JW’s Chronology VS. Peace With God

by writetoknow 18 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  writetoknow

  Is the bible written for self-preservation or dependency upon God for Salvation? Bible Chronologist seems to imply that all depends upon their personal intellect or ability to figure out bible dates for salvation. Furthermore, they aren’t often concern with helping people understand the rest of the bible, that is, finding peace with God.
  
  
  However, there has never been a major destruction in recorded bible history involving God’s people that show someone surviving the catechism without having a relationship with God or acting out of faith in God spokesperson.
  
  
  If chorologist take the dates of the bible as life and death matter then certainly they would take the rest of the bible which states without ambiguity Christ is the now days spokesperson of God. In fact, all the prophets, prophecies and scriptures were fulfilled in him and him alone.
  
  
  Self-preservation chronologist believe they are the ones that have special insight into dates of the bible, thus, they become God’s spokesperson informing and providing away for salvation through the dates revealed to them. Subsequently, speaking for God as a modern day prophet.
  
  
  Unfortunately disregarding the greater weight and works of the scriptures. Thus, 99% of the New Testament deals with our relationship with God not biblical chronology and the bases for our salvation, which is our relationship with God through Christ.
  
  
  Christian are to present themselves to God not by chronology but rather in spiritual holiness: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Then with a tremendous crash the heaven will put away; the burning elements will pass away; the burning element will be dissolved; the earth too and the works in it shall be burned up.
  
  
  No matter what your interpretation of these verses are (literal or symbolic) one point stands alone in these verses there is no place to hid (if you believe the bible) for personal preservation or personal salvation. Thus, should follow the actions a Christian should take for salvation:
  
  
  “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, how consecrated and reverent your behavior should be.”
  
  
  The bible repeats itself time and again that a relationship with God comes through Christ and that is the only means of salvation not once does it state a person can come up with a date and because they figured that date out God is obligated to give salvation.
  
  
  “For, Christ, too, once died for sinners, the just on behalf of the unjust, so that He might lead us up to God, put to death as He was physically but made alive spiritually. Thus, He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who were disobedient at the time when God’s patience was delaying while Noah was constructing an ark in which a few, in fact eight souls, were brought safely through the water.”
  
  
  It’s counterpart, “baptism”, saves you nowadays, not by removal of physical filth, but by the earnest seeking of a conscience that is clear in God’s presence, which is due to the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is at God’s right hand: for He went to heaven, and angles, authorities and powers are made subject to Him.
  
  
  There was no mystical salvation for early Christian they knew where their salvation came from they did not live a fear driven life of personal salvation through scrupulously studying the bible their faith did not rest upon earth in human interpretation of biblical chronology.
  
  
  “If we accept human testimony, God’s testimony is stronger, and God’s witness is this which He testified regarding His Son; the believer in the Son of God possesses the witness with in himself. He, who disbelieves God, has put no faith in the evidence God has adduced regarding His Son, and this is the evidence; God has granted us eternal life and this life is in His Son.
  
  
  He who has the Son has that life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have that life”.
  
  
  Biblical chronologist seeks what Christian have already received in their faith in the Son of God eternal life. Their fear driven life based on losing salvation by not finding the correct biblical dates diverts attention from the Son of God Christ Jesus, which is the fulfillment of all prophecy including the final prophecies regarding the human race salvation.

  Moreover, their obsession with biblical dates misleads people to the important truth of salvation and creates fear in many Christian lives which equals lack of faith in God promises of eternal life they have already recieved through Christ Jesus their Savoir.
  
  
  Satan appeals to pride “ secret knowledge” once unlocked reinforces the mine that the person is special and has been given special knowledge do to their special ness. Once in that position they become self-proclaimed spokesperson for God instead of Christ Jesus.
  
  
  The bible teaches a person gains salvation not because they are wise or intellectual, but because of God’s love for the human race. Thus, peace comes to those that accept God’s means of salvation. Peace is void of fear it requires trust and resting in God’s promises to His children.
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  JCanon

  Dear WriteToKnow:

  I believe you are right, generally, about how chronologist focus on that and perhaps not as much as they should other things...

  Unfortunately disregarding the greater weight and works of the scriptures. Thus, 99% of the New Testament deals with our relationship with God not biblical chronology and the bases for our salvation, which is our relationship with God through Christ.

  However, I look at this in the context of the parable where Jesus sends out ten slaves, each invested with money. They are to then develop and do business with that money and make an increase. Thus I think this addresses different ministries that would develop different insights into the scriptures. Some would develop a focus on one aspect of the scriptures, and others would develop others, with some of them gaining insight into chronology. The JW organization seems to have come through that vane of those focussed in chronology like Miller, etc. So it may seem like chronology is a focus with JWs, but that's what their area of expertise may have been.

