Does the Watchtower claim to be a prophet?

Question

Seems many JWs here say the organization never claims to be a prophet then how come the following article from April 1 1972 p197 of the Watchtower Magazine

"This prophet was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It is a small group of footsetp followers of Jesus Christ, knows at that time as Internation Bible Students. Today they are knows as Jehovah Chrisitian witnesses"

Abdihaj - the Bible knows nothing of a "composite prophet"

Answer 1

As a religion, Jehovah's Witnesses apply the term "prophet" to themselves in a limited sense in order to allow Amos 3:7 to be fulfilled (see explanation below).

Jehovah's Witnesses have never pretended that they are infallible or inspired. Jehovah's Witnesses have never pretended that they experience miraculous messages from God or Christ. For more than a century, Jehovah's Witnesses have always presented their suppositions as the result of sincere bible research, rather than as "predictions" or "prophesying".

Interestingly, however, even those Christians who did enjoy direct communication from heaven at times came to wrong conclusions; these wrong conclusions were even communicated "out among the brothers"!

For example, the apostle Peter enjoyed remarkable privileges in the early congregation, but it seems that he was the source of an incorrect teaching about the apostle John that was not formally corrected until several DECADES had passed, when John himself finally wrote his gospel about 98 C.E.

(John 21:21-23) Peter said to Jesus: “Lord, what will this man do [that is, the apostle John]?” Jesus said to him: “If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you? You continue following me.” In consequence, this saying went out among the brothers, that [the apostle John] would not die. However, Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but: “If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you?”


Jehovah's Witnesses apply the term "prophet" only in a very limited sense to themselves as a religion, not to individuals. The Scriptures indicate that whenever Jehovah purposes to execute judgment upon a people, he always makes arrangement for a 'prophet's work' as a warning. Their self-description as a "prophet" (in this limited sense) does not indicate special inspired knowledge or foreknowledge, but their willingness to perform Christ's assigned warning work in our day leading up to Armageddon.

What group is working harder than Jehovah's Witnesses to preach God's message globally (as Noah did before the Deluge)?

(Amos 3:7) For the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets.

(2 Peter 2:5) Noah, a preacher of righteousness...

(Matthew 24:14) And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/
http://watchtower.org/e/19990715/article_02.htm

Answer 2

Dear Will,

It does not matter what the Watchtower claims or doesn't claim in this regard. (You know the saying about ACTIONS speaking louder than words.) They have prophesied a specific date for Armageddon on numerous occasions. Therefore the only thing left to do is determine whether they are a True Prophet or a False Prophet. Since they had to revise the date it becomes abundantly clear the organization is a False Prophet.

I have lost track of how many times I've referred to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 in such questions. Our heavenly Father knows that human beings have a legitimate need to know whether something is truly from Him or not.

When Watchtower publications were stating that Armageddon would take place on a specific date they were making a prophecy. And God who cannot lie made it clear that the Watchtower was NOT speaking His Word.

It is not a matter of Try Try again. It is not a matter of "Well everybody makes mistakes". God does NOT make mistakes.

Yes, people make mistakes. Yes, people sin.

That is why all must come to repentance. We have seen many people in this forum who have seen the error of their ways and left the Watchtower. They have joined with those of us who were able to see the errors of the organization without joining. We have joined together to pray that others will see the organization for what it truly is before it is too late.

Edit: THA says "IF WE ARE liars , let it be revealed" and Jason says that people should not believe the lies of Satan but to that I can only say that you are calling the uncreated Creator of the universe a liar. My heavenly Father said that if somebody (or some organization) says such-and-so is going to happen but it does NOT happen then they are false prophets.

We are saved FROM our sins, not IN our sins.

Answer 3

Perhaps you should take a look at Suzanne's links. Her text uses the word "prophet" in quotes as was suggested by your brother... it is really a legit photo copy of a Watchtower publication/book on both links... Read the context and tell us what you think.

God Bless! xo Anna

Answer 4

Fulfillers of prophecy, not prophets themselves.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14; Luke 24:45-48; Acts 1:8 Ephesians 2:6-7)

WTS can say they read the prophecy of Matt 24:14 and say it will come true because they have resourses to make it happen but they can not say they were the ones that created the prophecy.

