sami

@Cos @Cos Why would Jesus “yield up”, what was about to cease existing, into the hands of His father (Luke 23:46)? What is more revealing is the fact that the Greek word παρατίθημι is never translated “yield up” or “yielded up” nor does the word mean such a thing the word means “the keeping of”. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- sami said: I'm afraid your mistaken - according to Perseus & Tufts ...Liddell Lexicon the meaning is... 2. to deposit what belongs to one in another's hands, give in charge, commit, Hdt., Xen.; τι εἴς τινα or τινά τινι NTest.

Historical Background of the Trinity The current mainstream teaching in Christianity is that God is a coequal, coeternal, one-substance trinity, and that Jesus Christ is God. This doctrine is considered by many as the cornerstone of Christianity, but where did this doctrine come from? The historical record is overwhelming that the church of the first three centuries did not worship God as a coequal, coeternal, consubstantial, one-substance three in one mysterious godhead. The early church worshipped one God and believed in a subordinate Son. The trinity originated with Babylon, and was passed on to most of the world's religions. This polytheistic (believing in more than one god) trinitarianism was intertwined with Greek religion and philosophy and slowly worked its way into Christian thought and creeds some 300 years after Christ. The idea of "God the Son" is Babylonian paganism and mythology that was grafted into Christianity. Worshipping "God the Son" is idolatry, and idolatry is Biblically condemned; it breaks the first great commandment of God of not having any gods before him (Exodus 20:3). Then three centuries after Christ the corrupt emperor Constantine forced the minority opinion of the trinity upon the council of Nicea. The Christian church went downward from there; in fact some of the creeds and councils actually contradict each other. The council of Nicea 325 said that "Jesus Christ is God," the council of Constantinople 381 said that "the Holy Spirit is God," the council of Ephesus 431 said that "human beings are totally depraved," the council of Chalcedon 451 said that "Jesus Christ is both man and God." If you follow the logic here then first you have Jesus Christ as God, then you have man totally depraved, and then you have Jesus Christ as man and God. If Jesus Christ is both man and God does this mean that God is also totally depraved? Well maybe the doctrine of the coequal, coeternal, one-substance, mysterious three in one triune godhead is deprived of any historical foundation tying it into the Christianity of the Bible and the Christianity of the first three centuries. However the historical information ties the trinity into various pagan origins. And yet most Christian churches continue to teach and believe the doctrine that God is a coequal, coeternal, one-substance, mysterious three in one triune godhead, and that Jesus Christ is God, and that the trinity is "the cornerstone of Christianity". The Church of the First Three Centuries 1865 Alvan Lamson " . . . The modern doctrine of the Trinity is not found in any document or relic belonging to the Church of the first three centuries. . . so far as any remains or any record of them are preserved, coming down from early times, are, as regards this doctrine an absolute blank. They testify, so far as they testify at all, to the supremacy of the father, the only true God; and to the inferior and derived nature of the Son. There is nowhere among these remains a coequal trinity. . . but no un-divided three, -- coequal, infinite, self-existent, and eternal. This was a conception to which the age had not arrived. It was of later origin." During the first three centuries, Christians did not believe that Jesus Christ was coequal, and coeternal with God, or that he was God the Son, they believed that Jesus Christ was subordinate to God, and that he had a beginning, that he was born. Those that believed otherwise were the exception. The Doctrine of the Trinity Christianity's Self-Inflicted Wound 1994 Anthony F. Buzzard Charles F. Hunting "Those Trinitarians who believe that the concept of a Triune God was such an established fact that it was not considered important enough to mention at the time the New Testament was written should be challenged by the remarks of another writer, Harold Brown:" "It is a simple fact and an undeniable historical fact that several major doctrines that now seem central to the Christian Faith – such as the doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of the nature of Christ – were not present in a full and self-defined generally accepted form until the fourth and fifth centuries. If they are essential today – as all of the orthodox creeds and confessions assert – it must be because they are true. If they are true, then they must always have been true; they cannot have become true in the fourth and fifth century. But if they are both true and essential, how can it be that the early church took centuries to formulate them?" A History of the Christian Church 2nd Ed. 1985 Williston Walker "AD 200. . Noetus had been expelled from the Smyrnaean church for teaching that Christ was the Father, and that the Father himself was born, and suffered, and died." Man's Religions John B. Noss 1968 "The controversy first became heated when Apollinarius, a bishop in Syria . . . asserted that Christ could not have been perfect man united with complete God, for then there would not have been one Son of God, but two sons, one by nature and one by adoption, the first with a divine, the second with a human will. Such a thing seemed inconceivable, religiously abhorrent." "Nestorius . . . preached a sermon against calling the virgin Mary "the mother of God" declaring she did not bear a deity, she bore a man," Numbers 23:19 states that God is not a man. God was not born, and God certainly did not die, but when people deviate from what the Bible teaches you can come up with the bizarre complexities of trinitarian religious mysteries that contradict logic, common sense and God's Word. New Bible Dictionary 1982 "The word trinity is not found in the Bible . . ." ". . . it did not find a place formally in the theology of the church till the 4th century." ". . . it is not a biblical doctrine in the sense that any formation of it can be found in the Bible, . . ." "Scripture does not give us a formulated doctrine of the trinity, . . ." The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism 1995 ". . . scholars generally agree that there is no doctrine of the trinity as such in either the Old Testament or the New Testament." If the trinity is the cornerstone of Christianity then how did the church of the first three centuries get along so well without it? If the trinity is the cornerstone of Christianity then why is it not mentioned in the Bible? The Encyclopedia Americana 1956 "Christianity derived from Judaism and Judaism was strictly Unitarian (believing in one God). The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicea was scarcely a straight one. Fourth century trinitarianism did not reflect accurately early Christian teaching regarding the nature of God; it was, on the contrary, a deviation from this teaching." The trinity is a deviation from believing in one God; it is a deviation from what the early church taught and it is a deviation from the scripture. The New Catholic Encyclopedia 1967 "The formulation 'one God in three persons' was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century." Who is Jesus? Anthony Buzzard "The Old Testament is a strictly monotheistic. God is a single personal being. The idea that a trinity is to be found there or even in any way shadowed forth, is an assumption that has long held sway in theology, but is utterly without foundation." The New Encyclopedia Britannica 1976 "Neither the word trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord' (Deut. 6:4). . . The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. . . . By the end of the 4th century . . . the doctrine of the trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since." The Shema consists of three sections of scripture Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. It is called the Shema after the Hebrew word hear, the first word in Deut. 6:4. The Shema was to be recited twice daily once upon arising and once when going to bed. So the Old Testament Jews would start and finish their day with 'Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.' The Complete Word Study Old Testament 1994 "To the Jew, (Deut. 6:4-9) this is the most important text in the Old Testament. Jesus himself called the injunction in 6:5 'the first and great commandment' Matt.22:36-38. . . Moses is teaching not only the priority of belief in one God, but also a means to preserve that belief. As time went on, the proper understanding of the Shema with its spiritual implications was no longer grasped by the people. This absence of saving knowledge became a factor in their spiritual downfall." Whenever God's people forget that there is only one God and they follow after other gods this will result in their downfall. This can be seen time and time again in the Old Testament where God's people forsook the Lord and then evil came upon them. God does not send this evil, but He warns us to stay away from the evil of worshipping more than one God. Dictionary of The Bible 1995 John L. Mckenzie "The trinity of God is defined by the church as the belief that in God are three persons who subsist in one nature. The belief as so defined was reached only in the 4th and 5th centuries AD and hence is not explicitly and formally a biblical belief." Why You Should Believe In The Trinity 1989 Robert M. Bowman Jr. "The New Testament does not contain a formalized explanation of the trinity that uses such words as trinity, three persons, one substance, and the like." The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology 1976 "The Bible lacks the express declaration that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are of equal essence. [said Karl Barth]" Exploring The Christian Faith 1992 "nowhere in the Bible do we find the doctrine of the trinity clearly formulated" "People who are using the King James Version might be inclined to point to I John 5:7 'For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost' But it is now generally recognized that this verse does not belong to the original text of the letter; it is a later insertion." "The theological formulation took place later, after the days of the apostles." "the doctrine of the trinity is not found in the Bible" "The doctrine was to develop along mainly Greek lines" Take note of the words "explicitly and formally", "formalized explanation", "express declaration", and "clearly formulated". These words are indicative of the fact that all the clear verses on the subjects of God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit do not even hint at a trinity. There are only a few verses that seem to hint at a trinity, and then only when they are twisted. The difficult or unclear verse must always be interpreted in light of the clear verses. If God is a coeternal, coequal, one substance, three-in-one Godhead, trinity, if that is what God really is, then he would have made himself known as such to the first century apostles; they would have made the trinity part of their beliefs teachings and writings. They would have used words like God the Son, coequal, coeternal, one substance, or trinity, but the scripture is devoid of all of these trinitarian words and phrases because the first century apostles did not believe or teach, or write about God being a trinity, or Jesus Christ being God. But the pagan and Greek and Babylonian religions used those words. Dictionary Of The Bible 1995 John L. Mckenzie "The trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of 'person' and 'nature' which are Greek philosophical terms; actually the terms do not appear in the Bible. The trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which these terms and others such as 'essence' and 'substance' were erroneously applied to God by some theologians." The Rise of Christianity W.H.C. Frend 1985 "For him [Clement] the trinity consisted of a hierarchy of three graded beings, and from that concept - derived from Platonism - depended much of the remainder of his theological teaching." The Doctrine of the Trinity Christianity's Self-Inflicted Wound 1994 Anthony F. Buzzard, Charles F. Hunting "Eberhard Griesebach, in an acedemic lecture on "Christianity and humanism" delivered in 1938, observed that in its encounter with Greek philosophy Christianity became theology. That was the fall of Christianity. The Problem thus highlighted stems from the fact that traditional orthodoxy, while it claims to find its origins in scripture, in fact contains elements drawn from a synthesis of Scripture and Neo-Platonism. The mingling of Hebrew and Greek thinking set in motion first in the second century by an influx of Hellenism through the Church Fathers, whose theology was colored by the Platonists Plotinus and Porphyry. The effects of the Greek influence are widely recognized by theologians, though they go largely unnoticed by many believers." ". . . the Trinity is an unintelligible proposition of platonic mysticisms that three are one and one is three"

