{"id":2292,"date":"2015-11-15T12:35:05","date_gmt":"2015-11-15T18:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smmcroberts.net\/blog\/?p=2292"},"modified":"2017-11-26T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-11-26T18:00:00","slug":"armageddon-how-likely-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/armageddon-how-likely-is-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Armageddon: How Likely Is It?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"armageddon1\"<\/a>According to the Watchtower’s game plan, the triggering event of Armageddon will be when the United Nations instigates “the great tribulation” by destroying all religion (all except the Watchtower religion, of course.)<\/p>\n

When the U.N. turns its destructive attention to the Watchtower religion, all Armageddon breaks loose<\/em>, as Jesus intervenes and destroys the U.N. along with all other governments of the world. Then he — along with 144,000 “anointed” Jehovah’s Witnesses (all of whom will then be living in heaven) — will murder every person in the world who is not a Jehovah’s Witness (yes, this includes nearly 2 billion children and babies.)<\/p>\n

Finally, once everyone else is dead, the Jehovah’s Witnesses will begin the work of disposing of billions of dead bodies. But in this massive, gruesome undertaking [pun intended] they will have help.<\/p>\n

According to the Watchtower’s post-game plan, new bodies will be created into which will be injected the memories and personalities of everyone who ever died (other than those who died at Armageddon.) This is the Watchtower’s version of resurrection. It has never been clear to me why Jehovah is going to create these replicants of long-dead people. It won’t do those dead people any good for surrogates to be running around with their memories; those people will still be dead forever and unaware of these impostors.<\/p>\n

Now, if you’re done laughing at the Watchtower’s vision of the future, we can ask: Just how likely is the above scenario?<\/p>\n

Let’s start by focusing on the triggering event: the destruction of religion by the United Nations. How, exactly, does one destroy a religion? A religion is a set of beliefs. It doesn’t even matter if anyone currently holds those beliefs; it’s still a religion. For instance, I haven’t met many Druids lately, but Druidism is still a religion; you can’t destroy it anymore than we can destroy alchemy.<\/p>\n

Well, what the Watchtower originally meant by “the destruction of religion” was the killing of people:<\/p>\n

\n

“…when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions…”
\n— The Finished Mystery (WBTS, 1917, p. 485)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But, true to form, the Watchtower has changed its mind on this point, or at least clarified it as far as the role of the UN is concerned. In their 2014 book God’s Kingdom Rules<\/em>, the Watchtower makes the following major doctrinal change in a footnote [note that “Babylon the Great” is their term for all other religions<\/em>]:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Click to enlarge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Who or what will carry out the attack against \u201cBabylon the Great\u201d? A \u201cwild beast\u201d with \u201cten horns.\u201d The book of Revelation indicates that this wild beast refers to the United Nations (UN).<\/p>\n

(Footnote<\/strong>:\u00a0It seems reasonable that the destruction of \u201cBabylon the Great\u201d refers mainly to the destruction of the religious institutions, not to a wholesale slaughter of all religious people. Hence, most of Babylon\u2019s former adherents will survive that destruction and, at least openly, will then likely try to distance themselves from religion, as indicated at Zechariah 13:4-6.)
\n–God’s Kingdom Rules (WBTS, 2014) p. 223<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The above change may be another deceptive attempt to make their religion appear less cult-like to outsiders. Elsewhere the Watchtower has specified that the “wild beast” of Revelation is “the worldwide political system” and that the “image of the wild beast” is the UN specifically<\/a>.\u00a0 The Watchtower’s\u00a0 New World Translation of the Bible clearly states that this “image of the wild beast”\u00a0will<\/em> kill people:<\/p>\n

And it was permitted to give breath\u00a0to the image of the wild beast, so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed<\/strong><\/span> all those who refuse to worship the image of the wild beast.
\n— Rev 13:15 (NWT)<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, the United Nations is due (according to the Watchtower) to start destroying religious institutions any day now (even today!) Though it now sounds like they won’t engage in “wholesale slaughter” it does sound as if they will be murdering at least some<\/em> people based on their religious affiliation (just not “most” of them.) [Maybe they should refer to this as “retail slaughter”?!] Again we ask: how likely is that?<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, exactly what kind of an organization is the United Nations? Do they go around engaging in destruction? Do they have an intolerant attitude towards religion? Do they kill people based on their religion?<\/p>\n

\"United<\/a><\/p>\n

The United Nations is a peace-keeping organization. Think about that. Here is one of a very few organizations in the world that has been specifically setup to avoid war and its killing.<\/p>\n

As for being intolerant towards religion, let us read from the United Nations charter:<\/p>\n

Article 1.3.<\/p>\n

To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion<\/p>\n

Article 2.7.<\/p>\n

Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state<\/p>\n

Article 13.1.<\/p>\n

…assisting in the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.<\/p>\n

Article 55.<\/p>\n

the United Nations shall promote: …universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And, in the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we read:<\/p>\n

Article 18.
\nEveryone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.<\/p>\n

Article 30.
\nNothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I feel as though I am cheating you by only quoting the above excerpts from the declaration. It is one of the most important and beautiful documents ever produced by the heart of humankind. Please read all of it here<\/a>. Then ask yourself if your government (or “theocracy”) violates one or more of the articles. I know my government (U.S.A.) most certainly is a flagrant violator of several articles. I also know the Watchtower organization violates articles 12, 18-21, and 26.<\/p>\n

To think for one moment that the U.N. would ever be guilty of destroying religious institutions, or executing people based on their religious affiliations, is beyond absurd: if it hasn’t completely crossed the line, and borders on insanity.<\/p>\n

