Imagine you’re in a college class like Math 101. The Professor comes in and says. “I am the only one dispensing math truth in the entire world. You will not find the correct formulas and conclusions in any other class. Your very life depends on knowing the correct answers. That being said, last year I said 2+2 was 3. However, after careful study, I need to update that truth, it’s 9.” If that happens, you should probably find another class, and ask for your money back.
Now this scenario. If I were to say to some of my associates, “My rules don’t change, your life depends on listening to my commands, we meet here next Saturday at 7:00am.” Now if someone shows up Sunday, at 4:00pm, I wasn’t wrong, they were. I can’t help they weren’t paying attention. Let’s say I have an assistant, my faithful servant, and one channel to everyone. I give them the same information; meeting Saturday at 7:00am. If they tell others, the meeting is Monday at 12:00am, they’d be fired. With each example, you understand the issue, someone claiming they only speak the truth, wasn’t.
First, let’s just take a second to appreciate and understand truth. Real Truth is objective, unmovable, without our opinion. My point is, truth by it’s own definition can’t change. 2+2 will always be 4. The laws of logic will always be the same, and Disney World has always been overrated and overpriced. These are facts. Now in regards to who God is, and how we come to know him, anyone claiming to be Christian, should be using only the Bible as the objective standard of that truth. God’s word doesn’t change, so truth doesn’t change.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have this concept of, “the light gets brighter”, or new light. The light they’re referring to, is truth. Basically claiming, the closer you get to the end, the brighter truth becomes. Truth gets more….true? This is a big deal since the Jehovah’s Witness leadership claims they are the only people in the world dispensing accurate truth. Just look at their own words, like here…
“Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do.” –Watchtower December, 1981
So they’re acting as thee mediator of truth. From Jehovah, through Jesus, to the faithful slave, then dispensed to the members. This “truth” they preach, is essential to eternal life, you can’t have a relationship with Jehovah without it. Just read…
“That faithful slave is the channel through which Jesus is feeding his true followers, It is vital that we recognize the faithful slave. Our spiritual health and our relationship with God depend on this channel.“
-Watchtower, July 2013
So what’s this have to do with the light getting brighter? This comes about, because the leaders are constantly changing doctrines, beliefs, practices, what they claim is accurate knowledge. For example, early Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrated Christmas, now it’s only for worldly people. They used the cross, now it’s a pagan symbol. The single generation of 1914 wouldn’t pass away, is now multiple generations. At one time they taught God’s throne was in the star Pladeas, and that little tidbit was quickly swept under the rug. Whether the blood doctrine, the two classes, disfellowshipping, organ transplants, final judgement, Bible prophecy, almost every part of the Jehovah’s Witness religion has been altered in one way or another.
This obviously creates a problem, if you care about reason and logic. If someone claims that God appointed them alone to speak truth, if their message changes, they weren’t speaking the truth to start, therefore, they aren’t from God. Remember, the leaders aren’t giving tax advise, this information essential to your eternity.
Now a Witness will defend this and say. “New light isn’t changes, these are updates, and clarifications. God is progressively revealing the truth to us.” Make no mistake, wether the JW realizes it or not, these statements are built on lies. So let’s approach their excuse.
First understand, there’s nothing necessarily wrong about progressive revelation. Another example I’ll use. Let say some wacko preaches, “I’m the only source of truth from God, the World is ending in 2030.” The next year he says “October of 2030”. Then a few years from now “October 10th 2030.” Those would be clarifications, the truth of 2030 didn’t change, so this would be progressive revelation. But then 2031 rolls round, and the “prophet” is now preaching, “New light! God has revealed a new truth. The date is actually 2035.” He’s obviously lying. This is basic logic, 2030 does not equal 2035. His original truth claim was wrong. By his own admission he wasn’t speaking accurately, therefore it was false. Claiming you’re speaking from God means you better be extremely precise, proving you’re trustworthy.
But, Jehovah Witnesses will justify this by saying, “It is biblical. The prophets did this. The Bible says the light gets brighter so all is well, nothing to see here.” I beg to differ, let’s examine these texts and see if the Bible really does support this concept of new light.
Examining their “Proof Texts”
Starting with their most famous go to verse. Proverbs 4:18 which is where the term new light comes from, the text reads. “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” Jehovah’s Witnesses assert, “see, right there, the Bible telling us the light get’s brighter.” No! Read the text in context. The passage’s message is about making good life choices. It’s for the individual, not for a group of leaders. Read it all.
13 Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not proceed in the way of evil people. 15 Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on. 16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. 19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.
