How do we get to 1914 and then 1919?

by God_Delusion 33 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Phizzy

  Well, that diagram clears it all up............not.

  Thanks for posting Cedars, it just shows that they cannot make a decent case for the doctrine however they try.

  The problem I have found with discussing this with Elders and long-time JW's is that it is so unclear that in the end the mind-controlled JW says "Well , I believe it because the FDS says it is so, the evidence is good enough for me".

  The fact that they are relying on blind faith in men and not "testing the inspired expression" bothers them not one bit.
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  bats in the belfry

  We don't - at least the Russellites during their time didn't make the connection. Their truth was current as well, as can be seen from the below excerpted The Watchtower 1915, August 1, issue.
  
  JFR did that connection, e.g. in Light I (1930).

  
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  Emery

  I just dont understand how insignficant numbers can be read into so deeply. I find it fascinating how the WTS grabs onto anything numberical and somehow thinks it's a divine measurement of modern day prophecy, conveniently fulfilling itself according to their history. They are a prime example of reading the bible out of its historical context. What a load of speculative garbage.
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  Jeffro

  God_delusion:

  Okay, this might sound like a really stupid question, but after researching this matter for the last hour, I still have no idea why the Watchtower Society points to 1914 and 1919 using the 70 weeks theory.

  The following, from my article on the subject at http://jeffro77.wordpress.com/jehovahs-witnesses-and-1914-2/, explains how they arrive at 1919:

  The year 1914 is essential for various core doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Significantly, they regard their interpretation of Jesus’ ‘faithful slave’ illustration (Matthew 24:45-47) as identifying the Watch Tower Society as God’s channel of ‘spiritual truth’, ^ and the time of the identification of this ‘slave class’ is dependent on the year 1914, derived from their interpretation of parts of the book of Revelation. Specifically, Revelation 11:2-3 mentions periods of 42 months and 1,260 days (both 3½ years). The Watch Tower Society applies this period literally, from December 1914 to May 1918, † after which they apply the 3½ days of Revelation 11:11 figuratively, identifying these periods with their preaching work during World War I, followed by a period of imprisonment of early Watch Tower Society members in 1918. They believe that after their release from prison in 1919 that they were approved as Jesus’ ‘slave class’. This creates a paradox as to whether they were approved by Christ prior to that point, and therefore whether their interpretations regarding 1914 should have been heeded.
  ^At the Watch Tower Society annual general meeting in 2012, the ‘faithful slave’ was redefined as only referring to the ‘Governing Body’, the members of which are not formally ‘directors’ of the Watch Tower Society and related corporations. (Most members were not officially advised of the change until the 15 July 2013 issue of The Watchtower.) In practice, all activities of the Watch Tower Society and its affiliates are overseen by the Governing Body.
  †Prior to the Watch Tower Society’s revision of Revelation—Its Grand Climax at Hand in 2006, the 42 months were said to have started in October 1914.

  God_delusion:

  Don't get me wrong, I know all about 607 B.C.E., but I am having trouble understanding why the prophecy of the 70 weeks has been added. Whose idea was it to add the 70 week business into the mix?

  They don't. The 70 weeks 'prophecy' from Daniel 9:24-26 is [mis]used by JWs (and other Christian groups) to point to the time of Jesus, though it actually referred to Cyrus as 'Messiah' (at the end of the '7 weeks'), Aristobulus (2nd century BCE) as 'Leader' (at the end of the '62 weeks') and Jannaeus (during the '70th week').