If one is making a study of scripture and not merely mouthing the pagan teachings of weeds it would be quite possible to understand what the Bible is teaching. If that same person has to be told and shown the same information time and again, this is a person who does not want to know what the Bible has to say but is following the same pattern as Adam and Eve "you will be like God." Yes, making your own determination as to what is truth. Truth was spoken by Almighty God, Satan told the lie. The same is put before all of us today "life and good and death and bad" Dueteronomy 30:15-20 "I do put before you today life and good, and death and bad. 16 [If you will listen to the commandments of Jehovah your God,] which I am commanding you today, so as to love Jehovah your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judicial decisions, then you will be bound to keep alive and to multiply, and Jehovah your God must bless you in the land to which you are going to take possession of it. 17 “But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, and you are actually seduced and bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 I do tell YOU today that YOU will positively perish. YOU will not lengthen YOUR days on the ground to which you are crossing the Jordan to go to take possession of it. 19 I do take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against YOU today, that I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the malediction; and you must choose life in order that you may keep alive, you and your offspring, 20 by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice and by sticking to him; for he is your life and the length of your days,..." The spirit is "HOLY" BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO JEHOVAH. Some of the ways the holy spirit is represented are water, oil, a dove and fire. These comparisons would make no sense if the spirit were a person. At Judges 6:34 the spirit is coming upon someone "Then Jehovah’s spirit came upon Gideon and he sounded the horn, and the Abiezrites rallied behind him". And at Judges 15:14 the spirit is empowering "When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted triumphantly at meeting him(Samson). Then Jehovah’s spirit empowered him, and the ropes on his arms became like linen threads that were scorched with fire, and his fetters melted off his hands." The teaching asserting holy spirit as a divine person was foreign to the writers of the Bible and originated several centuries after the Greek Scriptures were completed. How does the Bible actually define holy spirit ? As said before, the word “spirit” is translated from the Hebrew ruach and the Greek pneuma, both words also denoting breath or wind, an invisible force. Scripture says that “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24). God is a spirit but not all spirits (forces that are invisible) are God. Young's Literal Translation God is a Spirit, and those worshipping Him, in spirit and truth it doth behove to worship.' GOD'S WORD® Translation God is a spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." Jubilee Bible 2000 God is a Spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. King James 2000 Bible God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. American King James Version God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. American Standard Version God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Yet we are also told that God has a Spirit. Genesis 1:2; 6:3; Exodus 31:3; 35:31; Nehemiah 9:20; Job 33:4; Ps. 139:7; Isaiah 11:2; 32:15; 40:13; 42:1; 44:3,4; 59:19-21; 61:1; 63:14; Ezekiel 36:27; 37:14; 39:29 etc. etc. So I ask again, what is holy spirit? It is the power of the Almighty God Jehovah, the limitless power by which he created the universe. Pay attention because your life depends upon knowing God's truth and not man's attempted rewrite. The Scripture never describs holy spirit as a distinct person or entity but most often refers to it as and connects it with God's devine power "As for me, I am filled with power by the spirit of Jehovah, And with justice and might, To tell to Jacob his revolt and to Israel his sin." Micah 3:8 Jewish scholars, examining the references to the Spirit in the Hebrew texts, have never defined holy spirit as anything but the power of God. In the Greek Scriptures, Paul referred to it as the spirit of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Informing Mary that Jesus would be supernaturally conceived in her womb, an angel told her, “ Holy spirit will come upon you,” and the divine messenger described this spirit to her as “the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). Jesus began His ministry “filled with the power of the spirit” (Luke 4:14). He told His followers, “You shall receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8). Peter relates that “God anointed Jesus with holy spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38). This was the same power that enabled Christ to perform many mighty miracles during His earthly ministry. Likewise, Jesus worked through the apostle Paul “in mighty signs and wonders, with the power of the spirit of God” (Romans 15:19). Even the New Catholic Encyclopedia admits: “The OT [Old Testament] clearly does not envisage God’s spirit as a person . . . God’s spirit is simply God’s power. If it is sometimes represented as being distinct from God, it is because the breath of Yahweh acts exteriorly . . . The majority of NT [New Testament] texts reveal God’s spirit as some thing , not some one ; this is especially seen in the parallelism between the spirit and the power of God” (1965, Vol. 13, “Spirit of God,” pp. 574-576). The reference work A Catholic Dictionary similarly acknowledges, “On the whole the New Testament, like the Old, speaks of the spirit as a divine energy or power” (William Addis and Thomas Arnold, 2004, “Trinity, Holy,” p. 827). The Scriptures depict holy spirit as the power of God many times over.It is also shown to be the mind of God and the very essence and life force through which our heavenly Father begets (anoints) human beings as His spiritual children. The holy spirit is not God, but a vital aspect of God, the agency through which Jehovah and Christ both work. The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes it as the “manifestation of divine presence and power perceptible especially in prophetic inspiration” (Vol. 3, 1992, p. 260). The Scriptures continually reveal that God imparted divine inspiration to His prophets and servants through His holy spirit. Peter noted that “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by holy spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Paul wrote that God’s purpose for mankind had been “revealed by the spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:5) and that his own teachings were inspired by God's spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13). Paul further explains that it is through His spirit that God has revealed to true Christians the things He has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). Working through the spirit, Jehovah is the revealer of truth to those who serve Him. Jesus told His followers that the holy spirit, which the Father would send," would teach" "But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you."(John 14:26). Jesus had this spiritual comprehension in abundance. “And the spirit of Jehovah will settle upon him, The spirit of wisdom and of understanding, The spirit of counsel and of mightiness, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 11:2). As the Son of Man on earth, Jesus portrayed in His personal conduct the divine attributes of Almighty God through completely living by His Father’s biblical standards through the power of the holy spirit "And the spirit of Jehovah will settle upon him, The spirit of wisdom and of understanding, The spirit of counsel and of mightiness, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.( 1 Timothy 3:16). The Father imparts the same spirit to true Christians through Jesus Christ "But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you".John 14:26 "When the helper comes that I will send you from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which comes from the Father, that one will bear witness about me." John 15:26; "(not because of any righteous works we had done, but because of his own mercy), he saved us by means of the bath that brought us to life and by making us new by holy spirit. 6 He poured this spirit out richly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior,"Titus 3:5-6 "For all who are led by God’s spirit are indeed God’s sons." (Romans 8:14 " for his divine power has granted us all the things that contribute to life and godly devotion through the accurate knowledge of the One who called us by his own glory and virtue. 4 Through these things he has granted us the precious and very grand promises, so that through these you may become sharers in divine nature, having escaped from the world’s corruption produced by wrong desire."2 Peter 1:3,4). Holy spirit is spoken of in many ways that demonstrate that it is not a person. For example, it is referred to as a gift "And the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the free gift of the holy spirit was being poured out also on people of the nations." Acts 10:45 " Do not neglect the gift (the spirit) in you that was given you through a prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you."1 Timothy 4:14 God gives without limit "For the one (Christ) whom God sent speaks the sayings of God, for He does not give the spirit sparingly."John 3:34 We are told that holy spirit can be quenched " Do not put out the fire of the spirit."1 Thessalonians 5:19 and that it can be poured out on people "And in the last days,” God says, “I will pour out some of my spirit on every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams, 18 and even on my male slaves and on my female slaves I will pour out some of my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 And I will give wonders in heaven above and signs on earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and illustrious day of Jehovah comes. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”’ 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus the Nazareneʹ was a man publicly shown to you by God through powerful works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know. 23 This man, who was handed over by the determined will and foreknowledge of God, you fastened to a stake by the hand of lawless men, and you did away with him. 24 But God resurrected him by releasing him from the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held fast by it. 25 For David says about him: ‘I keep Jehovah constantly in front of me, for he is at my right hand that I may never be shaken. 26 On this account my heart became cheerful and my tongue rejoiced greatly. And I will reside in hope; 27 because you will not leave me in the Grave, nor will you allow your loyal one to see corruption. 28 You have made life’s ways known to me; you will fill me with great joy in your presence.’ 29 “Men, brothers, it is permissible to speak with freeness of speech to you about the family head David, that he died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that he would seat one of his offspring on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he forsaken in the Grave nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 God resurrected this Jesus, and of this we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore, because he was exalted to the right hand of God and received the promised holy spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you see and hear. Acts 2:17-33 and that we are also baptized with holy spirit " I, for my part, baptize you with water because of your repentance, but the one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to take off. That one will baptize you with holy spirit and with fire. Matthew 3:11. People can drink of it "John 7:37-39 partake of it (Hebrews 6:4) and be filled with it (Acts 2:4; Ephesians 5:18). Holy spirit also renews us (Titus 3:5) and must be stirred up within us (2 Timothy 1:6). These impersonal characteristics are certainly not attributes of a person or personal being! The Spirit is also described by other designations—”the Holy spirit of promise,” “the guarantee of our inheritance” and “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” which show it is not a person. "But you also hoped in him after you heard the word of truth, the good news about your salvation. After you believed, you were sealed by means of him with the promised holy spirit, 14 which is a token in advance of our inheritance, for the purpose of releasing God’s own possession by a ransom, to his glorious praise. 15 That is why I also, since I have heard of the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus and the love that you demonstrate toward all the holy ones, 16 never stop giving thanks for you. I continue mentioning you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the accurate knowledge of him.