Why would abandoning 1914 mean they are not chosen by God?

by InterestedOne 57 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  TD

  Another factor is that after 1914 came and went with none of the tangible things that were predicted actually happening, it became necessary to re-explain the significance of the year. 1914 became not the end, but the beginning of the "Time of the end." As OTWO pointed out above, many other events were tied to that year as well.

  The outbreak of the Great War in Europe in 1914 and the Spanish Influenza that occurred shortly thereafter were both seen as proof that Christ had been given the power as king of God's kingdom and that Satan had indeed been cast down to earth.

  It's bad enough to say that Christ's return was invisible and if you didn't notice, that's your lookout (To plagiarize Carl Sagan) but it would get even worse if the "proof" that all these invisible things happened right on schedule were lost. --Which is what would happen if 1914 were discarded.
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  InterestedOne

  TD - yeah I can see how the idea of "right on schedule" would be important to salvage the date. I guess WWI wouldn't make sense if they counted the 2520 years from 587 BCE to 1934 CE. That would mean a major "woe" in the earth would have happened too soon b/c Satan wouldn't have been cast down yet.

  Clarity - That is a real eye-opener about the "good news."

  Here's something that adds to the confusion: TD wrote:

  If you look at the quote that 3mozzies gave, you can see that the claimed basis for being selected by Jesus in 1919 was what they were teaching at the time.

  In other words, when the Master returned in 1914, Jehovah's Witnesses were rewarded because among other things, they were the only ones teaching that the Master had returned.

  When the Master returned in 1914 and inspected them in 1919, they were teaching that he had already returned in 1874 & continued to teach that for another 10 years until around 1930. When I asked my study conductor about it, he just blamed it on the Adventists & said this shows how Jesus corrected the JW's. I'm curious to see how the WT writers around 1930 managed to smoothly phrase the change of Jesus' return from 1874 to 1914.
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  VM44

  The Bible Students (as they were then called) were chosen in the year 1919 because that is the year Judge Rutherford was released from prison!
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  jwfacts

  Cults exist regardless of the doctrine they promote. There are thousands of cults that between them promote every insane teaching imaginable. Don't think that the Watchtower will collapse over doctrinal change.

  Retaining 1914 means they are not chosen by God. Dropping it also would validate that they are not chosen by God. Face it, they are not chosen by God. I doubt it would make much difference to overall numbers if they retain 1914 or not.

  Remember back to the 1995 generation change. That lead to a lot of people waking up. But not much changed in the overall numbers. Half of all JWs active today were not even around in 1995 and it is not even an issue to them.
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  InterestedOne

  jwfacts - yeah I hear you. My JW friend was baptized in 2003. You're right, something that changed in 1995 is not an issue to her. The past changed doctrines are foggy in her mind. She'll say, "yeah I heard something happened in 1975," and that's the extent of it. No further inquiry, just focus on the "current information." If she does mention the past, it's the heroic things like the concentration camps.
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  wobble

  Thanks for posting the question I.O ,

  Any active JW reading the info. on this thread will be enlightened no end !

  I have seen develop the gradual obfuscation over 1914 that the WT is presently working on, they only ever mention it in passing, and write as though it is proven fact, so all newer converts do not question it, "after all, all these long time JW's in my K.Hall are nodding their heads, it must be true."

  They cannot drop it, but they cannot keep it out in the open either, it is their Achilles Heel, and bears no scrutiny.

  It was interesting to ask several JW's the question:

  "What was the unique doctrine, taught as truth in 1919 and still taught today, that persuaded Jesus to choose the Bible Students in 1919 ?"

  Some promised to get back to me with the answer, none ever has.

  The truth is Jesus could not have chosen them on the basis of what they taught, or even how they lived in 1919, i.e not Neutral as to war etc. etc.

  Other groups were far more deserving, the Christadelphians for example, if the whole 607 to 1919 rubbish were in fact true, which of course it is not, it is the most laughable tosh.
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  garyneal

  Question.

  How does 1914 and 3 1/2 years add up to 1919?

