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Michael
or Jesus?
What was consistently proclaimed all throughout the book of Acts, was the
Resurrection. But what kind of resurrection is it, a Spirit or bodily one?
In I Peter 3:18, Peter writes that Christ was “Put to death in the flesh, but
quickened (made alive) in the Spirit.” The society uses this to support
their teaching saying “Jesus became a living spirit creature, as he had been
before he came to earth.” (Happiness-how to find it,1980 p.118) This does not mean
that He died spiritually and now he is spiritually resurrected, or by the Spirit. It
means he died in the body “Put to death in the flesh” not the Spirit. The spirit
of Christ did not die when his flesh did, he continued his life existing in the
spirit. This is the same word in Jn.4:24 of God is Spirit and those
who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. In Rom. 8:8-9 he writes
those who are in the flesh cannot please God, however you are not in the flesh but
in the Spirit. This same context is used for the spiritual man who walks in the
spirit. If we interpret this as the JW's do then we who are flesh, would now spirit
creatures without any physical bodies when we walk in the Spirit.
“Having given up his flesh for the life of the world, Christ could never take
it again and become a man once more.” (You can live in Paradise on Earth, p.169,
1982) “Hence Jesus Christ was not resurrected with the sacrificed human
body,” (Things in Which it is impossible for God to Lie, p. 355)
It appears the Jehovah’s Witnesses have a problem with what God plainly says in
Scripture about a physical resurrection. “We deny that he raised in the flesh, and
challenge any statement to that effect as being unscriptural.” (The
Finished Mystery p.57 1917)
Jesus must be a spirit being. He simply materialized bodies. (Awake 7/22/1973,
p.4)
“Therefore the bodies in which Jesus manifested himself to his disciples after
his return to life were not the body in which he was nailed to the tree.” (KINGDOM
at HAND, p. 259) When they speak of bodies plural they mean that Jesus
appeared in many different ones to the witnesses.
Irenaeus fought against the Gnostics in his writings and debates, he wrote
of Marcion who made up a number of changes found in varying manuscripts
of Luke and the large number of verses Marcion omitted. For
example the scripture “And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands
and his feet” (Luke 24:40) was be omitted by Marcion. For he did not believe
in the physical resurrection of Jesus but only in a spiritual resurrection.
So the Jehovah's Witnesses get their doctrine from this early teacher of
heresy who also changed the Bible's words.
They claim “Jesus resurrection is not of the same body, he merely materialized flesh and
blood to be seen and believed.” This of course needed to be done since you can’t
see a spirit. In other words they would never have believed if he hadn’t faked the
nail prints in his fake materialized body. Look I’m back, see! In Luke 24:39 Jesus
said “I am not a spirit but I have flesh and bones.” Was he telling the truth or
lying. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the body that dies with the body
that resurrects. If this is not true, then the apostles who preached that Christ
arose from the dead are false witnesses because belief in the resurrection is
essential for salvation.
So if the body was not the same that died there is no resurrection and clearly
they are teaching about ANOTHER Jesus, and a different resurrection.
If the same body does not rise then there is no resurrection. But this is what
resurrection means, what dies is brought back to life. This is why Jehovah’s
Witnesses don’t teach one can be saved now, they have no gospel, the resurrection
is clearly missing!
Why is Jesus’ resurrection any different than all the others he himself
resurrected?
“Our Lord's human body was, however, supernaturally removed from the tomb;
because had it remained there it would have been an insurmountable obstacle to the
faith of the disciples, who were not yet instructed in spiritual things - for 'the
spirit was not yet given.' John 7:39 We know nothing about what became of it, except
that it did not decay or corrupt... Many Christians have the idea that our Lord's
glorious spiritual body is the very same body that was crucified and laid away in
Joseph's tomb: This is a great mistake,” ( Time is at Hand, p.128) If we
are mistaken then so was the apostle Paul and the rest of the apostles that wrote us
the testimonies.
