Question received:
I've been reading more and more from your website. It's a lot to take in, especially in my position. I've just read your post "Are you sighing and groaning?" In your post, you say:
"So do Christians still have the same obligation to preach? How would you even preach to a JW effectively? Is everyone rightly disposed to hear this truth or is simply their "sighing and groaning" enough to warrant blessing?"
My question is... what is my obligation exactly? As a Jehovah's Witness, you are expected to preach "the truth."
My Reply:
Your questions touch upon so much Bible information. To be convinced of my brief reply, you will need to dig deeper, find, read, and digest many scriptures, and that will take time.
But for now, I will provide a brief reply to each of those questions, one at a time.
As you further study, all these pieces will fit into the overall perspective that you will be building with scripture."So do Christians still have the same obligation to preach?"
Yes. But if we accept the Bible's depiction of Christian preaching, it does not include the WT.
Faithful anointed prophets, are symbolized as stars, due to the divine light/truth they emit from God and Christ (Phil.2:15; Dan.12:3) during the darkness of symbolic night. If you read my previous reply to you at the blog, you know that Satan was able to cast down a symbolic third of those stars (Rev.12:4; Zech.13:9), which is connected to the sun, moon, and stars, going dark, immediately after the great tribulation is unleashed (Matt.24:29).
----[If you want to know about the meaning of those heavenly symbols: (https://
----[If you want more info. on the stars being cast down: (https://
----[If you want to know more about the forces of the great tribulation: (https://
Once you understand the meaning of stars, then it is good to look at Rev.1:20 and Matt.5:15.
Hopefully from those two verses, you can discern that the stars are messengers (that's the meaning of the Greek:angels*), sent to each of Christ's congregations, where they bring light from Christ, to them. They are the prophets, sent to God's people. Note that in Rev.1:20, the star is the light, and the lampstands are the congregations.
Matt.5:15 tells us, that the light Jesus sends to his congregation, is not to be hidden. He says that the light needs to be placed up atop it's lampstand, so that all in the household, can see/access that light.
According to the interpretation of "lampstand", given to us at Rev.1:20; that means that the congregation is to support and symbolically lift up, the light the prophet has brought to them from Christ.
The way by which a congregation supports the light of a prophet, is to uphold and spread their message of light, so that it reaches far and wide. As the verse before reads (Matt.5:14), "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
There at Matt.5:14, Jesus brings in 2 other symbols to describe this same truth. The "city" is a representative of New Jerusalem (star). The "hill" is the supportive congregation (lampstand). That symbolism is also referred to at Rev.17:9, as it refers to the false prophets (mountains/hills/(same Greek word)/heads of the beast) under the mother covenant of death, and her congregations.
I do not want you to get your answers from me, but rather, from the scriptures. So please derive your conclusion, based upon the scriptures I have cited. From them, I hope you have discerned that Christ's congregations, are expected to support the light of the prophets he sends to them.
[If you have a question about Matt.24:14 > (https://
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"How would you even preach to a JW effectively?"
Jesus did not speak of the final harvest harvest, as being accomplished by means of effectiveness.
Not all are sighing and groaning (Jer.5:31), and as a result, they will be blind (Matt.13:10-12,13-16).
Jesus did describe the final gathering of those granted spiritual sight (John12:32; 6:44; Matt.24:31) Isa.58:1 (Rev.14:6-7; 10:7),
and by what means they would be drawn to the opening of the scrolls/marriage feast/spiritual food.
He described this, as eagles... being gathered to those who were slain
(Luke 17:30-33,34-36; Luke17:37 NKJV Rev.11:7; 12:11; Mark 8:35; John16:2)
He also symbolized it, as a fleeing to the "mountains/hills" (same Greek word) (Matt.24:15-16; Eze.36:8).
Those hills/mountains, (as I said before) are the congregations under a prophet. Those hills can either be of true prophets who are hated, cast off, and slain (Matt.5:11-12; Mark13:13; John16:2); or false prophets, who are rich, conceited, adored, and powerful
(Rev.17:9; 3:17; Matt.5:20; Luke12:1; Matt.23:2,4,6-7,12,25,28-32,34-35; Rev.18:24; 6:10; 19:2
In the time of the End, God's servants are sent out to invite "those leaving the city" to the marriage feast/living waters (Matt.22:8-10; Rev.22:17) (this further explains how End-time Christians are to preach).
The central issue facing those who desire to live with godly devotion and obey His command to preach (2Tim.4:2; 1Tim.4:16; 1Cor.9:16; Eph.4:25) ...is, to first determine which slaves are working faithfully for their Master, Christ (Luke12:42). Obviously, it would be crucial to support true prophets... not false ones.
We would need to make that determination, Not based upon human declaration (Matt.24:23-25; Luke17:23; 12:42)**, but based upon the criteria, Jesus gave us (Matt.24:9,13; Rom.6:5), which includes much that is not mentioned here, but is available at the blog.
** ["Messiah"(Hebrew)/"Christ"
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"Is everyone rightly disposed to hear this truth or is simply their "sighing and groaning" enough to warrant blessing?"
Well as already stated, those who are marked as slaves to the Laws of the Beasts of Revelation (Rev.13:1,11,16) instead of the Laws of God (Deut.11:18), are unable to recognize ("catch sight") of the abomination of desolation/disgusting thing, or feel distressed over it.
Not all are disposed to listen to Bible truth, simply because, not all love the light (John3:19-21; 2Thess.2:9-12)
Is more than sighing and groaning required, in order to receive divine blessing?
Those distressed over "the *disgusting things being done in the midst of the city" *
...will likely choose to leave "Jerusalem". But remember, that those leaving the city, are the ones invited to the marriage feast (Matt.22:8-9) and the waters of life (Rev.22:17).
The blessing of life is found in those waters/provisions, for those who ingest them in and accept their guidance. That water of life is the river, found at Rev.22:1-2, and there we see depicted the trees of life which absorb that water, and then produce fruit and leaves that heal the nations. That healing and blessing comes to those that accept and eat that fruit.
Being upset about, and leaving the corruption behind, is not enough to receive the blessing of life. (https://4womaninthewilderness.blogspot.com/2016/01/is-leaving-city-enough.html)
Accepting the guidance from a tree of life (true and faithful prophet), and thereby receiving a blessing and reward, is mentioned at Matt.10:41-42.
There we read;
"41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous, will receive a righteous person’s reward."
There we learn that we must "receive" a prophet, because we recognize that they are a true prophet.
Please read the previous verse in that context > Matt.10:40 NKJV , ...and John13:20.
What does it mean to "receive"?
Matt.10:14 NKJV shows us what it means to "receive" the prophet that Jesus sends, because we recognize them.
As you can see there, it means to receive/accept their words, which is the same as eating their fruit, and drinking the water of life that they offer.
If we desire the blessing due the faithful prophets, we must accept their message.
It is not enough to sigh and groan.
It is not enough to leave behind the corruption of unfaithful Jerusalem.
If we want the blessing of life, we must take in living water. (Rev.22:17)
We must flee, to the mountains (Matt.24:16; Eze.36:8)
"And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." (Rev.22:17)
"1 Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live" (Isa.55)
If you require a deeper explanation of anything I've touched upon in this post;
please make use of the search box in the right side column.
If you do not find what you seek, please contact me using the contact box.
Love in Christ,
Pearl
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