April Awake....signs occur "all one time period"...what is it???

oompa

Just read In the April 2008 Awake on page 5 under "What is the Sign" : "The events that Jesus mentioned--wars, earthquakes pestilences, food shortages---would not be new in themselves. They have been happening since early in human history. The difference would be that they would all occur in one time period." We used to say they would all occur in the generation that saw 1914 and the start of the last days. That generation was a very finite period of 70-80 years on average. Most defininitions I have found point to a finite period of time linked to human life, and often way under 70-80 years such as Encarta: 3. time taken to produce new generation: the period of time that it takes for people, animals, or plants to grow up and produce their own offspring, in humans held to be between 30 and 35 years

OnTheWayOut

wars, earthquakes pestilences, food shortages

Don't flame me if I don't get it exactly right. The further from "active" I get, the quicker
this stuff slips my mind.

JW doctrines- The sign is singular. There are not "signs" but one "sign" of the last days
that starts and continues during the last days. All these parts of the singular sign are
supposed to be present.

What's already been proven is that WTS has manipulated the data to make it appear
as if earthquakes increased dramatically since 1914. But they have not increased.
Only hearing about them has increased as technology makes it easier to hear worldwide
news.

So we have had all these things- wars, earthquakes, pestilences, food shortages, many false prophets,
increasing of lawlessness, love of greater numbers cooling off- all of them all along.
I would say that the time of the French Revolution would have seen greater numbers of most of these
things. That's just my opinion. We certainly haven't had a greater successful false prophet until
WTS came along, but Jesus didn't say the false prophets would be successful.

While I no longer accept the Bible and WTS's explanation because I feel that you can make it say
anything, one thing it says is that when you see these things, "the end is not yet."

(Mark 13:6-7) 6 Many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will mislead many.
7 Moreover, when YOU hear of wars and reports of wars, do not be terrified; [these things] must take
place, but the end is not yet.

sir82

Jesus obviously did not say "they would all occur in one time period" but did say "this generation."

See what happens when you think? You just get all confused! Better to let the Society think for you.

OK, now here is the Society's answer:

A "generation" is a "time period", except when it isn't. It is when it is convenient for us to say so, and it is not when we say it isn't. For the ignorant public who don't have our awesome spiritual intellect, the definition of "generation" is far too complex to understand, so we substitute in whatever word or phrase we like. But for JW insiders, those in the inner circle who get the "members only" Watchtower, well they know a "generation" is not a "generation", it is a group of people. That group of people have nothing in common except they "feel something" inside them, and "know" it is God's holy spirit. The "generation" can last 40, 400, or 4000 years. Or maybe not.

Now isn't that easy?

oompa

Sir82: But for JW insiders, those in the inner circle who get the "members only" Watchtower, well they know a "generation" is not a "generation", it is a group of people.

Yeah, I agree it is a group of people too....but they have to all be living at the same time to be part of a generation...Websters says:

b : a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously

and almost every other definition uses the words limit and limited as far as the time span...............oompa

moshe

Well big bad T-Rex got too big for his pants and his time period came to an end, too. The Jurassic dinosaur period lasted 62 million years. I am wondering if that would be a long enough time period for the Watchtower to cover it's ass!

garybuss

The Society is beating at least three different sets of drums. They are tinkering with the details for Witnesses who can see failures like the failed "generation" prediction. They are beating the old "end is near" drum for the elderly Witnesses and for Witnesses who don't like change. And, they are playing a theocratic limbo beat for the complacent masses.

Interesting that the business policy of the Society is to believe that the end is near but behave as though it's not, while refusing to allow the same pragmatic policy to individual Witnesses. The Society can build cities, buy presses, start large projects and when the end fails to come as "they" predicted, they are fine. The individual Witnesses are told not to get a modern education, don't work hard and save for sickness and retirement, don't make family relationships a priority, and when the end fails to come, they are not fine. They are unprepared, often broke, usually needy, and many times rejected by the group they made the sacrifices for.

I guess it still amazes me that Witnesses work to fail. It's as if a functioning brain is a liability.

Emma

I guess it still amazes me that Witnesses work to fail.

If only they could see that this is what they're doing. It all goes back to them having to accept the gb/wts as speaking for god; after you get them believing that, you can sell them anything.

WTWizard

Anyone looking for all the above need look at any generation during the First Dark Ages. Crime was so bad then that people had to build moats and heavy walled castles, and cities had double walls (and still got attacked). There were many earthquakes; it's just that they didn't get reported. There were famines and pestilences (including the Plague) that would make our modern problems look penny ante.

And yet, this system survived through the First Dark Ages into the Renaissance. No new order came then. Instead, we have had a continuation of wars and pestilences (not as bad as the First Dark Ages, but not paradise either). In fact, if the Watchtower Society gets its way, the system will survive long enough after the First Dark Ages for them to start the Second Dark Ages.

wings

Websters says:
b : a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously
and almost every other definition uses the words limit and limited as far as the time span

I wonder if they will rewrite the Dictionary, New World Dictionary, it would be a good use of their time while they wait for the end. Of course, "generation" will have to have at least 20 definitions. But leaving all those other words out (like cult), they should have plenty of room.

trevor

‘This Generation,’ covers a contemporary period that lasts as long as is required to make sense of modern day applications of Jesus‘ words. ‘The period of unrest,’ refers to dissent among doubters who fail to grasp the flexibility of Jesus’ words. ‘The end is not yet,’ refers to the continuing murmurings among apostates that loyal members must endure until the end in order to be saved.

The Watchtower April 2008

April Awake....signs occur "all one time period"...what is it???

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