“Then two she-bears came out from the woods and went tearing to pieces forty-two children.”

(2 Kings 2:24)

Some boys had jeered Elisha, who was Jehovah’s prophet at that time. He “called down evil upon them in the name of Jehovah. Then two she-bears came out from the woods and went tearing to pieces forty-two children.” Does this mean that we are not to mock Jehovah’s Witnesses and God’s “appointed channel of communication, ‘the faithful and discreet slave’?” – Matthew 24:45; Our Kingdom Ministry, September 2002, page 8.

No, this is not the case. Granted, Jehovah does not tolerate it when someone jeers his prophets. But Jehovah’s Witnesses “do not claim that … they are prophesying in Jehovah’s name.” (Awake!, March 22, 1993, page 3) Since “God’s people today are not prophets,” we can ridicule them without worry. – God’s Word for Us Through Jeremiah, page 167.

“Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

(Matthew 6:32)

Jesus told his disciples: “God your Father knows what things you are needing.” (Matthew 6:8, NWT 1984) Does this mean that Christians do not have to worry about anything because God cares for them? No, this is not the case. The key to understanding Jesus’ words can be found in another statement that he made a white later: “Two sparrows sell for a coin of small value, do they not? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.” – Matthew 10:29.

So God also “knows” when birds “fall [dead] to the ground, and still “as many as 988 million birds die annually in window collisions” alone. (The Washington Post) Millions more are killed by cats and other predators, or dying from starvation or disease.

What can we learn from this? Granted, God knows when birds “fall to the ground” – but they do “fall to the ground.” God knows that they perish, but he does nothing about it. In the same way he cares for Christians: God ‘knows what things they are needing,’ but he does not give these to them.

“The lion will eat straw like the bull.”

(Isaiah 11:7)

As is known, “the Bible says that in the garden of Eden the diet of the animals was vegetation.” (Happiness – How to Find It, page 188) “None of the animals in the garden of Eden were killers,” rather they “had a vegetarian diet in Eden, as did humans.” Only after Adam and Eve sinned, “the animals … began to live off one another.” (Awake!, October 8, 1982, pages 10, 11) “Further, during the Flood of Noah’s day, eight humans and ‘flying creatures and all moving animals of the ground’ were obliged to live on vegetable matter exclusively for more than a year,” proving “that animals and humans were meant to be vegetation eaters.” – Awake!, January 8, 1983, page 28.

Also in the future paradise “animals will be at peace with one another, able to be around one another without risk.” (The Watchtower, December 15, 1991, page 30) Lions “will eat straw” or other vegetarian diet, just like all other animals. Even the polar bears at the North Pole and the penguins at the South Pole will eat grass which will grow there in abundance. Spiders will create “intricate webs” in order to catch leaves flying around. (Awake!, July 8, 1972, page 5) “The cheetah finds the open grasslands ideal footing for its lightning-quick sprints. Its lean body blurs as it races across the plains in pursuit of prey” consisting of grass blades and other plants. (Awake!, February 22, 2003, page 16) Even crocodiles will eat vegetables growing underwater or in the proximity of the shore; fish will no longer eat other fish or shellfishes. Carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap and carnivorous mushrooms like the lawyer’s wig will change their dietary habits and live on vegetarian diet.

Granted, “the earth [will] cause grass to sprout, seed-bearing plants and fruit trees,” but it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to feed all humans and animals. (Genesis 1:11) Antelopes will no longer be eaten by lions, but maybe they will starve because lions have eaten up all the grass. However, the dietary change will have more far-reaching effects. The human population is growing above average in times of peace, and the same will apply to the animal population when there is “peace among animals.” (The Watchtower, February 15, 1996, page 18) Some animals reproduce rapidly, for example, “the common brown rat … the black rat … and the house mouse” – a single female of these “can produce 2000 descendants in one year.” (Stopest) Mice and rats have many natural predators in our day, but once these have become vegetarians, a single mouse can have roughly 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 descendants within only ten years. Thus the “abundance of grain on the earth” will not persist because mice and other animals will eat it up in a minimum of time. “On the top of the mountains it will overflow,” not of food, but of mice, rats, hares, birds, and many other fast reproducing animals. (Psalm 72:16) The oxygen content of the air will also be reduced, since “phytoplankton account for half of all photosynthetic activity on Earth … [and are] responsible for much of the oxygen present in the Earth’s atmosphere,” but it will be the exclusive source of food for all sea dwellers in paradise. – Wikipedia.

