Judge Rutherford and Spirit Guides

The Awake! article outlines God’s clear warning against Spiritism as recorded in Leviticus 19:31 ‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God’ and Leviticus 20:6 which is only cited in the article. Therein God declares: ‘I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.’ Note closely the final words of this Scripture with reference to all who ‘prostitute’ themselves through an involvement with Spiritism: Jehovah God states that he ‘will cut [them] off from his people.’

With this in mind, let us examine some of the teachings of the Watchtower Society

According to ‘Judge’ Rutherford, the Holy Spirit was removed in 1918 and thereafter, angels transmitted into the mind of the ‘remnant’ information, instructions and interpretations of Scripture. He wrote:

Since 1918 the angels of the Lord have had to do with showing the Ezekiel class the truth. (1)

Instead of the servants being moved into action by the operation of the holy spirit as a helper, the Scriptures seem to teach clearly that the Lord directs his angels what to do and that they act under the supervision of the Lord in directing the remnant on earth concerning the course of action to take. (2)

... those of the servant class on earth are directed by the Lord through his duly constituted deputies or angels. (3)

These claims would appear to account for the Watchtower Society’s current claim that their world-wide activities are performed ‘under angelic direction’ and that angels direct the Witnesses in their proclamation of the ‘Kingdom Message.’ For example, the Society has claimed that:

Jehovah’s Witnesses today make their declaration of the good news of the kingdom under angelic direction and support. (4)

However, Rutherford not only claimed that he and the other members of the remnant were directed by angels, but that they also received information and organisation instructions from angels:

Certain duties and kingdom interests have been committed by the Lord to his angels, which include the transmission of information to God’s anointed people on the earth for their aid and comfort.(5)

No doubt they first hear the instruction which the Lord issues to his remnant and then his invisible messengers pass such information on to the remnant.(6)

Likening these ‘angelic’ instructions to those received by Moses, Rutherford demanded complete obedience to the published instructions stating:

Some claiming to be fully devoted to Jehovah find it difficult to learn to be obedient to organisation instructions . . . If you find it difficult to be in harmony with the organisation instructions, that is sufficient reason for a careful self examination to see what is your standing with the Lord.(7)

To those who considered choosing not to obey organisation instructions, he wrote:

Self willed ones do not have an understanding. They do not recognise the Lord is directing his work, that the Lord Jesus at the temple has his own way of doing things and that he transmits to his anointed ones the necessary information, and if the instructions sent out are wrong, then the responsibility is to the Lord, and not to the local service committee.(8)

Rutherford further claimed that, not only did the angels transmit information but also interpretation of Scripture:

This question is propounded for the benefit of those faithful ones of the remnant on earth, and the angel of the Lord brings to them the needed information in answer to their questions. (Rev 1:1) This is proof that the interpretation of prophecy does not proceed from man, but that the Lord Jesus, the chief one in Jehovah’s organisation, sends the necessary information to his people by and through his holy angels.(9)

In their recent history of their organisation entitled, Jehovah’s Witnesses - Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, the Society maintained that:

Those who make up the one true Christian organisation today (ie Jehovah’s Witnesses) do not have angelic revelations or divine inspiration. (p.708)

What the Society fails to mention in the above book is that Rutherford did claim to receive ‘angelic revelations’ and hence, a form of ‘divine inspiration.’ Furthermore, as Rutherford stated, these ‘angelic revelations’ were published in The Watchtower magazine:

Without a doubt the Lord uses his angels to cause the truth to be published in the Watchtower ... Certainly God guides his covenant people by using the holy angels to convey his message to them.(10)

Rutherford, while claiming that the information was given by Jehovah through his angels and that this was the ‘truth‘, goes on to say that those who prepared this information for publication were not inspired. This is a contradiction if ever there was one! How is it that Rutherford can claim that the information and instructions published in The Watchtower were received from Jehovah God "through his angelic messengers" yet, were not inspired?

The Watchtower Society has recently provided a definition of ‘inspiration’ in their publication Insight on the Scriptures (Vol.1 p.1202). Therein they define inspiration as: ‘The quality or state of being moved by or produced under the direction of a spirit from a superhuman source.’ Surely, by their own definition, The Watchtower was an inspired publication since the material published therein was claimed to have been produced under the direction of angels. Are not angels spirits ‘from a superhuman source’? Still, Rutherford claimed that these ‘revelations’ from ‘angels’ were not inspired revelations. Does this then make them uninspired revelations?