(Ephesians 1:13-17) In contrast to Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, who are consistently compared to human beings in Their form and shape, the holy spirit is consistently represented, by various symbols and manifestations, in a completely different manner—such as breath (John 20:22), wind (Acts 2:2), fire (Acts 2:3), water (John 4:14; John 7:37-39), oil (Psalms 45:7; compare Acts 10:38; Matthew 25:1-10), a dove (Matthew 3:16) and an “earnest, or down payment, on eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14, KJV). These depictions would certainly be difficult to understand if the holy spirit is a person! In Matthew 1:20 we find further proof that holy spirit is not a distinct entity, but God’s divine power. Here we read that Jesus was conceived by holy spirit. However, Jesus continually prayed to and addressed Jehovah God as his Father and not the holy spirit - another thing that is apparent, is Jesus himself is not a co-equal part of a trinity or he would be praying to himself. (Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 11:25-27; Matthew 12:50). He never represented the spirit as his Father! Clearly, holy spirit was the agency or power through which the Father begot Jesus as His Son. Paul’s example and teaching were in line with that of Christ If God were a Trinity, surely Paul, who was taught directly by the resurrected Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12) and who wrote much of the theological underpinnings of the early Church, would have comprehended and taught this concept. Yet we find no such teaching in His writings. Moreover, Paul’s standard greeting in his letter to the congregations, as well as individuals to whom he wrote, consistently mentions “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Yet in each of his greetings he never mentions the holy spirit! (The same can also be said of Peter in the salutations of both his epistles.) The same greeting, with only minor variations, appears in every epistle that bears Paul’s name. Notice how consistent he is in not including the holy spirit in his greetings: • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7). • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:3). • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:2). • “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:3). • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:2). • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:2). • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Colossians 1:2). • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:1). • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:1-2). • “Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Timothy 1:2). • “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:2). • “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 1:4). • “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philemon 1:3). Mention of a holy spirit is always left out of these greetings, an unbelievable and inexplicable oversight if the spirit were indeed a person or entity coequal with Jehovah God and'or Christ Jesus! This is even more surprising when we consider that the congregations to which Paul wrote had many gentile members from polytheistic backgrounds who had formerly worshipped numerous gods. Paul’s epistles record no attempt on his part to explain the Trinity or the spirit as a divine person equal with God, Jehovah and Jesus Christ. In all of Paul’s writings, only in 2 Corinthians 13:14 is the spirit mentioned along with the Father and Jesus Christ in such expressions, and there only in connection with the “fellowship of holy spirit” in which believers share, not in any sort of theological statement on the nature of God...."The undeserved kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the sharing in the holy spirit be with all of you." The point Paul makes here is that God’s spirit is the unifying agent that brings us together in godly, righteous fellowship, not only with one another but with the Father and Son. As 1 John 1:3 tells us, “ that which we have seen and heard we are reporting also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." There is no mention whatsoever of holy spirit. Jesus likewise never spoke of holy spirit as a divine third person. Instead, in numerous passages He spoke only of the relationship between the Father and himself "And going a little way forward, he fell facedown, praying: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me. Yet, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39 "Concerning that day or the hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but the Father." Mark 13:32 "And at the ninth hour, Jesus called out with a loud voice: “Eʹli, Eʹli, laʹma sa·bach·thaʹni?” which means, when translated: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34 "This is why the Jews began seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath but he was also calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God. 19 Therefore, in response Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, the Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son does also in like manner. 20 For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does, and he will show him works greater than these, so that you may marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes alive whomever he wants to. 22 For the Father judges no one at all, but he has entrusted all the judging to the Son,"John 5:18-22 The spirit as a person is conspicuously absent from Christ’s teaching in general. Of particular interest in this regard are His many statements about himself and the Father, especially when he never makes similar statements about himself and the spirit. The spirit is absent in visions of God’s throne In visions of God’s throne recorded in the Bible, although the Father and Christ are seen, the spirit as a third person is absent. In Acts 7:55-56, which describes the martyrdom of Stephen, we read that he “gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” He saw the Father and the Son, but no other spirit creature, equal, co-equal or otherwise. Daniel 7:9-14 similarly describes Daniel’s vision of heaven. There he saw “the Ancient of Days” - Jehovah, the Father - plus millions of angelic beings and “One like the Son of Man,” the preexistent Jesus Christ, but no third person as a Triune entity. And in Revelation 4-5 and Revelation 7:10 we see that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is mentioned as being at the right hand of the Father, but no one is mentioned as being at the Father’s left hand. Nowhere is a third spirit person mentioned. Nowhere in any of these passages, or anywhere in Scripture, are three divine persons pictured together. In the final book of the Bible (and the last to be written), the Holy spirit as a divine person is completely absent from its pages. The book describes “a new heaven and new earth” (Revelation 21:1) wherein “the holy city is with men, and He (Jehovah) will dwell with them” (Revelation 21:3). Christ the Lamb is also present (Revelation 21:22, 23) "because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." "And the city has no need for sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp." Again, no third person. This is why Paul states in 1 Corinthians 8:6 that “there is one God, the Father . . . and one Lord Jesus Christ,” no mention of the holy spirit as a divine person or co-equal personage. Elsewhere he (Paul) makes reference to Colossians 2:2 "This is so that their (the congregation) hearts may be comforted and that they may be harmoniously joined together in love and may have all the riches that result from the full assurance of their understanding, in order to gain an accurate knowledge of the sacred secret of God, namely, Christ" Here again mentioning only the two not three. We should also consider that nowhere do we find any prayer, psalm or hymn addressed to or dedicated to a trinity. Nowhere do we see worship of a third person. Again and again, the biblical record just doesn’t support the Trinity doctrine in places where it should be obvious if it were true! This is why, as we have seen from numerous quotes by many historians and biblical researchers, admitting the doctrine of the Trinity is not found in the Bible. We must not cling to long-held religious traditions if they contradict the Scriptures! Our beliefs must rest solidly on the teachings of the Bible. Jesus said, “[God’s] word is truth” (John 17:17). What about scriptures describing actions of a co-equal partner, a triune Spirit? Some scriptural passages seem to describe holy spirit as apparently engaging in personal activity. Does this mean that the Spirit is a distinct person? While at first this might seem to indicate as much, it doesn’t really prove that at all. In the languages of Bible times, nonpersonal things were sometimes described in personal ways and as having personlike activities. For example, in Genesis 4:10 God says to Cain: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” Here Abel’s shed blood is described as having a “voice” that “cries out” from the ground. Yet clearly this is figurative language, as blood has no voice and cannot speak. Similarly, in the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified as calling aloud and crying out (Proverbs 1:20-21). Proverbs 8 describes wisdom as crying out, standing on a high hill, calling to men, speaking, having lips and a mouth, loving and being loved, having children and having accompanied and rejoiced with God. Yet obviously wisdom is not a person and does none of these things in a literal sense! Likewise, Psalms 65:13 describes valleys shouting for joy and singing. Psalms 96:11-12 attributes emotions to the heavens, earth and fields. Psalms 98:8 says the rivers clap their hands. Psalms 148:4-5 describes the skies and rain praising God. Isaiah 3:26 says the gates of the city of Jerusalem will lament and mourn. Isaiah 14:8 speaks of cypress trees rejoicing and cedar trees talking. Isaiah 35:1 ascribes emotions to the wilderness and says the desert will rejoice. Isaiah 44:23 and Isaiah 49:13 describe mountains, forests, trees and the heavens singing. Isaiah 55:12 says that hills will break into singing and trees will clap their hands. In Habakkuk 2:11 stones and timbers are described as talking to each other. We find similar personifications of nonpersonal things in the New Testament as well. Matthew 11:19 speaks of wisdom having children. Romans 6 says that sin enslaves and reigns over human beings (Romans 6:6; Romans 6:12; Romans 6:16). In Romans 10:6 righteousness is described as speaking. In 1 John 5:8 water and blood are said to testify and agree. Yet clearly none of these things happen literally. At times the Bible similarly applies such figurative language to the Holy Spirit, ascribing activity to it as though it were a person. Yet, as noted earlier in this chapter, the Bible also describes the Holy Spirit in ways that clearly show it is not a person. As even the New Catholic Encyclopedia, quoted from earlier,acknowledges: “The majority of New Testament texts reveal God’s spirit as something, not someone; this is especially seen in the parallelism between the spirit and the power of God. When a quasi-personal activity is ascribed to God’s spirit, e.g., speaking, hindering, desiring, dwelling (Acts 8:29; Acts 16:7; Romans 8:9), one is not justified in concluding immediately that in these passages God’s spirit is regarded as a Person; the same expressions are used also in regard to rhetorically personified things or abstract ideas In Acts, the use of the words ‘Holy Spirit,’ with or without an article, is rich and abundant. However, again, it is difficult to demonstrate personality from the texts” (2003, Vol. 13, “Spirit, Holy,” p. 428). Thus we see that in some cases where the Holy Spirit is described in a personal activity, we should understand this as God using his Spirit as the power or agency through which He acts. Consider, for example, that if a man’s hand takes hold of a book and lifts it, we can say the man lifted the book. This does not make the hand a separate person. Nor does it mean that the hand is the man. The hand is merely part of, or an extension of, the man. And it is the agency through which the man is acting. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is the agency through which God or Son or both acts. Of course, Jehovah's Holy spirit is far more than a hand. It is His limitless power by which God, as Psalms 139:7-10 and Jeremiah 23:23-24 shows us, It is the invisible energizing force that God puts into action to accomplish his will. It is holy because it comes from Jehovah, who is clean and righteous to the highest degree, and because it is God’s means to accomplish what is holy.Luke 1:35; Acts 1:8. This is why Peter in Acts 5:1-10 said that Ananias and Sapphira “lied to the Holy spirit” and also that they “lied . . . to God.” This passage doesn’t indicate that the Spirit is God or one of the supposed three persons of God, as some read into this passage. The apostles were anointed with Holy spirit and through the power of God's spirit Peter knew Ananias was lying. Jehovah's Spirit is the agency through which Peter knew he lied and acted accordingly. " However, a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold some property. 2 But he secretly held back some of the price, with his wife’s knowledge, and he brought just a part of it and deposited it at the feet of the apostles. 3 But Peter said: “Ananias, why has Satan emboldened you to lie to the holy spirit and secretly hold back some of the price of the field? 4 As long as it remained with you, did it not remain yours? And after it was sold, was it not in your control? Why have you thought up such a deed as this in your heart? You have lied, not to men, but to God.” 5 On hearing these words, Ananias collapsed and died. And great fear came over all those who heard about it. 6 Then the younger men rose, wrapped him in cloths, carried him out, and buried him. 7 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter said to her: “Tell me, did you two sell the field for so much?” She said: “Yes, for that amount.” 9 So Peter said to her: “Why did you two agree to make a test of the spirit of Jehovah? Look! The feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Instantly she collapsed at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead and they carried her out and buried her alongside her husband." Jesus Christ’s reference in John 16:7 to holy spirit as a “Helper” (or “Counselor,” “Comforter” or “Advocate” as some versions translate it) is a personification that provides a good analogy of part of the Spirit’s function in the lives of true Christians. And as noted before, many passages show the Spirit as the power of God to help and assist us, not a distinct person as Trinitarians maintain. And BTW, the Scripture you quoted (John 2:21) was referencing Christ not the holy spirit. EKEINOS means that one; From ekei; that one (or (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed -- he, it, the other (same), selfsame, that (same, very), X their, X them, they, this, those.

