|
(Cont.
from Page 3/8/90).
A BRIEF CRITICISM OF
AUGUSTINE'S 'CITY OF GOD' (2).
The only multitude who fulfil the
"lawless one's presence" "when wickedness will be revealed
in human form", as prophesied by The Christ through the apostle Paul and
revealed before the Day of the Lord, are the unsealed men masquerading as
'elders'
of the sect falsely calling themselves Jehovah's Witnesses.
Only they fulfil every detail of
the "final rebellion" of the apostate
"man of lawlessness"
of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (NWT & NEB):
|
(1) |
Over
many years they provided "lying signs and portents" unfulfilled
predictions and changes to the "times and Law" of God to fulfil
their own visions of glory through unrighteous teachings of deception in the
"time of the end". (2:9,10. Dan 7:25). |
|
(2) |
After
knowing the truth they apostatized and "went out from us"; made
evident by their ostracism of faithful anointed ones and their adoption of
apostate teachings. (1 John 2:19). |
|
(3) |
They
rejected the warnings of faithful anointed brothers of The Christ, removed their
congregational responsibilities from them, and excommunicated them
thereby removing the "restraint" against their wickedness in the
congregations. (2:7). |
|
(4) |
This
wickedness "in human form" was
"revealed" before the
Day of the Lord by the bitter "Little Scroll" of Revelation
10:1-11. (2:3 NEB).
The power of their wickedness was in its concealment, until the
"due time" for it to be
"revealed". (2:6,7). |
|
(5) |
Among anointed members apostates took their seat
"in the temple of The
God", with each one "publicly showing himself to be a god"
by removing anointed ones from Christ's congregations, standing in their place,
and uttering diatribes against all other sects. (2:4). |
|
(6) |
They
"took pleasure" in the
"lying signs and portents"
they established over many years, exposed by the "Little Scroll"
since 14th December 1976. (2:9-12). |
|
(7) |
"So
that is why God lets an operation of error go to them". They were
repeatedly warned and are being "judged". (2:11,12). The
"Little Scroll" is part of the legal case of God concerning this
"final rebellion" against Him. (2:3
NEB). |
|
(8) |
They
made public declarations through "verbal message(s)" and
"letter(s)" as though from anointed sons of God
"to the effect
that the day of Jehovah is here." (2:2). |
According to Augustine, the effect
of these "lying signs and portents"
'will be to draw
men into falsehood, in that people will believe that they could only have been
achieved by the power of God, being unaware of the strength of the Devil, and
especially his strength when he has received such power as he never before
enjoyed.' An example of this was the publicized lie of Roger Morgan concerning the new
apostate JW
'elder'
arrangement of the "man of lawlessness" when he declared: 'This
is God's doing.' (See the 1975 JW Yearbook quoted on Page 841 of the
"Little Scroll").
Although Augustine did not
distinguish between the
apostate "man of lawlessness" of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
and the
Antichrist of 1 John 2:22, those directly responsible for, and those giving their
support to, the removal of the anointed "restraint", are also
effectively anti-Christ but in a subtler way to Trinitarian Catholics. 'Anointed ones' means
'Christs' (plural), 'Anti' means 'opposed to, rivalling'. Hence
those of the apostate "man of lawlessness" are opposed to and are
Godless rivals of anointed sons of God. One may ask what this will mean for the
apostates: That those who refuse to acknowledge the falsehood of their
"Lie" will perish during the coming Day of the Lord. (2:9 NEB).
7/8/90.
|