Patience - Part 2

IT'S OKAY! TAKE YOUR TIME

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Jewish Lords' Witness

​​Chronological Failings

As anyone following the writings of the Lords’ Witnesses (LWs) will know, we are the church of (nearly) a thousand chronological mistakes. Whilst I have made a point of distancing myself from that work by continuing to lead my life regardless of our chronology, that is not the case for several of my brothers in Christ. To varying extents, they have sacrificed their physical futures in this world for their spiritual futures in the Kingdom. Trusting in our chronology has clearly given them much stress in their lives. Given my senior years, I have been able to continue my life without feeling the need to change the way I live it. Hopefully I have got the balance right. Either way I pray that we find our way into God's Kingdom and out of the mess that mankind and the demons have made of this world. Amen.

While the LWs have been living under the cloud of our incorrect chronological predictions for some years now since 2006, circumstances for us seem to have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks. I believe the cause of this is down to  the more frequent than usual changes to that chronology which is causing us to have numerous changes in the calendar and consequently frequent repetitious festivals. The latter for me is devaluing the meaning of those festivals. If we are indeed the Fourth True Christian Church, are we really meant to be doing this? It does not feel right to me so, arguably, it probably is not right!

On the other hand, Paul recognised that putting oneself in a position of weakness for Christ’s sake was a blessing. Certainly, the LW’s chronological errors have put the church in a very weak position in mankind’s terms. Could Paul’s words pertain also to a church?

9 And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12 ASV)

Ironically this all seems to be happening at a time of unprecedented risk of global warfare given the current hostilities between the state of Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. WW3 seems closer than ever, but we have still not seen any of the specific signs that should be its precursors according to the scriptures.
 

Our Troubles

But I did not start writing this paper for the above reasons, although they do seem to fit the original cause. Some considerable time after writing my original Patience paper, I tripped up over the following scripture that I had inadvertently missed out. Perhaps the Holy Spirit was waiting for this particular point in time to direct me into its inclusion:

8 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; (2 Corinthians 4 KJV)

So how do today’s LWs match up with Paul’s Corinthian congregation? Let us check that out:

‘Troubled on every side’: Yes, we can certainly identify with that as can any true-hearted human being, living in today’s evil world.
‘Not distressed’: Well, I think we are all somewhat distressed at the state of the world. Hopefully our faith will see us through these dark times.
‘Perplexed’: Speaking for myself, I am perplexed as to how bad do things have to get before we are rescued from the Sodom and Gomorrah that we currently live in. Also why have we been commissioned to persevere with the chronology of a thousand mistakes? What actually is the point?
‘Not in Despair’: I think some of us are ‘in despair’ to the extent that our very faith is being challenged currently to a serious extent.
‘Persecuted’: I do not feel that we are being persecuted especially, although I think that Christian values are certainly being challenged every day at home and abroad.
‘Not forsaken’: Again, this is a matter of maintaining our faith, which is proving a to be a real trial whilst bringing us the comfort that all the evil we see in the world was fully prophesied in the scriptures.
‘Cast down’: Well yes, we are a laughingstock largely due our multitudinous chronological errors.
‘Not destroyed’: Well, we are still here but hanging on by the skin of our teeth!  

It looks like the 21st century LWs, in my opinion, have scored 5 out of 8 compared with the state of mind of the Corinthian congregation in the 1st century. So how does this inferior 2NC Kings score really stack up with Paul’s 1NC Saints? My concerns are clearly those related the current state of the world together with our numerous and frequently failing chronological calculations. Neither of these would have been particularly relevant to the 1st century Christian churches.

So, what was relevant? In analysing Paul’s letter further, I find that the ‘we’ discussed does not refer to the Corinthian congregation at all but to Paul and his fellow ‘ministers’:

2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men;
3 being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables [that are] hearts of flesh. (2 Corinthians 3 ASV)

Paul clearly had a much harder life in spreading the Gospel message than most of us are used to. Trying to set up a new church based on the old Judaism in a Roman empire with potential believers coming from many different beliefs or sheer paganism seems like mission impossible to me. Trying to fit them all together must have been a trial that none of us has experienced. So perhaps comparing scores is not too relevant. We have trials today but their form is a very different one. I decided to retain the above incorrect comparison because, even in its error, there are truly valuable considerations for today’s LW congregation and all faithful Christians.