  Note what Daniel says though about those who would be granted insight during the last days...

  DANIEL 12: 3 “And ones having insight will shine like the brightness of the expanse; and those who are bringing the many to righteousness, like the stars to time i the ndefinite, even forever.

  4 “And as for you, O Daniel, make secret the words and seal up the book, until the time of [the] end. Many will rove about, and the [true] knowledge will become abundant.”

  So the hidden knowledge about all things in all areas should be expected to be available to all. Thus if you are not personally insightful into chronology, that shouldn't matter because someone out there would have a pretty good handle on it and would be publishing the information for all to benefit. ME, for instance...

  Now what I think I provide is specific research information about the revisionisms for the NB and Persian Periods. I point out that Xerxes fooled the Greeks by claiming he was Artaxerxes and then changed the chronology to reflect the extra rulership. Not that difficult to comprehend. With that information, you can have a basis for correcting the revised chronology, which will make it easier for you to apply this chronology.

  So even though those who are focussed on the chronology might not talk about the other "weightier" issues in the Bible, that may be something YOU should be doing to balance things out. But you need ALL of it, the concepts of love for neighbor, the kingdom issues, understanding how to remain free from partnership with Babylon the Great, plus the chronology. You need it all. What you don't want to do, while encouraging a balanced focus on all things Biblical is to condemn the chronologists who have been given special insight into chronology. They would be like one of the slaves sent out with that particular task. Thus you should include the concept of the correct chronology with God's overall plan for salvation. Remember, it is the "foolish virgins" who thought the "weightier things" alone were all they needed. They didn't want to bother with the "extra" things, such as chronology. But the weightier things, while inspiring them on their journey to the wedding feast was not enough. Their lamps were dim as far as the details of the second coming and they began to nod spiritually in their understanding about the timing for the messiah. When he finally did arrive, only the wise virgins with the "extra oil" could get their lamps burning again and meet the Bridegroom and enter the wedding feast. The foolish virgins, not including these "extra things" had to develop understanding down the road at some point but when they finally did, it was too late. Their places were taken.

  So you have to have the WHOLE package. You have to have ALL of it. The correct understanding of the "weightier things" as far as your personal relationship with God, who he is and what he requires, but you also have to have that in connection with God's plan for salvation through the messiah, and chronology is provided to help get you there. Without it, you will arrive late and forfeit all. It's like a fatal error at the last minute of someone who had been righteous all their lives and then they reject the chronology when it finally is understood and they are condemned. All the good they did before will not save them. On the other hand, someone who had no "grace" before and lived as a sinner might be impressed with the chronology and they repent and decide to serve God. As a result, all their previous sins are wiped out, all that the had not done before with respect to God will not be held against them.

  Thus anybody who in the least encourages us to ignore a part of the Bible becomes like an antichrist and certainly cannot complete their kingdom journey without the finest detail of scripture being appreciated. Ignoring chronology is like offering a lame sacrifice. That sacrifice is not whole without the chronology.

  JC
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  JCanon

  Moreover, their obsession with biblical dates misleads people to the important truth of salvation and creates fear in many Christian lives which equals lack of faith in God promises of eternal life they have already recieved through Christ Jesus their Savoir.

  Chronologists don't all reject other things in the Bible that are necessary for salvation. Fact is, chronology is in the Bible and it has it's place. I agree, it is not to be considered at the exclusion of other things, but visa versa is also the fact. You need the chronology to get into the kingdom on time just like the wise virgins did. The chronology is the "extra oil" without it, you will arrive late to the wedding feast and be locked out. In the meantime, do yo deserve to enter the kingdom when you encourage people to stop reading the Bible when the chronology comes up? That's not showing respect for God's word and provisions. He provided the chronology to help you get life. It is necessary. Ignoring it is taking your own life into your own hands and sealing yourself out of the kingdom.

  JC
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  writetoknow

  My dear friend chronology is not the oil in the lamps of the virgins that is clearly stated though out the bible as representing God's Holy Spirit.

  The lack of oil is due to being part of this world dulliness through fleshly things not bible chronology. Being without spot from the worlds has been and is the test upon all virgins of the Holy Spirit. God has promised He does not lie if; you accept His Son you have eternal life.

  The Spirit of God testifies to that truth. It is good that one is perpared at all times if it be at the time of Christ or 2000 years later it will come as a thief. Waiting implies and action mentally that action is always presenting oneself as fully dedicated to God and without spot from the world.

