@slimboyfat:
But am I correct in thinking they have only actually mentioned the new "overlapping generations" teaching once or twice in the literature?
What "overlapping generations" do you mean? To my knowledge, there has been no such teaching by Jehovah's Witnesses.
Why are they so shy about talking about their great new interpretation? It's almost enough to make you suspect they are a EMBARRASSED about it.
What do you mean? There's been much talk about the new interpretation of Jehovah's Witnesses here on JWN regarding what it was Jesus meant by "this generation" at Matthew 24:34. Perhaps you've missed those threads, I don't know.
Mention it once or twice, don't dwell on it, hope everyone just accepts it, and don't bring it up again. Is that the strategy?
I know of no such strategy. What you are saying would seem to be rather speculatory.
@slimboyfat Re: Is the Watchtower shy about repeating their new "generation" teaching? posted 2 days ago (3/16/2012)
It's as if they discussed it once or twice just because they had to get it out of the way, but they are not going to draw any more attention to it than necessary.
Well, this is more speculation on your part, because what you are saying here isn't true.
Which is [understandable] of course because it is frankly absurd nonsense that insults the intelligence of members even more than the Watchtower's usual drivel does.
What exactly do you find to be so "absurd" about the latest interpretation of Jehovah's Witnesses as to what Jesus meant at Matthew 24:34 by his use of the expression, "this generation"?
It might be interesting to analyse the literature from the 1980s and see how often they discussed their "generation" teaching then, compared with how often they have mentioned the new "generation" teaching.
This has been done many times here on JWN, even I have commented on this here in one of the threads on here. Nothing prevents you from doing an analysis of your own though, but previous interpretations as to what Jehovah's Witnesses understood the word "generation" to mean are irrelevant after they have been discarded.
@sir82:
I recall using the "there can't be much time left for the generation of 1914" meme in field service in the 80's pretty frequently. It was typically one of the first things you brought out to a "progressive" return visit or bible study. "Better hurry up & get on the ark, the youngest of that generation is already in their 70's!"
Jehovah's Witnesses no longer make reference to a "generation of 1914," since in 2010, the 1914 generation interpretation was discarded. Jehovah's Witnesses now understand Matthew 24:34 to refer to the generation of the sign that began in 1914.
The latest "generation" definition has a similar implication - the "time left is reduced". The 1914 anointed generation has been dead about 20 or so years, and the youngest of the current GB are in their late 50's.
You're mistaken. The latest "generation" understanding isn't a "definition" at all, but an interpretation. There is no longer any such thing as a "1914 anointed generation" being taught by Jehovah's Witnesses.
@slimboyfat:
The new teaching doesn't even make sense. Maybe the writers have gone on strike from having to try to explain the absurd new light.
You mean, it doesn't make sense to you, right? Do you even know what the new interpretation of Matthew 24:34 is?
Where are apologists defending it? I would be interested to see that.
You might want to go here, and, more specifically, you should read Post 553.
@tornapart:
And now we're not supposed to ask any more questions. All the answers there are have already been covered.
This is not true at all. You can always ask questions, especially when it comes to Bible interpretations that you cannot comprehend.
@THE GLADIATOR:
Overlapping Generations
As I point out in response to what the OP stated at the beginning of this thread, as far as what Jehovah's Witnesses teach today, there is no such thing as "overlapping generations."
The Society were now saying that 1935 was no longer the cut off date for members of the 144,000.
When exactly did we begin to teach this? If this is printed in any of our literature, please provide a citation to such a statement. Thanks.
This change paved the way for their planned change in the meaning of a generation.
I would really like to see a citation to the effect that 1935 was no longer considered to be "the cut off date" for those with the heavenly calling (the anointed) to be called as such.
In 2008 the Society continued to explain away more of this cornerstone belief.
What "cornerstone belief"? Are you here talking about "the cut off date" or the change in how Jehovah's Witnesses were interpreting the meaning of the word "generation" used by Jesus at Matthew 24:34? Which?
Until now they had taught that ‘this generation’ referred to wicked unbelieving Jews. They had carried this idea forward and given it a modern-day fulfilment, applying it to ‘the wicked ‘generation of unbelievers’ in our own time who would see the end of the system of things. They explained that the apostles would no doubt have understood that they and their fellow disciples were to be part of the generation that would not pass away until all these things occur.
Until when exactly? This statement is vague, for in 2008, "wicked unbelieving Jews" wasn't how Jehovah's Witnesses interpreted the word "generation" at Matthew 24:34.
This generation no longer just referred to wicked unbelievers but to anointed believers.
This statement is disconnected from the previous statement. This statement would seem to be referring to the interpretation of Jehovah's Witnesses as to how we understood the meaning of the word "generation" used by Jesus at Matthew 24:34 in 2008. Is this is what you mean, then I agree with this statement.
In the 2010 further changes were made under the heading, ‘Holy Spirit’s Role in the Outworking of Jehovah’s Purpose: ...
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.
This represents the current interpretation of Jehovah's Witnesses since 2010 with respect to the meaning of Jesus' words, "this generation," at Matthew 24:34.
The Society had introduced the idea of an ‘overlapping generations model.’ This is a concept in which if people’s lives overlap into the next generation's lives they can be considered to be one generation.
