Wanderer:
You asked:
Is the Watchtower Society slowly getting away from the "wild beast" mentality
in connection with the UN without causing much of a stir?
I searched the 2005 WT CD. I used Blondie's suggestion to search for not only United Nations, but also Wild Beast and Ten Horns.
The latest article I found identifying the United Nations with the destruction of Babylon the Great was in a 2005 Watchtower (I don't have access to the 2006 ones yet). This was it:
Watchtower September 15, 2006 page 19 paragraphs 13 and 14 -- Walk by Faith, Not by Sight!
13 Something similar is about to take place in our day. Elements within the United Nations will be involved in the execution of divine judgment. Just as the Roman armies of the first century were designed to maintain the Pax Romana (Roman Peace), the United Nations of today is intended to be a peacekeeping instrument. Although the Roman armies tried to ensure relative safety throughout the then known world, they became the desolater of Jerusalem. Likewise today, Bible prophecy indicates that militarized powers within the United Nations will see religion as a disturbing element and will act to destroy modern-day Jerusalem—Christendom—as well as the rest of Babylon the Great. (Revelation 17:12-17) Yes, the entire world empire of false religion stands on the brink of destruction.
14 The desolation of false religion will mark the beginning of the great tribulation. In the final part of the great tribulation, the remaining elements of this wicked system of things will be destroyed. (Matthew 24:29, 30; Revelation 16:14, 16) Walking by faith keeps us alert to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. We are not duped into thinking that any man-made agency like the United Nations is God’s means of bringing true peace and security. So, then, should not our way of life demonstrate our conviction that "the great day of Jehovah is near"?—Zephaniah 1:14.
Sounds pretty much like what I was taught years ago.
It is interesting, though, that when I searched just for "United Nations" I got a lot of quotations from UN reports. Looks like the WTBTS has been making good use of that "library card" *hah*
Also, I don't think that the last tract specifically identified the UN with the Wild Beast.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Good question!
NanaR