I found the following analysis of Paul’s letter to be very helpful in trying to understand the backcloth to Paul’s letter to the Corinthian congregation: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-corinthians-4/, whilst the following from the same letter of Paul probably says it all regarding his personal suffering:

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 [In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11 KJV)
 

1st Century Patience

In considering why Paul's congregations would need patience, the following scripture tells us that would be for the same reason that we do: the awaiting of the return of our Lord:

36 For you have need of patience, that having done the will of God you may obtain the promise.
37 For, yet a very little [while, and] the [One] coming will come, "and will not delay." [Hab. 2:3] (Hebrews 10 GLT)

We know now, of course, that Christ was not to return within the 1st New Covenant (1NC) Saints’ lifetimes; but they were not to know that at the time.

While the world has always seemed a dark place to any man of faith, we are now living in a much more connected environment. We can see global events unfolding before our very eyes and can also discern the amount of disinformation that is put out for the unbelievers. Whilst this is not a new phenomenon, it has certainly reached new and blatant depths in recent times. It certainly seems to those with their eyes open that the demons are back down with us again, this time orchestrating the finale prior to Christ’s return. In these times we must cling on to our faith ever more strongly:

6 In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4 ASV)

But what of those who do not have their eyes open? Over the last year or so I have found it increasingly difficult talking to folk about Christ. It seems that is not just my issue. Many good Christian folk that I know have also suffered from this issue. Even people that I would count as good open-minded agnostics do not seem to want to discuss, in any reasonable manner, what is really going on in the world in any religious sense at all. Satan is the great deceiver of this world (check out Satan The Deceiver) particularly against those that do not believe in his existence:

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4 KJV)
 

Chronological Justification

Next, I thought that I should carry out a forensic analysis of the LW justification for persevering with our chronological efforts. Previously I have accepted that logic at a relatively superficial level but feel that I must now carry out a more detailed examination given my increased concerns on the matter. The LW understanding can be found in item 71 (At an hour you do not think to be it the son of man is coming!) at https://www.truebiblecode.com/index.html#47 from our main website. Having carried out that examination, I find myself concluding that we have been totally correct in carrying out that mission of trying to determine the end-times chronology. It seems that it was prophesied that we would get it wrong although not necessarily as frequently as we have (maybe - see later)! The key scripture in this for me is in the Gospel of Matthew:

44 You too prove yourselves ready for at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming (Matthew 24 NWT).

The logic here being that the hour (day) that we (in the True Church) think the Lord is coming is incorrect (until it is finally correct). So, according to the scriptures, I still think we probably have an incorrect set of dates at the time of writing unless, of course, we actually have it right this time!

Let us take a somewhat more numerical approach to this by taking a look at the final screen-full of ‘A Full History of our 1Kings18 Fire Sign Predictions’ at https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding271az.html. Now, according to that understanding, we have 850 false prophets against 103 prophets of Jehovah competing with them. So arguably there is a surplus of false prophets to true prophets of 747. Our interpretation is that the surplus of false prophets symbolises the number of false chronological predictions that we will make, i.e. 747. According to the records kept in that understanding at the time of writing we have already made 746 false predictions. We acknowledge that those records may not be absolutely precise but they will represent a very good approximation. Consequently, I believe that we are very close to coming to a correct chronology.

God’s count will be totally accurate. It is not for us to know that number precisely since we could then deliberately manufacture false chronologies to make up the count. God would not allow that and neither would His True Church! Also, we were only able to work out that number with this recent understanding, so I believe that we are now being told that we are a very few genuinely false predictions away from uncovering the precise dates of the end-times events. We, therefore, cannot afford to make anything other than genuine chronological errors from this point on to ‘achieve’ God’s true count.

