“THE REVELATION, IT’S GRAND CLIMAX AT HAND"

by maputo95 74 Replies latest jw friends

  • jonathan dough
    jonathan dough

    The contradictory identification of the "Alpha and Omega" (Jesus or Jehovah) is very serious.

    No contradiction.

    http://www.144000.110mb.com/trinity/index-5.html#23

    The heavenly resurrected Jesus is identified as Almighty God and the “First and the Last” because there can be only one “First and Last” and one “Alpha and Omega” and Jesus assumed both titles.

    In the Book of Revelation Jesus can be identified as the Almighty and the “Alpha and the Omega,” titles used to identify God. Even if the Jehovah's Witnesses were correct in stating that Jesus is never specifically called the Almighty, which they claim is a title reserved for God (Reasoning, 414), that title can readily be ascribed to Jesus by logically piecing together selected verses.

    For instance, both Jesus at Revelation 1:17, 18 and God as the Alpha and Omega at Revelation 22:13 are referred to as “the First and the Last.” Therefore, because Jesus and the Almighty are both “the First and the Last,“ Jesus must be the Almighty who is the Alpha and Omega.

    Also, the Alpha and the Omega (God) of Revelation 1:8 is identified as the Almighty, and because Jesus is also the Alpha and the Omega, Jesus is the Almighty, a title identifying Jehovah (Yahweh) at Genesis 17:1. Jesus was, and is, God. The logical train of thought is illustrated by quoting the actual verses.

    a) Jesus is the First and the Last: “Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17, 18)

    b) The Alpha and the Omega (God) is also the First and the last: “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:12, 13)

    c) Therefore, Jesus must also be the Alpha and Omega, God.

    d) The Alpha and the Omega is the Almighty: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

    e) Therefore, not only is Jesus the Alpha and Omega but also the Almighty, all powerful, omnipotent.

    This makes perfect sense in light of John 17:10 where Jesus in praying to His Father said, “everything of mine is yours, and everything of yours is mine.” “Everything” is very broad. It includes His disciples, words (truth), the Holy Spirit, and all power and authority as indicated by Christ’s statement at Matthew 28:18, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Christ claimed universal power (NAB notes 28, 19); He is omnipotent, all powerful, and accordingly Almighty and sovereign of which there can only be one in the Universe.

    The Jehovah's Witnesses attempt to circumvent this logic by arguing that the mere fact that one title (First and Last) is applied to two separate individuals, Jesus and the Almighty, does not mean those individuals are the same person. By analogy they contend that the expression “apostle” is applied to Jesus and to certain ones of his followers, but that doesn’t prove that they are the same person or of equal rank (Reasoning, 413).

    Their analogy, however, is not applicable to this situation. The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is always secondary and inferior to God in everything at all times, in heaven and on earth, never first (Should You Believe, Chapter 6). Thus, even by their own admission, there is only one who can be “the First and the Last.”

    On the other hand, there have been many apostles, and if there are many such “First and Lasts” they might have a point, but there aren’t, there’s just one. The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ analogy just isn’t valid. As there can only be one First and Last, and both Jesus and God are “the First and the Last,” Jesus must be God and Christ rightfully refers to Himself indirectly as the Almighty in the Book of Revelation. You could say it was the culmination of His gradual disclosure.

    To put it another way, if there is only one person on planet earth and his title is King and name is Sherman, and if there is a person on earth whose name is Fred who also is called King, then Fred must be Sherman the King in the same sense that Christ must be God because there is only one “First and Last“ of the universe, one King.

    Furthermore, both God and Jesus are said to be “coming,” an obvious reference to the much anticipated Second Coming of Christ’s return (Rev 1:7, 8; 22:12, 13).

    It is simply not logical that in the Book of Revelation the “First and Last” is a title reserved for the Almighty, the Alpha and Omega, but is also applied to a created angel who became man and reverted back to being an angel, who is always regarded by the Jehovah’s Witnesses as secondary to God in everything, a created being, always inferior. Their theory just doesn’t make sense.

  • villabolo
    villabolo

    TD:

    My observation is that there is not a single JW book that has caused more JWs to leave than this one. Even by JW standards, it is way, way beyond braindead.

    How many times has the Revelation Book been studied since it was published?

    villabolo

  • designs
    designs

    Blondie, Villabolo

    It does seem to contain many Russellisms but it clearly diverged from his theology. My guess is others had been chomping at the bit for decades waiting to include their ideas.

