“At that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun.”

(Matthew 13:43)

According to scientific calculations the luminous power of the sun amounts to roughly 384,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 watts. No wonder “we can hardly bear to look directly at the sun.” (Life Does Have a Purpose, page 16) “Looking directly at the Sun for even brief periods of time may cause blindness or severe damage to the eye.” – Wikipedia.

These “righteous ones” are “the true servants of Jehovah God [and] enjoy light”; Jesus’ prophecy refers to “Jehovah’s Witnesses” which “have kept walking in the light.” (The Watchtower, December 1, 1981, page 16; 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, page 4) They do not shine literally though; rather their “shining ‘as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father’ refers to the enlightened condition and the glorious service of such anointed Christians on earth, where they ‘are shining as illuminators in the world.’” – The Watchtower, August 1, 1981, page 25.

Note: Looking at the sun leads to blindness. Similarly, having close association with “the true servants of Jehovah” can lead to spiritual blindness. Thinking persons “can hardly bear to look at” the “light” that they spread. Thus the following advice is appropriate: Never have close association with ‘the righteous ones [who] shine as brightly as the sun.’ Severe damage, even spiritual blindness, would be the consequence.