Koine Greek: PNEUMA - Hebrew: RUACH? In the Christian Greek texts "pneuma" is always designated as a neuter noun - meaning the writers understood it as a what or a which but never a who, let alone a he or him [note for clarification for those who would hope to salvage the "who" for trinity purposes, ho parakleetos is a descriptive masculine noun used in reference to the neuter noun pneuma in John 14:16, 26 and John 15:26. The demonstrative pronoun of ho parakleetos is ekeinos, meaning "that" or "that one." The author has appropriately used ekeinos in reference to ho parakleetos as "that one," whereas most translations incorrectly translate ekeinos as "He." ] This is consistent with the Hebrew cognate ruach [the Hebrew word you often see translated as "spirit"], which merely means, literally, in its concrete, an impersonal force which enacts upon other things. Like the "wind" which enacts upon the leaves of a tree and appears to make the tree animate. "Wind" is in fact how the word ruach is first used in the biblical text in Genesis. One example: John 3:8, "“The wind [pneuma] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit [pneuma].” [ESV]. The same word and gender and form is used in both places. In one instance, those performing the English translation hold true to existing koine Greek grammatical rules - and in the second instance, they blatantly depart from those rules - any suppositions as to why?

The best text related to the issue being discussed is the data provided by Jesus himself, at Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43, which starts off as follows: "Jesus told them another parable: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner's servants came to him and said, "Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?" "An enemy did this", he replied. The servants asked him, "Do you want us to go and pull them up?" "No", he answered, "because while you are pulling the weeds, you root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn." (NIV) Not wanting to allow for a variety of future interpretations of the above parable, Jesus himself, explained it in 13:36-43 as follows: "Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field". He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world [kosmos], and the good seed stands for the sons of the Kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his Kingdom everything that causes sin, and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." Jesus explains that while he was on earth he, the "Son of Man", spread a specific message, "the seed of wheat", that resulted eventually in the formation of a body of original followers and/or co-workers, "the wheat". However, when his co-workers, the faithful apostles and their principal associates died, or "went to sleep" [death is compared to a type of sleep in over 700 places in the Hebrew and Christian Greek Scriptures], an enemy, the Devil, over-sowed the body of believers with others, "the weeds", who were not of the same ilk as the original community once was – resulting in a contamination, a negative infusion that proved to compromise that which was established by Jesus and his first followers. As noted in the parable, it is only during "the end of the age", the time of the end, the last days, in which one would see a harvesting that would bring together once again the wheat, but now separate from the weeds – indeed, the call made at Revelation 18:4, for his people, to get out. Interestingly, the koine Greek word translated as "weeds" is "zizanion" which is a kind of darnel, the bearded type, which significantly resembles wheat in "appearance", but only in appearance [Matthew 7:15-23] – a degenerate wheat. Also interesting regarding zizanion, it is not until the time approaching harvest, that the zizanion becomes visible – and it does so because unlike wheat, it puts forth little black seeds at maturity, which become visible, and if eaten, can be deadly. It is the fruit, or "seeds" of this plant, which make it distinguishable from the true wheat. The reason why Jesus chose this particular plant by word becomes obvious - the zizanion represented individuals "planted" by the oversower into the developing Christian institution. Who would claim to be genuine Christians, genuine "wheat". According to the parable, this poisoned and contaminated version of "Christianity" would be allowed to persist until the time of the end at which time a separating would transpire, i.e., the restoration.

