My ex-wife told me about when she was a small child she was taught that she would never graduate high school.
She is now 52 and our youngest son is about to graduate high school in a few months ... and yet she still believes ...
"Overlapping generation" explanation - TRANSCRIBED EXTRACT from Friday's talk (DC 2011-12)
by AnnOMaly 149 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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St George of England
My ex-wife told me about when she was a small child she was taught that she would never graduate high school.
When I was born my parents were told that I would never go to school in this old system.
I am now an Old Aged Pensioner.
George
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I Want to Believe
Desirous OfChange: "...and the truly faithful are in anticipation of a "correction" -- or New Lite."
That was me for a while until I suddenly realized that if you wait for "New Light" on "New Light" then when does it stop? If you're waiting for everything you believe in to be corrected then how can you believe it after it's corrected? You'll just be be waiting for it to be corrected again, never having a solid belief for the rest of your life.
And I haven't seen anyone mention what, to me, is the biggest flaw in the "school-age" illustration: It relies on a snapshot; it only works if the Generation pronouncement is made while both of them are in school. For instance Bob is 12, Dave is 4. If you say "this generation of school-age kids" at that point, than only Bob is in the school-age generation. If you wait until Bob is 20 and Dave is 12, than "this generation of school-age kids"only refers to Dave. So the actualpronouncement of "this generation of school-age kids" has to be made specifically when Bob and Dave are both in school. So, even if you were to accept the illustration as valid, it still means that when Jesus said "this generation" he couldn't be talking about the generation in 1914 (cause Dave wasn't in school yet) and he couldn't be talking about the generation that sees the end (cause Bob is already out of school). The only way to collectively refer to them both at the same time would be if Jesus was specifically talking about the late 70s-early90s, because the snapshot of "this generation" has to be made when the overlap occurs, not before or after. And even the Society hasn't given any reason, credible or otherwise, to indicate anything pointing to that time period (unless they're going to re-purpose 1975).
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DesirousOfChange
And even the Society hasn't given any reason, credible or otherwise, to indicate anything pointing to that time period (unless they're going to re-purpose 1975).
I Wanna: Re-purpose 1975? NO WAY! That's a date they are trying to forget, never to be uttered again! HAHA I think that you will NEVER see ANY date published or spoken of again. No matter how much they ignore it, the 1975 fiasco just will not go away. The Society has yet to find anyone to fill the shoes of Fred Franz the "prophet", nor to fill the freaking pot-holes he left behind from the bomb of 1975!
DOC
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Bubblegum Apotheosis
Is it any wonder, there is so much confliction among elders? Recent themes "Elders need to unite, elders need to submitt, elders need to obey" hoping brothers will draw the next conclusion, elders need to avoid thinking or researching material, not sanctioned by the Slave. My favorite brother, rolled his eyes, when J. R. Alleycat Allia C.O., tongue twisted (spoke in tongues, to those who don't read the Bible, but knod their heads in agreement and awe.) "It's not the destination, it's the explanation!) his interpretation of the "new light". My dear friend said, "Why don't they just give up on this, let it die?" After Alley Cat Allia's explanation, the circuit was starting to murmur, we received a second talk, explaining the ease of complication.
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smiddy
My wife and I became witnesses in early 1960 WE were told over and over again that the generation that saw the events of 1914 would NOT PASS AWAY until all things written in scripture would be fullfilled, And guess what were not waiting anymore,They can move the goal posts ? so can we .
smiddy
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jonahstourguide
Thought I'd bump this. The wt study this sunday 06 04 14
I believe the posts are excellent in pointing out the floundering logic.
jtg
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Vanderhoven7
Picked this revised documentation on-line somewhere
"Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur. " (Matthew 24:34 NWT)
How long is a Generation?
Before 1952 a Generation was 40 years.
"By keeping the people ignorant they led them into having Jesus killed on a torture stake at Calvary. Thirty-seven years later this willfully cultivated ignorance led to its fatal consequences, the destruction of the city of Jerusalem with an enormous loss of human lives, just as Jesus had predicted, and the breaking up of the Jewish nation till this day. And now in this "time of the end" the revived nation of Israel with capital at the modern city of Jerusalem chooses to go on in the steps of its forefathers . . ." (Watchtower, Sept. 1 1950 p 277; see also Nov. 1 1950 p 407)
"The length of time is indicated by him when he said, "Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur." (Matt. 24:34) The actual meaning of these words is, beyond question, that which takes a "generation" in the ordinary sense, as at Mark 8:12 and Acts 13:36, or for those who are living at the given period." (Watchtower, July 1, 1951, p. 404)
Counting from the end of the "appointed times of the nations" in 1914, we are 37 years into the "time of the end" of this world. (Luke 21:24, Dan. 12:4) During these crucial years Jehovah's witnesses have sought shelter and strength in him, and they can confess for themselves that he is a "well-proved help in trouble". If it were not for this, they would not be here today nor increasing in numbers. But we are entering the most serious and trialsome years of this "time of the end". The final conflict of Armageddon draws near." (Watchtower, Feb 15, 1951 p 179)
Generation revised in 1952 to equal 70-80 years
Before the Noachian flood the life span was hundreds of years. Down through the centuries since, it has varied, and even now is different in different countries. The Bible does speak of a man's days as being threescore and ten or fourscore years; but it assigns no specific number of years to a generation. - Ps. 90:10." (Watchtower, Sept. 1 1952 pp 542-543)
There are hundreds of millions of persons living now that were living in 1914, and many millions of these persons could yet live a score or more years. Just when the lives of the majority of them will be cut short by Armageddon we cannot say." (Watchtower, Sept. 1 1952 pp 542-543)
Generation revised in 1995 (1914 + 80 = 1994)
"Eager to see the end of this evil system, Jehovah's people have at times speculated about the time when the "great tribulation" would break out, even tying this to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914. However, we bring a heart of wisdom in, not by speculating about how many years or days makeup a generation, but by thinking about how we "count our days" in bringing joyful praise to Jehovah." (Watchtower Nov 1, 1995 p18)
"Does our more precise viewpoint on "this generation" mean that Armageddon is further away than we had thought? Not at all! Though we at no time have known the "day and hour," Jehovah God has always known it, and he does not change." (Watchtower Nov 1, 1995 p2
"Therefore, in the final fulfilment of Jesus' prophecy today, "this generation" apparently refers to the peoples of earth who see the sign of Christ's presence but fail to mend their ways." (Watchtower Nov 1, 1995 p19)
Before November 1995
After November 1995
Why AWAKE! Is Published ...Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.
Why AWAKE! Is Published ... Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.
Generation revised in 2010 to become overlapping
Watchtower (Study Edition), April 15th, 2010 Issue, Pages 27-29:"This magazine has long been used by “the faithful and discreet slave” as the primary channel for dispensing increased light. ... What does this explanation mean to us? Although we cannot measure the exact length of “this generation,” we do well to keep in mind several things about the word “generation”: It usually refers to people of varying ages whose lives overlap during a particular time period; it is not excessively long; and it has an end. (Ex. 1:6) How, then, are we to understand Jesus’ words about “this generation”? He evidently meant that the lives of the anointed who were on hand when the sign began to become evident in 1914 would overlap with the lives of other anointed ones who would see the start of the great tribulation.
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DATA-DOG
1) Jehovah's people = The Governing Body/FDS.
2) Speculate = predict without evidence.
Uhhh....what did the WT magazine just say about people who speculate?!?!
DD