Christ's human body not being raised is also believed by occultists such as
Johannes Greber who agrees with them... “The 'resurrection of the dead' has
therefore not the slightest reference to the resurrection of the physical body.”(
Communications with the Spirit World, p. 385) “-The body of Jesus similarly to the
bodies of Enoch and Elijah have been dissolved into od.” (ibid p.385) So they are
in agreement with occultists on this essential fact of Scripture. This is the same
occultist they went to for the New World translation of their Scriptures.
To the Jehovah’s Witness, the personality “the soul” dies with the body.
“This personality is dependent upon the body and therefore ceases to exist when
the body dies.”(Awake, p.7 Sept.22, 1955)
So what happened to Jesus is no different than what happens to anyone else,
“Jesus was dead, he was unconscious, out of existence. Death did not mean a
transition to another life for Jesus; rather non existence.” (Awake p.27
July, 22 1979)
“As soon as the breathe of life leaves, the body would be as before. The spark
of life having gone there would be no soul. Where does a soul go? It would not go
anywhere. We have a candle. You blow out the light… it does not go to some other
place, but is simply extinguished. So with man. (WT 3/15 1913 Russell answering a
question on the soul, p.667)
This is not Bible doctrine but Buddhism, where the soul is extinguished. Russell
taught so many things contrary to Scripture, he was not a Christian. According to
their own doctrinal changes, he wouldn’t even qualify to be a Jehovah’s Witness
today.
What happened to his body then? “The scriptures answer; It was disposed of by
Jehovah God, dissolved into its constituent elements or atoms,” (Watchtower, p.518
Oct.1, 1953)They further explain what happens in the event of death. “Adam ceased
to be a breather, or soul, and went back to the lifeless dust from which he had been
taken. It was the reverse of the creation process. No part of him lived on. He went
completely into non existence.” (Good news to make you happy p.89 1976)
Can you imagine the apostles sitting around in discussion saying how much they
miss Jesus because he was evaporated!
So not only do they teach a different body is being made, but a whole new spirit
creature is made from scratch. He is not the same one who died for our sins bodily
or in spirit.
So then if one goes out of existence
how do they come back?
“What will be resurrected? The body? No, for it gas disintegrated and its atoms
have become parts of other living things, which, in turn, may have become part of
other living creatures.” (WT6/1/1959 p.346)
Resurrection involves a reactivating of the life pattern of the individual, which
life pattern god has retained in His memory (Reasoning from the scriptures p.333
1985.) “for God -to resurrect a person, what would he have to do? He would have to
make a body, having the same traits, restoring, also the memory, which has provided
the- person with the characteristics he had acquired during his lifetime. The entire
soul would thus be restored.” (Wt dec.1, 1973 p.726)
How is the individual, the “soul,” with the personality, the life pattern,
resurrected? We might best answer that question by means of an illustration, that of
a phonograph recording. The factors combining to make the life pattern are like the
sounds recorded on a blank phonograph record that stands for the brain, primary-, At
the same time -is having a master disc made of the same life pattern on his
marvelous memory. At death the phonograph record is broken as it were, and what was
recorded thereon would be forever lost were it not for the duplicate record in
made by God. In the resurrection God makes a blank record, a human body, and
then stamps it on the brain the life pattern he has recorded. Upon giving life to
that body the result is an individual that will recognize himself and be recognized
by others as having previously existed. (Awake Sept 22,1995 p.7)
The Jehovah’s Witnesses insists that the person who died is not raised. Not to
worry because God makes a perfect copy, a recording of him to enjoy paradise earth.
But who then is really there? The original is the real person who is gone, but
his copy God made looks, sounds, and feels like him will have a wonderful life, but
the real person will not be there. This is not scriptural fact but fantasy. So here
is how the Witnesses define a resurrection. A completely new person that is made
from memory, both body and spirit. This would be more accurately described as a
recreation from nothing a completely new beginning. Sounds wonderful except for the
fact you as Jehovah’s Witness are not really there.
