1914, 607 and why the details don't mean as much as the bigger picture

by drew sagan 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  carla

  They satisfy themselves that somebodysomewhere understands it (and that somebody is a whole lot smarter than they are) and they relax. -- how true!! Then the worst part is they offer to have elder so & so come and try and explain it to you. yuk! no thanks! Though I think that is a safe offer as most people would turn them down at that suggestion.

  Then try and have a Christian friend attempt to help you with the whole 586/607 thing! Nobody cares about the dates except those in jw's or those trying to get someone out!
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  greendawn

  They got the 1914 date from the adventists and also that devious idea about the invisible presence of Jesus. But he was always invisibly present since the ascension and it makes no sense to say he came invisibly in 1914. That is a heretical misleading teaching but it has the advantage for the JWs (or so tehy think) that it can't be verified one way or other. And why didn't the saints get raptured to heaven at that time upon Christ's return?
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  yaddayadda

  Most JW's would typically respond that, despite what you say, 1914 still marked the beginning of the 'last days' because of all the wars, famines, petilences, etc, that have occurred SINCE then. Two world wars alone between 1914 and 1945 is probably enough to convince most of them on this.
  
  My own mother, still a loyal JW after 40 years, no longer believes that Jesus returned in 1914 or that the kingdom was established then. She came to this conclusion entirely from her own bible research and thinking, without so much as looking at a single apostate website or piece of writing!!! Yet she remains loyal to the org because she just puts the Society's teaching about the kingdom being established in 1914 as mere 'timing' errors. Despite this, she remains convinced that starting with WW1 we have seen the so-called 'composite sign' Jesus gave.
  
  She would probably benefit from Carl Olof Jonsson's book about this but she won't touch anything 'apostate' (highly critical of the org).
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  OnTheWayOut

  Great replies. I was able to explain 1914, (already slipping my mind) but it was kindy like Moggy says it was.

  seven times three hundred and sixty leaves 2520 times, which of course are'nt times but years.......
  
  You see, the Jews had a calandar that fluctuated, but there were 360 set days inthe year, so that's the number used to
  arrive at 1914. It must be right because we know 607 BCE is right, and look what happened in 1914.

  Terry called it right

  They will bring the reference book to the critic and tell them to read it for themselves. But, under no circumstances will any sane JW try to go it alone.

  Maybe they could just change the multiplier to 365.25 in the near future. That would be 2556.75. That gives
  36.75 more years for "this generation." WOW, into the 1950's like they nearly pased when the GB voted on it.