Jesus teaching

[Witness]

On 5/19/2016 at 5:52 PM, Melinda Mills said:

He doesn't have to come down here to be with his people.  (2 Chronicles 2:6) . .  For the heaven of the heavens cannot contain him, . .."    far less the earth.  He will be with his people in spirit and paying attention to their needs and requests and their prayers will be answered even before they say them.

 

Hi Melinda,  You must be referring to God with this scripture and not Christ, which I totally agree with, but may want to consider a few other translations of 1 Tim 6:15,16

“In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius Pilate, I charge you ¹⁴ to keep the command without fault or failure until the appearing of our LordJesus Christ. ¹⁵ God will bring this about in His own time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign,
the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, ¹⁶ the only One who has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; no one has seen or can see Him, to Him be honor and eternal might.  Amen.”  Holman

³ In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius Pilate, I charge you ¹⁴ to keep the command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵

God will bring this about in His own time. 

He is the blessed and only Sovereign,
the King of kings,
and the Lord of lords,
¹⁶ the only One who has immortality,
dwelling in unapproachable light;
no one has seen or can see Him,
to Him be honor and eternal might.
Amen.  NKJV

Watchtower’s Kingdom Interlinear:

“In the sight of God who preserves all things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who as a witness made the fine public declaration before Pontius Pilate, I give you orders that you observe the commandment in a spotless and irreprehensible way until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This [manifestation] the happy and only Potentate will show you in its own appointed time, [he]The King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords, the one alone having immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom not one of men has seen or can see.  To him be the honor and might everlasting.  Amen.”

Does it seem clearer now that the one in unapproachable light is God, and not Christ?  Although the Watchtower teaches that this is Christ – (Jesus Christ “dwells in unapproachable light” (1Ti 6:16): it-2 254”), this cannot be true since men have most certainly seen him.  Yes, Christ is King of Kings, Lord of lords according to Rev 17:14, a title given him by his Father who is the sovereign King.  Jer 10:10; Ps 145:1

As you say, “However, as to seeing Jehovah, it is not possible to do so and live. (Exodus 33:20) But he added: “You cannot see my face, for no man can see me and live.” 

This is because of his “unapproachable light” and it gives credence to 1 Tim 6:16.   After Moses came down from the mountain, even the light that shone from the “skin of his face” had to be veiled from the children of Israel. 

Your reference to John 14:19 bears a further look also.  Why is it that the world no longer “see” Christ?  Verses 16,17 shows why:   ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. “

If we avail ourselves, we are able to spiritually “see” Christ now through the blessing of Holy Spirit residing in us.  Verses 23,24:

^“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me”.

 ^“Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; ²¹ nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!^] For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”  Luke 17:20,21

Jesus has inherited what Adam lost, the earth and all creation in it.  This “meek” man was the promised seed of Gal 3:16.   1 Cor 15:45,47  He is the first one to fulfill Ps 37:11 and “inherit the earth”.  Ps 2:8; Heb 1:2; Eph 1:10,20,21; Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:28; Col 1:16   He replaced the original human first born son of God; his human life was received through “Sarah”, mother covenant. Gen 17:7; Heb 5:5 This was the promise by God to Abraham fulfilled by Christ, and thereafter with his faithful Chosen, sealed ones.  Gen 28:13,14; Rom 4:13; Gal 3:16; Gal 3:29,26.  If Christ has successfully inherited what Adam lost, why would Christ not be on the earth to enjoy it, as well as the 144,000, his Bride, who through this union bring forth more “seed”? 

The firstborn sons of God and Christ (firstfruits) inherit a double portion, the world to come, AND access to the heavens.   Isa 61:7; Rom 8:19,18; Heb 2:5,16; Ps 45:16; 1 Pet 3:18; Rom 6:5; 1 Cor 15:50,53; Rev 22:4; Acts 1:3  The 144,000  are a “new creation” which allows these ones to reside on the earth as well as in heaven.  Jesus showed this was possible upon his resurrection when appearing to the disciples in flesh, then ascending to heaven in spirit.

Rev 5:9,10 – “ And they sang a new song, saying:  “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain,   And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

The Bride and Christ are joined together in the spirit of God, not alienated from their inheritance. 

“who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”  Acts 1:11

“and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”  Acts 3:20,21

Through the Bride and Christ, all faithful mankind will “inherit the earth”, the rest of Abraham’s seed.  Psalm37:11,29  

You have sited Rev 21:3-5, what about Rev 21:2? 

“Then I, John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”

Would the “Bride’s” husband leave her in the heavens as she “comes down out of heaven”, or not be there once she ‘came down from heaven’? They are joined as one!  Since these children of God are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)..human and angel (1 Cor 15:44; Heb 8:5; 1 Cor 3:16; Ezek 41:18,19)…born naturally as flesh, and "born again" as spirit (John 3:5; 1 Cor 15:50; Rev 21:17), they will easily inhabit both the earth as well as the spiritual realm along with Christ.

And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”  John 1:51 (see Gen 28:12)

In this end time, “Michael” (Who is like God?), who is Jesus, “stands up” for his people to re-establish God’s sovereignty and His Kingdom purpose -  His Temple and Holy City as supreme.  We must allow Christ to “show” himself to us (John 14:21; Rev 2:7,17,28), by giving us who he is (John 14:6)... which are:

 -   The hidden manna - John 6:49-50... 

 -   The morning star – Rev 22:16; 2:28; 2 Pet 1:19; 1 John 3:2; Rom 8:9... 

 -   The tree of life - Rev 2:7; John 6:63…

Through pure teaching of “fruit” – Luke 6:43,45

If we don’t allow this, we will not see or hear, even after others do understand.   Rev 3:7,8; 4:1; Luke 24:45

Now is the time to “make straight the way for the Lord” John 1:23; for truly, Who is Like God? No one! No organization, nothing, which is the call pronounced by him through his “cloud of witnesses”.    Matt 26:64   Yet, the Watchtower continually compares itself to God.

“Are we going to remain loyal to Jehovah and his organization?”  w02 4/1 pp. 25-3

“To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike?”  Isa 46:5

I hope you consider the fruit from your teachers.  We were admonished by the organization to be like the “Beroeans”.  Should that attention to what is truth ever come to an end?  No. 

Watchtower:

When they were first told about the good news of the Kingdom, the Beroeans accepted what they heard, but not simply because they wanted it to be true. Rather, they carefully examined the Scriptures “to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) In other words, the Beroeans compared the good news that they heard with what the Scriptures say.  Wt 10/2014 “God’s Kingdom, What Will it Mean For You?”

Thinking that Christ, as the second Adam, is to remain in the heavenly realm, when Adam, if he had never sinned would have always resided on the earth, is one of many lies from the Watchtower.  The “unveiling” of these lies was predicted for the end.

 “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book."  Dan 12:1

"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."  Rev 12:7-9

This is the Great Tribulation, “the time of trouble”.  The battle is not found in Satan’s literal world, but in each heart’s acceptance of truth over lies.  Eph 6:12; Matt 16:2,3

2 Cor 3:12-17 - Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—  unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.  But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.  But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.  Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, [and away from man’s doctrine] the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 

You must ask yourself why the Watchtower removes Christ from the sheep covertly, slyly through such teachings.  As Shiwii has said, it is taught that only the 144,000 have Christ as their mediator.  This is a lie; all are to come to Christ, the anointed ones as well as all sheep.  He is our life source, not an earthly management that is touted as “God approved”. 

“An astonishing and horrible thing
Has been committed in the land:
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end?”  Jer 5:30,31