In his discourse on the Mount of Olives, Jesus speaks about His Second Coming and the signs of the last days and warns his disciples, “See to it that no one deceives you.” Jesus then lists a series of sobering events which would earmark the end of the age. Two thousand years later – with relentless wars, earthquakes and famines in various places, political upheaval, alarming hatred of “the other”, and a world-wide pandemic – many wonder if we are finally on this long-predicted precipice.
Author Ron Rhodes has been considering the signs of the end times since he was a teen. Rhodes has written over 85 books, which have sold in the millions and are translated into numerous languages. But unlike some sensationalists who have seized upon one “sign” or another to captivate a credulous crowd, Rhodes has always championed a reasonable approach to understanding the Word of God. We recently spoke with Rhodes about his life and conversion to Christianity; his views on cataclysmic cults, Israel, and the malevolent Antichrist; happenings he believes are clear signs of a coming apocalypse; and about his latest books, Basic Bible Prophecy and Spiritual Warfare in the End Times.
This is the first part of a three-part interview.
Rhodes: Well, it’s important to draw a distinction between some of the groups you just mentioned.
![Watch Tower Society pyramid at the Rosemont, Mt. Hope, & Evergreen United Cemeteries in Ross Township, PA. Credit Anthony C. Hayes](https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/EPSON010-204x300.jpg)
A seven-foot tall pyramid, at the Rosemont, Mt. Hope, & Evergreen United Cemeteries in Ross Township, PA., was erected in 1921 to honor the legacy of Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society founder Charles Taze Russell. Shortly after Russell’s death, the Society changed its name to Jehovah’s Witnesses and disavowed Russell’s Great Pyramid theology. (credit Anthony C. Hayes)
It is true that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have set forth prophecies. But a lot of those later prophecies are based upon a particular version of the Bible called the New World Translation. That’s a Watchtower Society translation that supports their theology. So they don’t derive their theology from a standard Bible, rather, they took their theology and made a new version of the Bible to support their views. (This is partly true of course )
What the Watchtower Society has done for many, many years is that they have used prophecy as a means of growth. You see, if people think that the end of the world is right around the corner, well, then you better hook up with the true group on earth. And for decades, that’s exactly what they have done.
But a great many of those “prophecies” have actually come from the governing body of the Watchtower.
The governing body is just a few men at the top, who determine the things that will be taught to Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s mostly the governing body that has put together all those teaching books they publish, and a lot of their end times prophecies are found in those books.
Mormons, on the other hand, believe that the President of the Mormon church can make prophetic statements that are just as authoritative as the Bible. So for example, you had Joseph Smith saying in the 1830s that the New Jerusalem was about to be built right here in the United States.
Of course, those things never happened.
The test of a true biblical prophet is 100% accuracy. But these groups, like Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons, have prophecies that never came to pass.
That should tell you something.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I actually had @Space Merchant in mind here. He talks about facts and scripture and proof. And he talks about 'misinformation'
So what about the Great Pyramid theology. ??? Because the Watchtower was Russell's 'baby'. And the lies are told that the JW Org was just a follow on from that.
It's not that I'm interested in Ron Rhodes. But the article proves a point or two. Misinformation indeed. Maybe even the article is of such.
NAILS OR NAIL, HANDS OR WRISTS, AND OTHER SUCH SCRIPTURES. HOW DO CHRISTIANS KNOW WHAT IS TRUE ?
in Topics
Posted
John 2 From verse 19 onward.
When it was late that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them: “May you have peace.” 20 After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced at seeing the Lord.21 Jesus said to them again: “May you have peace. Just as the Father has sent me, I also am sending you.” 22 After saying this he blew on them and said to them: “Receive holy spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain those of anyone, they are retained.”24 But Thomas, one of the Twelve, who was called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him: “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them: “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and stick my finger into the print of the nails and stick my hand into his side, I will never believe it.” 26 Well, eight days later his disciples were again indoors, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and he stood in their midst and said: “May you have peace.” 27 Next he said to Thomas: “Put your finger here, and see my hands, and take your hand and stick it into my side, and stop doubting but believe.” 28 In answer Thomas said to him: “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him: “Because you have seen me, have you believed? Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
I did the biblehub thing to compare these verses and as far as I could see they all compare favourably with this NWT translation.
BUT it seems that some people on here do not agree with any of them.
Some of you, even some JWs, want to change the wording. You want NAIL, instead of NAILS. And you want WRISTS instead of HANDS.
Now this is only ONE small portion of scripture. This portion is from the New World Translation written by the Watchtower Soc' / JW org, and approved by the GB of those orgs. And yet even JWs do not believe it.
So how is a Christian supposed to 'study' God's word if that 'word' is not translated properly anywhere ?
Some here will say, 'You have to do research'. But surely that would mean spending ten minutes on every line written. Not only would you lose the sense of it, you would quickly become demoralised.
Some here call me a fool for my hoping in a True Anointed remnant. So continue to do so, as now I'm also hoping in a TRUE translation of the Holy Scriptures.
People need to be able to trust what they are reading in God's word. But how can they if all translations are written according to the writer's own beliefs and agenda... If Strong's or any other, show that things can be translated in various ways, then how does the average Christian know which way is the right way ?
Remember Matthew 11 : 25 & 26
At that time Jesus said in response: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to young children. 26 Yes, O Father, because this is the way you approved.
Some of us are like young children. We are not wise and intellectual ones. So, some of us need TRUTH to be simple. But 'religions' have made TRUTH to be difficult. 'Religions' have added burdens to even basic Bible study, by not translating it truthfully. Because 'religions' all follow their own agenda.