My Wife's reaction to the Revelation Book news

by under_believer 61 Replies latest jw friends

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  Good Girl or Bad Girl?

  kristyann, I have two copies of the book. You can have them.

  I have two because the first two times it was studied I was a young child. The first time we went through it I drew pictures and doodled on every page of the book to keep myself occupied, so much so that I had to get a new book for the third time through as you can't even read the words underneath all the scribbling. Which made me sad because when you go through the same book repeatedly the only good part about that is you don't have to pre-study the second, third, etc. times since you already underlined in it the first time.

  Someone else posted along this same line, and I felt the same way: that I didn't understand the book because I'm not smart enough, not deep enough. I remember reading concepts in that book and then thinking it was circular reasoning and didn't really seem like evidence of anything they were trying to say but an obscure interpretation (this was the third time through the book, I think I was about a freshman in high school...). But then I would correct myself like the good lil' Jdub I always wanted to be and think it must make sense because it came from the "Faithful Slave" and I'm just not very smart.

  But it turns out I AM smart. And THAT means I will not be attending any studies of the Revelation book (or any other book for that matter).

  Can't Fool This Girl
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  blondie

  I'm surprised you're not sitting in a corner drooling on yourself Blondie!

  I was a child prodigy, juni.

  That wasn't all either, there were books on Ezekiel, Haggai, Habakkuk, Zechariah and Zephaniah. No easy stuff.

  Blondie
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  Jankyn

  Dear Blondie, at least you were conscious for all the Babylon studies! I "went through" the Babylon the Great book three times, but the first time (when it was a new release), I couldn't read yet. Just looked at the pictures and answered "Jehovah!" to great rounds of laughter and approval. Took me a while to figure out that there was more to the JW doctrine than just getting attention.

  I remember when the Babylon book was being studied again in the 70s (I would have been a very young teen) that all the adults were complaining about how difficult it was. Jeez, it's only difficult if you expect it to make sense!

  I have two copies of the questions booklet (that was another thing that irritated the adults--having to keep track of a book and a booklet was just a lot of work for a book study).

  I was out before the Revelation book was studied, but a friendly pioneer gave me a copy in 1988 or 89. I remember thinking, "Jeez, they're really simplifying." It's like a Babylon the Great Has Fallen for Dummies, I think.

  My sympathies to those who have to sit through this. If you're really bored, you could always read D.H. Lawrence's Apocalypse and the Writings on Revelation (it's a literary reading by the novelist), or Frank Kermode's (he's a noted literary critic who specializes in the Bible) book, The Sense of an Ending. Those both gave me a whole new perspective on the book of Revelation.

  It also helps to know that apocalyptic writings like Revelation were very common in the early church (I'm sure there are folks here more conversant on how common they were), and John's is just one of many.

  Jankyn, educated beyond usefulness but still having fun class
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  serendipity

  
  

  Interpreting the Scriptures The mysteries locked up in the book of Revelation have for long baffled sincere students of the Bible. In God’s due time, those secrets had to be unlocked, but how, when, and to whom? Only God’s spirit could make known the meaning as the appointed time drew near. (Revelation 1:3) Those sacred secrets would be revealed to God’s zealous slaves on earth so that they would be strengthened to make known his judgments. (Compare Matthew 13:10, 11.) It is not claimed that the explanations in this publication are infallible. Like Joseph of old, we say: "Do not interpretations belong to God?" (Genesis 40:8) At the same time, however, we firmly believe that the explanations set forth herein harmonize with the Bible in its entirety, showing how remarkably divine prophecy has been fulfilled in the world events of our catastrophic times.

  
  This is the preface to Ch2 of the book. Since the WTS admited the explanations are not infallible, I never took the book seriously. Which is probably why I don't recall studying it, though my copy of the book is underlined.
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  ronin1

  Krystyann:

  We have two 'spanking brand new' books never used before- the 1988 edition.

  I can mail you one if you like.

  Ronin1
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  Fangorn

  I understand even some GB members think Revelation Climax is nonsense. It's odd they'd go through the utter silliness of most of it again.
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  Lapuce

  There are other types of climax that I rather experiance then the revelation one
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  Joe Grundy

  I have to confess as an 'outsider' that I always considered the author of 'Revelations' to be smoking something, taking something, suffering from Alzheimer's, or otherwise completely out of it.

  A 'closed book' as far as I am concerned.
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  DannyHaszard

  Ground zero for all the dates in the climax book is 1914 which can be proved bogus by (A) arithmetic (B) by it's origin from the second Adventist William Miller apocalyptic movement of Oct 1844

  No 1914 ergo no post 3 1/2 year 'sealing of the anointed' in 1918 so the entire doctrinal superstructure of the watchtower comes crashing down like a house of cards.

  The Watchtower society's Revelation climax is at hand publication is 90% lies.

  Oh,another thing of all the 'inspired' 66 books of the Bible the Revelation by John is the most suspect for lacking credibility for even being part of the canon at all.
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  DannyHaszard

  The Millerites: Armageddon (History Channel) 4 min clip when i viewed it about JW link to the Millerite movement it blew me away

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