklet,

3)Reykhtum (Riches) 1936 book,4)Flikhtlingen (Refugees) 1940 booklet,5)Loz Got Zayin Vorhaftik (Let God Be True) 1949 book.

These publications are still available from many resources, but the Society no longerpublishes them because of major doctrinal changes since those years.

15


16/19

Some individuals prior to the 1950's published Yiddish literature independelty,although bearing the name "International Bible Students Association" on the backcover. This was mostly books from the Scriptures for distribution in the door-to-doorwork but such publications were probably never officially recognized by the Society.We have a few of these independent publications and the Society's Yiddish literature inour archives library. One such publication we have is a facsmilie of a pamphlet called

"Tree of Life" containing Scripture passages from the Scriptures in Yiddish (only fromthe Hebrew Scriptures). The date on this pamphlet is 1968 and it bears the name"International Bible Students Association" in Yiddish and English. We inquired of theSociety concerning its publication and they informed us they are unaware of it.

We have a copy of a book, which we began distributing last year, called "Psalms" inHebrew, with the title "Daily Psalms" in English on the inside front cover. It also bearsthe name "Published by the International Bible Students Association - 1997, DailyManna for the House of Israel," however, the Watchtower Society claims they neverpublished it. There is a Hebrew edition of C.T. Russell's "Divine Plan of the Ages" in

Hebrew, but we have recently been informed it was translated and published by non- Witnesses. It appears to be a condensed edition of Russell's original work with amodern "Chart of the Ages" in Hebrew on the inside.

The Society has also translated some of their literature, such as the Watchtower andAwake magazines in Hebrew. Some of these include "United in Worship of the OnlyTrue God," the "Family Happiness" book, "My Book of Bible Stories," and probablymost recently, the book "What Does the Bible Really Teach?" along with the"Exmaining the Scriptures Daily" book - the latter being published annually, whichreplaces, for Watchtower adherants, the "Daily Heavenly Manna" book.

You inquired about "Spanish-Jewish" literature. We are not aware of any of theSociety's publications being translated to Ladino (Jewish-Spanish). If anyone knowsdifferently please inform us of the matter.

There was never a lot of success on the part of the Watchtower Society in attempting toreach the Jewish population due to various problems (and this is still the case today),mainly due to the fact of the Society's blatant anti-Semitic remarks that beganappearing in the Watchtower publications after they took the name "Jehovah's Witnesses," and the Nazi-conciliation issue in Germany. Several discouraging andoutright nasty comments were made in some of the later publications concerning Jews

and others. For example, we read the following comment in the book "Enemies":"religious organizations at the present, the Yiddish and Protestants, deal with theRoman Catholic Hierarchy because it appears to them to be to their selfish advantage."(page 225).

In the 1934 Declaration of Facts from the Watchtower Society, it reads, in part: "It hasbeen the commercial Jews of the British-American empire that have built up and

16


17/19

carried on Big Business as a means of exploiting and oppressing the peoples of manynations. This fact particularly applies to the cities of London and New York, thestronghold of Big Business." The Declaration also reads: "Instead of being against theprinciples advocated by the government of Germany, we stand squarely for suchprinciples and point out that Jehovah God through Christ Jesus will bring about thefull realization of these principles."

It has been comments such as those and others that have put a major strain on the Watchtower Society's relationship with the Jewish people. Many years ago theSociety's literature held up the Biblical hope for the Jewish people with publicationsand sermons detailing the Bible's prophecies concerning Jews returning to the Land ofIsrael, including the development of Zionism. It was not until the early 1930's that theview of Witnesses changed on the matter. It was later said in one of the more modernpublications of the Society that the Jewish people could not possibly be God's chosenpeople because of Israel's involvement with the U.N. This is ironic because of theSociety's recent involvement with the U.N. If involvement with the U.N. disqualifies a

person or group from being Jehovah's people, then this would make the Witnesseswho adhere to the Watchtower Society, Jehovah's enemies. We have discussed thistopic numerous times in previous issues of our journals and newsletters.