You must be a disfellowshipped person, HUH ? You should be supremely happy - you are now on the outside looking in so stop pressing your nose against our windows. Did you want followers? All those who choose to follow a Judas goat will be led to the slaughter. Sheep, on the other hand, hear the voice of the Fine Shepherd calling their name. John 10:3 "The doorkeeper opens to this one, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” So you were preaching false doctrine in the kingdom hall to Jehovah's Witnesses? Not a very smart move. Then you thought it appropriate to exhibit your mad ravings to the elders and were disfellowshipped for being an apostate. I can't imagine why? Of course apostates are not anything new, the apostle Paul was quite eloquent in his description of those in the first century. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 True, the mystery of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who is right now acting as a restraint is out of the way. 8 Then, indeed, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence. 9 But the lawless one’s presence is by the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and wonders 10 and every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth in order that they might be saved. 11 That is why God lets a deluding influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness." I have a feeling you are not very happy any place you plant yourself, but look at it this way - you weren't happy with us and we were not happy with you.

HMMMM!! "The one walking with the wise will become wise, But the one who has dealings with the stupid will fare badly." Proverbs 13:20 "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven ferments the whole batch of dough?" 1 Corinthians 5:6

We are not following worldly advice, we let the Scripture, as an unfailing prophetic book, be the guide. Galatians 1:6 "I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from the One who called you with Christ’s undeserved kindness to another sort of good news. 7 Not that there is another good news; but there are certain ones who are causing you trouble and wanting to distort the good news about the Christ. 8 However, even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond the good news we declared to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, I now say again, Whoever is declaring to you as good news something beyond what you accepted, let him be accursed."

What are pneuma and ruach? In the Christian Greek texts "pneuma" is always designated as a neuter noun - meaning the writers understood it as a what or a which but never a who, let alone a he or him [note for clarification for those who would hope to salvage the "who" for trinity purposes, ho parakleetos is a descriptive masculine noun used in reference to the neuter noun pneuma in John 14:16, 26 and John 15:26. The demonstrative pronoun of ho parakleetos is ekeinos, meaning "that" or "that one." The author has appropriately used ekeinos in reference to ho parakleetos as "that one," whereas most translations incorrectly translate ekeinos as "He." ] This is consistent with the Hebrew cognate ruach [the Hebrew word you often see translated as "spirit"], which merely means, literally, in its concrete, an impersonal force which enacts upon other things. Like the "wind" which enacts upon the leaves of a tree and appears to make the tree animate. "Wind" is in fact how the word ruach is first used in the biblical text in Genesis. One example: John 3:8, "“The wind [pneuma] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit [pneuma].” [ESV]. The same word and gender and form is used in both places. In one instance, those performing the english translation hold true to existing koine Greek grammatical rules - and in the second instance, they blatantly depart from those rules - any suppositions as to why?

We've all been there and done that. Most Witnesses have come from a false religious background. I came from a Roman Catholic background and had aspirations of becoming a nun. I associated with nuns after school, cleaned the classrooms and sang in the choir, so my background was fully vested in the teachings of the Trinity, immortal soul, hellfire, purgatory, limbo, Jesus was Catholic, the infallibility of the Pope - he was god on earth. But a life changing experience happened one day, a man came to our door and began to show my mother scriptures proving his point on the areas they discussed. My mother, a strong person who also had deep respect for the Bible listened and in that discussion something touched her heart. The young man had his mother revisit my mother and discussed what had previously been initiated by her son. Within the same time frame a Seventh Day Adventist was visiting my mother voicing her version of scripture and offering a Bible study. My mother, in order to make her decision on which one to choose, asked each one to explain what the Sabbath meant and should it still be enforced as in the Law. She listened and looked up Scripture and there was no comparison in teaching, she was confident that Jehovah's Witness had the TRUTH of the matter. She began to study the Bible and was baptized in 1952. My mother began to speak about the Bible to her siblings (who were all different religions and scattered around the U.S.) they began to study the Bible and were baptized at different times and places.(4 brothers, 2 sisters and her father and her three children) So we've been there and indoctrinated in a variety of different religions before a selfless individual came to our door in obedience to Jesus command at Matthew 19:28,29. Yes, that Good News is being preached in 239 Lands and Islands and in over 900 languages - in over two hundred thousand congregations worldwide. The noise that you hear on the internet cannot drown out the preaching of the Good News and the gathering of the sheep. Jesus said: John 10:3" But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens to this one, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." Â Apostates and other opposers are very busy in these days and the scripture tells us why Ezekiel 29:4 " And I will put hooks in your jaws and cause the fish of your Nile canals to cling to your scales. And I will bring you up out of the midst of your Nile canals and all the fish of your Nile canals that cling to your very scales. 5 And I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your Nile canals. Upon the surface of the field you will fall. You will not be gathered up nor be collected together. To the wild beasts of the earth and to the flying creatures of the heavens I will give you for food. 6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt will have to know that I am Jehovah," Â Yes Indeed! Jehovah has put the hooks in the jaws of Satan and his demonic cohorts and they cannot turn back and as Ezekiel's prophecy makes clear, it is for one reason - identify and destroy. Â As the apostle Paul points out at 2Corinthians 4: 3 "If, in fact, the good news we declare is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through." Â Â Â Â

Photoshopped. The real photo can be found on the internet.

Who said she applied for a scholarship? Teachers always make that suggestion to bright students but the decision belongs to the student and this student declined the offer.Â

The Winter Olympics? The f***ing Winter Olympics. So you're telling me this lady was one of the best athletes in her nation, good enough to go to the Olympic fucking Games, a level of skill which already requires incredible dedication to reach. Which she passed on to go be a regular pioneer instead. And this was back in the 80s since it's been over 30 years. Well sister, you passed on a rare, once in a lifetime opportunity to do something only a handful of people get a chance to, something which apparently you had already been training to do, in order to do something you could have started the next fucking year. But I mean the end was probably so close, wasn't it? I'm sure you'll get extra Paradise for banging on people's doors to annoy them at 9:40am instead of the 15-ish months you'd have spent training doing a thing you apparently love to compete at Lake Placid or wherever. The f***ing Olympics, bullshit. Why put off till tomorrow what can be done today? Life, in this system, is transient so why use it to glorify yourself or country when these things are temporary. Her priorities changed when she began to study the Bible. She chose the best life ever, the life with everlasting benefits. It is difficult for someone self-absorbed to ever get the sense of that concept ( service to God and service to others). A force of life and attitude richly blessed and satisfying.

