Why was the type/antitype understanding of the Olive Tree thrown out? (May 15, 2011 Watchtower)

by pirata 12 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  pirata

  In the May 15, 2011, pg. 23 Public Edition Watchtower, in the article 'O the Depth of God's Wisdom', there is a small footnote that essentially does away with an entire 1983 study article worth of material regarding the meaning of the Olive Tree, spoken about by the apostle Paul:

  (Romans 11:17,18 NWT) 17 However, if some of the branches were broken off but you, although being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a sharer of the olive’s root of fatness, 18 do not be exulting over the branches. If, though, you are exulting over them, it is not you that bear the root, but the root [bears] you.

  The Watchtower explains the verses as follows:

  13 The apostle Paul goes on to compare those who become part of Abraham’s seed to branches on a symbolic olive tree.* (Rom. 11:21) This cultivated olive tree represents the ful?llment of God’s purpose with regard to the Abrahamic covenant. The root of the tree is holy and represents Jehovah as the one who gives life to spiritual Israel. (Isa. 10:20; Rom. 11:16) The trunk represents Jesus as the primary part of Abraham’s seed. The branches collectively represent “the full number” of those included in the secondary part of Abraham’s seed.

  15 ...Thus, spirit-anointed Christians of the nations, such as some in the congregation in Rome,were ?guratively grafted onto this symbolic olive tree. In this way they became part of Abraham’s seed. ...

  The footnote states.

  * Evidently, there is no typical or antitypical olive tree. Although natural Israel did produce kings and priests, the nation did not become a kingdom of priests. Kings in Israel were prevented by law from becoming priests. Therefore, natural Israel did not serve as a typical olive tree. Paul is illustrating how God’s purpose to produce “a kingdom of priests” is fulilled in connection with spiritual Israel. This updates what was published in the August 15, 1983, Watchtower, pages 14-19.

  In the 1983 study article, it had established the type/antitype as follows:

  ROOT (Abraham/Jehovah)

  TRUNK (Isaac, Jacob, 12 Patriarchs / Messiah Jesus (primary seed))

  BRANCHES (12 Tribes of Israel / 144,000 spiritual Israelites (secondary seed))

  WHY make this change? It's usually apparent that teachings aren't usually changed unless there's a good reason to do so. For example, the reason for the change of the generation from "wicked" to "anointed", and the withdrawal of the 1935 sealing (likely influenced by the increasing numbers of anointed ones), became clear with the introduction of the "overlapping gneneration". The overlapping also helped to created a sense of urgency again (even if some still don't understand it). The clarification on allowable minor blood fractions brought some order to the patchwork of allowable fractions written about over the years.

  But dropping a type/antitype? There are tons of those that they dig out from the past. Why this particular one?

  Here is my theory, but I would like to hear yours as well:

  Drawing a type/antitype parallel between the 144,000 spiritual Israelites to the Literal 12 tribes of Israel makes one notice that Israel has both priestly and non-priestly members. This could lead one to the conclusion that spiritual Israel could also have both priestly (anointed/144,000) and non-priestly members (great crowd or other) . This obviously conflcts with the JW teaching that spiritual Israel is made up exclusively of the 144,000 anointed ones. If I were to take a wild guess, I would think someone pointed this out to them, so they got rid of the parallel in order to reaffirm the belief that spiritual Israel is made up ONLY of the "anointed" ones.

  That being said, it still doesn't attemp to explain why the 144,000 in Revelation are spoken of as having been sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel (suggesting that there are other members of "spiritual Israel" outside the 144,000 elite/kings/priests).

  PS. Don't forget the reminder reminded in the following article, "Following Christ, the Perfect Leader", after introducing this change:

  Yes, Jesus’ leadership is progressive, not stagnant. Another way to cooperate with Christ’s “brothers” is to have a positive attitude toward any re?nements in our understanding of Scriptural truths as published by “the faithful and discreet slave.” (p. 27)
• 

  snowbird

  Occam's razor.

  Gentile Christians (wild olive tree) to whom the Apostle Paul was writing were accepted into the sheepfold of Israel (the cultivated olive tree) as foretold by Jesus in John chapters 10 and 12.

  Of course, WT can't admit that, can they?

  To do so would blow their two-tier Christian doctrine to smithereens, so they come up with this convoluted nonsense.

  As to their motive for changing positions, as you said, I believe many are waking up and questioning their so-called primary doctrines.

  This is probably a pre-emptive strike on their part.

  Tee hee hee.

  Syl
• 

  miseryloveselders

  Good thread Pirata!!

  Yes, Jesus’ leadership is progressive, not stagnant. Another way to cooperate with Christ’s “brothers” is to have a positive attitude toward any re?nements in our understanding of Scriptural truths as published by “the faithful and discreet slave.” (p. 27)

  They always pull that crap to watch their own booty. Just remember, it wasn't "truth" if it had to be "refined."

  As to their motive for changing positions, as you said, I believe many are waking up and questioning their so-called primary doctrines.

  This is probably a pre-emptive strike on their part.

  Tee hee hee.

  Syl

  Its a beautiful thing that people are waking up to this nonsense.
• 

  stapler99

  Hardly a progressive understanding, huh?

  I just read the full chapter to try and get a sense of what was going on in this passage (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2011&version=NIV) and, if my interpretation is correct, it is rather shocking. It is saying that the Jews continue to have a special role in God's purpose!

