TRUTH FROM TWO TABLES?
Who is The Invisible Source of Watchtower Teachings?
Is it coincidence that central doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses
agree with the
'revelations' of spiritist Johannes Greber?
By David Aspinall
You cannot be partaking of "the table of Jehovah" and the
table of demons. Or "are we inciting Jehovah to jealousy"?
1 COR.10:21,22 (NWT)
PAUL WARNS Christians, in the text above, that God will not tolerate idolatry
in any form. He uses Israel's fall as an example of what will inevitably
happen when one partakes of two tables -- the Lord's and the demons' --
at the same time. Johannes Greber attempted to eat from two tables. Greber,
a former Roman Catholic priest, published works in which he claimed inspiration
from "God's Spirit World". In his publicity pieces, and in his
two books Communication with the Spirit World (1932) and The
New Testament -- A New Translation and Explanation, Greber openly admits
that his teachings derive from spirit mediumship -- "God's Messengers".
His wife was one of these mediums. Here is some of the "light"
Greber received from "an Intelligence of a higher order" (quotes
from Communication with the Spirit World, unless otherwise noted).
"Truth" #1: The churches and clergy are apostate
We are not surprised that Greber's "Messengers", in establishing
their own authority, should first have to take away the authority of the
churches. "That which the churches of today are preaching to the ignorant
multitude is not the truth, and differs widely from the answers given by
God's spirit-world to the questions put to it, regarding God, His Creation
and its ultimate fate, Redemption, Christ and Christ's life and work; regarding
the Church and the sacraments; regarding Heaven and Hell; and regarding
the origin
and purpose of the Universe." (p.258; also pp.19-24,283,358)
"Truth" #2: The Bible has been changed
"The teachings of Christ are no longer to be found in their original
purity and clearness ... " (p.19). "Erring mortals revised the
Biblical accounts ... Much of what it should contain has been eliminated,
and much of what it does contain should never have been admitted ..."
(p.285).
"Truth" #3: God is limited, neither omnipresent nor omniscient
Both clergy and (their) Bible now discredited, Greber's "Messengers"
proceed to show that even God must rely upon His "Spirit World".
" ... He is not omnipresent", and although God is "aware
of all things and of all events through the force that emanates from Him"
(p.261), "the spirits of God stand watch over each living being and
... report on whatever happens. Hence nothing can take place without being
known to God ... But He has no foreknowledge of those future events which
men may shape by the
exercise of their free will ... For this reason He tries His creatures"
(p.262).
"Truth" #4: Jesus Christ
is not God, but a created Spirit
Among the spirit creatures God must depend on, foremost is Jesus Christ:
"Christ is the highest Spirit which the omnipotent God could create
... not God, as is so generally taught today, but the first created `son
of God', and, as such, His highest and most perfect Creature" (p.267).
The created Son "begged" (p.298) to get the first opportunity
to come to earth to accomplish "the dangerous mission of being born
of woman, and as a human being, vanquishing the Prince of Darkness".
This mission was dangerous because the one undertaking it "would incur
the risk of being overpowered" by Satan (p.297). In order to paint
this heavenly fantasy Greber's "Messengers" insist
that "Christ was therefore the Son of God, and claimed to be nothing
more. He was not the Deity. Not once did He say: `I am God'" (p.330).
But what about New Testament texts that say Christ WAS God? "If therefore
there is any part of your present Bible which can be construed into something
else than the truth that only the Father is God, then the fault lies either
in the translation, or in a falsification of the Greek text from which
that translation was made and in some cases in a combination of both"
(p.367). Only Greber's New Testament translation, verified by "God's
Spirit World" and "Clearly composed with divine inspiration"
(dust jacket), can be trusted.
"Truth" #5: The Holy Spirit is not God;
Therefore the Trinity is a false doctrine Greber's "Messengers"
reveal to him the following "truth": "Due to the fact that
your translators have, in countless passages, used the expression, `the
Holy Spirit', whereas the Greek text reads: `a holy spirit' ... they have
caused such confusion regarding the meaning of the term, `holy spirit',
as to give rise to the false doctrine that the Holy Spirit is a Divinity"
(p.151). What, then, is the Holy Spirit? "Only the Father is God.
All other holy spirits are God's creatures" (p.265). Among other "truths"
offered to Greber by his Spirit guides as part of "The
revelation of the Whole Truth" (p.28): Romans 13 "superior powers"
are not governments, but "spiritual" authorities (pp.414-15);
there is no "eternal hell" (pp.263, 376-318); "common sense"
"clear-cut reasoning" and "convincing logic" must be
used to evaluate Bible doctrine, including the Trinity and hell (pp. 29,371);
men must "strive to make themselves worthy of the gift" of life,
and even then "How long this life may last depends upon yourselves.
If you remain faithful to God, that life will be, in truth, eternal"
(pp.329,379).
* * *
While Johannes Greber received his "Spirit-communications"
in the 1920s, Joseph F. Rutherford, The Watchtower's second president,
was masterminding an unprecedented campaign to "advertise, advertise,
advertise" God's "present truth". In millions of books,
magazines and tracts, the world read C.T. Russell's and J.F. Rutherford's
'new light', to wit: The churches and clergy are apostate; The Bible has
been changed; God is limited, neither omnipresent nor omniscient; Jesus
Christ is not God, but a created spirit; the Holy Spirit is not God; also
the Trinity is a false doctrine; there is no eternal hell; only faithful
humans will receive the "gift" of everlasting life. Another "present
truth" revealed by Rutherford -- how God guides his people. Wrote
Rutherford:
Since 1918 the angels of the Lord have had to do with showing to the
Ezekiel class [the 144,000 remnant] the truth ... [Vindication (1932) Vol.3
p.316]
Certain duties and Kingdom interests have been committed by the Lord
to his angels, which include the transmission of information to God's anointed
people on the earth ... [Preparation (1933) p.36]
Why would "God's anointed" need angels to guide them when Christ
promised regarding the Holy Spirit that "HE WILL GUIDE You into ALL
the truth" (John 16:13, NWT)? Greber was told that EVEN GOD depended
on angels -- what more natural than we should? Greber called spiritism
the "only path to the truth, ... the shortest road that leads to God"
(p.138).
How is it that Johannes Greber, by a mediumistic "short cut",
and J.F. Rutherford, by "angelic" guidance, learned the same
"good news" -- a gospel that doesn't include Christ's bodily
resurrection?
The "resurrection of the dead" has therefore not the slightest
reference to the resurrection of the physical body ... Communication with
the Spirit World (p.385)
The Apostle Paul, however, laid the entire weight of our salvation
on the truth of Christ's bodily resurrection. "This is the good news
... through which you are also being saved ... if you are holding it fast,
unless you became believers to no purpose ... He was buried ... He has
been raised up ... He appeared ..." (1 Cor. 15:1-5, NWT)
Unless you believe the MAN Jesus was raised from the dead, Paul reasons,
"your faith is useless; you are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17,
NWT; see also Acts 17:31; 1 Timothy 2:5). Our eternal destiny rests on
the resurrection faith. Whom shall we trust? Johannes Greber's "Messengers"?
Joseph F. Rutherford's "angels"? Or the Apostle Paul's gospel?
If you desire more information on the occult roots of Watchtower teachings,
we strongly urge you to obtain Duane Magnani's The Heavenly Weatherman,
an excellent treatment of the Society's view of God in the light of Scripture.
Also see The Little God of the Watchtower.
APOLOGIA: Home Mission To New Religions Inc.
