Believers, your understanding on how old is the earth.

by jam 42 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  botchtowersociety

  Believers, your understanding on how old is the earth.

  The planet is almost 5 billion years old. The Genesis account should not be treated as a scientific text.
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  ScenicViewer

  @James_woods, who asked

  What I never understood was the strange JW teaching that the seven creative days were 7,000 years long each.

  I believe the 7000 year day came as a result of reverse engineering. The Society figured mankind was 6000 years old as of 1975. If you add 1000 years for the Millineal reign of Christ you have a total of 7000 years, at which time mankind would be restored to perfection. They thought that sounded neat and complete, since 7000 is a Scripturally 'perfect' number.

  But that failed. The last reference* to the 7000 year long Day was in 1987.

  (W 1-1-87, p30)
  Second, a study of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and of our location in the stream of time strongly indicate that each of the creative days (Genesis, chapter 1) is 7,000 years long. It is understood that Christ’s reign of a thousand years will bring to a close God’s 7,000-year ‘rest day,’ the last ‘day’ of the creative week.

  Since then the Society has been mum on the 7000 year Day.

  (*Note to readers, if there is a reference to the 7000 year Day later than the 1-1-87 Watchtower I would like the quote to update my notes. Thanks!)
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  james_woods

  ScenicViewer, you forgot to mention that the official Witness chronology is that the first man and woman were created about 6,000 years ago.

  This is plainly as ridiculous as the 7,000 year old creative days.

  Like BTS says - the only way out of this conundrum is to just admit that the Genesis account is not literal. None of it.
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  ScenicViewer

  ScenicViewer, you forgot to mention that the official Witness chronology is that the first man and woman were created about 6,000 years ago.

  I was referring to the creation of the first man and woman when I said "The Society figured mankind was 6000 years old as of 1975."

  BTW I wasn't defending the Watchtower point of view, just explaining it, and in my 2nd post above I was showing how the notion of a 7000 year Day was a complete failure on Watchtower's part.

  And yes, no matter how you look at Genesis there are problems if you try to take it all literally.
• 

  tec

  The earth is as old as it is :)

  If that is five million years, then it is five million years.

  Peace,

  tammy
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  james_woods

  Yes, ScenicViewer - we crossed posts in the dark.

  Let me rephrase: Why cannot the JW writing department simply say "we do not know how old the earth is, nor do we know when man was created"?

  That is pretty much unassailable - but, of course - not in keeping with the usual Witness obsession with dates and chronology.
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  snowbird

  Why cannot the JW writing department simply say "we do not know how old the earth is, nor do we know when man was created"?

  Then the WTS would have no raison d'etre.

  For them, that is unthinkable.
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  ScenicViewer

  Let me rephrase: Why cannot the JW writing department simply say "we do not know how old the earth is, nor do we know when man was created"?

  I don't think the Society has set an age for the earth itself, but has acknowleged that it can be billions of year old as scientists say.

  As for the age of mankind, the Society still adheres to the 6000 year age.

  I suppose there are a number of reasons. Arrogance for one? A Know-it-all attitued for another? And as you say, Witnesses are obsessed with dates.

  To admit a lack of understanding would be counter to the idea of being guided by holy spirit and having the truth. In other words it's to keep up appearances.
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  james_woods

  Exactly my point, Sylvia. Thank you.

  BTW, the Monkey needs more pancakes.
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  undercover

  Day 1 started, not with the actual creation of the earth and other heavenly bodies, but with the creataion of light . In other words JWs believe the earth was already here when the 7 Creative Days began, and those Creative Periods involved preparing the earth for plant, animal, and human life.

  Too bad that doesn't jive with scripture:

  Exodus 20:11

  For in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and he proceeded to rest on the seventh day. That is why Jehovah blessed the sabbath day and proceeded to make it sacred.