  To consider the society's argument for why the old type doctrine is being abandoned, I cannot see anything about Kings and Priests in Romans 11. By the same argument the whole concept of "spiritual Israel" is bunk. However, someone please correct me if there is something in the context that I am unaware of that would make this argument not worthless.

  17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”

  The wild shoot are Gentile converts. The root is the faithful Jewish remnant. Rather than the Jews being abandoned by God (as was my understanding as a JW), the Christian church is portrayed as a direct continuation of the Jewish nation. I recommend reading the whole chapter which would seem to make this quite clear.

  I do not believe in any of this but this shows that the Bible is susceptible of various interpretations.

  Edit: snowbird, you seem to have come with the same point as me while I was writing this post.
• 

  snowbird

  if my interpretation is correct, it is rather shocking. It is saying that the Jews continue to have a special role in God's purpose!

  Bingo!

  "Spiritual Israel" my big toe!

  Tee hee hee.

  Syl
• 

  Larsinger58

  The key to this is ISA 6:13

  ISA 6:13

  13 And there will still be in it a tenth, and it must again become something for burning down, like a big tree and like a massive tree in which, when there is a cutting down [of them], there is a stump; a holy seed will be the stump of it."

  THE ROOT is what remained. Basically, when mankind fucks up, Jehovah destroys them and has the ability to fulfill his purpose through a few individuals! The 12 tribes of Israel were originally just a single individual. So when the Jews screwed up, Jehovah did abandon them, but only 90%. The preserved a remnant to fulfill his purpose.

  Thus the 144,000 are the ROOT OF FATNESS, the original Jews. 90% are gentile wild olives grafted in. The Jews were not totally rejected, therefore, only 90%.

  In direct fulfillment, individuals from the 1st century from the 12 tribes were chosen to fulfill this:

  ISA 60: 22 The little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. I myself, Jehovah, shall speed it up in its own time."

  Individual nobodies, basically, would be used to reconstitute the 12 tribes of Israel during the end-times when Christ arrives. Technically, they would be chosen to live down to our time, and about 200-300 years before the 2nd coming would marry into indigenous populations throughout the world so that by the time Christ arrives in 1992, the 12 tribes of Israel, or a version of the 12 tribes of Israel would be in place to fulfill prophecy, that is to provide 12,000 members from each tribe. A miracle had to be evoked to fulfill this prophecy. But by this means the 144,000 natural Jews fulfill the Abrahamic covenant. Jehovah is not going to FAIL.... right?

  But that also means the 90% gentiles, 1,296,000 get into the kingdom. That's good for them. But they are told not to be haugty about it! Because ultimately the Jews were the original chosen ones and God worked his covenant through a 10% remnant.

  So the 12 tribes of Israel are now real again! by now a million or more descendants come from these 12 individuals or perhaps more from each of the 12 tribes. Jehovah said he would speed it up in its own time. I have an aunt who had 18 children. My grandmother came from a family of 17. So you do the match. If Jehovah will speed it up in its own time and you have second generations averaging 10-18 children, it won't take long for over a million descendants from a single parent to appear after just a couple of hundred years. All we know is that this would be accomplished. Whatever general pool was decided should be in existence to choose 12,000 worthy ones is what was targeted.

  Thus the ROOT is the 144,000. The branches make up 90% which are the gentiles. The gentiles are not to get grandiose over the fallen Jews, being reminded that their life comes through the root, which is the Jews. "Salvation belongs to the Jews." Jehovah is not going to fail regarding the Abrahamic covenant. He makes modifications. He eliminates 90%, but he preserves a remnant through which to work his purpose.

  P.S. Christ's re-appearance in the flesh would be through the tribe of Joseph, not Judah. So when Christ takes up the body of the prodigal son, this person is also a natural descendant of the tribe of Joseph.

  Of course, I'm the messiah and so I did get to see that person from the 1st Century who married into the modern population and help create a new tribe of Joseph/Ephraim. By the sheer physical appearance of him I knew he was an ancestor of my mother.

  CONCLUSION: The 12 tribes of Israel must exist at the time of the 2nd coming... and they do!

  Anon
• 

  Alfred

  "Jesus' leadership is progressive not stagnant" What the f**k does that mean???

  Why on earth would Jesus need to be "progressive" in his leadership? I would think he's the kind of leader that will always get it right the first time without any need for "progressive refinement". The sad thing is that most JWs are completely oblivious to these kinds of absurd statements found in WT literature. They'll just highlight it and regurgitate it at the WT study without giving it a second thought... so sad
• 

  transhuman68

  This is too funny. The WTS application of these scriptures is the same sort of craziness that made the Revelation book such a load of nonsense. Trying to find a modern-day meaning for every scripture is just ludicrous.
• 

  the-illuminator81

  Of course this gem of new light starts with the word "EVIDENTLY".

  If I was in the writing department I would feel ashamed to use this word.
• 

  dozy

  I'm a bit suspicious of this "new thought" as well. It is such an obscure section of scripture. Remember that the original 1995 Generation change was preceded with new thoughts on the "sheep & the goats" which were clearly signposting the eventual change , I do wonder whether the WTBTS are setting things up for some kind of bigger change in doctrine. Time will tell.