1874-1914-2014

by diamondiiz 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  diamondiiz

  So what do you guys think the next major lie will be? Or should I say WT light getting brighter teaching? They had to change 1874 to 1914 since it didn't have anything to be backed by but 1914 they at least based it on 537BC minus this plus that blah blah blah we got 1914 (hide the pyramid measurments) :) If 1914 comes and goes they will have to do something major! I'm guessing if they are planning on expansions as it does appear they are, they must know that 1914 lie can only last so long before major exodus occurs and may cause the whole scheme to collapse.

  So they will either let it collapse and their money has to be moved somewhere, somehow so the few in charge may end up walking away with bigger chunk but most likely they will adjust their date. Do you guys think that they will have a new light that 1914 was wrong but 2014 is the invisible arrival of the Lord and they will scrap 1914 and replace it with 2014? Sacrifice 20% or so from leaving which would mean that they would sell about 20% of property, bank it and the rest of gullible will follow the new ligth and idea will be that the new converts won't ask too much about 1914? With 2014 they could still push for another 80 years the doctrine of invisible return.

  So what are you guy's theories on the next major change??
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  villabolo

  It's possible that they will do the following: Take Genesis 6:3 where God says that mankinds days will be limited to 120 years (before the flood). Make a "type antitype" analogy to the current situation and then tack on those 120 years to 1914. That will give them till 2034.
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  Olin Moyles Ghost

  First, I think 2014 will have absolutely nothing to do with anything. Yes, it's 100 years after 1914, and it will give folks like us more ammunition to mock and ridicule the WTS (as if we needed any more of that). But there's nothing in JW end-times theology that has any relation to 2014.

  As to any future changes, I think we might see the WTS distancing itself from some of its less-tenable prophetic interpretations (I'm trying to say this nicely). We saw a bit of this already in 2007 with the Society admitting that they can't really say that the heavenly calling was completed in 1935. (Of course, the REAL reason for this likely had to do with the fact that none of the current GB began partaking before 1935--in fact, several were not even born!). But the 1935 date had absolutely no basis in scripture, and the society got rid of it in 2007. This may be a sign of things to come.

  For example, we might see the WTS distancing itself from its embarrassing doctrine that the 7 trumpet blasts of Revelation were 7 district conventions in the 1920s. They may already be doing this. In the current study edition of the WT (or perhaps last month's edition), there's an article about Revelation. The article mentions the trumpet blasts in vague terms without specifically identifying the district conventions as their interpretation. (if anybody has an electronic copy of this article, perhaps you could paste these paragraphs) This could be paving the way for "new light."

  Also, it would not shock me to see the WTS admit that 144,000 may not be a literal number. There's not much to lose with this one. The WTS could still say that it's a small group compared to the Great Crowd, just that it may not be exactly 144,000.

  Finally, it is possible that in about 15 years or so the WTS may start hinting at the date 2034, as described by villabolo above. There's no way they'll do it now because it's too far off (gotta keep that urgency). But they may start doing it around 2025 or so. If they do this, it will likely be handled like 1975--nothing definitive in print, but lots of *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* inferences and perhaps some wild statements from the stage.
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  cameo-d

  Or should I say WT light getting brighter teaching?

  Apparently, evidently so.

  Melchizedek and his Sons of Light will emerge. These SOL will be your new Kings and Priests to pass judgement on you in their New System. All of this comes out of the Brotherhood of the Snake, of which WT is a participating member.
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  truthsetsonefree

  I think they are in a real jam. I've always thought that they might declare a start to the "great tribulation". But then again they then start a countdown to Armageddon. 2014 has never been mentioned so aside from them catching heat on Jesus' lack of activity for one hundred years I don't think much will be said about it. They are in a real jam in if they start spouting years and dates again. I don't think they have anymore credibility in that area. They will probably keep saying "soon" and stay in a devastating holding pattern hoping that "Armageddon" pulls them out of the pickle they have placed themselves in.

