Who is your light bearer? Is it you? If you are a Jehovah’s Witness, you are taught to believe that your organization alone is the source of light that Jehovah uses. Therefore all others are in darkness. As long as you are in the organization, you are in the light. Therefore you as a member of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, you are a light bearer.
So who is it? Let’s look and see what the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has to say:
Each one of the Lord's servants is represented as a light bearer, and instructed to let his light so shine before men that they, seeing his good works, may glorify the Father in heaven.
Zion’s Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence. April 15, 1904 Reprints p. 3354
So we start off pretty good. The organization which was loosely affiliated and bound together by Zion’s Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence focused on glorifying the Father.
He (Peter) was here pointing them to the time when the great Light-bearer, Christ Jesus, should return and make glad their hearts.
The Golden Age. September 22, 1926 p. 821
(Peter “The Rock” inserted)
So it’s not too bad here because the Bible Students as they were still known did precisely what Jesus did.
Both were following the Latin Vulgate translation, which uses Lucifer, meaning “Light Bearer.” Lucifer, however, is not the name of the king of Babylon. Lucifer, as a name, was applied to Satan the Devil by early uninspired religious writers of our Common Era.
The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. July 1, 1965 p. 406, 407
The many references to Jesus’ ‘coming or being sent forth into the world’ evidently do not refer primarily, if at all, to his human birth but more reasonably apply to his going out among mankind, publicly carrying out his assigned ministry from and after his baptism and anointing, acting as a light bearer to the world of mankind.
Insight on the Scriptures-Volume II. 1988 p. 1208
1992 “Light Bearers” District Convention
Jesus said his followers would be “the light of the world.” (Matt. 5:14) In contrast, the world’s spiritual and moral darkness grows greater with each passing day. (Isa. 60:2; Rom. 1:21) Our responsibility as light bearers takes on greater meaning as we approach the end of this system. Recognizing the vital role we play, it is with eager anticipation that we look forward to attending the 1992 “Light Bearers” District Convention.
Kingdom Ministry. May 1992 p. 3
Those not yet pioneering were urged to consider their situation. Perhaps they too could arrange their affairs to let their light shine in the full-time service.
Being a light bearer often involves sacrifices, and this was highlighted in the following talk, “Serving Jehovah With a Self-Sacrificing Spirit.”
The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. January 15, 1993 p. 15, 16
“You Are the Light of the World”
11 At Matthew 5:14, Jesus told his disciples: “You are the light of the world.” They were to follow in his footsteps.
THE STORY OF GEORGE YOUNG AS TOLD BY RUTH YOUNG NICHOLSON
“Why, then, this silence in our pulpits? . . . What kind of men should we be if we kept silent after we had proved these things whereof I write to be true? Let us not keep the people in ignorance, but let us proclaim the truth in no apologetic or hidden manner.”
THESE words were part of Father’s 33-page letter requesting the removal of his name from the church registry. The year was 1913. From that time forward, he embarked on an event-filled life that led him to serve as a light bearer to many nations. (Philippians 2:15)
The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. July 1, 2000 p. 22
And as you continue to build good qualities in imitation of your beloved Father, you will be blessed with a great privilege. In a bedarkened world alienated from God, you will be a light bearer. (Matthew 5:1, 2, 14) You will help to spread abroad in the earth some reflections of Jehovah’s glorious personality. What an honor!
Draw Close To Jehovah. 2014. p. 317
So again, we go from an angel being the primary light bearer to the average Jehovah's Witness.
Is there a consistency between the light bearers? Looking at things biblically aside from the changes of the organization made regarding adding characters and words to verses about the diety of Jesus. Let’s consider the words and actions of Jesus. How many of the things pertaining to those two aspects have been changed when it comes to him? To my knowledge, there have been none. Therefore, we have a consistency in the narrative in the bible regarding Jesus.
Let’s look at Lucifer himself. We have consistency with him. Looking at John 8:44 it says the following (New World Translation), You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.
This verse references “the truth” which in John 14:6 identifies properly with Jesus.
The lies of Satan fall broadly into one of these three categories with these biblical examples:
Temptation: Genesis 3:4-At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. (New World Translation)
Intimidation: I Peter 5:8-Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. (New World Translation)
Lying: Acts 5:3-But Peter said: “An·a·niʹas, why has Satan emboldened you to lie to the holy spirit and secretly hold back some of the price of the field? (New World Translation)
Let’s see how this is similar to the present day light bearers being the modern Witnesses and see how they compare to the organization.
Is is possible that when a Witness engages a possible householder about life on a “paradise Earth,” are you tempting the person at the prospect of a better life that they can possibly receive at some point in the future?
