New WTS Ministry Textbook

by artful 14 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  ozziepost

  G'day Scorpion,

  You are most insightful!

  This point came up in discussion amongst some Dubs in Sydney congregations a few years ago.

  I believe the conclusion they came to was that the illustrations must be of resurrected children. So in answer to your question "Are these families living before the resurrection and after Armageddon?" the answer must be that they were families before Armageddon.

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

  
  - Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress
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  Scorpion

  Hello Ozzie,

  If the answer is that the families depicted by the WT living in a paradise earth is before Armageddon, then why the need for Armageddon if the earth is indeed already a paradise?

  Scorpion
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  ozziepost

  G'day Scorpion,

  Sorry, I must have not expressed it well. I meant that the families are Armageddon survivors who are joined by resurrected children only.

  Is that clearer? Now I'm getting confused.... I think!

  Cheers,
  Ozzie (freedom means not having to wear a tie)
• 

  artful

  Hello all.

  Thanks for the welcome Lisa.
  I know exactly what you mean about Paul's ministry Ozzie. It has really come to life for me as well! Some good points are made by the scriptures you site Scorpion.

  I believe that the JW understanding of marriage and procreation in 'Paradise' (Earth) is as follows:
  1. Any resurrected[i/] after Armageddon will not marry or procreate (this does seem to harmonize with the scriptures cited). However...
  those who are alive at the time of Armageddon and pass through it (.000001% of the population!) will have the opportunity to marry, have children and thereby populate the paradise earth.

  So the infamous pictures of families would seem to reference those who survive through Armageddon to their wonderful 'spiritually materialistic' society! Where they derive the scriptural basis for this is what puzzles me.

  Having said that, it would seem that a much more plausible explanation of the scriptures that Scorpion cited is that the resurrection refers only to a heavenly one and not an eartly one at all. If that is so, then maybe the 'paradise' is just a heavenly one.

  Any thoughts?

  Cheers
  Artful

  [i]"Beliefs Burden. Ideas Inspire".
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  Disillusioned JW

  The answer about most of the children in the illustrations of a post-Armageddon paradise is that they are the children are of JW parents who survived through the great tribulation and the battle of Armageddon and never died ('millions now living will never die' doctrine) and thus were not resurrected and thus were not barred from marriage and from producing children. But yes there is also idea that many children will be resurrected during the 1,000 year period of Christ's reign in which Satan is in the abyss.