These are the scriptures that provide the numbers of prophets in support of Understanding 271-AZ:

13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of Jehovah, how I hid a hundred men of Jehovah's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here]; and he will slay me.
15 And Elijah said, As Jehovah of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to-day.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. (1 Kings 18 ASV)

19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel's table. (1 Kings 18 ASV)

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.
43 And he said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. (1 Kings 18 ASV)

I am unaware of any other church that has a handle on the date of the Lord’s coming as do the LWs. Indeed, I think that all other churches believe that we are not supposed to know that date so have no accurate idea of it. Certainly, churches and interested individuals have had a stab at it over the last couple of centuries or so. However, today it would seem that it is entirely down to the Lords’ Witnesses Church President, Gordon, with the occasional help from other church members to continue working on the chronology of the end-times. You can check out the history of chronological calculations at our home page:  https://www.truebiblecode.com/index.html, under the heading ‘Mankind's Attempts at predicting the return of the Christ and the absolute end of the World: Hall of fame...’

I have to say that it has always been in my mind as to why there is so much apparently irrelevant numerical information contained in the scriptures. Take this one example selected at random:

3 The sons of Parosh, two thousand, one hundred and seventy two. (Ezra 2 GLT)

Do we really need to know that Parosh had 2,172 sons? Why is it there? To calculate the end-times chronology seems to be the only reasonable response I can think of. Also, I have to say that as a result of the work that Gordon has carried out on the chronology over the years, we now have a very good idea as to how the Kingdom of God will be managed at a detailed level.
 

Laodicea

And another thing! We apparently have a sister church that we refer to as ‘Laodicea’. In 2002 our Church President, Gordon, baptised a senior Jehovah’s Witness, Roger Knight, into the Lords’ Witnesses. That was the last we have seen or heard from him. Gordon believes that he went off to form a Lords’ Witnesses cell within the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

It is thought that there are many discontented JWs and that by ‘stealing’ our baptism they could continue with a LW splinter group within their ranks without ‘officially’ losing any membership. Whilst there are numerous scriptural understandings that arguably involve Laodicea, there has been no observable activity of or contact from them. Given that we are here dealing with a probably rebellious grouping within their otherwise obedient ranks, this strikes me as a wholly improbable situation and casts much doubt in my mind on Gordon’s supposition of the existence of our theoretical ‘sister’ church. I would have to say that awaiting the arrival of our previously unobservable Lord is something I would have expected; I did not expect to have to wait for the arrival of our unobservable sister church!

So let have a look at some of the more important LW understandings that reference the Church of Laodicea: 

First off we have ‘Understanding 135 - The 6 Maledictions of Balak the Watchtower administration, and Balaam, the Laodicean administration, and the Sabbath payback understanding of the Ass’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding135.html). The symbolism in this understanding, related to the forming of Laodicea is very deep to my mind. This does not make it wrong but it does make it unconvincing.

Next up we have ‘Understanding - 173 - Revelation 11: The 2 Witnesses are the LWs and Laodicea. The Spirit of life from God is the 3rd Holy Spirit’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding173.html). Here we again have some very heavy symbolic representations which are not wholly convincing. However, I find that the references to the two witnesses of Revelation 11 certainly do carry some considerable weight in this argument. It still does not explain to me why Laodicea is a hidden church, though:

3 And I will cause my 2 witnesses to prophesy 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth.
4 These are [symbolized by] the 2 olive trees and the 2 lampstands and are standing before the Lord of the earth. (Revelation 11 NWT)

Thirdly we have ‘Understanding 212 - John 11: The resurrection of Lazarus (the 1NC reserves in Laodicea). His 2 sisters are the 2NCs in Laodicea and the 2NCs in the LWs’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding212.html). This I found to be a much more convincing understanding with the representation of the two churches being the two sisters Martha and Mary. Also, the inclusion of the following scripture helped with the observableness issue for me; otherwise why is this being said secretly?

28 And when she had said this, she went off and called Mary her sister, saying secretly: The Teacher is present and is calling you. (John 11 NWT).

