Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe there is a need for a Modern Day Prophet? And if so, who would that Prophet be?

They used to, but no longer. I have this magazine with its heading, "They shall know that a Prophet was among them". In part it says:

"A third way of coming to know Jehovah God is through his representatives. In ancient times he sent prophets as his special messengers... So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come?

[Sub heading - Identifying the 'Prophet']

These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet? ...However, Jehovah did not let the people of Christendom, as led by the clergy, go without being warned that the League was a counterfeit substitute for the real kingdom of God. He had a "prophet" to warn them. This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of gootstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses. They are still proclaiming a warning..."

The identity of this "prophet" was further clarified in a book that said:

"But regardless of how Christendom views or regards this group of anointed witnesses of Jehovah, the time must come, and that shortly, when those making up Christendom will know that really a "prophet" of Jehovah was among them."

"Better it is to know now, rather than too late, that there is an authentic prophetic class of Christians among us..."

Now they insist that they have never claimed to be a modern-day prophet of God. Only 4 months after their prophetic claims about 1975 were clearly shown to be false, they issued another Watchtower wherein they flatly said about themselves, "Neither are they inspired prophets". But those earlier two Watchtower Society sources clearly state that, during the early 1970s, they used to.

I think I came across this other question. It's rather hard to believe in a way that the jws reacted that way.

A modern day prophet? NO. Jesus christ is the last prophet.

The JWS don't have a prophet nowadays. No one in the society claims to have any sort of revelations. Even the founder, Russel, did not claim any supernatural experience.

The governing body then and now is only an aid to bible understanding and the prophecies contained in it.

Any religion who claims to have a prophet is against Galatians 1:8 and so would be false.

I think I came across this other question. It's rather hard to believe in a way that the jws reacted that way.

A modern day prophet? NO. Jesus christ is the last prophet.

The JWS don't have a prophet nowadays. No one in the society claims to have any sort of revelations. Even the founder, Russel, did not claim any supernatural experience.

The governing body then and now is only an aid to bible understanding and the prophecies contained in it.

This question puts the Witnesses in a Paradox. If they say No, they are denying the organization's claim to be the only Modern day prophet. If they say Yes. they have ot acknowledge that their modern day prophet has falsely prophesied.

We can only look to their leader which is the Organization for the answer to this question: Quote: Deuteronomy 18:22 states that a false prophet is one who, in the name of the Lord, makes a prophecy which does not take place and is not true. How does all of this square with the Jehovah's Witnesses claim that just because they have made a few errors does not mean that they are therefore false prophets?

First of all, the Watchtower (which is the organizational name of Jehovah's Witnesses) claimed to have been acting as God's uniquely-appointed official, or modern-day prophet, when it issued its numerous false predictions. This alone, according to Deuteronomy 18, is enough to qualify them as false prophets. But there's more.

The prophecies proclaimed by the Watchtower were not considered by the organization as "optional." In other words, to remain a Jehovah's Witness in good standing, you must wholeheartedly believe in and uphold these prophecies made by the Watchtower. They were certainly not expendable.

You see, the prophecies themselves concerned important events holding significant implications. For example, the Watchtower initially proclaimed that Jesus' second coming happened invisibly in the year 1874. Today, Jehovah's Witnesses believed this event actually took place in the year 1914. It's important to note that Paul issued very strong warnings about those setting false dates concerning Christ's return (2 Thes. 2:1-3).

Fourth, the Watchtower's false prophecies have produced nothing but despair and disillusionment, and have caused many Jehovah's Witnesses to resort to drastic measures which they would not have taken otherwise. Numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses, for instance, quit their jobs and liquidated their personal belongings as they anticipated the world to end in the year 1975. Needless to say, that prediction never materialized.

Well, when all the facts are considered, it becomes readily apparent that Jehovah's Witnesses are false prophets who fill people "with false hopes" (Jer. 23:16).

The Watchtower, January 15, 1959, p. 40-41

"Whom has God actually used as his prophet?...Jehovah's witnesses are deeply grateful today that the plain facts show that God has been pleased to use them."

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The Watchtower, June 15, 1964, p. 365

"As Jehovah revealed his truths by means of the first-century Christian congregation so he does today by means of the present-day Christian congregation. Through this agency he is having carried out prophesying on an intensified and unparalleled scale."

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The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197

"So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come?...These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet?...This 'prophet' was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses...Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a 'prophet' of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record. What does it show?"

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So unless their belief has changed, they still believe that there is a need for a prophet today and that they are that prophet. Even though the record proves otherwise.

You are defining the word prophet in one specific way, and the inspired scriptures define it in another.

The early christian congregation also had gifts of prophecy. Acts 2:16-18

Those special gifts passed away, but Jesus was not the last prophet.

Now our work as prophets can only be properly that of repeating already inspired words and proclaiming them. Interpreting those words is not always clear to us, which is why the changes.

Prophets such as Daniel who were actually given inspired words did not know their interpretation, but he was still a prophet. Daniel 12:8

This is a difficult question for Witnesses to answer. They have said that their organization acts as a prophet, but not as an "inspired prophet." Quite a strange position, if you ask me. But it is a position they must take in order to avoid accountability for being a false prophet (due to their incorrect predictions regarding the end of the world in 1914, 1925, 1975).

The Watchtower's position is really a matter of semantics. In reality, the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses has as much power over Jehovah's Witnesses as the Church President has over members of the LDS (Mormon) church or the Pope has over members of the Catholic faith...without any of the accountability.

In other words, JWs must obey the Governing Body as if they were inspired, but when they're wrong about something, the Governing Body can fall back on the "we're not inspired; we're just humans" excuse. It's absolutely brilliant! Whoever said "you can't have it both ways" was certainly not on the Governing Body!

Unlike these other two elcclesiastical bodies, the Witnesses take pains to point out that their leaders are not inspired prophets--rather, they are "guided by Holy Spirit" and are "God's channel of communication." The reason for this arcane, hyper-technical distinction is that it absolves them of any responsibility or accountability when they're wrong.

And the brilliant part about it is that, to Witnesses, it doesn't matter! They don't realize that their religion is just like the Mormons, Catholics, or any other hierarchical faith that follows a human leader--or committee of human leaders.

Technically no, but if you think about it, they obviously do. Essentially, they say that Charles T Russell, an eccentric Victorian wife-beater, was vouchsafed a revelation of divine will and purpose, and engifted with the ability to interpret scripture, that lead to a new and different Xtian theology. Today, the writers of the Watchtower regularly update their espoused theology, drooping ideas and statements as they are discredited and disproved. In other words, Russel and the modern governing body all act as if they were prophets.

Not terribly good ones, as they haven't got anything right yet, but prophets none the less!

Jehovah's Witnesses claim to no need for a prophet in the public arena, however in secret they revere the governing body as the modern day prophet and spokesman for Jehovah.

I cannot imagine that J.W.'s who say they believe in the Bible, can

also say they believe in modern-day prophets, UNLESS WHAT THEY

MEAN BY PROPHET IS TEACHER.

We already HAVE prophets: Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah, Hosea, micah,

zechariah, etc etc etc....and, in Mark 13 Christ Himself says "behold, I have foretold you all things". That word "all" in the Manuscripts, means

ALL, EVERYTHING, COMPLETE, NOTHING LEFT TO BE ADDED.

And yet a group would say we need a modern day prophet? Not

unless the group is lying about follow Scripture. Not a good idea.