I don't pay to much attention to JW stuff and so I don't know what this change was. Can anybody inform me?
2008 Generation Change
by cognac 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Psychotic Parrot
Since the '70 years' teaching was dropped in 1995, the generation has meant the generation of Godless people that have existed since 1914, but in 2008 it was changed to mean the generation of annointed that are alive today, which was probably an attempt to tie in the increasing number of annointed people with the generation teaching in order to further justify the 2007 change in doctrine regarding 1935.
It's all rather stupid really, & the whole thing was decided by a vote in Brooklyn.
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out4good3
?????
What
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Olin Moyles Ghost
The 2008 generation change is best explained in the context of the Society's previous positions on the "generation" of Luke 21.
In Luke 21:32, Jesus said that 'this generation will not pass away until all these things occur.' For decades, the WTS taught that Jesus was referring to the generation of people who saw the events of 1914. The WTS taught that there would be some people from that generation alive when the end came.
Well, in 1995, the end still had not come, so the WTS changed its teaching on "generation." They now taught that Jesus just meant "wicked people" when he said "generation." And, most importantly, generation was no longer tied to 1914. In other words, everybody who was alive in 1914 could be dead before the end comes.
In April 2008, the WTS tweaked its generation teaching once more. But this "new light" was not nearly as significant as the 1995 change. In 2008, the WTS said that "generation" as used by Jesus in Luke 21 didn't really mean "wicked people"--rather he meant "anointed Christians." But it is important to note that this did not change the 1995 understanding regarding 1914. In other words, the party line is still that everybody alive in 1914 could die before the end comes.
Of course, the Society still teaches the end is right around the corner. But there is no temporal boundary--no date or other marker by which the end must come.
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drwtsn32
Check out the purple box on this page:
http://www.jwfacts.com/index_files/generation.htm
They have basically returned to their 1927 understanding of "generation"
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Psychotic Parrot
"Of course, the Society still teaches the end is right around the corner. But there is no temporal boundary--no date or other marker by which the end must come."
I think most in the organisation currently expect it to be here by 2015, but once that date comes and goes, i imagine that their attention will slowly shift to 2034.
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Heaven
I figure as long as the WTS and JWs focus on Armaggedon coming 'soon' or 'very shortly', it will never come. There is no way God is going to allow anyone on the face of this earth the ability or ammunition to be able to say "See, we told you so!"
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Psychotic Parrot
There is no God.
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MidwichCuckoo
Ok - just to clarify (for me please, lol) - the way I understand it now is that 1914 is no different from any other year...?