Next up we have ‘Understanding 296 - 1Kings3: Solomon's threat to cut the child in two (FDS?)’ at (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding296.html). Again, more deep symbolism but I have to say that the overall concept of the splitting of the LW Church being represented by the prospective severing of the child in two does appeal:

25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. (1 Kings 3 KJV)

Fifth up we have ‘Understanding 297 - Judges 16: Samson is the President of Laodicea, not the 7th angel of Revelation2/3, not the Laodicean Star’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding297.html). In keeping with Understanding 135, I find the symbolism here exceedingly deep and totally unconvincing in all respects.

At number six we have ‘Understanding 360 - The Greater Spies of Numbers 13-14’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding360.html) and ‘Understanding 367 - The 2 Spies of Joshua 2 who come to see us due to being raptured’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding367.html). The idea of equating the stealing of the LW baptism by spies certainly has credibility. However, the whole panoply of understandings represented on these two links seems to cover some very deep symbolism and many presumptions none of which have presented themselves in any visible way to our church as at the time of writing. The jury remains out until observable evidence is provided.

Then at number seven we have ‘Understanding 853 - Satan possessed the President of reappointed Laodicea. He entered him on 2019Tishri10-12, after the morsel/little fragment, the 3rd wife, the smallest group to marry Jesus, was dipped/baptised into the 3EC by the descended 3rd Holy spirit on 2019Elul10 and 2019Tishri10. He presided over the 2019Tishri14/Heshvan14/Chislev14/Tebbeth14 Passovers honourably. THIS WAS HIS REPENTANCE!’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding853.html). This one leaves me somewhat non-plussed ( as does the length of the title!). It seems far-fetched and is probably not provable under any circumstances. I must discount this one completely!

Finally, we have ‘Understanding 904 - John 4: The Samaritan Woman is the Laodicean Church. Living water is a non adamic water baptism.’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding904.html). This understanding does hold some water for me (pun totally intended!). But once again more unproven symbolic understandings.

So where does that leave us?  Overall, our current set of main understandings on Laodicea suggest that there is a case to be made but it is highly speculative and unproven. This must continue to be a thorn in the side of the LWs until such time as the spies come to visit us. Why they have not done so literally beats the Gehenna out of me, except that secrecy is prophesied in scripture, so ours not to reason why!

However, the splitting of God’s people is not without precedent. The split between Israel and Judah being a clear case in point:

19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. (1 Kings 12 KJV)

But what was the origin of this split? It was the following of foreign god’s by Solomon that God caused the split giving 10 tribes of the 12 to an adversary:

9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: [but] I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; [but] will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. (1 Kings 11 KJV)

Does this have any parallels with the Lords’ Witnesses? Well yes. Gordon the LW Church President, spent some considerable time developing a computer operating system, Hyperos, during which period he spent rather less time on bible research. Check out ‘Understanding 34 - The 4 Slaves of the Master in the 2 Presences, 4 administrations of true Christian Religions appointed by Jesus’ (https://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding34.html) at the section entitled ‘The Second Word Symbolism of Luke 12’. There is a clear parallel here in that Gordon went against God’s wishes for him and so a split in the church was the prophesied result. From this, one could again argue that the evidence for the existence of Laodicea is strong as far as the scriptures are concerned. I guess we will just have to sit it out and wait until everything starts to be revealed to us!

Conclusion

So, how does all this leave me? Simply put, I am still concerned about the status of our knowledge of the end-times chronology and our sister church, Laodicea. The chronology is still incorrect until such time as it is proven with clearly visible signs. Similarly, Laodicea will remain hidden from view until such time, as presumably determined by the chronology, they become visible to us. Both will come, I expect, at one and the same time together with many of the visible signs predicted by our chronology.

My deeper delving into the LW understandings on both these subjects has, at least, left me with some comfort. As a member of the Fourth True Christian Church of the day, I have now confirmed to my reasonable satisfaction, that we have, indeed, been tasked with the continuing work on the chronology. Likewise, I also now accept our understanding that we do have a sister church that has, as yet, not made its existence manifest. In my view both notions are supported by scripture and we need our continued Patience in awaiting their revelation alongside the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Date of Publication: 7th November 2023