    My copy , my grandfather's, has the controversial pages torn out by the Department of Justice, p.247-254, my grandfather was arrested for distributing the book.

  • designs
    designs

    Jonathan, are you faking not being able to understand Homoiousianism and Arianism. You want people to understand the Trinity but this you can't grasp, come on.

    FYI CT Russell believed the titles Alpha and Omega and Almighty refered to Jesus given as a gift from father to son and for his central role in the 'Gospel Age'. There are many interpretations, as a student you should be able to study the academics of any philosophy or theology.

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    IIRC the transcripts of The United States vs. JF Rutherford, et al. (1918) discuss the process by which the Finished Mystery was written in great detail and as I recall it made it quite clear that Fisher and Woodworth were its authors, not Russell.

    If I have some time, I'll look through the transcripts.

  • wavvy
    wavvy

    the pictures make great tattoos though!

  • jonathan dough
    jonathan dough
    Jonathan, are you faking not being able to understand Homoiousianism and Arianism. You want people to understand the Trinity but this you can't grasp, come on.
    FYI CT Russell believed the titles Alpha and Omega and Almighty refered to Jesus given as a gift from father to son and for his central role in the 'Gospel Age'. There are many interpretations, as a student you should be able to study the academics of any philosophy or theology.

    I have no problem grasping these concepts, but I don't understand your point or your position. Can you elaborate? How does your convoluted question relate to which specific issue? Regardless of what Russell taught, that is not current WT teaching.

  • blondie
    blondie

    So Leolia, I guess they were lying then in the preface. Not a surprise

    EXPLANATORY NOTE

    This posthumous work of Pastor Russell (arranged for use as a textbook) is much condensed, including the extracts from the Pastor's pen, all of which are referred back to his works. The abbreviations used are:

    A, B, C, D,E, FThe six preceding volumes of "STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES".
    (Citations to E in italic figures refer to old editions, figures in ordinary type to later editions.)
    B. S. M..........."THE BIBLE STUDENTS MONTHLY."
    H....................."What Say the Scriptures ABOUT HELL?"
    P-D................."PHOTO-DRAMA OF CREATION" Scenario.
    T....................."TABERNACLE SHADOWS."
    S....................."SPIRITISM" Pamphlet.
    Z......................"ZION'S WATCH TOWER," followed by year and page.

    The citations to REVELATION and EZEKIEL refer to the comments herein, as well as to the Bible text.
    Other abbreviations used are:

    Barnes..........Barnes' "Revelation".
    Brit................."Encyclopedia Britannica."
    Buck..............Buck's "Theological Dictionary".
    Coffin............Coffin's "Story of Liberty".
    Cook.............Cook's "Revelation" ; a compendium of the presentations of seventy-two leading commentators on Revelation, in all languages and all ages of the Church.
    Edgar............Edgar's "Pyramid Passages". Vol. II.
    McC...............McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia.
    Mosheim......Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History.
    S. B. D...........Smith's Bible Dictionary.
    Smith.............Smith's "Thoughts on Daniel and Revelation".
    Weym............Weymouth's New Testament in Modern Speech.


    REVELATION 6
    105
    SIX SEALS AND THE PAPACY
    6:1. And I saw . — "God does not display His plans to satisfy mere idle curiosity. If we would comprehend what is revealed within the scroll we must be sincerely desirous of knowing the details of God's Plan in order to an earnest co-operation with it. Such, and such only, are worthy to know, and such only ever come to see, in the sense of understanding and appreciating, the deep things of God written within the scroll. Such are the righteous for whom the light (Truth) is sown. This worthiness is inquired for not only at the beginning, but all along the path of light If we are not found worthy by the various tests applied from time to time, we cannot proceed in the path of light; and unless the unfaithful ones arouse themselves to greater diligence and watchfulness, the light that already is in them will become darkness. And how great, how intense must be the darkness of one cast out of light! (Matt 6:23.)" — Z.'02-332.
  • designs
    designs

    Jonathan, you answer your own objection about other views of Jesus when you quoted Matthew 28:18.

    You thought it was a convoluted question, really? For a guy trying to convert xjws to your Arkansas Geezuz I didn't think it would be that tuff.

    Philosophies and theologies all have pieces that do not fit seemlessly, look at the flaws in your main concept of God.

  • isaacaustin
    isaacaustin

    This book probably started my cognitive dissonace at age 14.

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