  Isaac
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  villabolo

  I do not believe they will switch their interpretation of the 144,000 from literal to symbolic-that could cause a real mess. I believe that they will instead emphasize a very small remnant of hundreds of "anointed" and make them identical with the governing body. In other words the GB are the anointed.

  As for the 7 trumpet blasts they will simply find other events scattered throughout the last century of their history to "represent" the trumpeteering. They used to, if I recall correctly, have a slightly different interpretation of the exact nations that were represented by the 7 headed beast of Revelation in their old literature.

  Whatever happens let us rest assured that, while the details change, the basics are the same. And those basics are a narcissistic egocentricity on the part of the GB and their projection of it into the Bible.

  Their interpretation of the Bible is like that song that goes "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you"
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  mkr32208

  I think that they are going to be in some real shit when the country pulls out of the current economic jam. So many are saying 'maybe this is FINALLY the beginning of the end.' I think 2014 on top of the end of the economic problems will be a real one two punch to a lot of the members...
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  Nathan Natas

  Olin Moyle's Ghost said:

  First, I think 2014 will have absolutely nothing to do with anything. Yes, it's 100 years after 1914, and it will give folks like us more ammunition to mock and ridicule the WTS (as if we needed any more of that). But there's nothing in JW end-times theology that has any relation to 2014.

  I'm not sure I agree with that completely. The Watchtower end-times chronology is solidly (ha ha!) founded upon Bible-based Arithmetic®. In fact, the entire dispensationalist/apocalyptic/Adventist family of cult theologies claim to be built upon this unerring (ha ha ha) Bible-based Arithmetic®.

  That's why you see the numbers repeat with such regularity each time an "adjustment" is made.

  1874 was their original date, but it's selection was based on overlooking the fact that there was no year 0. 1874 should have been 1875. Keep that in mind.

  1914 was supposed to allow for a 40 year period of temple cleansing or some such rubbish. If 1874 had been set as 1875, then 1914 would have been 1915.

  The Israelite jubilee was celebrated every FIFTY years. The jubilee was a very significant thing in Israelite theology, according to the WTB&TS, and my theory is that it has been a hidden player in the Society's calculations for the past century, and that it will not go away...

  Add 50 years to 1875 and you arrive at 1925 - and the explanation for why the WTB&TS predicted that millions now living would never die in connection with that year.

  (Add 40 years to arrive at 1965, which as far as I know was of no significance in JW theology. They missed the boat on that one. Of course, if they had capitalized on it they would have overturned their entire spiritual entitlement theory. They didn't want to do that back then, but they will do it at some point in the not-too-distant future, because all the old boneheads are dead and new boneheads are in charge. They have to establish their spiritual street cred.)

  Add 50 years to 1925 - even I can do this - and we arrive at 1975. 1975 was a very special year for somebody, but not for JWs. Not much.

  Add forty years to 1975 and we have 2015 - the centennial of 1914 plus the extra year because of a simple error in arithmetic.

  Once this cycle is grasped, it can continue ad infinitum, always with the preface that the STARTING date must have been off by 50 or 100 or 150 or 200 or 250 years, because as we all know, the Bible-based Arithmetic® is FLAWLESS.
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  jws

  They could admit that the temple really fell in 586/587 BC and the end of the 2520 year period is in 1934 or 1935. And then a generation (living to be 70 or 80) would end in 2014/2015. But then they'd have to go back to the old "generation" teaching and then retract it in another 5 years, causing more dissolutionment.

  Plus, 1934/1935 wasn't seen as a pivotal point in history. A time that afterwards things got worse. How can you say they got worse after you've already said things turned bad in 1914 (World War 1, etc)?

  I personally think they've learned their lesson with dates. But then again, without imminent doom, it's hard to keep the masses energized.
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  keyser soze

  Maybe they'll rethink the Sputnik resolution that Ray Franz talked about in Crisis of Conscience. What have they got to lose? Certainly not their dignity.