In summary: “God’s restoration of Paradise on earth through Christ” will cause an extreme shortage of grass, grain, and other vegetables. (The Watchtower, September 15, 2007, page 12) Animals will reproduce without hindrance. If there would not be food shortage and lack of oxygen, earth would be covered with a meters thick layer of mice, rats, worms, and other animals after few years. Then the survivors will rightly proclaim: “The former things” – lush meadows, biodiverse forests, full pantries – “have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4.

 

“Every swarming creature of the earth is something loathsome.”

(Leviticus 11:41)

Obviously there are ‘loathsome creatures.’ It is impossible that they were created by God because “every creation of God is fine.” (1 Timothy 4:4) “All of God’s creative work is perfect,” and “in God’s handiwork both big and small are beautiful.” (Awake!, May 8, 1977, page 27; November 8, 1995, page 10) Furthermore, the apostle Paul wrote that only apostates who are “paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons … [and] speak lies” would “command people to abstain from foods that God created.” (1 Timothy 4:1-3) But the Mosaic Law came from God; when he commanded to abstain from certain foods, he must have referred to foods that someone else had created.

Since the ban explicitly mentions ‘creatures,’ someone must have created them, for “we know that everything made has a maker.” (Awake!, October 22, 1973, page 23) The Bible tells us who is was: “When the Most High passed the peoples to the Gods, when he divided humankind, he determined the territories of the peoples according to the number of the Gods.” (Deuteronomy 32:8, Einheitsübersetzung) So there were multiple gods, that is why Jehovah said to the other gods during creation: “Let us make man in our image.” (Genesis 1:26) For the Jews, of course, Jehovah was “the God of gods,” and they refused to worship other gods – but they never denied their existence. (Deuteronomy 10:17) Thus it must have been one of these other gods who created the ‘loathsome swarming creatures.’

“If he also asks for an egg, will [you] hand him a scorpion?”

(Luke 11:12)

“Jehovah’s Witnesses write Easter off.” (Awake!, May 22, 1986, page 8) When their children are confronted with Easter eggs and Easter bunnies in shops and elsewhere, they basically claim that “anyone who eats their eggs would die.” (Isaiah 59:5) But can this strict position be justified with the Bible?

Obviously not. Jesus said to his disciples: “Which father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he also asks for an egg, will hand him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:11, 12) So there were Christians who were asked by their children “for a fish” and “an egg” – without doubt this happened during the Passion Week where they ate fish on Friday and hunted Easter eggs on Sunday. So it is certain that the first Christians celebrated Easter.

Christians of today should also do that, especially if they have children. However, when purchasing Easter eggs, they must consider the advice given by the “faithful and discreet slave,” God’s channel of communication: “Whether the large, medium or small eggs are the best buy can be determined if you remember this: if the price of medium eggs is seven·eighths as much as large eggs, the cost is actually the same for both sizes.” (Awake!, November 22, 1969, page 23) Christian parents can utilize the Egg hunt to teach their children precious Bible truths, for example that the Easter bunny is a ruminant – Leviticus 11:6

“Drag these people away …

… like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered!” (Jeremiah 12:3, NLT)

”Jesus had described his followers as sheep.” (Jehovah’s Witnesses – Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, page 212) He called himself “the fine shepherd.” (John 10:14) That is why Jehovah’s Witnesses are working hard to turn ever more people into “sheeplike persons.” – 1996 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, page 254.

What fate awaits the “little flock” and the “other sheep?” (Luke 12:32; John 10:16) “More than 30 million sheep are slaughtered … each year in Australia … A single abattoir kills thousands of sheep and lambs every day. Their final moments are spent surrounded by … the screams of their companions.” (The Truth About Sheep Used For Food) Even the “mother ewes will be slaughtered … after they have been worn out mentally and physically.” – Sheep and Lambs.

The butchering of sheep is absolutely in compliance with Jehovah’s purpose. “Sheep have from earliest times been offered in sacrifice.” (Insight on the Scriptures, volume II, page 916) They “are born to be caught and destroyed” like all animals. (2 Peter 2:12) In Biblical times, sheep were ‘singled out for slaughtering and set apart for the day of killing.’ (Jeremiah 12:3) King Solomon had “120,000 sheep” slaughtered on one day to provide food during the inauguration of the temple. (1 Kings 8:63) The same fate will befall the “’great crowd’ of ‘other sheep.’” – The Watchtower, May 15, 2008, page 26.

“As the one dies, so the other dies.”

(Ecclesiastes 3:19)

Wise King Solomon said that animals die just like humans. And as is known, “death … is a direct result of sin and rebellion against God.” (The Watchtower, August 1, 1996, page 7) Does this mean that animals sin too and die therefore?