  Every born again Christian from the time of Christ understand that all things from their new birth is a gift from God. God's Holy Spirit is that gift working in many ways. The cry for the virgin does not come from earth or man it comes from who?

  The enlightment for those having insight comes from above as does the abundance of knowledge the shinning comes from the Holy Spirit increased to those found in favor not chronology. God gives the free gift of His Spirit to all his Children not all use it correctly. Some choose to grieve it by works of the flesh or lack of faith in Christ Jesus. Those works of the flesh can be earthly teachings dedication to false doctrine of being mislead by false dates. False org that replaces Christ Jesus as the only way and means to salvation.

  God is not a God that breaks promises or lies. He does not promise salvation through dates found in the bible. He does not state If you accept His Son you have life.. but caveat emptor (let buyer beware) you must first figure out bible dates.

  Early Christain were warned against putting hope in dates they were also told time and again everything that was needed was in Christ Jesus for salvation. Those early Christain were not lacking in a full understanding of Christ that is a org teaching. They had all knowledge and understanding given them in fullness and power.

  In fact, its the other way around Christian would become over grown by weeds and darkness and confusion would enter in and many would fall away from the faith and end up in loose conduct in the last days. Because of becoming part or the world which cause a loss of God Spirit and creates spiritual sleepiness.

  The goal of our faith is salvation our faith rest in one hope there is no other hope but Christ Jesus. It is not faith in chronology our faith is not proven in belief in chronology happy are those that don't see and yet believe.

  "Blesed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with His ample mercy has given us new birth into a life of hope, due to the resurrection of Jesus Christ form the dead - a birth into an immortal, unsullied and unfading inheritance that is "kept safely in heaven for you", who by the power of God are "protected" through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the closing period."

  "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is God's gift. It is not from works, so that no one may boast; for we are His formation, created as we are in Christ Jesus for good work, which God previously prepard for us to enjoy life in them"

  "Now to Him, who is able with the power that works within us, to do everything immeasurably far beyond glory in the church and in Christ Jesus "through all generations" for ever and ever Amen.

  Allow no one, therefore, to be your judge in regards to eating and drinking or the observance of a festival or a new moon of a Sabbath. These are shadows of things to follow, but the body is Christ . Let no one defraud you of salvation's victory prize, no one who indulges in assumed humility and the cult of angel worship, who brags of visions and , though empty, is inflated by his worldly mind, instead of keeping hold of the Head from which the whole body, gather vigor and held together by ligaments and sinews. grow with God's increase.

  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek for things above where Christ is seated at God's right hand.

  Let the enriching message of Christ have ample room in your lives as you instruct and admonish one another in a wealth of wisdom with psalms and hyms and spiritual songs. that are sung with with lovely feelings towards God in your hearts.

  "On our part love comes to completion in this, that we face the judgment day confidently because we are living His way in this world. Love has no fear in it; instead, perfect love expels fear, for fear involves torture; so, he who fears has not reached love's perfection. We love because He first loved us."

  I have written you this to have you see that you, who have faith in the name of God's Son, do have eternal life. And this is the confidence we have resting on Him, that if we know that He listens to us whatever we may petition, then the request we ask of Him are assured us."

  "Who is the liar if it is not th denier that Jesue is the Christ? He is the Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever acknowledge the Son has the Father as well."

  "What you heard from the beginning, let that stay with you. If what you heard from the beginning stays with you, the you will remain in union with the Son and with the Father, And this is the promise which He Himself has promised us, the life eternal."

  "I have written you these things about those who mislead you. As for you, the anointing you have recieved from Him remains within you and you stand in on need of teaching from anyone, but His anointing instucts you about everthing and is true and is no falsehood, so keep in uinon with Him just as it was taught you"

  There is no way a person that accept Jesus Christ lose their life at the end to this world because they have already recieved life in Christ Jesus and that is the reason early Christain after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at pentcost talked little if at all about chronology. Their salvation was through maintaining their faith in God's promises to them in Christ Jesus. God would do the rest He caused the growth in the body - knowledge is pointless until it is perfected in love.

  Love is pointless unless it believes the promises of God.

  One does not seek knowledge of chronology to get life or salvation it is a pointless effort that shows a lack of faith in God's promises.

  A lack of faith is far more dangerous then dates that only the God knows.
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  AK - Jeff

  Is there a fight 'a brewin'?