---

I ran across your website link on Paradise Cafe Discussions I frequent and enjoyedwhat appears to me is a freshness of simplicity and 'non-organizational' faith bypersons who are not looking to 'grandstand' themselves. Looks like you have a goodthing going - if - you can keep it going. As you surely know the history of anything'organized' winds up a twisted mess... What is the history of your group in terms ofwhen it started - it appears your group is a split off from the mainstream JWs? Orare you a genre of pre-JWs International Bible Students? Where and when are yourconventions held for 2010?- Alaska, USA.

Dear friend, Kingdom Witness is published by the Theocratic Bible Institute, apublisher and not an organization. We publish literature for various groups of similartheological understandings, mostly former members of the WT organization, such asthe "Friends of Jehovah," "Theocratic Bible Students Association," etc. Those withinsuch associations who use the Institute for their literature publishing needs are from avariety of backgrounds such as Bible Students, early JWs from the 1930's and 1950's,

Romania, Czech Republic and Republic of Slovakia.

More information is available on the various groups that use the Institute for theirliterature at http://www.tfjw.org/ Please note that these groups are not the same asthe "True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses of Romania," although there is a group known bythe name "True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses of North and South America," they are onlysimilar in various aspects of theology, but not all. They are independent of the

17


18/19

Romanian group, and prefer the names "True Friends of Jehovah's Way" and "TrueFaith Association of Jah's Worshipers." There is an incredible number of groups andindividuals in Eastern Europe who use the name "Jehovah's Witness" to refer tothemselves, even though they are not affiliated with the Watchtower of Brooklyn.

We do not believe in the necessity of man made organizations nor in membership in

such. Rather, we believe in the simple home congregation and Bible study as was thecase with the early Brethren in the first century. The Institute does not holdconventions as do the Bible Students, but we have conferences of those who are electedto serve on the various editorial boards. Some of the groups I mentioned above held aconference on February 1 of this year and this was sponsored in part by the Institute inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, attended by delegates from their respective lands andlanguage groups. At the conference, they made a five point resolution, available online,in regards to the doctrines of the Watchtower Corporation and where the associationstands on each issue. These were in relation to chronology, the "higher authorities" ofRomans 13:1, use of the New World Translation, the "man of sin" referred to in 2

Thessalonians, and leadership. - S. Harding, Jr.

=============================

Kingdom Witness Journal

The Kingdom Witness is published by the Theocratic Bible Institute and offered at nocharge to those who are interested in the contents of its pages. We pray that thearticles and other items presented within our humble journal are a source of blessingto its readers. Kingdom Witness is a non-sectarian, non-denominational journalpromoting Bible study in view of the harvest and the coming Kingdom of Messiah. Ourhumble journal is published monthly. The editors are not interested in making profitsfrom the distribution of God's Word and Bible study related publications; neither do we request or accept contributions. All expenses involved with the work of theTheocratic Bible Institute is covered by the editorial committee. The Theocratic BibleInstitute is NOT an organization, but rather a publisher of Bible based literature.Neither do we seek or encourage membership in man-made organizations.

Editorial Committee:Jonathan Stephen Harding (chief editor), Stephen Harding II, James Harding, CamillaSmothers

Please note that the purpose of this journal is to serve as a supplement but NEVER as areplacement for Bible study and reading. If you would like to share poetry orencouraging letters, we invite you to contact the editor through email attheocraticstudies at gmail dot com Visit our Website at www.KingdomWitness.com

18


19/19

ANNOUNCEMENT

Date for Annual Passover Meal of our Lord 2011

Greetings to our dear brothers and sisters in Jahs service.

For the Messiah also once died for our sins, the righteous for sinners; that he mightbring you to God. And he died in body, but lived in spirit. (1 Peter 3:18, MurdocksEnglish translation of the Christian Syriac Scriptures).

This year, we will be observing the annual Passover Meal of our Lord in our homesafter sundown, Nisan 14, which is equivalent to the evening of April 17.

Wine and unleavened bread will be used. A suggested program will be published withthe March issue of the Kingdom Witness journal.

19

Documents

2011 February Kingdom Witness