The Gentiles Times Reconsidered--Again but this Time By Using the Bible

by thirdwitness 1380 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  stillajwexelder

  thirdwitness - Just to keep you up to date on the Society's official earthquake line See Awake MARCH 22ND 2002 page 9

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  g02 3/22 p. 9 Earthquakes, Bible Prophecy, and You Earthquakes, Bible Prophecy, and You

  BEFORE his death, Jesus foretold events and situations that would give evidence that this world had entered "the conclusion of the system of things." That period, he said, would be marked by such things as pestilences, food shortages, and large-scale warfare. He also mentioned "great earthquakes" that would occur "in one place after another." (Matthew 24:3, 7; Luke 21:10, 11) Was Jesus referring to our day?

  Many say no. They assert that the number of earthquakes has not substantially increased in recent decades. In fact, the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center reports that earthquakes of 7.0 magnitude and greater remained "fairly constant" throughout the 20th century.

  Note, though, that the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy does not require an increase in the number or power of earthquakes. All Jesus said was that there would be great earthquakes in one place after another. Furthermore, he stated that these events would mark the "beginning of pangs of distress." (Matthew 24:8) Distress is measured, not by the number of earthquakes or how they rate on the Richter scale, but by the effect that they have upon people.

  Earthquakes have indeed caused much distress in our day. In fact, during the 20th century, millions have been killed or left homeless by these disasters. Experts say that many of these deaths could have been prevented. "In developing countries," reports BBC News, "building regulations frequently take second place to the demands for cheap, quickly built housing to meet the needs of rapid urbanisation." Commenting on two recent tragedies, Ben Wisner, an expert in urban disasters, states: "It wasn’t earthquakes that killed these people. It was a combination of human error, indifference, corruption, and greed."

  Yes, sometimes the deadliest factors in an earthquake are human selfishness and negligence. Interestingly, such qualities come to the fore in another Bible prophecy concerning "the last days" of this system. During that time, the Bible states, people would be "self-centered, lovers of money," and "callous." (2 Timothy 3:1-5, The Amplified Bible) Along with Jesus’ words regarding the conclusion of the system of things, this prophecy provides clear evidence that we are nearing the time when God will bring relief to distressed humanity from all present causes of pain and suffering—including great earthquakes.—Psalm 37:11.

  Would you like to learn more about this Bible-based hope? Contact Jehovah’s Witnesses in your area, or write to the appropriate address on page 5.

  [Footnote]

  Some say that any reports of an increase in the number of earthquakes are simply due to advances in technology, which enable more seismic events to be detected.
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  Death to the Pixies

  "All" is idiomatic in Greek, it can easily easily be understood in a certain context and often has exclusions. There is no reason to think that this "all" authority must include the authority of the Davidic Kingship. One does not have to search hard to see "all" pertain to just "some" in the GNT/LXX. Dr. Strong is a putz, but here commenting on pas/panta, he makes good sense:

  ... "the whole world has gone after him" Did all the world go after Christ? "then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan."Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem, baptized in Jordan? "Ye are of God,little children", and the whole world lieth in the wicked one". Does the whole world there mean everybody? The words "world" and "all" are used in some seven or eight senses in Scripture, and it is very rarely the "all" means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts-- some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted His redemption to either Jew or Gentile ... "
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  AuldSoul

  Where does is say this?

  Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. 8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress."

  Mark 13:8 "For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, there will be earthquakes in one place after another, there will be food shortages. These are a beginning of pangs of distress."

  In context, a changed state is being described. Since earthquakes have always occurred, the change state is described in the implication of frequency. The use of kata in the context of a changed state to the subject ("earthquakes") strongly suggests an increase in frequency, i.e. an increase in the NUMBER of earthquakes. Whereas Luke's description of "great earthquakes" can mean "great" in many different ways, including an increase in the number (megas can refer to numerous, relatively greater quantity, or abundancy), the use of kata for the description in Matthew and Mark makes the understanding of Luke 21 clear.