So they do not have the gospel that will save, and it is for this very reason
they teach one must do works and found publishing the good news, by going door to
door preaching the paradise that will come. But as we have seen even if they are the
most faithful JW that ever lived, they will not be there because they have no
resurrection but a recreation , a clone of the original.
Is Christ resurrected? YES says the
Watchtower
But not that we should overlook their doubletalk “The religious leaders could not stop Gods son from coming out of the tomb.
(Acts 2:32 MT.27:62-66, 28:1-7)There can be no doubt that Christ was raised from the
dead,”… Further proof that the dead can be raised was given later through the
apostles Peter and Paul. First, Peter resurrected Tabitha, also called Dorcas, of
the city of Joppa. (Acts 9:36-42) And then Paul brought back to life young Eutychus,
who had died when he fell from a third-floor window while Paul was speaking. (Acts
20:7-12) Surely these nine resurrections recorded in the Bible give certain proof
that the dead can be brought back to life! “(you can live in paradise on
earth 1982, p.169) From this one would think they are correct in their view, but
they are correct only by mistake. Look at who they use, those who died and were
resurrected physically. They contradict their own false teaching.
A physical resurrection of the Old
Testament saints on earth
'...we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from
the condition of death, being resurrected' (Millions Now Living Will Never Die,
1920, p. 88)
“ that 1925 shall mark the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old and the
beginning of reconstruction, it is reasonable to conclude that millions of people
now on the earth will be still on the earth in 1925. Then, based upon the promises
set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion
that millions now living will never die.” (Millions Now Living Will Never Die.
1920 p. 97)
The chief thing to be restored is the human race to life; and since other
Scriptures definitely fix the fact that there will be a resurrection of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and other faithful ones of old, and that these will have the first
favor, we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men and Israel
from the condition of death, being resurrected and fully restored to perfect
humanity and made the visible, legal representatives of the new order of things on
earth. (Millions now living will never die, 1920 p 89-90)
1924 “No doubt many boys and girls who read this book will live to see Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, and those other men of old come forth in the glory of
their better resurrection, of perfect in mind and body. It will not take long for
Christ to appoint them to their post of honor and authority as his earthly
representatives. The world and all the present conveniences will seen strange to
them at first, but they will soon become accustomed to the new methods. They may
have some amusing experiences at first; for they never saw telephones, radios,
automobiles, electric lights, aeroplanes, steam engines, and many other things so
familiar to us. (The Way To Paradise, 1924, p. 226)
Here we have a separate physical resurrection that never happened. Much like the
spiritual resurrection of 1918 of some of the 144,000. When the house Beth Sarim was
built for them and they didn’t show up they didn’t let it go vacant, they had
the president move in.
Christ resurrected? NOT SO says the
Watchtower
What does resurrection actually mean to a Jehovah Witness? “What will be
resurrected? The body? NO. for it has disintegrated and its atoms have become part
of other living things. Which in turn may have become part of other living
creatures.” (W.T p.346 June 1, 1959) “For the man Jesus is dead, forever
dead.”(Studies in the scriptures Vol.5, p.454 1899) “Jesus as a man must remain
dead for ever.” (Government, p.110 1928)
“Resurrection involves a reactivating of the life pattern of the individual,
which life pattern God has retained in his memory.” (Reasoning from the scriptures
p.333 1985) “Jesus became a living spirit creature as he had been before coming to
earth.” (Happiness-how to find it p.118 1980) “He was the first to be
raised a spirit person.” (You can live in paradise on earth p.172 1982) “Jesus
Christ was not made a human creature at his resurrection but was made a spirit,
which accounts for his invisibility.” (WT p.101-102 April 1, 1947) What
invisibility, it never says this it always teaches he appeared seen by many and even
ate with them. The assumption is that he walked through the walls to the disciples
in the room but it never says this. He could easily trans-locate himself from one
place to another.