The Society has never introduced the idea of any "overlapping generations model." You are claiming here that 'if people's lives should overlap into the lives of the next generation, then they can be consider to be one generation,' but this is not what Jehovah's Witnesses teach at all. In fact, this idea of yours makes no sense at all. You clearly aren't competent to explain the latest interpretation of Jesus' words, "this generation," at Matthew 24:34.
It’s a bit like playing tag! They stated:
We do not know the exact length of ‘this generation,’ but it includes these two groups whose lives overlap. Even though the anointed vary in age, those in the two groups constituting the generation are contemporaries during the part of the last days. How comforting it is to know that the younger anointed contemporaries of those older anointed ones who discerned the sign when it became evident beginning in 1914 will not die off before the great tribulation starts!
Did you notice in what you quoted here is that there is a mention of a "generation" -- just one generation -- and mention of "two groups whose lives overlap? The statement made in the Watchtower dated June 15, 2010, in the article entitled, "United in Love-Annual Meeting Report," from which you quoted this is ambiguous, for Brother Barr's description of these 'two groups that constitute the generation' are contemporaries, but they do not constitute the "generation" to which Jesus was referring at Matthew 24:34. The article entitled, "Holy Spirit's Role in the Outworking of Jehovah's Purpose," that appeared in the Watchtower dated April 15, 2010, specifically stated:
[W]e 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.
Obviously, John Barr misspoke, for as the article, "United in Love-Annual Meeting Report," goes on to say (and note that these are not Barr's words) about these "anointed contemporaries":
How comforting it is to know that the younger anointed contemporaries of those older anointed ones who discerned the sign when it became evident beginning in 1914 will not die off before the great tribulation starts!
Beaten by the passage of time the Watchtower Society had been forced to move the date for the battle of Armageddon....
Jehovah's Witnesses have never predicted the arrival of Armageddon, especially in view of the fact that we have always taught what Jesus himself taught at Matthew 24:36, namely, that no one knows "that day and hour." How could Jehovah's Witnesses have moved a date that they have never known, let alone set?
I have done my best to explain these changes clearly and as simply as possible, including as few quotes as possible to accurately show the change that has taken place. If you are confused, then you are not alone. Many members of the Watchtower Society are still trying to make sense of the new flash of light that has moved the goalpost even further away. Instead or Armageddon being ‘just around the corner’ it has been put on hold indefinitely.
Taken from the book Can Jehovah's Witnesses SURVIVE? By Trevor Willis.
This is nonsense. No one at the Society is trying to "make sense" of how we interpret Jesus' words at Matthew 24:34 as to what "this generation" means. If the author of this book believes this to be true, he is mistaken.
@Alfred:
YES... This is one teaching that NO analytical JW can look someone in the eye and say that they firmly believe Jesus was referring to TWO Overlapping Generations of Annointed Ones... yet the GB has managed to stretch Matthew 24:34 beyond any remotely credible interpretation...
But this isn't true. Jehovah's Witnesses do not teach nor do we believe that at Matthew 24:34, Jesus was referring there to "two overlapping generations" of the anointed. You would credit the governing body for stretching Matthew 24:34 "beyond any remotely credible interpretation," but this is not the governing body's interpretation of the word "generation" at Matthew 24:34 at all. While this would be your understanding of what the governing body teaches, of what Jehovah's Witnesses teach, this is not what either the governing body teaches nor what Jehovah's Witnesses teach.
By the 2020's, the Watchtower will have completely revamped their "dooms-day" [recruitment] strategy using some other Biblical "prophecy" (throwing the generation teaching back in the freezer).
Jehovah's Witnesses do not have a recruitment strategy and never have had such.
@Phizzy:
They should be shy about repeating it, the doctrine is nonsense on stilts.
No one to my knowledge is shy about repeating what our latest interpretation of Matthew 24:34 is. What makes you think any one of Jehovah's Witnesses is shy about telling anyone how we understand Matthew 24:34?
@St George of England:
It is never mentioned these days. Meetings have become like the magazines - SIMPLIFIED.
What does our interpretation of Matthew 24:34 has to do with there being a "simplified" edition of the Watchtower magazine? The reason for such an edition is because there are many that have been Jehovah's Witnesses for years, and new ones that are studying with Jehovah's Witnesses that are either illiterate or whose reading comprehension skills prevent them from comprehending many of the things they read in the regular edition Watchtower magazine, but the interpretation of Matthew 24:34 is most definitely "mentioned these days."
@Disillusioned Lost-Lamb:
They don’t mention a lot of things anymore, if they say it, you got it and move on; don’t dwell or linger, that’s what gets them in trouble.
This isn't true that Jehovah's Witnesses hardly make mention of Matthew 24:34.
@james_woods:
I think that Slimboyfat is onto something here.
This is the first "new light" I have ever seen from the JWs that has had actual open [dissension].
There may be "open dissension" here on JWN, but there is no "open dissension" among Jehovah's Witnesses as to what our understanding of Jesus' words "this generation" at Matthew 24:34 is.
For proof that there is open [dissension] over it - look at the assembly parts targeted against people who are resisting this "teaching".
How do any of the assembly parts prove there is "open dissension" over our interpretation of Matthew 24:34?
@djeggnog