  Respectfully,
  AuldSoul
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  thirdwitness

  For the record I firmly believe the FDS has been appointed over all the master's earthly belongings. My point is that even if some believe that the FDS has only been appointed to provide the food and preach the good news and that the appointment over all the belongings happens after Armageddon this is still no reason to leave the truth or abandoned Christ's brothers.
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  Fisherman

  AS:

  I finished reading COC. Previously, I only read portions. I also got Penton's books. I have only skimmed through them. Does anyone remmember the g article that ammended the info on earthquakes?, or did I miss that post?
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  Fisherman

  3w, I think the reason people leave is because they get angry, either because they are harmed or believe that they were harmed by individuals in thw wts or by the wts.
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  Fisherman

  Flash,
  
  I did not mean to be sarcastic or cynical by my comments on your post on generation. You can believe what you like. What I meant to get across is that it is hard to abandon the hope of living in a paradise earth and never dying in ones lifetime. My opinion is though, that if you do not know something for sure because God did not speak to you on it, why give people a false hope about something that is only a view and not a reality, and then when the generation belief did not prove to be what was expected, that is that the generation that saw 1914 is 70 or 80 years in length, using the Bible to define generation, you change the definition of generation. There is a glimer of hope there so people do not let go, but at the smae time, another teaching that we should not speculate on dates indication that the end can come in 50 years or at an undetermined time, but at the same tineme people are allowed to believe or to entertain the hope of in their lifetime. Is that dishonest? Things start crumbling apart as people start to realize that the teaching regarding the length of generation failed. The teaching is false because people normally live 70 or 80 years. If the end comes in 100 or 120 years, the teaching gave people a false hope because the average person would die and yet was taught to belief to entertain a false hope. It may make no difference to you, you are still young, so am I, but what about the older ones that worked so hard and gave up so much and when its time to get paid: Not today, And then comes another beautiful explanation of generation. The bottom line is: Not getting paid. People get angry at this, and I don't blame them. If I saw your view about generation on a wt mag, I would be very angry. In all honesty, how many jws can digest the new generation definition in connection with 1914?
  
  I understand don’t leave the wts and stuff like that but if one has the history of telling people that they are going to get paid but time and time and half a time again, no money, some workers will stop believing you,(not God), not matter what beautiful opinions or explanations you have for not paying.
  

  And what I mean to say by not paying is, that you led people to belive that they would be rewarded, and what I mean to say by you is, not you, but the ones that led people to believe the doctrine.
  
  
  
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  stevenyc

  thirdwitness: For the record I firmly believe the FDS has been appointed over all the master's earthly belongings. My point is that even if some believe that the FDS has only been appointed to provide the food and preach the good news and that the appointment over all the belongings happens after Armageddon this is still no reason to leave the truth or abandoned Christ's brothers.

  No thirdwitness, you state that the faithful and discreet slave ONLY have appointment over EARTHY things. You are an apostate and should be disfellowshipped. You are causing divisions among the flock. The faithfully and discreet slave have been appointed over our SPIRITUAL things as well.

  Your statement is second death heresy.

  steve
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  jayhawk1

  Saki, you stick to your beliefs and I will stick to the facts, okay? Your beliefs will serve you well.
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  Frank75

  3w, I think the reason people leave is because they get angry, either because they are harmed or believe that they were harmed by individuals in thw wts or by the wts.

  
  

  
  The reason that I left and I am sure many others did so was for this reason:

  (2 Timothy 3:2-7) . . .For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, ..., unthankful, disloyal, 3having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up [with pride], lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. 6 For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, 7 always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

  (vs13) . . .But wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled.

  The above words attributed to Paul ably express why I left and why it was necessary to do so. They also accurately describe the conditions existing inside the JW religion. If you apologists were honest you would acknowledge this as true....especially the "leading as captive weak women burdened with sins"

  Frank75