Yes ... "let's"
Verses 1-36 is a condemnation of the Pharisee's. Then in verses 37-39 he laments over Jerusalem:
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Tell me Jane, how do you interpret verse 39? "you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Many Christians find it hard to grasp why the Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. At the time of Jesus' first coming, Israel was ruled by the Roman Empire. The Jews anticipated that their Messiah would be a powerful leader, similar to King David, who would defeat the Romans and free them. They overlooked the prophecies that described their Messiah as humble and peaceful, who would sacrifice himself as “an offering for sin,” as mentioned in Isaiah 53:10.
One key issue that led the Nation to falter was the jealousy of the religious leaders towards Jesus’ popularity with the people. They tried to find every chance to portray him as lacking knowledge of the Law and the Prophets. They misled those who were not true Israelites. Because the Nation relied on their religious leaders instead of God’s prophets, Jesus lamented: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you... Your house is left desolate.” By the end of Jesus’ time on earth, the chief priests had stirred the crowds to shout, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” — “...his blood be on us and on our children.” What a heavy curse they placed upon themselves as a Nation. Even today, the Jews can only escape this curse and the curse of the Law through the merit of Christ’s blood.
Many Christians believe that Israel lost its chosen status because they didn't accept Jesus as their Messiah. However, God knew this would happen and didn't let it prevent the descendants of Abraham from being part of His covenant. The Apostle explains that even though most of the Jewish Nation lost a spiritual privilege 2,000 years ago, the earthly promise still belongs to them (Romans 11). It will be Israel, through their resurrected prophets, that will help fulfill the promise to bless all families on earth. “And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; after that shalt thou be called, The city of righteousness, the town that is faithful.” Isaiah 1:26.
We believe that all of God's prophecies will come true, which gives us hope that the Nation of Israel will eventually accept Jesus as their Messiah. The return of the Jewish people to the Holy Land and the creation of a thriving, democratic nation after 2,000 years of hardship is a strong indication that we can rely on God's promises in prophecy.
Replace "religious leaders" with "governing body" and you'll have your answer.
First of all, we don't have a governing body dictating what we can and cannot believe. We rely on the holy spirit to teach us. Secondly, why would we need progressive understanding if what we have is the Truth of God's plan? Yes, we've had to make some adjustments in our understanding of certain prophecies, but unlike you, we didn't have to make 180 or even 360 degrees turns in our understanding.
Since your organization loves to refer to C.T. Russell, and teach that he is the founder of your modern day organization, perhaps you should take some of his advice.
"If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us; undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light one or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now: But with God there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is with truth; any knowledge or light coming from God must be like its author. A new view of truth never can contradict a former truth. “New light” never extinguishes older “light,” but adds to it. If you were lighting up a building containing seven gas jets you would not extinguish one every time you lighted another, but would add one light to another and they would be in harmony and thus give increase of light: So is it with the light of truth; the true increase is by adding to, not by substituting one for another." – Zion’s Watch Tower, February 1881.
That seems to be the issue with the modern-day Watchtower organization, "two or six years ago" what Russell taught "would be regarded as darkness." Another "two or six years" ... more so-called Truths "would be regarded as darkness." And with each successive leadership, more darkness. In recent years, that new light has been strobing like a disco ball.
Perhaps if you read the context of Romans 2 instead of isolating a few verses, you'd see that, that isn't what Paul is speaking about.
On that we can agree, Spiritual Israel is made up of both Jew and Gentile, that said. There was a promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to their descendants, that all nations will be blessed by them. This was a one-sided promise, a promise their God made with them, they needed to do nothing, unlike the other covenants. (Gen 22:18; 26:4; 28:14)
What's to deny? Spiritual Israel is made up of BOTH Jew and Gentile. I'm not arguing against that. But there are other promises to Natural Israel that can ONLY be fulfilled in them and cannot be spiritualized.
