by LDH 5 Replies latest watchtower bible
ps - i'm still upset about the 'new understanding' of the image of the beast falling into and ascending back out of the abyss - roman empire / third reich - cor that was page turning stuff of paperback proportions ...
WHAT new understanding!?!?!?!
Lisa
heh-heh ...
when i say new, i believe it changed with the 'revelation' book ...
i came into the 'truth' after home-studying the likes of the babylon book alone ... no witnesses called on me - i bought all the books i had (quite an extensive library) by post and not a single one called to follow up the slips ...
sorry lisa - were you too 'enjoying' knowing the truth about the poor old image huh ?
I think its a relative 'new'....bit like the WTS 'end is near'!
ISP
I do remember a startling change that occured recently regarding 'the disgusting thing standing in the holy place'. And this is connected somehow with the 'wild beast' and 'the abyss'.
The Watchtower decided that the UN was still the disgusting thing, but that it had not yet stood in the holy place--that was an event still to take place in the future. I'm sure this was a move on the GB's part in case they got busted regarding the UN incident.
WT 5/1/99 What is this "disgusting thing"? When does it stand in a holy place? And how are our present and future life prospects involved? The following article will discuss this.
WT 5/1/99 8 Demonstrating the confidence of Jehovah's servants that this prophecy would be fulfilled, The Watchtower of January 1, 1921, focused on it in connection with developments in the Middle East. Subsequently, in its December 15, 1929, issue, on page 374, The Watchtower definitively said: "The whole tendency of the League of Nations is to turn the people away from God and from Christ, and it is therefore a desolating thing, the product of Satan, and an abomination in the sight of God." So in 1919 "the disgusting thing" appeared. In time, the League gave way to the United Nations. Jehovah's Witnesses have long exposed these human peace organizations as disgusting in God's sight.
9 The preceding article summarized a clarified view of much of Matthew chapters 24 and 25. Is some clarification in order regarding 'the disgusting thing standing in a holy place'? Apparently so. Jesus' prophecy closely links the "standing in a holy place" with the outbreak of the foretold "tribulation." Hence, even though "the disgusting thing" has long existed, the link between its "standing in a holy place" and the great tribulation should affect our thinking. How so?
10 God's people once understood that the first phase of the great tribulation began in 1914 and that the final part would come at the battle of Armageddon. (Revelation 16:14, 16; compare The Watchtower, April 1, 1939, page 110.) So we can understand why it was once thought that the latter-day "disgusting thing" must have stood in a holy place soon after World War I.
11 However, in later years we have come to see things differently. On Thursday, July 10, 1969, at the "Peace on Earth" International Assembly in New York City, F. W. Franz, then vice president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, gave an electrifying talk. In reviewing the previous understanding of Jesus' prophecy, Brother Franz said: "The explanation was given that the 'great tribulation' had begun in 1914 C.E. and that it was not allowed to run its full course then but God stopped World War I in November of 1918. From then on God was allowing an interval for the activity of his anointed remnant of elect Christians before he let the final part of the 'great tribulation' resume at the battle of Armageddon."
12 Then a significantly adjusted explanation was offered: "To correspond with the events of the first century, . . . the antitypical 'great tribulation' did not begin in 1914 C.E. Rather, what took place upon Jerusalem's modern antitype in 1914-1918 was merely 'a beginning of pangs of distress' . . . The 'great tribulation' such as will not occur again is yet ahead, for it means the destruction of the world empire of false religion (including Christendom) followed by the 'war of the great day of God the Almighty' at Armageddon." This meant that the entire great tribulation was yet ahead.
13 This has a direct bearing on discerning when "the disgusting thing" stands in a holy place. Recall what happened in the first century. The Romans attacked Jerusalem in 66 C.E., but they abruptly withdrew, which allowed Christian "flesh" to be saved. (Matthew 24:22) Accordingly, we expect the great tribulation to begin soon, but it will be cut short for the sake of God's chosen ones. Note this key point: In the ancient pattern, 'the disgusting thing standing in a holy place' was linked to the Roman attack under General Gallus in 66 C.E. The modern-day parallel to that attack-the outbreak of the great tribulation-is still ahead. So "the disgusting thing that causes desolation," which has existed since 1919, apparently is yet to stand in a holy place. How will this happen? And how can we be affected?
When the "scarlet-colored wild beast" attacks the religious harlot, "the disgusting thing" will be standing in a menacing way in Christendom's so-called holy place. So desolation will begin on faithless Christendom, which portrays itself as holy.
WHATEVER...see me next week for the latest 'new light'.
If this light keeps getting much brighter, we'll all need sunglasses to read the magazines with....
BITE ME, WATCHTOWER!!!
WOW.
dungbeetle,
When the "scarlet-colored wild beast" attacks the religious harlot, "the disgusting thing" will be standing in a menacing way in Christendom's so-called holy place. So desolation will begin on faithless Christendom, which portrays itself as holy.Interesting quote! Of course, they do not take into consideration that the verse does not say the 'disgusting thing' would stand in a 'so-called holy place' or a place which 'portrays itself as holy.' It simply says 'a holy place,' a place which God recognizes as holy, which they claim to be. The GB makes a practice of re-wording verses when they want to take the heat off of themselves.
