July 15th WT?

cabasilas

I've heard the July 15th WT has new interpretations of Jesus' parables - dragnet, mustard seed, leaven, etc. Has a PDF of it been posted yet? Or, perhaps I missed it?

cabasilas

BTT...I've been told the MP3 files are up on the WT's site, but I haven't the time to listen to them. Anyone else catch if there's anything of significance in the July 15th WT?

garybuss

The paper version is out there, I'm hearing about it too.

It'll be interesting to see it.

Seems like there was a thread earlier about a speech given by a GB member on this subject. (Or, perhaps I'm mixing this up with something else.) If so, perhaps this is the print version of that lecture?

flipper

Oh Gawd ! Are they getting into the dragnet, mustard seed, and leaven again ! AHH ! No, not that ! I'm going to set my hair on fire and run away ! Their takes on prophecies already fail ! Weird

cabasilas

Found the thread (I think):

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/144626/1.ashx

My guess is this WT is a re-work of the lecture from last year's Annual Meeting.

hamsterbait

yeah-

This latest flip flap brings their interpretation into line with that found in any mainstream Church.

The mustard seed parable originally (as discussed in "God's Kingdumb of a Thousand years has approached" see Luke 21:8)

A warning of the spread of great apostasy after the original congregation dies. The birds are interpreted in light of the parable of the sower - agents of Satan - who spread a false message, eventually filling the earth with a bogus Church where every form of wickedness can make its nest.

Now they say it illustrates the slow growth and spread of the Kingdom message throughout the earth until there is room for all sorts of men to be saved.

The leaven parable was formerly interpreted as the "leaven" of the wicked, who spread through the early church, until true christians were no longer distinguishable. Again it now means the slow growth of the church.

Perhaps other posters can bear to wade through this again. After the hard time I had accepting the originals in the 1973 book, I'll give this a body-swerve.

The dragnet is also reinterpreted to give a spin of application to the door to bore misery. before it represented "Churchianity" according to the Witchtower of 1888 or whenever that was quoted in the 1992 article.

But - in line with what I pointed out in my spoof last week, the old interpretations seem to have just written themselves!

"It was previously explained in this magazine..." WEAZEL WORDS - the authors seeking to distance themselves from their mistake.

"The following explanations are an adjustment to what was PREVIOUSLY EXPLAINED (by whom? another WEAZEL) in June 15 1992 pp 17 - 22, October 1 1975 pp589 - 608.

Note that the self-contradiction is not a correction, but an adjustment. Excuse me folks!! - but I thought an adjustment was a minor tweak, tightening a few screws not a complete avant-face.

The whole thing is being given a new spin in relation to getting out there and spreading the publishing companies wares, so you have to buy more to distribute. And don't forget, if you are given a contribution, you can't use it to get the money you spent back - it has to go into the contributions box.

Note too that Christ is only said to "come" in the articles at the Great Tribblation. God's Kingdumb has now been "Established in the Heavens since 1914" HMMM

Note too the words that will come back to bite in later years: "When God carries out his judgements against the present system of things, people will be forced to recognize that the message Jehovah's witnesses preached in pubic places and from house to house acually ORIGINATED WITH THE ONE TRUE GOD Jehovah, and that the Witnesses really did serve as HIS REPRESENTATIVES."

What does this mean? Which message?

Another misrepresentation of scripture: "The prophet Joel likened the preaching of activity of annointed Christians to a devastating plague of insects, including locusts." ??!! 900 years before Christ and nearly 3000 years before the Witchtower put this spin on it.

HB

Mary

The paper version is out there, I'm hearing about it too. It'll be interesting to see it.

Ask and ye shall receive: (I haven't had time to read it yet, but here's the article I believe you're looking for):...I think I missed a page......I'll scan it tomorrow morning.......I'm off ta bed!

July15page1.jpg picture by sam3217