Hebrews 1:1-9 "Long ago God spoke to our forefathers by means of the prophets on many occasions and in many ways. 2 Now at the end of these days he has spoken to us by means of a Son,"(C) corresponding texts: Matthew 17:5 " While he was still speaking, look! a bright cloud overshadowed them, and look! a voice out of the cloud said: “This is my (J) Son(C), the beloved, whom I have approved. Listen to him. ”whom he appointed heir of all things, corresponding texts: Psalms 2:8 "Ask of me,(J) and I will give nations as your inheritance And the ends of the earth as your (C) possession". "and through whom he made the systems of things". corresponding texts: Colossians 1:15,16 "He is the image of the invisible God (J), the firstborn of all creation" because by means of him (C) all other (than himself) things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through him and for him. 3 "He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of his very being", corresponding texts:John 1:14 So the Word (C) became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son(C) from a father;(J) and he was full of divine favor and truth. John 17:5 So now, Father (J), glorify me(C) at your side with the glory that I had alongside you before the world was. "and he sustains all things by the word of his power. And after he had made a purification for our sins," corresponding texts: Hebrews 9:26 " Otherwise, he(C) would have to suffer often from the founding of the world. But now he(C) has manifested himself once for all time at the conclusion of the systems of things to do away with sin through the sacrifice of himself.(C) "he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high". corresponding texts: Psalm 110:1 "Jehovah declared to my Lord: “Sit at my(J) right hand Until I place your(C) enemies as a stool for your feet.” Acts 2:32, 33 "God (J) resurrected this Jesus, and of this we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore, because he(C) was exalted to the right hand of God and received the promised holy spirit from the Father(J), he has poured out what you see and hear."Acts 7:55 "But he, being full of holy spirit, gazed into heaven and caught sight of God’s glory and of Jesus standing at God’s right hand." 4 So he has become better than the angels corresponding texts: Ephesians 1:20, 21 which he (J) exercised toward Christ when he (J) raised him (C) up from the dead and seated him (C) at his (J) right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above every government and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named, not only in this system of things but also in that to come. 1 Peter 3:22 He (C) is at God’s (J) right hand, for he (C) went to heaven, and angels and authorities and powers were made subject to him (C). "to the extent that he has inherited a name more excellent than theirs." corresponding text: Philippians 2:9, 10 "For this very reason, God (J) exalted him (C) to a superior position and kindly gave him (C) the name that is above every other name, 10 so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend—of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground" (HOW COULD "HO THEOS" (ALMIGHTY GOD) BE RAISED TO A HIGHER POSITION THAN HE ALREADY HOLDS?) 6. For example, to which one of the angels did God ever say: “You are my son; today I have become your father”? corresponding text:Psalms 2:7 Let me proclaim the decree of Jehovah; He said to me: (C))“You are my son; Today I (J)) have become your father. And again: “I will become his father, and he will become my son”? corresponding text: Mark 1:11 And a voice came out of the heavens: “You (C) are my Son, the beloved; I (J) have approved you.” Luke 9:35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying: “This is my (J) Son, (C) the one who has been chosen. Listen to him.” 2 Peter 1:17 For he (C) received from God the Father (J) honor and glory when words such as these were conveyed to him (C) by the magnificent glory: “This is my Son, my beloved, whom I (J) myself have approved.” 6 "But when he again brings his Firstborn" corresponding text: John 1:14 "So the Word (C) became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his (C) glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son (C) from a father(Jehovah); and he (C) was full of divine favor and truth". Romans 8:29 "because those whom he (J) gave his first recognition he (J) also foreordained to be patterned after the image of his Son,(C) so that he(C) might be the firstborn among many brothers". Colossians 1:15 "He (C) is the image of the invisible God, (J) the firstborn of all creation;" "into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.” 7 Also, he says about the angels: “He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire" corresponding text: Psalm 91:11 For he (J) will give his angels a command concerning you,(C) To guard you in all your ways. Luke 22:43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him (C) and strengthened him. 8 "But about the Son, he says: “God is your throne forever and ever, and the scepter of your Kingdom is the scepter of uprightness. 9 You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness. That is why God, your God, anointed you with the oil of exultation more than your companions.” corresponding texts: Matthew 28:18 Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given me (Christ) in heaven and on the earth. Revelation 3:21 To the one who conquers I (C) will grant to sit down with me on my throne, just as I (C) conquered and sat down with my Father (J) on his throne. It is quite clear that throughout the entire context from Hebrews 1:1, Christ is seen to be a lesser god than his Father. Therefore, the use of “theos” here should be translated “god.” The context must determine whether Christ is being referred to as the Supreme Being or a man with great authority, so reading it carefully is a must. However, in this case one need not read very far to find that Christ, called “god,” HIMSELF HAS a “God.” The very next verse, Hebrews 1:9, makes this crystal clear, verse 9 states:“therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions.” Therefore, Christ cannot be the supreme God, because the supreme God does not have a God. Furthermore, Christ’s God “set” him above others and “anointed” him. This makes it abundantly clear that the use of theos here in Hebrews is not referring to Christ being the supreme God, but rather a man with great authority under another God. Andrews Norton writes: Here the context proves that the word “God” does not denote the Supreme Being, but is used in an inferior sense. This is admitted by some of the most respectable Trinitarian critics. Thus, the Rev. Dr. Mayer remarks: “Here the Son is addressed by the title God: but the context shows that it is an official title which designates him as a king: he has a kingdom, a throne and a scepter; and in verse 9 he is compared with other kings, who are called his fellows; but God can have no fellows. As the Son, therefore, he is classed with the kings of the earth, and his superiority over them consists in this, that he is anointed with the oil of gladness above them; inasmuch as their thrones are temporary, but his shall be everlasting.” The verse is a direct quotation of Psalm 45:6,7. The Jews read this verse for centuries and, knowing the flexibility of the word “God,” never concluded that the Messiah would somehow be part of a Triune God. Psalm 45:6, 7 "God is your throne forever and ever; The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness. 7 You loved righteousness, and you hated wickedness. That is why God, YOUR God, has anointed you with the oil of exultation more than your companions." To be noted, the verse in the Greek text can also be translated as, “Thy throne is God.” However, because the verse is a reference from the Old Testament, and because the texts indicate and we believe that Jehovah God is the Father, the supreme deity of the universe, is calling His Christ a “god” (i.e., one with divine authority), there is no need to translate the verse other than, “Thy throne, O god, is forever.” *Berean Study Bible You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God,(J) Your (C) God, has placed You above Your companions by anointing You with the oil of joy.” *Contemporary English Version You loved justice and hated evil, and so I, (J) your (C) God, have chosen you. I appointed you and made you happier than any of your friends." *NET Bible You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing." *GOD'S WORD® Translation You have loved what is right and hated what is wrong. That is why God, your God, anointed you, rather than your companions, with the oil of joy." New American Standard 1977 “THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY COMPANIONS.” American King James Version You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows. Douay-Rheims Bible Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. World English Bible You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows." **thy God. Psalm 89:26 He (Christ) shall cry to me(J), You (J) are my father my God, and the rock of my (C) salvation. John 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I (C) have not yet ascended to the Father (J); but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my (C)Father and your Father, to my (C) God and your God.’”… 2 Corinthians 11:31 The God (J) and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms". 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, **One other point is that in Isaiah 9:6 a prophecy regarding Mashiach and the titles applied to him. In this prophecy he is referred to as mighty god ʼEl Gibbohrʹ NOT ʼEl Shaddaiʹ which is [God Almighty or Almighty God], which is applied to Jehovah God at Genesis 17:1. The Bible must be in harmony from Genesis through Revelation, you cannot take one text and say this is what the Bible teaches when there are fifty texts to contradict it. Is it in harmony with the rest of scripture, that is the question. To address another misconception regarding Jesus Christ...the apostle Peter tells us "...He (Christ) was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. ...." What is this text saying? If Jesus is also Jehovah, who resurrected him? How could he then glorify himself and seat himself along side himself with the glory he had alongside himself before? The apostle John tells us "I (Christ) have glorified you (Jehovah) on the earth, having finished the work you have given me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory that I had alongside you before the world was".John 17:4,5 1 Corinthians 15:45 "So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living person.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." Jesus Christ was not raised in the flesh just as Peter informs us....taking his flesh back would nullify the sacrifice he made. Paul says that "...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of the heavens; neither does corruption inherit incorruption." After his resurrection, Jesus materialized bodies for himself just as the angels did in Noah's time when they began to cohabit with the daughters of mankind. Those wicked angels dematerialized and went back to the heavens but their offspring (Nephilim) were destroyed in the flood. There were also materialized angels sent out as messengers to mankind. Why do you think Jesus was not recgnized by his closest associates when they were up close and personal with him? Some recognized him by his voice and others by things he said but not through his appearance. THE TRINITY DOCTRINE IS OF PAGAN ORIGIN

