In The Watchtower, 15 January 2004, the Society mention The United Nations in an article entitled, “Whose Promises Can you Trust?” The article reveals that it certainly is not those of the UN.
Thisattitudeof the Watchtower Society to the UN is nothing new as the following quotes show:
“Like the symbolic ‘scarlet-colored wild beast’ of Revelation chapter 17, upon which the old harlot, ‘Babylon the Great,’ has seated herself, the League of Nations went into ‘the abyss’ at the outbreak of World War II in 1939… After the close of World War II in 1945, the United Nations was set up as the successor to the ill-fated League of Nations. It has far more members than the League had, so it should be a stronger organization and deserving of more confidence on the part of the world of mankind. Thus it was in 1945 that the symbolic ‘scarlet-colored wild beast ascended ‘out of the abyss,’ and the symbolic harlot, ‘Babylon the Great,’ again climbed onto its back, where she shamelessly sits to this day. (Revelation 17:3, 5, 8)… The United Nations is actually a worldly confederacy against Jehovah God and his dedicated Witnesses on earth.” – The Watchtower, 1 September 1987, p.20.
As is evident from this quote, in September 1987 the Society was aware that the UN was the, “scarlet-colored wild beast” and that it was, “a worldly confederacy against Jehovah God.”
“However, back in 1919, before the League’s Covenant had ever gone into effect, Jehovah’s Witnesses (then known as Bible Students) declared publicly that the League must fail… Later, at their 1926 convention in London, England, it was pointed out that according to Revelation 17, the ‘eighth king’ appears as a finale to the line of world powers. As the speaker pointed out, ‘the Lord foretold its birth, its short existence, and its everlasting end.’ … From the mid-war year of 1942, Jehovah’s Witnesses realized that the then dormant peace and security organization would ascend out of its abyss of inactivity. That year the president of the Watch Tower Society told an audience in 52 cities: ‘Though forty members still profess to adhere to the League, the League is in effect in a state of suspended animation… It “is not.”‘ But would it ‘ascend out of the abyss?’ Basing his words on this Bible prophecy, he declared: ‘The association of worldly nations will rise again.’ As the prophecy had stated, this eighth king ‘was’ from 1920 until 1939. It ‘was not’ from 1939 until World War II ended in 1945. Then it ascended ‘out of the abyss,’ reactivated as the League’s successor, the United Nations… The UN has not succeeded” –The Watchtower, 1 June 1988, pp.27, 28
From this quote we note that in June 1988 the Society were aware that the United Nations was an, “association of worldly nations” and that it was a failure or certainly that it had not succeeded.
“Christendom rested her hopes in the League of Nations, but it was overturned even without the coming of Armageddon. Now she has transferred her allegiance to the United Nations. But it will soon have to face ‘the war of the great day of God the Almighty,’ and it will not survive. (Revelation 16:14) Even a revived UN can never bring peace and security. God’s prophetic Word shows that the United Nations organization with its member nations ‘will battle with the Lamb [Christ in Kingdom power], but, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them.’ -Revelation 17:14. Jehovah’s Witnesses confidently say that there is no salvation for Christendom in her alliances with Satan’s world.” – The Watchtower, 1 June 1991, p.19.
Then in 1991 they declared that the nations that had given allegiance to the UN had given allegiance to “Satan’s world.”
This is a very interesting comment because it was during this year that the Watchtower Society applied for association to the Department of Public Information (DPI), which was granted in 1992.
At first glance that may not seem to be very dramatic but as the official letter placed on the United Nations Website shows, such association was accepted on the basis that the Society agreed to,
“Support and respect the principles of the Charter of the United Nations…”
The letter also states that association would mean that the Society,
“Share the ideals of the UN Charter…”
So we would therefore expect, having undertaken such a commitment, that their attitude to the UN would change between 1992 and 2001, when they finally terminated their association with the DPI. Maybe we would expect that but we would be disappointed. Just one further quote from a fairly extensive article in The Watchtower, 1 October 1995 shows their attitude continued to be the same.
“Today, with 185 member States, the United Nations is stronger than ever. Why, then, has the most powerful international organization in history failed to accomplish its noble objectives fully?… One major complication is the role that religion in world affairs… Referring to its 50th anniversary, Pope John Paul II spoke of the United Nations as ‘the instrument par excellence for promoting and safeguarding peace.’ His sentiments are shared by a global community of religious leaders. But this tactful liaison between religion and government cannot hide the fact that religion has been a hindrance and a nuisance to the United Nations… A prophecy in the Bible book of Revelation provides the answer. It speaks of a symbolic ‘great harlot’ that sits as ‘a queen’ and has ‘a kingdom over the kings of the earth.’ This harlot lives ‘in shameless luxury’ and has relations with the world’s governments. These governments are depicted as ‘a scarlet-colored wild beast,’ upon which the harlot rides in comfort. (Revelation 17:1-5, 18; 18:7) Known as ‘Babylon the Great,’… Appropriately, today the harlot represents all the world’s religions, which have mingled in with the affairs of governments… Thus Jehovah God himself will have taken the initiative by maneuvering powerful nations into a campaign to remove false religion. The worldwide religious system, with its luxurious temples and shrines, will be completely devastated… Is there any guarantee that eliminating religion will really clear the way for a world without war? No. The United Nations will continue to face an ironic situation. On the one hand, people want peace and security. Yet, on the other hand, it is people who pose the greatest threat to peace and security… Clearly, the United Nations does not have the ability to bring world peace. Its members and supporters are all imperfect humans… God warns: ‘Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.’ … In Bible prophecy, human governments are often symbolized by wild beasts. (Daniel 7:6, 12, 23; 8:20-22) Hence, for many decades the Watch tower magazine has identified the wild beasts of Revelation chapters 13 and 17 with today’s worldly governments. This includes the United Nations, which is depicted in Revelation chapter 17 as a scarlet-colored beast with seven heads and ten horns.” – pp.6-7.
All this leaves us wondering just how, “God’s Truthful mouthpiece”, as the Society believes they are, could have been party to such deception for 10 years. How can you sign an official document saying you will share the ideals of the UN Charter but write articles showing exactly the opposite?
As also the testimony on this website points out, how can you keep such an alliance quiet and then when it becomes public, not even hold your hands up and say sorry. That however seems to be par for the course for the leadership of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. Surely this shows that they are not God’s only and truthful mouthpiece on this earth?