Yes, God’s word plainly shows that this is true. The Mosaic Law contained instructions for “donkeys” and “domestic animals,” for example, they were not allowed to work on the Sabbath. (Deuteronomy 5:14) But just as humans, so did the animals prove to be sinners. Eventually the prophet Jonah had to prompt the inhabitants of Nineveh: “Let them cover themselves with sackcloth, man and domestic animal; and let them … come back, each one from his bad way.” – Jonah 3:8, NWT 1984.

What should animals do to be saved? The psalmist invites them: “Praise Jehovah from the earth … you wild animals and all you domestic animals.” (Psalm 148:7, 10) Thus they should visit the congregation meetings with us, so that they have the opportunity “to praise Jehovah in the congregation.” (The Watchtower, April 15, 2007, page 23) Domestic animals must share in field service too; that’s why the Bible urges all homeowners: “Ask, please, the animals, and they will instruct you.” – Job 12:7.

In ancient times, God occasionally had to “cut off … earthling man and domestic animal.” (Ezekiel 14:19, NWT 1984) Hence, many domestic animals will be destroyed at Armageddon. Only those “who are sighing and groaning” will survive. (Ezekiel 9:4) When our “domestic animal has sighed” and had a regular share in field service and in the congregation meetings, it might be saved. – Joel 1:18.

“You are worth more than many sparrows.”

(Matthew 10:31)

Jesus Christ forcefully showed that God is involved in the death of every single sparrow. He said: “Aren’t sparrows sold for next to nothing? … Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s consent.” (Matthew 10:29, 20, CJB) Though sparrows are virtually worthless, God makes every single one “fall to the ground” at the time he deems advisable. Estimates say that there are “at least one billion sparrows” in Canada alone, and millions of them die every day. (The Boreal Forest at Risk) God decides to let a Canadian sparrow “fall to the ground” more than ten times per second, and in the remaining time he takes care of the sparrows in other parts of the world.

To his disciples, though, Jesus said: “You are more valuable to … [God] than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Matthew 10:31, NLT) A typical “flock of sparrows” is comprised of about 50 animals, an amount that ‘falls to the ground’ according to God’s will in less than a second. But he considers all Christians together “of more value than a flock of sparrows,” so he will wait more than a second before he lets them “fall to the ground” dead. – Matthew 10:31, BBE.

“True wisdom has … prepared its meat.”

(Proverbs 9:1, 2)

The Bible clearly shows that God eats meat. It says that at the very dawn of mankind’s history, “Jehovah was looking with favor upon Abel and his offering” which consisted of “fatty pieces” from “his flock.” (Genesis 4:4, NWT 1984) On the other hand, “he did not look with any favor on Cain and on his offering” which was comprised of fruit of vegetables. (Genesis 4:5) Later, when Jehovah visited his friend Abraham, he ate “a tender and good young bull” and “butter” and “bread,” but no vegetables. – Genesis 18:1-7.

This is the reason why the Bible says that “true wisdom … has organized its meat slaughtering.” (Proverbs 9:1, 2, NWT 1984) After all, “animals … are born to be caught and killed;” they “are by nature for the knife.” (2 Peter 2:12, ISV, ABPE) In the Mosaic Law, God had already commanded: “You must eat meat.” (Deuteronomy 12:15, NWT 1984) There were no vegetarians in Israel, for all Israelites were to eat the Passover. (Exodus 12:8) Hence the wise ones will abstain from vegetables and eat meat.

“Go to the ant … observe its ways.”

(Proverbs 6:6)

Did wise King Solomon really mean that we should learn from literal ants? No, because “there are … many symbolic and pictorial statements” in the Bible and it “often uses animals … to represent governments.” (The Watchtower, October 15, 1977, page 618; Awake!, February 8, 1975, page 8) Which government is symbolized by “the ant?”

World history provides a clear answer, since “outstanding in any typical [ant] colony is the queen [but] she is not a ruler.” (Awake!, May 8, 1976, page 22) Hence the greater ant is Great Britain – like in an ant colony “the Queen’s role is purely formal; she reigns, but she does not rule.” (Awake!, August 22, 1982, page 4) How should we be interested in the “ways” of Great Britain?

When a foreign visitor observes the “ways” or streets of Great Britain, the first thing he notices is that the cars are driving on the left side. Interestingly, archaeologists found that “the Romans drove on the left” and “travelers on horseback generally rode on the left side” in Jesus’ day. (Awake!, March 22, 2005, page 12) Hence the advice in Proverbs 6:6 means that we should observe the British traffic rules. As true Christians, we should always drive on the left side regardless of where we live.