‘Judge’ Rutherford claimed to have received information and instructions into his mind from angels. The question we must ask is: Which kind were they - good or evil.? We are faced with two possibilities. Either Jehovah God really did send his angels to enlighten Rutherford with the ‘divine interpretation’ of Scripture in answer to his queries or he did not. If he did, then we must believe the doctrine and chronology that Rutherford received since it has come from God by means of those angels. We should certainly read Rutherford’s books and hold them in much greater esteem than even the present-day Watchtower Society would have us do.

On the other hand, if these ‘angels’ were in fact evil, lying spirits, then Rutherford is nothing more than a medium for a devilish, Satanic religion. This is certainly an important issue for, as even the Watchtower Society states:

intelligent inquiry is necessary in order to determine the truth about God’s purposes; we cannot be simply lulled into a false sense of assurance and drift along with a perhaps demonically originated religious heritance. (11)

Spiritist links did not cease with Rutherford however for, in more recent times the Watchtower Society has appealed to a Spirit Medium in support of The New World Translation of the Bible. To support their questionable ‘translation’ of John 1:1 (and the Word was a god), the Society turned to Johannes Greber who translated this verse similarly. Greber was a Catholic priest, turned spiritist and his experiences with the spiritual realm are recorded in his book, Communication With The Spirit World (pub. 1932).

In various publications, the Society presented Greber as though he were a reputable Greek scholar - an authority on the Greek language (see for example: The Word - Who Is He According To JohnThe Watchtower (Sept 15 1962 p.554); Make Sure Of All Things (1965, p.489) & Aid to Bible Understanding (1971, p.1669). ~ Note the publication dates of the above.

In 1955, in a booklet entitled What Do The Scriptures Say About Survival After Death the Watchtower Society writers state on page 88

It comes as no surprise that one Johannes Greber, a former Catholic clergyman, has become a spiritualist and has published the book entitled - Communication With the Spirit World - Its Laws and Its Purpose. (p.88)

In The Watchtower of Feb 15 1956 (p.111) we read:

Greber endeavours to make his New Testament read very spiritualistic . . . ex-priest Greber believes (spirits) helped him in his translation.

We can see from the above that in 1955/56 the Watchtower Society was fully aware that Greber was ‘a spiritualist’ who ‘believes (spirits) helped him in his translation.’ Yet, while knowing this, the Society continued to quote him as an ‘expert’ in an effort to endorse their incorrect translation of John 1:1 ‘and the Word was a god.’

Keeping in mind that the Society knew of Greber’s active involvement in spiritualism as early as 1955, how honest is this claim, made by the Society in answer to the question that appeared in the April 1, 1983 issue of The Watchtower:

Why, in recent years, has The Watchtower not made use of the translation by - Johannes Greber?

The Society’s answer:

The Watchtower has deemed it improper to make use of a translation that has such a close rapport with spiritism.

Why did it take the Society almost 30 years to arrive at such a decision?

The Watchtower & Spiritism ~ today ...

In recent years, there have been accusations that Watchtower publications contain many pictures containing demonic faces and signs. After viewing many drawings in Watchtower publications, it is difficult to deny that there are many instances of demonic faces and recognisable demonic signs concealed therein. In one instance, a picture that was used some years ago was highlighted publicly as containing a demonic symbol. However, the same picture appeared again in a more recent publication without any change having been made - the demonic symbol was still present.

In the light of this and the claims made by Rutherford in the past, is it any wonder that the Watchtower Society is so cleverly passed off as God’s true organisation. The Scriptures reveal that Satan is the great counterfeiter and one of his subtle counterfeits is the Watchtower Society - better known as Jehovah‘s Witnesses.

Beware this society and its soul destroying teachings. Jesus warned, ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name ... And will deceive many.’ (Mark 13:5) and the apostle John wrote, ‘do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.’ (1 John 4:1) Such people as these ‘are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you ... So that you may be zealous for them.’ (Gal. 4:17) Rather than being ensnared by those whom ‘the god of this age has blinded’, let us turn to ‘the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ’ (2 Cor. 4:4) who is ‘the way and the truth and the life.’ (John 14:6)

ENDNOTES

1. Vindication III 1932 p.316
2. The Watchtower September 1 1930 p.263
3. Light Book II. 1930 p.20
4. The Watchtower April 1 1972 p.200
5. Preparation 1938 pp.36, 37
6. Vindication III 1932 p.250
7. The Watchtower December 1 1933 p.364
8. The Watchtower May 15 1937 p.153
9. Preparation p.28
10. The Watchtower February 1 1935 p.41
11. The Watchtower June 15 1956 p.373

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