Bridge of Reason

  John begins the account of his Revelation, ‘I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…’ The New World Translation has: ‘ By inspiration I came to be in the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a strong voice like that of a trumpet…’ (Rev.1:10) More on this later. Having, inevitably, their own take on this, the Watch Tower, in the May 2022 Watchtower Study Edition, Study 19, writes: ‘ The aged apostle John identified that time when he said: “By inspiration I came to be in the Lord’s day.” ( Rev. 1:10 ) When John wrote those words in about 96 C.E., “the Lord’s day” was still far off. ( Matt. 25:14, 19; Luke 19:12 ) But according to Bible prophecy, that day started in 1914 when Jesus was enthroned as King in heaven. From that year onward, the prophecies of Revelation, which involve God’s people, started to undergo fulfillment. Yes, we are now living in “the Lord’s day”!’ Jehovah’s Witnesses see ‘the Lord’s day’ as the day of his be...

After convincing those listening that they only have an earthly hope, the brother announced the third question: Who partake of the bread and the wine? There is no doubt in my mind that what was taught here is thoroughly anti-Christian. Not only is it foreign to the Word of God, to the early church and to Christians for the past 2000 years, it has huge implications for those who, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim to be Christian. From their founding in the 1870’s through to 1935, the then named ‘Bible Students’ had no problem partaking of the memorial meal. They believed that the Bible taught them that they should. So, what changed? New Light The story is told of a young man who was one of the first to hear of the change: As was true of all Bible Students back then, this sincere young man partook of the bread and the wine each year at the Lord’s Evening Meal. However, his entire outlook on life was changed by a history-making talk entitled “The Great Multitude.” That talk ...

Each year I receive an invite from the Jehovah’s Witnesses to the ‘annual commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ’. Known as ‘The Memorial Meal’, Jehovah’s Witnesses and invited guests, gather ‘to remember what he did in giving his life for us’. This year (2021) will be slightly different. Due to the Covid lockdown restrictions, the observance will be held virtually via Zoom. Though the location of those gathered will be different, the content of the meeting will not have changed whatsoever. In my next few articles, we will begin to consider the Why? What? and Who? of the Memorial Meal. WHY? The purpose of the Lord’s Evening Meal is to remember Jesus, showing our gratitude for his sacrifice in our behalf. ( Matthew 20:28;  1 Corinthians 11:24 ) [1] Keep doing this in remembrance of me. 1 Cor.11:24 The Jehovah’s Witnesses get this part right. They, just as the Christian Church has done throughout its history, gather to remember what Jesus did. Jesus gave his life...