What
does resurrection mean in the Bible?
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God “the man” Christ
Jesus .” He was raised in the same flesh and bone body, he is not a spirit named
Michael the Archangel. He is still in the body he took in the incarnation as he
mediates as a man (anthroôpos).
Jn.2:19-21 “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again in
three days “…”But he was speaking of the temple of his body.” He was
speaking of the temple, His body (soma - Greek - body not spirit not soul – body)
did Jesus lie or misrepresent what he would do. Not only does he say the same body
will be raised up But that he will do this. How does one accomplish this fact if
they are out of existence. Remember according to the WT “he was unconscious, out
of existence. Death did not mean a transition to another life for Jesus; rather
non existence.”
Acts 2:24-28 “Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death”. What
dies the body nowhere do we find a spirit being resurrected in the scriptures. Peter
sums up his sermon in vs.31 “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the
resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades nor his flesh see
corruption.” Christ went as a living soul to paradise not only that he states he
did not see corruption in his body or soul. this means his body was not left to rot
in the ground but was brought out as the firstfruits unto eternal life .
Neither was his soul annihilated as the Watchtower teaches.
1 Cor.15:44-46 it is a recreation of the same natural that died yet it was raised
incorruptible and eternal having the Spirit as its source of operation. The
resurrection is a spiritually dominated body, it will be the motivating force of its
existence.
Where not all resurrections physical. Did not Lazarus come back in his same body?
What of Jairus daughter? She did not come back a spirit creature. Why is Jesus’
resurrection different than all the examples in the Bible? Why does Paul use Jesus'
resurrection as the model for all Christians who have died. If Jesus did not rise
from the grave in a physical body then what is the significance of an empty tomb?
Why did the disciples run to the tomb to investigate the report of his
resurrection if they did not believe in a bodily resurrection? Why would they
conclude the resurrection had occurred from the fact he was not their, if they
couldn’t see him in the first place as a spirit. Why were the Roman Guards asked
by the Jews to protect the tomb so no one would steal the body and say he rose?
Jesus was resurrected on earth like anyone else. Why does Paul use Jesus'
resurrection as the prototype for all Christians? Phil. 1:21 “For to me, to live
is Christ, and to die is gain.” This would hardly be so if one goes into non
existence. These are questions that need to be answered by the witness at your door.
If the person who died is not raised and God makes a perfect copy of him to enjoy
paradise earth, then who is there? The original is the real person who is gone
forever, but his copy who looks, sounds, and feels like him will have a wonderful
life, but the real original person will not be there. This is not scriptural but
fantasy.
Not
believing the Resurrection
Jesus often his future resurrection as a proof of His claims (John 2:19-22;
10:18). He even offered it as the unique sign of who He is, declaring that no other
sign would be given to that unbelieving generation (Matt. 12:40). Unfortunately
there are some that claim to believe in Christ and are unbelievers today.
1 Pet. 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” This is why they have no hope
of a future life, they don’t believe in a physical resurrection.
1 Cor.15:11-15: “ Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you
believed. Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the
dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if
there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ
is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we
are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up
Christ, whom He did not raise up-- if in fact the dead do not rise.” This is why
the Jehovah's Witnesses can’t be saved, nor receive Gods grace, because they deny
the very Gospel that can save them.
So how do they say there is no
resurrection from the dead?
Christ resurrected forever
The organization teaches that Jesus was made alive as a spirit. He is Michael the
Archangel. So not only do they not have a true resurrection but the wrong person as
well. The Bible said that He came back in the same body that died on the cross? The
Watchtower says no! Did you know that the Watchtower Society made the
same mistake that the apostles of our Lord made when they though they had seen a
spirit Luke 24:36-39? Jesus does in fact say that he rose physically
correcting their mistake right on the spot, saying, “a spirit does NOT have flesh
and bone.”