  Jeff
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  Sarah Smiles

  WriteTo Know: YOU ARE RIGHT. It like WTBTS wants to find out the beginning of God time of the end. It really has nothing to do with the grace that God gave us through his son. That is a good point.

  The more years I am away from the organization, the more I really do not understand their doctrines, and you nailed it!

  I mean really now how can they state the Gentiles times ended? We are the Gentile Times!

  Have you ever asked a JW what type of milliennialist are they anyhow? I CAN NEVER GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER, ITS LIKE THEY ARE CONFUSED. Are we at the end of Christ thousand years rule or does he rule begin later. LOL

  See how easy it is to focus on God's business. It like who really picks out the 144,000? Man or God! so why should we talk about it God's plans? or write it down in a year book!

  Really now can we tell God who to choose? Peace!
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  Maddie

  Writetoknow, I have spent a great deal of time agonising over trying to understand doctrines, chronology etc. and only seem to become more confused. I am certainly not a great scholar, so it was worrying me terribly that I couldn't seem to grasp and understand things that I thought I needed to. I guess I was grateful that the JW's could explain the "truth" to me as I have always had a belief in God and a desire to be pleasing to Him.

  Since finding out the truth about the borg and experiencing the lack of genuine love that prevails in the organisation, I am left with a lot of confusion again. However, as I read your post it is very comforting to know that perhaps it isn't what I know and understand about God's plan that is the most important issue here. I remember that the Apostles were ordinary people and there were many things that they didn't understand for a long time but Jesus chose them and loved them. My heart tells me that it is important to have a personal relationship with Jesus, something that I haven't had as a JW.

  Maddie
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  writetoknow

  If one focuses on everything is complete in Christ Jesus as the bible teaches the rest is easy to understand.

  If a person then understand that Christ brought us to a Spiritual understanding of God rather then the physical relationship the Jew's had for thousands of years it make more sence.

  If you then understand how great the spiritual relationship is over the physical is one cannot help but understand the importance of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

  If all things were fullfilled in Christ that all prophecy is found in Him and Him alone then the last days are for a Christain every day that they live.

  Why? Because Christ stated that we can only live one day at a time, we must always be perpared.

  If that is true we would have other supporting texts and the in the book of James condenmed brothers and sisters from living and plainnig years in advance,

  All Christian have live in the last days from the time of Christ, thus, that is why we show throughout history (since Christ ) all Christain thought they were the generation that would see Christ return.

  Christain have recieved life already by accepting Christ their life physcial life can end any day that is the end of their earthly life as it is stated it is always good for them. It matter not one wit what time they live in exspect the fact that God has state there would be greater test upon those living closer to the end of the world. Other then that all Christain would be tested and all that maintain faith in Christ to their end receive the promise already given them through their faith.
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  Perry

  “True Christian love is not just a feeling or a pleasant disposition of the soul. It is a self-sacrificing, ceaseless, life-long act of heroism unto death. It is fiery yet dispassionate, not dependent on anything, not on being loved in return or having a kinship of blood. One no longer thinks of receiving something for oneself. One can be spat upon and reviled, and yet in this suffering there is such a deep, profound peace that one finds it impossible to return to the lifeless state one was in before the suffering. One blesses life and all that is around one, and this blessing becomes universal. Such love can only come from God. This is the only love that Christ is truly interested in the love He came to earth to show and teach humanity. With this love He gave up His Spirit on the Cross.” (Monk Damascene)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The reality is that Christ saves us from so much more than mere judgement......He saves us from ourselves even now.
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  JosephMalik

  Bible Chronologist seems to imply that all depends upon their personal intellect or ability to figure out bible dates for salvation. Furthermore, they aren’t often concern with helping people understand the rest of the bible, that is, finding peace with God.

  Write to know,

  Yes, this is the reason why I do not bother with it. Behind all this is an expectation that somehow such knowledgeable ones will be the ones to discover that day and hour that no one knows but the Father. I have found also that most chronologists distort texts to support their theories and misplace events in time as a result thus hiding truth instead of revealing it. And in most cases the results such as dates even if true are often used to support a false interpretation of fulfilled and no longer prophetic texts thus leading to false conclusions anyway. To the extent that some chronologists support scripture that was discredited by critical analysts then perhaps some good is done but all of this is based upon documents and observations of highly flawed texts outside of scripture. Salvation is not dependent upon such knowledge, but it is based upon the acceptance of our Lord and His sacrifice. Our conduct therefore will reflect this as our lives are adjusted accordingly. Therefore we do not find Jesus dwelling upon chronology in such painful detail or instructing us to teach it to others.

  Joseph