At Matthew 24:45, Jesus asked this question.
An organization I belonged to more than twenty-five years – The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses (WTBTS) – teaches that this Faithful and Discreet Slave is a small composite group or class of so-called spirit-anointed Christians tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the non-spirit anointed Christians (a much larger group of Christians commonly referred to by the Watch Tower as the domestics or The Great Crowd) receive the proper teaching (food) from Christ.
Today, the WTBTS has a small body of seven men called the Governing Body who are considered this Faithful and Discreet Slave that Christ has “appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time.” Is this true?
To answer this question one must look at what Christ himself said about this faithful and discreet slave and not what individuals or organizations self-proclaim themselves to be.
A Self-Proclamation By The Watch Tower
It is a very easy matter for an individual or an organization to rise up and proclaim for itself lofty titles as if from God. They can even give long dissertations, generate voluminous works, and give seemingly convincing arguments to their case. None of these things matter if they are not in alignment with what the Master himself has said on the matter.
There was a period of time within the Watch Tower organization that its founder Charles Taze Russell considered himself that faithful and discreet slave and so did members of his International Bible Students Association. Well, he has been dead now for over 98 years and cannot speak for himself. It makes one wonder what the founder – if he were alive – would say concerning the Watch Tower’s current teaching about the faithful and discreet slave.
Too, there is something else most curious about those who the WTBTS claims are the faithful and discreet slave: Traditionally, they have been Americans and they have been all White men! Only more recently has that tradition been slightly broken and an African American by the name of Samuel Herd has been added to that body. Yet, it is still predominated by American White men. Is God partial to one race and nationality among the human family? Of course not as the Apostle Peter declares at Acts 10:34:
For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
So why would God – since the founding of this organization – appoint all White men as a faithful and discreet slave over a membership of over seven million people from every national, racial and language group within the human family? He would not. And, since God would not do such a thing, it is easy to conclude who did: men. And for what purpose? To exercise power and control over persons they have no legal right to have power and control over.
If a group of men rise up and make lofty proclamations as being an especially appointed group from God and are able to sell that idea, they can completely control those who become members of the organization they sit on top of. And, I can tell you that this is exactly what the WTBTS (and the other religious organizations) have done.
Once a person begins studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses and is slowly acclimated and indoctrinated into their system of belief, they soon are in reverent fear of “The Organization” and the body of men (The Governing Body) that sits on top of it.
The many publications that Jehovah’s Witness study (and I have studied all of them and even taught them when I was a Witness) are designed to ask the question and give the answer. You see, all of the thinking (or what someone wants you to think) is done for you. Study of the publications such as the Watchtower magazine is question and answer sessions. The questions appear at the bottom the magazine and the answers are found in the associated paragraphs. After years and years of this type of indoctrination, one’s questioning-and–thinking-for-himself ability is taken away. One becomes accustomed to – even dependent upon – the WTBTS doing the thinking for them.
Even the things a Jehovah’s Witness says to the persons they meet on the street or at their doors is provided to them. Yes, a Witness can improvise the script and put it in his own words but he must not deviate from the gist of the prepared script. Witnesses are told what they can and cannot read, who they can and cannot talk to and associate with, not to take blood transfusions (which should be a personal decision), told it is not good to miss meetings at the Kingdom Hall and to participate in what is called Field Service.
With regards Field Service, Witnesses are even told how many hours per month they are to put in. It is a rule (law) laden organization, something Christ freed his first disciples from.
Yet, the question must be answered, who is the faithful and discreet slave that Christ spoke about? Are they currently with us today? Let’s see what the Master Christ says about the matter?
The Other Slave Within Christs Household: An Evil Slave
Before we can conclude who the faithful and discreet slave is (or will be), we must look at the entire context of the conversation Jesus was having with his disciples. This context is contained within Matthew 24:36-51.
Before mentioning a faithful and discreet slave, Jesus had spoken about the fact that none of his slaves would know when his return would occur; and he gave them the instruction to simply “Keep on the watch because “YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming.”
But Jesus said for slaves to know one thing: If they did know on what day the thief was coming, they would have stayed awake and not allow his (Jesus’) house to be broken into. Therefore, his slaves were not to concern themselves with the date of his return because even he did not know that, but rather, they were to stay awake and not let thieves break into his house. The thieves would be teachings that were not from Christ. Dear reader, I can say to you that his house has been broken into and ransacked. The valuable things he has taught have been removed and invaluable things have replaced them.
