by cameo-d 10 Replies latest watchtower bible
This verse, in it's context from Matthew 24, speaks about the turbulent times in the last days.
Does this mean that only the survivors of Armageddon will be "saved" in their physical form?
What will be the difference from those "saved" and those "resurrected"?
Could it be that "resurrection" is merely a story of comfort without merit and those who are left standing at the end of the earth's destruction will somehow be "rescued"?
Whatever you say it sounds good to me.
Your interpretation is as good as anyone else.
Nothing more than empty words.
Of course you could look at the saying as a truism.
"He who endurs to the end will be saved."
Why? Because those who didn't endure aren't around to be saved.
Is this really a profound statement at all?
The "End" here is encompassing different things from Mat 24
vv 4-14 is the initial sorrows and the reports of wars and trials and tribulations marking the biggining of the "end times" for all generations
vv 15-28 begins talking about the "Great Tribulation". Here, it is understood the great tribulation is the entire period that Christians have been pursecuted against. It is the Tribulation throughout history beginning from 33 AD until present. We are in the Great Tribulation today.
vv 29-31 is talking about the return of the Son of Man. The "end" of the age.
Many theologians have tried to disect these apocalyptic passages and place them in a chronological sequence but I think Jesus deliberately moves in and out of context and events in order to convey the idea that we are not to make predictions. However to hopefully help you understand this passage as it has helped me I find vv 13 to mean several things.
The "End" can be referring to the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem. See disciples first question based on vv 1-2
The "End" can be also referring to the end of the age or as JW's say "the conclusion of the system of things", or when Jesus actually returns. The second advent.
The "End" can also refer to the end of ones life. Christians must endure the tribulations placed on them by the Devil and resist their Earthly passions and carry their cross or as JW's say "torture stake" and actuate and manifest their salvation until physical death.
In vv 34 Jesus uses the word "generation". This refers to the generation of Christians from Pentecost 33 AD until present day.
Remember that the Apostle Paul saw "the end" in a sense as well as we do today. We are all part of that "generation". When we die we inherit a fortaste of that Kingdom awaiting the final fullfillment when our bodies are resurrected like the apostle paul is also awaiting the resurrection. Therefore it does not matter what time period a Christian lives in. There is no advantage to living now than say in the first century. The only "end" thing left is the coming of the Messiah and it is not yet. The "spiritual" battle between the antichrist and Jesus or Armageddon is also still future. But it is not a physical battle.
Remember also that based on other Bible scriptures we see that the Kingdom of God is allready present in a partial fullfillment. We experience the Kingdom of God in the Church, and in our hearts, and when we die we are brought into a foretaste of the Kingdom waiting for the final fullfillment. Rev 6:9-11
Hope this helps a bit
Eyes wide shut should get a job in Brooklyn
:"He who endures to the end will be saved"
I believe according to WT theology and definitely in JW practice, that verse should read:
"He who endures it IN his end will be saved."
Farkel, Former Hemroids Class
This is probably the most damaging statement, when taken literally, in the whole Bible (true, Jesus did say that--if Matthew remembered correctly, but this was not to be taken the way the religions want people to take it).
If people take this literally, they will waste their whole lives in a scam. I have myself been in other scams where I have lost money (usually nickel and dime MLMs), but there was no "enduring to the end". As I saw it having zero chance to make money for me, I simply quit them and backed out (in fact, I just changed the number of my debit card so I will be able to get them to close out for non-payment of fees; I will have to update my number on accounts I want kept alive once I get my new number). But, I can thus get out of them without worrying about "the end".
Religion, however, uses this trick to scam people right up to the end of their lives. In fact, this is what makes the Original Sin scam so successful--people are told that they have to have faith in it, right up to the end of their lives, in order to be saved. Unlike a MLM scam, there is no way to close out the account. You are stuck, usually for life, in a religion that is milking you dry. And it is often not nickel and dime--the Jehovah's Witlesses take virtually all your time away.
I think the only legitimate place for the Bible is to hold the Washtowel Slaveholdery to their claim to abide by it.
Farkel your a loon.
btt