Answer 5

Please don't believe the lies that Satan uses to mislead people and keep them away from the truth. My Wife and I are Jehovah's Witnesses and we are very happy and know that this is the truth. We searched long and hard. By the way, what church do you go to? I did a process of elimination when I started searching. Do they use God's name Jehovah in their worship? Jesus clearly did. Do they have man made traditions? Are the part of the world? Jesus said my people are no part of the world. How about images in their worship? Do they believe in Holidays that have Pagan roots? The Christmas tree, Easter eggs and the Easter bunny, Halloween, and so on. Do they preach the good news of the Kingdom?

Answer 6

For one thing, the Watchtower magazine only has about 30 pages. You said page 197????? We do not call ourselves Jehovah's Christian Witnesses???

No we do not claim to be prophets, nor does the Watchtower magazine. There are prophecies being fulfilled that are commented in the magazine, put they are prophecies from the bible already foretold.

I will however look that up, I do have the old magazine on file.

Answer 7

The Q is unintentionally misleading by saying "Does" when it ought to say "Did". This is a historical Q. It has to do with the way the Watchtower Society described itself before 1975, and how it changed that description on the eve of 1975. And everybody taking part in this Q knows full well that Watchtower leaders built up a hope of Armageddon coming by October 1975, at the latest. However, the Q is NOT about infallibility, visions or dreams, as some JWs would try to make us believe. The Asker never mentioned any supposed prophecies! He only wanted to know if the organization claims to be a prophet. Can we please stick to the Q?

The use of inverted commas for "prophet" is another red herring. It's a semantics tactic. We know that no individual Watchtower Society leader has claimed to be "a prophet" (singular). But collectively, leaders (plural) have told JWs in categoric terms that they were to be viewed as Jehovah's modern-day prophet (class). I have to hand 2 publications of those leaders of that era:

"So, does Jehovah have a prophet [no inverted commas] to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet? [no inverted commas] ... The clergy... hold themselves before the people as being the ones commissioned to speak for God. But... they have failed God and failed as proclaimers of his kingdom... However... [God] had a "prophet" to warn them. This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women....Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses... Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a "prophet" of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record. What does it show?"

"Likewise it was a trying mission upon which the modern Ezekiel class was sent, to religious people of the same type as those in Ezekiel's day. But regardless of how Christendom views or regards this group of anointed witnesses of Jehovah, the time must come, and that shortly, when those making up Christendom will know that really a "prophet" of Jehovah was among them... Better it is to know now, rather than too late, that there is an authentic prophetic class of Christians among us... those who wait undecided until it does "come true" "will also have to know that a prophet himself had proved to be in the midst of them." (Ezekiel 33:33)"

Watchtower Society leaders called themselves the Ezekiel class. Ezekiel was a prophet. They claimed to be authentically commissioned to speak for God (unlike the clergy who were presumpteous). They claimed to warn of things to come (which, back then, included declarations that October 1975 was chronologically, prophetically, significant and their grasp of this was proof that God was using them alone in all the earth). After 1975 they stopped making such claims. Well, review the record and let it speak for itself.

Answer 8

They do claim to be a prophet not just in that location.

Answer 9

Good question Will J:
Strictly speaking, "The Watchtower" is not a prophet.
However, there are prophecies in the Bible having there fulfillment in our time ....and some in the near future.
The Watchtower comments on them, tries to explain them.
So, they are involved in the prophecy business.
However, there are no original prophecies that come through them.
They only deal with the ones already written ...in the Bible.

Answer 10

The watchtower itself is not a prophet, but it is written by people Jehovah's Witnesses consider to be extremely learned and holy. Watchtower articles seem to define witness doctrine, so they therefore trust it to be true in the way that people trust history books.

Answer 11

Yes, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society claims to be a prophet in the same class as Ezekiel. Here it is, stated plainly in the 3/15/72 issue of the Watchtower:

http://blueletterbible.org/study/cults/exposejw/expose04.pdf

And in the 4/1/72 Watchtower, it claims to be the only true prophet around today:

http://blueletterbible.org/study/cults/exposejw/expose05.pdf

EDIT: "Adam's Rib," if the WBTS is God's spokesman or advocate, then how can you explain that they speak mistruths so often, particularly when it comes to the date for the Second Coming? A spokesman who repeatedly speaks what's not true usually ends up in the unemployment line.

EDIT" "Trk," you don't have to look it up; click the links I gave and you'll see it.