Then Jesus asked the question: “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?”
To answer that question Jesus uses a parable or an illustration. He mentions another slave within his household: An Evil Slave. Jesus said that this evil slave would start beating his fellow slaves. Why? Because this evil slave will feel that his Master is delaying in his return.
Now let the reader use discernment here. Of these two slaves – the faithful ones and the evil ones – the evil slave was the one concerned about time and dates and the arrival of the Master. How so? Because this evil slave will feel that his Master is delaying as stated in Matthew 24:48. If this evil slave felt that his Master was delaying, then this evil slave must have been expecting him to return at a certain time!
The faithful slaves, on the other hand, were faithful because they remembered what their master told them a few verses previous at Matthew 24:42:
Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming.
This was not the case with the evil slave.
Who Expected Christs Return in 1914?
Many years before the arrival of the year 1914, the WTBTS – in its many publications and public talks and radio broadcasts – announced that 1914 would be the year that the Master (Christ) would return invisibly as earth’s king. The WTBTS still teaches this as truth and all Jehovah’s Witnesses believe this. The 1914 teaching is the foundation upon which all of the other prophetic utterances out of the WTBTS are built upon.
Yet, one must remember what Jesus said at Mathew 24:42: “YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming.”
The WTBTS has taught and still teaches that it does know! Essentially the WTBTS teaches that it knows what Christ says that even he does not know. (Matthew 24:36)
Since the WTBTS is teaching that Christ has returned and is currently reigning as King over the earth, there has really been no need to be watchful for his return anymore. This unwatchful and unalert state has caused thieves to break into Christ’s house and replace the things he taught with something else. All the while those breaking in call themselves his slaves (disciples).
There is more.
If you were to conclude which of the slaves in Jesus’ parable do the WTBTS imitate, which one would you choose? The answer should be clear: The evil slave. Why? Because the evil slave was concerned with time and dates and was expecting the Master to return at a certain time and felt he was delaying.
This reasoning alone shows who the Governing Body of the WTBTS are not: They are not that faithful and discreet slave that Christ spoke of. And, neither was Charles Taze Russell because he introduced the 1914 date. Let me be clear here: Charles Taze Russell was not the originator of the 1914 date, a movement he was a part of before he founded The International Bible Students – The Second Adventist – were the originators. Charles Taze Russell simply carried that date with him when he broke away from that movement. (This is something most Jehovah’s Witnesses are not aware of or are told).
If the Governing Body of the WTBTS were truly a faithful and discreet slave, they would not have concerned themselves with dates and times. They would have been discreet in not making outlandish and untrue announcements that counter what the Master never uttered and would have obeyed him by being watchful over his household not being broken into and his teachings changed and exchanged for the lie.
So who is the faithful and discreet slave?
What is known – according to Jesus – their fellow evil and unfaithful and unwatchful slaves will beat them. This is not a physical beating. Let me explain how beating is used here.
What does the rider of an ass carrying a heavy load or a horse pulling a carriage do to get them to move or take some action or direct them to go a certain way? They beat them with a whip or some other instrument.
The beating that the faithful slave would receive from the evil slave would be a prodding of them to get them to move in a certain direction, stop, go, and join them in their course of unfaithfulness:the belief that Christ returned on a certain date, and in being non-discreet in announcing it to the world. And, if the faithful slave does not join them, they would be labeled and
And, if the faithful slave does not join them, they would be labeled and besmirched as bad and unfaithful slaves themselves or apostates and expelled them from the WT organization. And, as they expel that faithful slave, they issue a warning to all of the other slaves to have no dealings with them. If they are caught having dealings with them, they too will face expulsion.
Yet, the truth of the matter is that expulsion from a house overrun is a blessing. Why? Because there was a time when the teachings of the Master within his house were truthful and the slaves of the Master ensured they remained that way. But something happened. Notice how Revelation 18:2,4 explains it:
And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: “She has fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen, and she has become a dwelling place of demons and a lurking place of every unclean exhalation and a lurking place of every unclean and hated bird. And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people …
If this Babylon the Great became a dwelling place of demons, what was she before? Not a dwelling place of demons. There would have been a time where there was truthful and healthful teaching occurring within that household. That the Master’s house has been overrun, it has “become a dwelling place of demons and a lurking place of every unclean exhalation and a lurking place of every unclean and hated bird.”
