May 15, 2006 Watchtower

A couple of people have written to me questioning about the Society's new teaching regarding the "cities of refuge" alluded to in my last Blog entry. I wrote:

"I honestly wept over a recent Watchtower study article that presented a new teaching that the Cities of Refuge in the Hebrew Scriptures represent the organization and not Jesus' life-saving sacrifice. When they reject or downplay the basis for forgiveness by what basis can they be forgiven?"

This was reference to the May 15, 2006 Watchtower study article, "Are You Prepared For Survival?". It was studied by the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses in mid-June. The whole article presents what I feel is an idolotrous image of the Organization. While faith in God and Jesus is given token mention in regards to salvation the primary thrust of the article is that in order to be saved you need to be active in the Organization as illustrated from the following quotes:

"Just as Noah and his God-fearing family were preserved in the ark, survival of individuals today depends on their faith and their loyal association with the earthly part of Jehovah's universal organization."

"Sticking close to and staying active with one of the over 98,000 congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses will help us prepare ourselves for survival."

Now when I spoke of an updated understanding of the "cities of refuge" that comes from paragraphs 11, 12 which I will quote in full:

"To survive the end of the present system of things, we must do more than believe that it will be destroyed. We must exercise faith, taking full advantage of God's provisions for survival. Of course, we need to exercise faith in the ransom sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus Christ. (John 3:16, 36) However, we do well to remember that only those actually inside Noah's ark survived the Flood. Similarly, the cities of refuge in ancient Israel provided protection for the unintentional manslayer only if he first fled to such to such a city and then remained inside it until the death of the high priest. (Numbers 35:11-32) In the tenth plague upon Egypt in Moses' day, the firstborn of the Egyptians were killed, but those of the Israelites were spared. Why? Jehovah had instructed Moses: "They [the Israelites] must take some of the blood [of the Passover lamb] and splash it upon the two doorposts and the upper part of the doorway belonging to the houses in which they will eat it. . . . and none of you should go out of the entrance of his house until morning." (Exodus 12:7, 22) Which firstborn among the Israelites whould have dared to ignore such God-given instructions by going outside a house marked with the blood splashed on the two doorposts and the upper part of the doorway."

"We therefore have reaason to think carefully about our personal situation. Are we actually inside Jehovah's arangement of spiritual protection? When the great tribulation strikes, tears of joy and thankfulness will stream down the faces of those who have sought such protection. For others, there will be only tears of sorrow and regret."

For starters it is upsetting to see the flippant way that Jesus sacrifice is treated. It is mentioned briefly and then kicked to the way-side to focus on the salvation through being inside the organization.

In the 11/15/95 Watchtower article "Stay In The "City of Refuge" An Live!" it identifies faith in Jesus sacrifice as the antitypical modern-day city of Refuge saying:

"What is the antitypical city of refuge? It is not some geographical location like Hebron, one of the six Levite refuge cities and home of Israel’s high priest. Today’s city of refuge is God’s provision for protecting us from death for violating his commandment about the sanctity of blood. (Genesis 9:6) Whether willful or unintentional, every violator of that command must seek God’s forgiveness and the cancellation of his sin through faith in the blood of the High Priest, Jesus Christ. Anointed Christians with heavenly hopes and the “great crowd” with earthly prospects have availed themselves of the benefits of Jesus’ sin-atoning sacrifice and are in the antitypical city of refuge.—Revelation 7:9, 14; 1 John 1:7; 2:1, 2."

So evidentally the May 15, 2006 Watchtower presents a change view. It is now implied that the modern-day city of refuge is the organizational arrangement of Jehovah's Witness that one needs to stay inside of and thus gain salvation. (It is interesting that the Watchtower does not come right out and present this as a new understanding. Lately they have subtly introduced new ideas without the fanfare that used to come with "new light".)

Sadly too the Society totally presents a warped view of the Passover. The focus of the Passover observance was on the lamb and the blood of the lamb which represented Jesus. However the Society spins the account so the focus is on the staying in the house, a small detail, which once again it implies to be illustrative of staying active within the organization. We must keep in mind that it was the house that was sanctified by the blood of the lamb and not the other way around.

I hope these comments helped to answer your questions. Thanks for reading.

Update - I scoured the 2006 CD-ROM to see if this was indeed a new teaching. References in the 60's, 70's and 90's (95 Quoted Above) have the antitypical City of Refuge being salvation through Jesus. However, the earliest reference in 12/1/1955 Watchtower seems to paint a different picture equating the City of refuge to some extent to the organization saying:

"What is the antitypical city of refuge today? As the typical refuge cities were cities of the temple servants, including the high priest of Jehovah, the antitypical city must be Jehovah’s provision for protecting us from death for violating the divine covenant concerning the sacredness of blood by our coming and remaining under the benefits of the active service of Jehovah’s High Priest Jesus Christ. That provision of protection is to be found with Jehovah’s theocratic organization of his people."

"Likewise those fleeing to the Christian’s city of refuge may not be idlers within the New World society. They must show an appreciation of the divine mercy to them and keep in touch with the remnant of the “royal priesthood” and especially with the High Priest under whose covering they find protection. They must not be burdens, drags, on the New World society, retarding its activity, draining away its spiritual prosperity. They must learn a trade in that organization, and in view of the divine obligations laid upon it the only “trade” suitable within that organization is to learn to preach the Kingdom message and declare the “day of vengeance of our God.” (Matt. 24:14; Isa. 61:1, 2) This makes the time within bounds fly by most happily before Armageddon in praise of Jehovah and it results in salvation both to the refugee and to others."

Thus this seems more of a case of reverting to a previously held viewpoint. This progression in the light of God's word is what the 12/1/81 Watchtower refers to as "tacking". "By maneuvering the sails the sailors can cause a ship to go from right to left, back and forth, but all the time making progress toward their destination in spite of contrary winds. "