I don't think they will drop 1914 altogether. But it will lose some significance. This has already started with the change of the 'generation'.
Is 1914 still relevant in WT/JW Theology?
by 00DAD 52 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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00DAD
Gayle: they'll just celebrate their Grand Centennial
You're probably right. Trying to sweep it under the rug is one strategy, but they're obviously not doing that. Make a big deal out of it, talk it up as a good thing, promote it. That'll really mess with the minds of any doubters:
Hey everyone, let's celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Christ's Invisible Presence. This is just further proof of how deep we are in the Time of the End!
Refriedtruth: I betcha same daring showpiece on 100 years of Jesus 'invisible' enthronement with special commemorative WT.
I think you're on to something here. See my comments to Gayle above.
Phizzy: I see a definite lack of mention of 1914 in recent years,
You may want to re-read my OP.
00DAD
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Apognophos
" While 1919 depended on 1914, 1914 does not depend on 1919."
Is it true that 1919 depends on 1914? I may need a refresher on how they are supposed to be connected. Here's my understanding, in the WTS's own words:
" The small band of Jesus’ brothers spent a short time in such an “abyss” of relative inactivity at the end of the first world war (1918-19). But when Jehovah poured his spirit upon his repentant servants in 1919, they swarmed forth to meet the challenge of the work that lay ahead. As John observes, the release of the locusts is accompanied by much smoke, like “the smoke of a great furnace.” That is how it proved to be in 1919. The situation darkened for Christendom and for the world in general. (Compare Joel 2:30, 31.) The release of those locusts, the John class, was actually a defeat for Christendom’s clergy, who had schemed and plotted to kill the Kingdom work for good and who now rejected God’s Kingdom." -- Revelation--Its Grand Climax At Hand!, chap. 22.
"You may ask, ‘Since religion still exercises great influence in the earth, why does the angel announce that Babylon the Great has fallen?’ Well, what resulted after 539 B.C.E. when ancient Babylon fell? Why, Israel was freed to return to its homeland and restore true worship there! So the restoration of spiritual Israel in 1919 to a radiant spiritual prosperity, which continues and expands to this day, stands as evidence that Babylon the Great fell in that year. No longer does she have power of restraint over God’s people. Moreover, she has come into deep trouble within her own ranks. Since 1919 her corruption, dishonesty, and immorality have been widely exposed. In most of Europe, few people go to church anymore, and in some socialistic countries, religion is regarded as “the opium of the people.” Disgraced in the eyes of all lovers of God’s Word of truth, Babylon the Great now waits on death row, as it were, for the execution of Jehovah’s righteous judgment on her." -- Revelation--Its Grand Climax At Hand!, chap. 30.
In short, the release of Rutherford and company from jail in 1919 marked the fall of Babylon the Great and the granting of power to the slave class. Why would they need to keep the 1914 teaching in order to support the teaching that 1919 marked the beginning of the F&DS/GB?
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Nambo
Ive worked out how the org can salvage not only 1914, but also the generation doctrine.
You see, unlike the ancient Egyptians, who were well aware of Moses presence and the plagues sent by God, we learnt from the Revelation book that the greater fullfillment of the plagues of Egypt, that being the plagues of Revelation, were all so subtle, in fact they where invisible, that mankind is totally oblivious to the sounds of trumpets and the wrath of God seeingly impotent as he hurls down plague after plague with not a single non-JW even relaising whats actually happening around him!
So, just as Jesus is also invisible, as is the rest of Revelation, well.....wait for it....Armageddon is also invisible, well was, as its been and gone, happened back in 1975, all those non-JWs are dead, they just dont realise it, its like an invisible death that even JWs cannot see, just as they cannot see Jesus, even though hes been here for 98 years.
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Jeffro
Nambo:
So, just as Jesus is also invisible, as is the rest of Revelation, well.....wait for it....Armageddon is also invisible, well was, as its been and gone, happened back in 1975, all those non-JWs are dead, they just dont realise it, its like an invisible death that even JWs cannot see, just as they cannot see Jesus, even though hes been here for 98 years.
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biometrics
Now that they're beating the "overlapping generation" drum I beleive 1914 is still as strong as ever. I really wonder how many JWs woke up from the whole "overlapping" theory? If the R&F can swallow that, they'll accept anything the GB throw at them.
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DATA-DOG
Here is question: They demoted all the Apostles, everyone from 33c.e to 1919, and any claiming to be annointed ( except themselves/GB ). HOW do they get rid of Rutherford's teachings? Will brazen conduct include reading " old light "? Anything C.T Russell said can be discounted because he was not part of the FDS. Not so with Rutherford. Perhaps a loyalty oath will need to be signed along with pledging a certain amount of income to the WT, perhaps based on income? Being so deep in the last days the GB may ask for displays of loyalty. Refuse and it' DF time based on brazen conduct. Only the most indoctrinated would obey. Sounds crazy, but nothing would suprise me. The DC last year forbid studying Hebrew and Greek or meeting in private groups to discuss the Bible! What's next?
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Jeffro
DATA-DOG:
Being so deep in the last days the GB may ask for displays of loyalty. Refuse and it' DF time based on brazen conduct. Only the most indoctrinated would obey. Sounds crazy, but nothing would suprise me.
Indeed. A few months ago I said:
But aside from that, I've had a theory (just a theory) for a little while about some of the things published recently by the Watch Tower Society - 'Selma and Steve', attitude toward those who leave, and now the Sparlock DVD. It seems to me that the Society might put out some of these unfavourable messages to deliberately shed some members, hanging on to the hard-core JWs and letting go of some of the 'fringe-dwellers' who consume literature for very little return to the Society. That is, those who are less likely to accept everything, more likely to do independent research, less likely to distribute literature, and, most importantly, less likely to donate.
This pattern is consistent with JWs becoming more insular, and the GB putting more focus on a 'spiritual paradise' as 'separate', which will gradually allow them to put less focus on a 'literal' paradise, so they can then claim that the 'kingdom' is here and Armageddon was symbolic after all. See http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/134823/4/The-Great-Tribulation-is-picking-up-speed#4163800 -
Vidiot
Jeffro - "I've had a theory (just a theory) for a little while ... that the Society might put out some of these unfavourable messages to deliberately shed some members, hanging on to the hard-core JWs and letting go of some of the 'fringe-dwellers' who consume literature for very little return to the Society."
I've suspected something like that for a while, myself.
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besty
I think once they complete their move out of Brooklyn and see a few years of stable baptisms v cashflow, then the GB may well get bored and start monkeying with doctrine "for the next phase" - think about what being a JW was like pre-1975 and then pre-1995 - logically by about 2020 we may well be thinking about what this current laissez-faire dumbed down transitional phase pre-2015 was like...
Until then, unless the Conti wagon starts really rolling, I don't see any doctrinal changes that anyone else gives a rats ass about.
Probably make the 144k symbolic and stop publishing partakers - might transition partakers from fringe to mainstream - that would remove a barrier to entry for the 3rd world gullible classes and keep happy a large part of their audience (old people) who have no desire for a 2nd go-around on earth - 1000 years with other JW's cleaning up a mess and then another round with Satan - really?
But who cares about window dressing apart from us :-)