The more I think about it the more I wonder: What part of the Watchtower religion did I ever find believable? [Oh yeah: that there was no hell, and that other religions were ridiculous — things atheists had known long before the Watchtower was ever thought of.] Religion in general is pretty far-fetched stuff, but the Watchtower seems to outdo all others \u00a0[well, maybe not the Scientologists and the Mormons] when it comes to stretching our credulity way past the breaking point. They have taken one of the world’s greatest forces for peacekeeping and cast it into the role of the instigator of the greatest war of all time. That’s going some even for a fundamentalist cult.<\/p>\n

But back to the Watchtower’s story. After the U.N. destroys all false religious institutions [whilst the more numerous armies of those religious people’s nations evidently sit back and watch] Then the son of the god Jehovah “destroys all government” — this means killing people<\/em>, not just dismantling governments (since governments lost their right to rule way back in 1914 with the “end of the Gentile Times” — and the son of the god Jehovah has been ruling ever since, at least in heaven don’tcha know.)<\/p>\n

At some point in this story the “wholesale slaughter of religious people<\/em>” does indeed occur, along with everyone else who is not a member of the “right religion.”<\/p>\n

Whenever I think about Witnesses burying or burning masses of bodies in their “New Order” I can’t help but call to mind those black and white images of the Nazis with their murdered victims. In fact, the “New Order” of the Watchtower’s vision has several similarities to the new order of the Third Reich. Both look forward to a genocide of all but the “master race” or “members of God’s organization,” after which the survivors will rule the world and everything will just be honky-dory for them for a thousand years. And, of course, both require unquestioning obedience and unswerving loyalty to the leaders of the organization.<\/p>\n

Next: Part II<\/strong>. You won’t want to miss the exciting conclusion:<\/p>\n

Part II: The Post-Armageddon Blues!<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to the Watchtower’s game plan, the triggering event of Armageddon will be when the United Nations instigates “the great tribulation” by destroying all religion (all except the Watchtower religion, of course.) When the U.N. turns its destructive attention to the Watchtower religion, all Armageddon breaks loose, as Jesus intervenes and destroys the U.N. along … Continue reading “Armageddon: How Likely Is It?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3vZ6t-AY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4151,"url":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/resurrection-part-2-the-unrighteous\/","url_meta":{"origin":2292,"position":0},"title":"Resurrection! Part 2: The Unrighteous","author":"smmcroberts","date":"April 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The Resurrection of Lazarus, by\u00a0Leon Bonnat, France, 1857 Part 1 described the Watchtower's teaching on the earthly resurrection. It also gave some thought to whether the resurrected individual could possibly be the same person who died. In part 2 we are going to discuss the resurrection of the \"righteous and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Jehovah's Witnesses\"","block_context":{"text":"Jehovah's Witnesses","link":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/tag\/jehovahs-witnesses\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.watchtowerhelp.club\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Bonnat01-1024x799.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.watchtowerhelp.club\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Bonnat01-1024x799.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.watchtowerhelp.club\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Bonnat01-1024x799.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.watchtowerhelp.club\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Bonnat01-1024x799.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1477,"url":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/jehovahs-witnesses-kill-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":2292,"position":1},"title":"Jehovah’s Witnesses Kill Me!","author":"smmcroberts","date":"November 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Yes, the Jehovah's Witnesses who claim to be \"anointed\" kill me. Literally. Or at least they plan to, soon, as this quote from an old Watchtower publication makes plain: Jehovah must and will execute all of his enemies... The judgment of Jehovah God against his enemies declares that\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/jehovahs-witnesses-kill-me\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"killing_me","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/killing_me.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":551,"url":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/war\/","url_meta":{"origin":2292,"position":2},"title":"War!","author":"smmcroberts","date":"September 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"...what is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. --Voltaire Questions sur les miracles (1765) Historically, the main absurdities which have caused people to commit the atrocity of war have been: Patriotism Religion These two things, together or individually, have\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/war\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/gdforgive1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3432,"url":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/do-not-be-afraid-i-am-your-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":2292,"position":3},"title":"“Do Not be afraid… I am Your God!”","author":"smmcroberts","date":"December 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Watchtower's year-text for 2019 is: \"Do not be afraid... I am your God.\" In the January, 2019 Watchtower (study ed.), the first study article expounds upon this text. It tells the story of a Witness woman named Yoshiko whose doctor told her she only had a few months to\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/do-not-be-afraid-i-am-your-god\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"Governing Body as Wizards of Oz","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WizOz-1024x386.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WizOz-1024x386.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WizOz-1024x386.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WizOz-1024x386.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2076,"url":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/the-whole-truth-story\/","url_meta":{"origin":2292,"position":4},"title":"The Whole Truth Story","author":"smmcroberts","date":"November 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The Jehovah's Witnesses refer to their religion as \"the truth.\" But what exactly do they see as the truth about the universe and its history? We're going to answer that question right here and now in this single article! Brace yourselves: we are going to give you their whole truth\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"WholeTruthNutshell","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WholeTruthNutshell.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":670,"url":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/jehovah-god-dead-at-48108\/","url_meta":{"origin":2292,"position":5},"title":"Jehovah God, Dead at 48,108","author":"smmcroberts","date":"September 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Jehovah, the war god of the ancient Hebrews is dead at the age of 48,108. He died on Wednesday after a long battle against smallpox. He had contracted the disease in the early 20th century shortly after refusing the smallpox vaccine which his Witnesses told him was \"filthy pus\" and\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/jehovah-god-dead-at-48108\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/god-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2292"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3227,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2292\/revisions\/3227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smmcroberts.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}