 Dr. Gabriele Hammermann, director of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, presents a photograph of the plaque commemorating Max Eckert during her speech.   JULY 9, 2018 GERMANY Anonymous No More: Max Eckert Commemorated at Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site During a ceremony held on May 7, 2018, the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site revealed to an audience of some 200 people a plaque memorializing Brother Max Eckert who was imprisoned at the former Dachau camp for over two years before being sent to the notorious Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. He never returned home. Though Brother Eckert died in relative obscurity, he is now recognized publicly as a man of unshakable faith.  Recent photograph of the former Dachau concentration camp, where Max Eckert was imprisoned before he was sent to Mauthausen.  Mauthausen concentration camp, where Max Eckert died. Records disclose Brother Eckert’s legacy of integrity. He and his wife were fined as early as 1935 for speaking to others about their faith. He later lost his job because he refused to carry a flag with a swastika. In 1937, he became one of the approximately 600 dauntless Jehovah’s Witnesses interned in Dachau. Over two years later, he was transferred to Mauthausen where at least 90,000 prisoners died from the brutal conditions. On February 21, 1940, Brother Eckert’s wife received a telegram that unceremoniously announced: “Husband died today in the camp. For further details contact the police.” He was 43 years old. During her presentation at the ceremony, Dr. Gabriele Hammermann, director of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, explained: “The Bible Students [as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known] were persecuted because their beliefs did not allow them to become members of any Nazi organizations, give the Hitler salute, or participate in military service.” She further stated: “Former fellow prisoners [described] the attitude of the Bible Students with great respect and especially [emphasized] their steadfastness and willingness to help.” Brother Wolfram Slupina, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany, acknowledged that Brother Eckert was an obscure figure to many attendees of the ceremony, stating: “We do not even have a picture of Max Eckert.” But he added, the plaque succeeds in “acknowledging the steadfastness [Brother Eckert] showed and his religious conviction without compromise—even to death.” Without question, Jehovah remembers the faith and integrity of Max Eckert, as well as all other Jehovah’s Witnesses who have died for their faith.—Hebrews 6:10.

John 20:27,28 Jesus was raised up from the dead a "a being of divine nature" "a god" theos NOT "ho theos" (THE GOD)

What Does Hebrews 1:8 have reference to? By Christ's entire life course of integrity to God, including his sacrifice, he accomplished the “one act of justification” that proved him qualified to serve as God’s anointed King-Priest in heaven. (Romans 5:17, 18) By his resurrection from the dead to life as a heavenly Son of God, he was “declared righteous in spirit.” (1Timothy 3:16) Heavenly creatures proclaimed him “worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing,” as one who was both lionlike in behalf of justice and judgment and also lamblike in giving himself as a sacrifice for the saving of others. (Revelation 5:5-13) He had accomplished his primary purpose of sanctifying his Father’s name. (Matthew 6:9; 22:36-38) This he did, not just by using that name, but by revealing the Person it represents, displaying his Father’s splendid qualities—his love, wisdom, justice, and power—enabling persons to know or experience what his Father's name stands for. (Matthew 11:27; John 1:14, 18; 17:6-12) And above all, he did it by upholding Jehovah’s universal sovereignty, showing that his own Kingdom government would be based solidly on that Supreme Source of authority. Therefore it could be said of him: “God is your throne forever.” Hebrews 1:8. Jehovah God always had immortality, that is the inability to die (deathless). Jesus was gifted (by Jehovah God) with immortality when he was raised from the dead. So your reasoning is a bit skewed Consider the source of the power and authority bestowed upon Jesus. With reference to the Son, the Bible states: “God is your throne forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is the scepter of uprightness. You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness.” (Hebrews 1:8, 9) Jesus’ throne, that is, his office or authority, has its source in Jehovah. God is the Originator and Giver of this throne. No problems will be too grave for Jesus to resolve.

1 Corinthians 15: 27 For God “subjected all things under his (Christ's) feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that this does NOT include the One (JEHOVAH) who subjected all things to him (CHRIST). 28 But when all things will have been subjected to him (CHRIST), then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One (JEHOVAH) who subjected all things to him (CHRIST), that God (JEHOVAH) may be all things to everyone."

Monotheism: Is it not the exclusive exaltation of the one source of all power, authority, and creativity? The author who penned John 1:1c appears to have believed in this definition. Why wouldn't he? He was a Hebrew, and a Jew, and it is quite likely he was raised with the familiar words, "Hear O'Israel, yhwh our God is one Jehovah" ["Shma Yisra'el yhwh Eloheynu yhwh Echad" - Deuteronomy 6:4-5; also Mark 12:29-30; confirmed by the author of John in John 17:3]. So what could he have possibly been stating in John 1:1, when he renders that the logos [Jesus] was not only with God [ho theos], but that he [Jesus] was, "a god" [theos without the definite article]? We know that the occurrence of theos in 1:1c by construct highlights the "quality" of the logos, that he was "divine", "godlike", or literally, "a god". But does this harmonize with the rest of the bible? An individual named D.S. Russell who wrote "The Method and Message of Jewish Apocalyptic" included a comment on Hebrew monotheism, which I like, so I'll offer it here: "There is ample evidence to show that conception of monotheism was held in conjunction with a belief in a spiritual world peopled with supernatural and superhuman beings who, in some ways, shared the nature, though not the being, of God" But is that true when examining the biblical texts? Indeed, for at times the Bible employs the term "a god" [elohim in Hebrew, theos in Greek, both lacking the definite article, ha in Hebrew, ho in the koine Greek] to refer to those of extreme authority or power in relations to others. Psalm 8:5 reads: "You also proceeded to make him [man] a little less than godlike ones [Hebrew, ´elo·him']," that is, angels. So angels, the malak, also called "the sons of the true God" in Genesis 6:2, and again in Job 1:6, Job 2:1, and Job 38:7, are called gods in Psalm 8:5. In Exodus 4:15-16, Moses is told that Aaron would be to him for a mouth, while he would be "a god" (elohim) to Aaron [Vediber-hu lecha el-ha'am vehayah hu yihyeh-lecha lefeh ve'atah tihyeh-lo ‘elohim]. So Moshe was called by the title elohim, a god, as respects his position to Aaron as well as Pharaoh. Directly in the book of subject here, in John Chapter 10, Jesus' defense against false charges that he claimed to be God [Yhwh], he noted that "the Law uses the word gods of those to whom the word of God was addressed," that is, human judges - [John 10:34, 35, JB; Psalm 82:1-6]. So human judges, are called gods, Moshe is called a god, and the sons of God [the malak, angels/messengers], are also called gods. Even Satan is called "the god of this system of things" at 2 Corinthians 4:4 by Paul, which makes sense, as ha'satan is identified among the sons of God in the above references in Job, the malak, those who were called "gods" in a specific indefinite construct [e.g., general class of]. According to the biblical texts, Jesus' resurrection placed him in a position far higher than angels, imperfect men, or Satan. Since these are referred to as "gods," mighty ones, surely Jesus can be and is "a god." The biblical texts reserve the use of the title "Almighty God" [el shaddai] exclusively for Jehovah and no other. To call Jehovah by the title "Almighty" would have little significance unless there existed others who were also called gods but who occupied a lesser or inferior position. And so the author of John also, calls the logos, the Christ, a god, or being of divine nature, though he never refers to him as "ho theos", the God, the one and only. He could have easily done so in John 1:1c - but he didn't. "I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God." (John 20:17) Even though Jesus was already resurrected as a mighty spirit, Jehovah was still his God. And Jesus continued to refer to Him as such even in the last book of the Bible, after he was glorified. - [Revelation 1:5, 6; 3:2, 12]. At John 20:31, the Bible further clarifies the matter by stating: "These have been written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God," not that he was Almighty God. And it meant "Son" in a literal way, as with a natural father and son, not as some mysterious part of a Trinity Godhead where it certainly cannot be said, "Hear O'Israel, Yhwh our God is one Yhwh" ["Shma Yisra'el yhwh Eloheynu yhwh Echad"].