When it comes to life within the hall itself, have you considered the ties that certain terms are utilized to keep you in “line” as the saying goes? Let’s look at this:
Approved association with Jehovah’s Witnesses requires accepting the entire range of the true teachings of the Bible, including those Scriptural beliefs that are unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses. What do such beliefs include?
That the great issue before humankind is the rightfulness of Jehovah’s sovereignty, which is why he has allowed wickedness so long. (Ezekiel 25:17) That Jesus Christ had a prehuman existence and is subordinate to his heavenly Father. (John 14:28) That there is a “faithful and discreet slave” upon earth today ‘entrusted with all of Jesus’ earthly interests,’ which slave is associated with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Matthew 24:45-47) That 1914 marked the end of the Gentile Times and the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the heavens, as well as the time for Christ’s foretold presence. (Luke 21:7-24; Revelation 11:15–12:10) That only 144,000 Christians will receive the heavenly reward. (Revelation 14:1, 3) That Armageddon, referring to the battle of the great day of God the Almighty, is near. (Revelation 16:14, 16; 19:11-21) That it will be followed by Christ’s Millennial Reign, which will restore an earth-wide paradise. That the first to enjoy it will be the present “great crowd” of Jesus’ “other sheep.”—John 10:16; Revelation 7:9-17; 21:3, 4.
The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. April, 1, 1986 p. 31
What happens when you question something publicly? Would there be the “mini inquisition” called the judicial committee happen in short order?
How about the proverbial “intimidation?” I don’t mean the legal term, I’m referring to accounts when a young child has to face their accuser in the midst of a judicial hearing in the “back room.” Have you as a Witness considered the ramifications of spying? I would like to present an account by former Governing Body member Raymond Franz and an account he wrote of In Search of Christian Freedom, pages 380-383:
In the “Cradle of Democracy”
Perhaps nothing illustrates more clearly the extremes to which the zeal to spy out and deal summarily with any disagreement or disaffection can go than what happened in Athens, Greece, the land called “the cradle of democracy.”
In 1986, the branch office of the Watch Tower Society, located in the Athens area, began applying intense pressure on Witnesses who gave any indication of not being in total agreement with organizational teachings and policies. The number of those disfellowshiped evidently reached more than a hundred. In an interest to maintain spirituality, these persons began gathering together for Bible reading and discussion in private homes. The Greek branch office, however, manifested an extreme concern to seek out and take action against any doing so. This in time introduced some remarkable measures and led to a court case described in the Athens newspaper shown on the following page.
On Tuesday, April 6, 1987, a group of about 50 persons gathered at the home of Nick and Eftihia Bozartzis for Bible discussion. From his balcony Nick noticed two men standing across the street watching the individuals entering his home, some of whom had not formally withdrawn from the organization. Recognizing one of the two observers as a Witness, he went down to speak to them, but as soon as he appeared on the street level they literally ran off. Within days, three of those attending the gathering were disfellowshiped by elders in judicial hearings.
On Friday, others normally went to the home of Voula Kalokerinou, a former Witness, but since they planned to gather for the celebration of the Lord’s evening meal on Sunday, their gathering on Friday, April 9, was canceled. That Friday evening, however, Voula noticed a car with five persons inside parked across the road from her house, and the car and its occupants remained there for hours. The next evening the same.
One might think that to assign any sinister motive to such circumstances, viewing them as evidence of “spying” designed to identify “defectors” and supply grounds for judicial action against them, would be the product of imagination, even manifest a degree of paranoia. Later events demonstrated otherwise.
The following Sunday, April 11, a number of persons went to Voula’s home to commemorate the death of God’s Son on behalf of all mankind. She noticed an unfamiliar car parked across the road on one corner and a van parked on the other corner. The rear window of the van was covered over with paper but with a hole cut in the center of the covering material. The occupants of the car crossed over to the van several times, talking with those inside it. Voula asked one of those who had come to her home to find out why the cars were parked there. When he approached the car, those inside quickly drove off. He then went to the rear of the van and looked in through the hole of the material covering the rear win- dow. Inside he saw video camera equipment being used by two Witnesses, an elder named Nikolas Antoniou, and a member of the Athens Watch Tower branch office staff, Dimetre Zerdes. A number of others from Voula’s home came over to the van and a policeman stationed at the nearby Italian Embassy also appeared to find out what the problem was. The Witnesses in the van managed to drive through the surrounding group and drove to a nearby park where they began quickly unloading their video equipment. They were interrupted by the arrival of two police cars and were arrested on charges of invasion of privacy. The video equipment was confiscated. The film in it showed Mrs. Kalokerinou’s home and zoom shots of the front entrance with closeups of all those entering.