  1914
  + 3.5
  -------
  1917.5

  How did we get from 1914 to 1919? Even if it is considered October 1914 we have.

  1914.83
  + 3.5
  --------
  1918.33
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  AnnOMaly

  Nooo. 1914 + 3½ years isn't meant to add up to 1919.

  It's meant to add up to the year of Jesus' inspection - 1918. BUT:

  "Some of the brothers living today did indeed pass through a time, during 1914-1918, when Jehovah was displeased and did allow his organization to undergo captivity to Babylon the Great." - w69 6/15 p. 378 par. 44.

  "Under the direction of this religious corporation the great world-wide campaign to announce the 1914 end of the "times of the nations" was undertaken, as mentioned earlier. The Watch Tower witnesses of Jehovah proved to be awake spiritual watchmen. But the Scriptures describe them as having unclean garments because of their long association with Christian apostasy. (Zech. 3:3, 4) They had many practices, characteristics and beliefs similar to the weedlike sects of Christendom. So from 1914 to 1918 a period of fiery testing came upon them, not unlike the ancient period of Babylonish captivity of the Jews back in 607-537 B.C. ...

  ... As we now know, this watchman class of the "faithful and discreet slave" was being cleansed for still greater watchman service in the turbulent years to follow their restoration in 1919. Previously, in the spring of 1918, Jehovah came to his temple of earthly Christian servants for inspection and cleansing. (Mal. 3:1-3) The many bad ones were disfellowshiped by Him and sent away. A loyal remnant were permitted to go through the fiery test where Jehovah and his Messenger, Christ Jesus, (1) tested them by organization arrangements on their loyalty to Jehovah's organization rather than to human leaders, (2) tested them by service instructions and provisions as to their zeal and devotion to Jehovah's worship and witness work, and (3) tested them by revealed truth as to their love of it. What a fiery time it was!-See You May Survive Armageddon into God's New World, pp. 303 to 305.

  A faithful remnant of some thousands of the "domestics" of the "faithful and discreet slave" class survived this time of testing. From the spring of 1919 forward they began to rise from the dust of inactivity to their new lofty service as watchmen to the world. (Dan. 12:2; Rev. 11:11, 12) The Scriptures also describe them as being clothed with new garments of clean identification to represent Jehovah's interests in the earth.-Zech. 3:4, 5; see the book Preparation, pp. 55 to 58." - w60 7/15 pp. 435-436 par. 18, The Awake "Faithful and Discreet Slave".

  So the WTS and BSs were inspected, found wanting, punished, then 'appointed over all Christ's belongings' anyway LOL.

  And to get from 1914 to 1919, there's some jiggery-pokery involved with Revelation's and Daniel's 1260 or 1290 days, the killing and revival of the 'two witnesses' and Ezekiel's valley of dry bones and other such interpretative nonsense.
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  AnnOMaly

  And I must comment on one of my favorite pieces of spin that 3Mozzies quoted from the "God's Kingdom of 1000 Years" book (para. 45):

  "Like the slave's master in the illustration, the Lord Jesus did return to his house and inspect the situation within it. He did find there a "faithful and discreet slave" class that was striving, in spite of world conditions, to do as commanded, give the Lord's "domestics" at the proper time their spiritual food, food taken from the inspired Word of God. So the Lord showed his favor by regathering them into a well-organized body of "domestics" in his house. The eight-day general convention held at Cedar Point, Ohio, on September 1-8, 1919, was a notification to all the world that the invisibly present Lord Jesus Christ was regathering his faithful "sheep." It indicated to the world who it was that the returned Lord Jesus had found to be his "faithful and discreet slave" class. This made the "slave" class happy. It meant their being retained in the service of their heavenly Master."

  Of course, neither "the world" nor the FDS "class" was notified of or could be happy about any favor given by the Master in 1919 because they didn't consider the FDS to be a "class" but rather an individual until 1927, and (according to a WT article in the '30s) they didn't even realise any 1918 inspection had taken place until about 1922!

  Revisionism at its best, huh?
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  designs