Did you hear archive? Any criminal case where one has to defend oneself is archived which must be kept in perpetuity. Get a life!!

Acts 5:38,39 "So under the present circumstances, I say to you, do not meddle with these men, but let them alone. For if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. Otherwise, you may even be found fighters against God himself." These words were spoken by Gamaliel an esteemed Law teacher and member of the Sanhedrin. When the book "The Finished Mystery" was released in 1917 exposing Babylonish teachings i.e. hellfire, immortal soul, trinity doctrines as being false, the religious community came after Jehovah's people. Their smear campaigns designed to destroy the Bible Students had an affect in some quarters (politically) but the more instigators stirred the hate filled pot, the more people came in the organization. Is that a surprise? Not really....because the louder the noise, the more interest was aroused in people who had not heard of Jehovah's organization. Hitler's third Reich were to wipe out Jehovah's Witnesses but who is gone and who is left standing? Although many hundreds of us were killed, thousands more became Jehovah's Witnesses. That chariot spoken of in Ezekiel continues moving in all directions and is our support and even though the trying times in Russia are not pleasant, we have to remember the book has already been written and we know the ending. Revelation ch.19 Apostates and disfellowshipped ones are all over the internet and interacting with you....be careful. If disfellowshipped ones didn't want to be in the organization, why are they crying now? They should be happy and rejoicing, I know we are. Those disfellowshipped have these primary reasons....IMMORAL BEHAVIOR, APOSTASY AND/OR GOSSIP and they show no remorse or repentance. Make no mistake, there are also those in the congregations who will be exposed in Jehovah's due time. Why don't they leave? It is because they think that they will have a chance to jump back over the fence when the tribulation begins. Warped are those having such a view....they cannot fool Jehovah who has read the heart. Those who are whining about a video or videos scaring their children, are the same people who have bought tablets and let them play violent video games for many hours a day because it keeps them quiet and out of their hair...OR they allow them to watch TV shows advocating spirit take over. INTEGRITY Yes, the question IS one of Integrity. When one knows better do they have the integrity to do better? Integrity is a word that is used often and has, for most, lost its import and meaning and become just a word that is thrown out and not assimilated, pondered and meditated over. Does God’s Word and the reasons behind the deliberate and specific usages and word choices have meaning for you? Do we live our lives with integrity as its core or do we choose to believe every vile wind no matter from which direction it blows because it is in keeping with our own corrupted heart condition? Integrity is rooted in the heart. The Hebrew word for integrity - (tom) has its foundation in a relevant biblical concept. That is the Hebrew word for heart (lev). In the ancient Paleo or pictographs - this word is represented by the combination of the lamed and the beyt. The lamed is Lev represented by the ancient pictograph of the staff--standing for authority, as it was used to direct the flocks and it was the motivator serving to move the flock in the desired direction. It is combined then with the beyt--the picture of the tent floor plan, meaning inside, as the family lives inside the tent. Combined, you have the “authority within”, or heart – a person’s true authority within themselves. A similar English phrase, “the heart of the matter” still reflects this understanding [also reflected in Matthew 12:40, Exodus 15:8, Jonah 2:3, 2 Samuel 18:14]. It is the lev which proves the inner most core motivator of the human being – the authority within. In the Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, 1882, page 67, offers this: “It is said to stand for the central part in general, the inside, and so for the interior man as manifesting himself in all his various activities, in his desires, affections, emotions, passions, purposes, his thoughts, perceptions, imaginations, his wisdom, knowledge, skill, his beliefs, his reasonings, his memory, and his consciousness”, and they go on to state, “not mere outward appearances but what a person really is inside is what counts with God, who is an examiner of hearts.” Further substantiation of this concept, the bible describes that such a person is lacking, void or empty, of certain traits in their lev, or authority within - such as void of understanding, lacking good judgment or discernment, lacking experience, lacking wisdom, et al – showing that the “positive qualities of the inner person” are deficient. And so the heart or lev is not full, it is lacking, deficient, dysfunctional, and perhaps even corrupted. Just as tom, integrity pictured by the [taw & mem] is the mark of water, or waterline, used to assess fullness, completeness, intactness – a way to measure the fullness of a lake, a water vessel, or even the human vessel [by the fullness, or “integrity” of heart], or conversely, a way of assessing whether something is not completely full, and therefore in want, or lacking something, in need of something, deficient, divided, or corrupted. In Psalm 7:8, David states, “Jehovah himself will pass judgment on the peoples. Judge me, O Jehovah, according to my righteousness [tsedeq] and according to my integrity [tom, a full and complete heart by biblical measure] in me.” In Psalm 26:1, David writes, “Judge me, O Jehovah, for I myself have walked in my own integrity [tom, a full and complete heart by biblical measure]” Proverbs 26:28 “ A tongue that is false hates the one crushed by it, and a flattering mouth causes an overthrow.” Proverbs 6:16 “16 There are six things that Jehovah hates; Yes, seven things that he detests: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart plotting wicked schemes, and feet that run quickly to evil, 19 A false witness who lies with every breath, And anyone sowing contentions among brothers.” 1 John 3:15 “. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a manslayer, and YOU know that no manslayer has everlasting life remaining in him.”

 “And round about the throne there are twenty-four thrones, and upon these thrones I saw seated twenty-four elders dressed in white outer garments, and upon their heads golden crowns.” (Revelation 4:4) Instead of priests, there are 24 elders, enthroned and crowned like kings. Who are these elders? They are none other than anointed ones of the Christian congregation, resurrected and occupying the heavenly position Jehovah promised them. How do we know this? First of all, they are wearing crowns. The Bible speaks of anointed Christians as gaining ‘an incorruptible crownÂ’ and attaining to an endless life (immortality). (1 Corinthians 9:25; 15:53, 54) Since these 24 elders are sitting on thrones, the golden crowns in this context represent royal authority. ( Revelation 6:2; 14:14.) This information supports the conclusion that the 24 elders portray JesusÂ’ anointed footstep followers in their heavenly position. We know this because Jesus made a covenant with them to sit on thrones in his Kingdom. (Luke 22:28-30) Only Jesus and the 24 elders are described as ruling in heaven in JehovahÂ’s presence. This also harmonizes with the promise that Jesus made to the Laodicean congregation: “To the one that conquers I will grant to sit down with me on my throne.” (Revelation 3:21) The heavenly assignment of the 24 elders is not limited to governmental rule. In the introduction to the book of Revelation, John said of Jesus: “He made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.” (Revelation 1:5, 6) The 24 Elders then - serve not only as kings but priests as well. “They will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”—Revelation 20:6. What is the significance of the number 24 that John sees around the throne? In many respects, these were foreshadowed by the faithful priests of ancient Israel. The apostle Peter wrote to anointed Christians: “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession.’” (1 Peter 2:9) It is of interest that the ancient Jewish priesthood came to be divided into 24 divisions. Each division was assigned its own weeks in the year to serve before Jehovah, so that sacred service was rendered without a break. (1 Chronicles 24:5-19) It fits quite well, then, that there are 24 elders depicted in JohnÂ’s vision of the heavenly priesthood because this priesthood serves Jehovah continually, without ceasing. When completed, there will be 24 divisions, each with 6,000 conquerors, for Revelation 14:1-4 tells us that 144,000 (24 x 6,000) are “bought from among mankind” to stand on the heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Since the number 12 signifies a divinely balanced organization, 24 doubles—or strengthens.  Unless someone is so full of themselves and changes the Scripture, it will remain as written and in harmonious unity from Genesis through Revelation. Everyone serving faithfully has a portion of holy spirit. However, there is only ONE channel for spiritual Truth. ' “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings". Matt. 24:45-47  The slave has continued (since 1870) to be used as that channel to tear down the false doctrines of the world empire of false religion and to gather Matt. 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."   Â