Before the district attorney, the two men stated that they were only there to film a relative of Dimetre Zerdes, the Watch Tower branch office member. His cousin, Eftihia Bozartzis, mentioned earlier, had disassociated herself two years before. As a “loyal” Witness, branch office member Dimitre should have had no interest in her, certainly should not have had any reason for wanting to film her secretively two years after her disassociation.
The case eventually came to trial. In his presentation at the close of the trial, the district attorney, Mr. Kontaxis, stated:
I don’t think there is any Christian organization that tells its members to tell lies, but when the defendant and his organization does so, I would want them to accept the responsibility and say, “Yes, we did spy.” And if an organization did such a thing then how can it expect others to follow it? They had and used special equipment with witnesses seeing them filming, and yet the defendant comes along and says he didn’t do it to spy but just to film. All this doesn’t honor either the defendant or the organization to which he belongs.
We are all free to belong to any organization we want, but we are also free to leave that organization and do whatever we want within the bounds of the law. . . . Does a person’s leaving, abandoning this organization give it the right to follow and spy on its members? One is protected by law against cassettes, tape recorders, filming, when such are used to pry into one’s personal life and personality. This comes under CONFIDENTIALITY and is protected by it in such cases, and that includes one’s private convictions. This is very serious. Obviously the defendants were trying to cryptograph the private life of the plaintiffs by using video equipment, and this purposely, not by chance.
The Watch Tower Society, by teaching it is the “ark,” and that one must enter it to be saved, by teaching it is God’s channel, creates tremendous dependency on its members and thus [they] are directed to do everything to threaten and trample all that we call human rights.
In the course of the trial, one of the judges asked the Witness elder, the owner of the van, how long he and the other Witness had been stationed in the van that day. The answer was, six hours. When asked if the windows of the van were clear, the elder said, No, that the back window was covered with paper with a hole in the center through which they had done filming with the video cassette camera. He claimed that all this was solely to film his companion’s relative. The confiscated film showed zoom shots of many persons at the house’s front entrance and on its balcony. But the relative did not appear anywhere on the film. Actually she could not have appeared for the simple reason that she was never at the gathering! The court rendered a guilty verdict in the case.
Ironically, the following year, the Awake! magazine carried an article decrying the intolerance of Greek Orthodox Church officials, expressed in pressuring officials of a sports stadium to cancel their contract with Jehovah’s Witnesses, who were to hold an assembly in the stadium.The article rightly condemned this unjust treatment of “peaceful and lawabiding Christians,” pointing to the Greek constitutional guarantees of freedom of worship and religious conscience, and citing a court ruling that “the freedom of expressing one’s religious beliefs is more especially safeguarded by . . . the Treaty of Rome dated April 11, 1950, ‘on the protection of human rights.’” After saying that “the freedom of the Greek people once again has been trampled on because of the Dark Ages mentality of the clergy,” the article added, “How sad to see such a flouting of democracy in ‘the cradle of democracy.’”
Why would members in “God’s chosen channel of communication” resort to the operation that resembles actions suited for a spy film? Does this count as intimidation?
That also leads into lying. How often are you 100% upfront with not only the Witnesses at the local kingdom hall but completely honest in your dealings with people at the door? Let’s look at the theocratic war strategy from former Witness, Dr. Jerry Bergman: http://www.witforjesus.org/downloads/english/pdfs/jehovahs-witness/spying/bergman-pp29-31.pdf
This extends into the New World Translation itself since those at the top deceive and you deceive. Let’s look at Hebrews 1:8 from the New World Translation and the King James Version.
New World Translation: But about the Son, he says: “God is your throne forever and ever, and the scepter of your Kingdom is the scepter of uprightness.
King James Version: But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
This verse is the hardest one for Unitarians (those who believe that Jehovah alone is God) to deal with so to make it easier for the Jehovah’s Witnesses to digest this, they simply rewrite the verse. Since Jehovah is the author of the bible, why would he have allowed a glaring mistake to happen like this and wait until 1950 for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to correct a major flaw like this?
There are many more cases but I will submit to you a title Preparing for Child Custody Cases.
The table of contents contains a list of possible questions for the Witness parent, child, elder, and non-Witness parent involved. It gives instruction on how to answer as well.
Does the Watchtower fit an organization that intimidates? Here’s an article: https://jwvictims.org/2015/11/21/do-jehovahs-witnesses-actually-fit-the-psychological-definition-of-bullies/
So what kind of light bearer are you? Are you one that can just speak like Jesus and not have to change anything or are you the light bearer that has a bible in one hand and various types of publications in another depending on the situation? Will you consider leaving the organization today?