Providentially wrong?

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Hello all,

The definition of Providentially: prov·i·den·tial adj.

1. Of or resulting from divine providence. 2. Happening as if through divine intervention; opportune.

OK. This IS it. On Revelation book, page 105, on top of the page on a little box, it says:

"Providentially, those Bible Students had not realized that there is no zero year between "B.C." 606 to 607 B.C.E, when research made it necessary to adjust B.C. 606 to 607 B.C.E., the zero year was also eliminated, so that the prediction held good at "A.D. 1914".

Now, according to the definition and the WT comment, God made the Bible Students (Russell) to be wrong on a date. Yes, God was sending bad flashes of light! GIMME A BREAK. And how did they fix that mistake that God sent them? Keep reading:

"when research made it neccesary to abjust", that means that they had to fix what God screwed by making research themselves. I think this is blasphemy. Gosh! These people at the GB are crazy!!

Give some opinions please. Pix.

Crumpet

That is really interesting and well spotted pixel. However did they really mean to infer that God misguided them? I am not sure they did - your definition of the word Providential is only one of them - it also means:

(Collins Engklish Dictionary - adj. "relating to, characteristic of" - so were they in fact implying that it was characteristic of those bible students to jump to wrong conclusions???

pixel

That is true, Crumpet. I also thought of that, but since that is a book about the Bible, I'm assuming they are talking about divine things. Why not use another word?

Crumpet

Why not use another word?

Well I wouldn;t put it past them to deliberately mislead would you?

However I heard somewhere that they are studying this book again - maybe you could write to the society as an interested person attending the book study group and ask what it means and say your conductor wasnt able to answer you satisfactorily...

rassillon

Hello all,
The definition of Providentially: prov·i·den·tial adj.
1. Of or resulting from divine providence. 2. Happening as if through divine intervention; opportune.
OK. This IS it. On Revelation book, page 105, on top of the page on a little box, it says:
"Providentially, those Bible Students had not realized that there is no zero year between "B.C." 606 to 607 B.C.E, when research made it necessary to adjust B.C. 606 to 607 B.C.E., the zero year was also eliminated, so that the prediction held good at "A.D. 1914".
Now, according to the definition and the WT comment, God made the Bible Students (Russell) to be wrong on a date. Yes, God was sending bad flashes of light! GIMME A BREAK. And how did they fix that mistake that God sent them? Keep reading:
"when research made it neccesary to abjust", that means that they had to fix what God screwed by making research themselves. I think this is blasphemy. Gosh! These people at the GB are crazy!!
Give some opinions please. Pix.

2. Happening as if through divine intervention; opportune.

The "as if" clause allows wiggle room.

Leolaia

*** w66 4/15 p. 228 "Happy Are Those Conscious of Their Spiritual Need" ***

Another way is by carefully studying God’s Word, wherein he reveals his will for his earthly creatures. Of course, to understand that Word you will need help, which God has providentially provided, as, for example, through the magazine you are now reading.

*** yb78 p. 95 The Philippines ***

Additionally, Jehovah providentially had arranged for the booklet Neutrality to be on hand here for the brothers’ use even before the war came to the Philippines.

*** w98 9/15 p. 15 Waiting in "Eager Expectation" ***

Similarly, a prophecy providentially caused sincere 19th-century Bible students to be in expectation. By linking the "seven times" of Daniel 4:25 with "the times of the Gentiles," they anticipated that Christ would receive Kingdom power in 1914.

*** yb98 p. 143 Japan ***

Providentially, the circuits around Kobe had been organized to cut across the city from north to south. Since the quake hit the area along the coastline from east to west, each circuit had unaffected congregations that could assist those in need.

*** yb98 p. 206 Martinique ***

At this time an elder from the Rivière Salée Congregation was searching for land on which to build a Kingdom Hall. Surprisingly, he was offered a site of about 15 acres [6 ha]—far more than was needed for a Kingdom Hall! Providentially, this was in the central part of the island.

pixel

Thank you Leolaia for providentially putting those quotes there. I guess they support my point...

Pix.

TD

"Providentially, those Bible Students had not realized that there is no zero year between "B.C." 606 to 607 B.C.E, when research made it necessary to adjust B.C. 606 to 607 B.C.E., the zero year was also eliminated, so that the prediction held good at "A.D. 1914".

This quote is wrong on so many fronts, it's pathetic.

1. The Bible Students were most certainly aware of the lack of a zero year. C.T. Russell had addressd this topic in a sermon given on January 11, 1904 and again in the December 1, 1912 issue of The Watch Tower. (Reprints p. 5141) Both times, Russell basically took the attitude; "1914, 1915, it doesn't matter. Pinpoint accuracy was simply not an issue prior to 1914 when the date was only a prediction. It only became an issue afterwards when the date became an anchor point for other important JW doctrine.

2. The official adjustment from 606 to 607 was made in two stages during the years, 1943 - 1944. The explanations that were given at the time were nothing more than embarassing smoke and mirrors methods of preserving 1914. The explanation that JW's currently accept --what might charitably be referred to as the product of "research" did not appear until 1952. (The Watchtower May 1, 1952 pp. 271,272)

3. Closely allied to #3 above, this quote pretends that a one-time adjustment was made in 1943 and everything has been fine since then.

4. This quote also pretends that two errors simply cancelled each other out. This is also untrue. If we assume for the sake of discussion that JW theology is correct today, it becomes apparent that a number of errors needed to be corrected and each time, the result was the preservation of the 1914 date. These include, but are not limited to:

a. Failing to account for a zero year
b. Assigning the wrong year for the fall of Babylon
c. Assigning the wrong year for the fall of Jerusalem.
d. Assigning the wrong event as the terminus of the seventy-years

~Tom

Providentially wrong?

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