Psalms 4:13-19
There you have it, good advice from the wise king Solomon. Don’t go down the path of the wicked, it moves towards darkness and distress, the path of the righteous leads to light. We all know this, bad choices, sin, causes disorder in life, leading to consequences. Therefore walk according to God. With the context, this is obvious. Jehovah’s Witnesses leadership using this text to prove their new light doctrine ludicrous. Now many Witnesses will look past this, siding with the Governing Body’s interpretation. If that’s the case, just ask, how can you get that interpretation from this passage? They’ll eventually say the text has multiple meanings, but this is easily debunked by simply asking. “Says who?” Bottom line, the same leaders interpreting the verse, are the same people trying to justify their change. An obvious conflict of interest, so best go by what the Bible says, and not what men say.
The Governing Body are fully aware of the weakness of this argument, so they trying to explain their way out of this nonsense. “God grants an understanding of divine truth progressively, in his due time. (1 Peter 1:10-12)” That’s not what 1 Peter 1:10-12 is teaching.
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
1 Peter 1:10-12
Throughout the Bible, God is slowly reveals who he is. Jesus finishes this revelation by fully exegeting God in his person. (John 1:18.) But they don’t contradict. Jesus doesn’t reveal a different God. The Bible doesn’t start with God stating, “silver has always been and will always be, my favorite color,” Imagine God later changing his mind, “my favorite color has always been gold.” This type of flipflopping is exactly what the Jehovah’s Witness organization is guilty of.
Another is Daniel 12:4, “But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” Many problems with using this verse. First, are witnesses even aware of how many cults and sects use this section? Almost all of them. Secondly, it’s about THIS book. If you based your whole religion just off of Daniel, you may have an argument, but they use the whole Bible. Thirdly, the context, this is about the coming of the Messiah. It is fulfilled in Christ, as you can’t fully understand what Daniel is speaking about, until Jesus shows up. The verse doesn’t even talk about progressive knowledge, just ripping a verse out of context and trying to shove themselves into the Bible.
Their Excuses for “New Light”
Just going further into the nonsense the Watch Tower defecates to try and defend the change.
“Moses offered himself as a deliverer for the nation of Israel 40 years ahead of God’s timetable.” – Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2
I’m sorry, what? Moses was completely unaware of God’s plan, he wasn’t claiming to be a prophet. He didn’t know God was going to choose him as a deliverer, he took it upon himself, the wrong way. He was apart of Pharaoh’s family, aware he was Hebrew, with some political influence, and obviously didn’t approve of their treatment. The truth however didn’t change. God didn’t say before, you aren’t the deliver Moses, change his mind 40 years later.
“The apostles failed to understand the prophecy that foretold the Messiah’s death and resurrection.” – JW.org FAQ Why Have Jehovah’s Witnesses Changed Some of Their Beliefs?
And? Yeah, they were wrong in their interpretation. Let me ask this, when the apostles thought that Jesus wasn’t going to die, were they speaking truthfully, or falsely? When they thought Jesus was going to free them from the Romans, was their position right, or wrong? Also, they weren’t claiming to be God’s channel. These were young men, being taught by God, trying to figure it all out while mostly remaining humble. That’s the whole point of scripture, our worldview about God could be wrong, and His only word corrects us. Jesus was still teaching during this time, then sends the Holy Spirit. You can’t find an example in Acts or the Epistles where any apostle changed their message, or issued new light. They defended the same Gospel message from before. They surely expanded on certain topics, but the original truth remained.
Another excuse the use says this.
“Some early Christians had the wrong ideas about the timing of “the day of Jehovah” – JW.org FAQ Why Have Jehovah’s Witnesses Changed Some of Their Beliefs?
Yeah, some of the Christians did, not the apostles. Not those who are dispensing the truth and speaking for God.
Look, I could go all day, it doesn’t matter because there’s no legitimate defense for “new light” You can’t claim new truth, while also claiming to be the one source of accurate truth. A verse that destroys this concept is Jude 3
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Jude 3
“Was once for all delivered to the saints.” Meaning no updates are required. It’s the same message, the same sufficient Word for all believers and doesn’t need a translator or some self appointed faithful slave.
I‘ve heard this used as evidence as well. “Christians haven’t changed their doctrine in 2000 years, but we are always updating. That means we’re the truth.” No, it proves the opposite. This is textbook confirmation bias. Their reasoning is full of logical fallacies and flaws, yet take the side of the organization every time, no matter how foolish the position.
God doesn’t change, he says so himself. New updates aren’t needed, or new light, or a new understanding. The Gospel message is simple, that’s the point, and that message of truth can’t get any newer or any brighter. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, taking our wrath upon himself. And rose again three days later, proving he can be trusted, and that hope is found by faith in his person and work. He is the light that shines brighter than anything, or anyone else. The Biggest problem, Jehovah’s Witnesses are always claiming, they are the light, the truth, the only way to life. However that has always belonged to one only. Not to a group, not to a special class of men, only Jesus is the true light, the only truth, the only way to life. Doesn’t matter what anyone claims, The true light of Jesus, can’t get any brighter.