In other words if he was a Spirit materializing he would have said something
completely different, instead he is reaffirming that he is physical and he eats a
number of times to prove it. Jesus himself said he raised from the dead.
If there is no physical resurrection, then there is no real evidence. An
immaterial body has no verifiable connection with a material body, there has to be a
correspondence with the body that died and that is raised or it is not a true
resurrection
Rev.1:5: “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the
dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us
from our sins in His own blood.”
Rev.1:18: “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Rev.2:8: “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'These things says
the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.
Acts 2:23: “ Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge
of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24: Whom God
hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death” To die and be brought back to
life is always relative to the human body.
Acts 2:24-28: “Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death”.
What dies the body nowhere do we find a spirit being resurrected in the scriptures.
“For you will not leave my soul in Hades Nor will you allow your holy one to see
corruption.” Tells us God would not let him see corruption or decay, this is a
term for mortality and fallen humanity. Peter sums up his sermon in v.31 “he,
forseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not
left in Hades nor his flesh see corruption” Christ went as a living soul to
paradise, not to annihilation. V.32 “This Jesus God raised up of which we are all
witnesses.” Scripture states he did not see corruption, meaning his body was not
left to rot in the ground but was brought out as the firstfruits unto eternal life 1
Cor.15:20, 23. Jesus is not raised from non existence but from the dead. To say
Christ died spiritually the way they define it is a new revelation, but not a
biblical one. Also 13:35-37 no corruption certainly means no non existence.
1 John 4:2 says “that every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is of God.” Verse 3 then states that every spirit that does not confess
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. Those who deny that Jesus
came in the flesh are of the anti-Christ spirit. This is one of the ways to discern
a false teacher from a true one. Writing after the Resurrection, John declared that
Jesus “came [and remained] in the flesh” (1 John 4:2; 2 John 7). The body that
emerged from the tomb Sunday morning was the exact same body that went in the tomb.
John is using perfect tense in Greek, which denotes a past action with continuing
results into the present, and continuing on into the future. He came in the flesh,
rose in the flesh, and is still in the flesh. The same body that He was born and
died with, He rose with. If one claims that Christ rose as a spirit creature, and
not physically, they are of the anti Christ spirit and are denying the third point
of the Gospel.
92 times the Bible says “it is written” (present tense). This means that the
Bible was the Word of God in the past, and continues in the present forever. This
same tense is applied to His bodily resurrection. 2 Jn.7 also addresses this saying
“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ
as coming in the flesh, this is a deceiver and an antichrist.” In this epistle
John uses the present tense in Greek which focuses specifically on the future coming
of the Lord. People who deny Jesus has come in the flesh and rose in spirit and not
in the body, are of the spirit of antichrist. (1 Jn. 4:2 focuses on the past 2 Jn. 7
focuses on the future) This is pointing to the fact he rose again in the same body
and is coming back in this same body.
As Acts 1:11 He will come in the same manner he left visibly to all with the
physical eye. How do we know he left physically, because they watched Him arise into
heaven. The same body, the same person, the same way He will return. But the
Jehovah’s Witnesses says “We are not to look for Christ to be visible to human
eyes when he comes again.” (WT 2/15/1955 p.102) Rev.1:7 “Behold he is
coming with clouds (glory), and Every eye will see him even they who pierced
him” Mt.24:27 “For as the lightning flashes from east to west so will the coming
of the son of man be.” Everyone can see lightning no matter what religion they
would belong to, even if they did not believe in God.
The question that logically comes up is how does one know if this event occurred,
if you can’t see it, being that it is invisible? How much faith is required to
make this a fact. The truth is, it did not occur and this should be evident to even
the witnesses. What is needed, is this doctrine of theirs to be buried in the
ground, put out of existence never to be seen again, just as they claim Jesus was!
Only then can they be removed from siding with a teaching from what the Bible
clearly calls Anti Christ.
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