This evil slave would be in a majority and would use his strength in numbers to give the impression of truth by virtue of numbers. Yet, this slave is evil and unfaithful to Christ.
Right now, the WTBTS or any religious organization is not the place to be within. As Revelation 18:4 warns:
Get out of her my people.
Christ’s people are his slaves. He is telling his slaves to get out his house that has been overrun!
So the faithful and discreet slaves today are persons who hold no membership and allegiance to any religious organization. They do not publish or announce things that the Master never taught. They especially would never teach something that went contrary to what Christ taught, such as dates about his return. They would not accept that someone or something other than Christ as The Word of God. They simply and discreetly obey their Master and remember what he taught them (and still teaches them) and they remain faithful to his teaching and they remain watchful. This slave knows that he will be beaten for his stand of faithfulness because he is a minority. He has all of what men call Christianity (to include the WTBTS), the evil slave against him.
A Greater Future Fulfillment
What is not seen by many is that at Matthew 24:36-51, Christ was speaking of a much larger future fulfillment. Why would I say that? Because of beginning at Matthew 24:4 all the way down to Matthew 24:51, Jesus is describing four future time periods.
The first time period is one where all of mankind dies out.
The second time period is his kingdom of 1000 thousand years over the earth in which he resurrects all of mankind from the dead.
The third time period is the end of his 1000 year kingdom over the earth.
The fourth time period is a period of great deception; another development of an evil slave within the house Christ leaves after his 1000 year kingdom has ended. Within this fourth time period, another kingdom is established. The kingdom of the Beast. This fourth time period will see the Great Tribulation. This is a beating by the unfaithful slaves upon the faithful slaves. This fourth time period will also see what is called Armageddon.
Armageddon is not what many people have been taught. Armageddon is a place. That place is the earth and the battle will be over who has the right to establish an everlasting kingdom on it. Two kings will contend over the earth: The Kingdom of the Beast and the Kingdom that will come down, God’s Kingdom. (Kingdom against Kingdom)
So an evil and faithful slave exist today and a much greater evil slave – who will be far more vast in number – will exist in future days after Christs 1000 year kingdom will have come and gone.
I will dedicate an article providing more details concerning the time periods I mentioned above.
Where Do You Stand Today?
Either one is a faithful slave of Christ or they are an evil one. Those of you who have no knowledge of Christ or who are of another religious group such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddism etc, you are innocent only in that you have no knowledge and are not his slaves (faithful or evil) as you are not with his house. (You don’t want to be there anyway because it has been overrun). Yet the position you are in is one of difficulty because you will be caught off guard like the rest of the world when you see mankind’s demise into death. You – like everyone else – will weep and beat yourself because you will not have an explanation for it. Your holy books and leaders will have no answer.
Yet the position you are in is one of difficulty because you will be caught off guard like the rest of the world when you see mankind’s demise into death. You – like everyone else – will weep and beat yourself because you will not have an explanation for it. Your holy books and leaders will have no answer.
Those of you who think you are saved, you are in a particularly dangerous state because this “saved” teaching entered in Christ’s household while his slaves were asleep. You think you are going to heaven or that you will be raptured away to safety. When you see this is not going to happen and see the death of all of mankind approaching (and you are right there in among everyone), you will be confused and afraid because a thief taught you something the Master did not.
Your Master taught you at John 3:13 that:
Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man.
But you have not listened to the Master. Your fear will be the result of not being faithful to the teachings of the Master. Those who are faithful and true to the teachings of the Master will not be afraid of the death that will come to all of mankind including themselves because they know what the Master taught them at John 5:28-29 and the believe his promise:
Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.
The faithful slave is not rushing to and fro trying to trick or scare persons into converting to a religion. They are not making outrageous claims and predictions. They are discreet – almost unnoticed and unknown – like a hidden diamond waiting to be found. Yet, when such a faithful and discreet slave is found, listen to them as they will not direct you to anyone – no, not to themselves or to some religious organization – but to their Master, the one who teaches them and who will teach you.
