False prophets or simply wrong expectations? (page 2)

leaving_quietly

I was running head looking at the End to much

The same talk the brother was saying that we no longer try to guess the Bible's formula for the end. That way, we're not serving Jehovah just so we won't die at Armageddon. Instead, we serve Him because we love Him.

In the next few minutes, he proceeded to talk about how some decide to leave because the end hadn't come when JWs said, so then that starts a chain reaction: if that's wrong, what else is wrong? Is the entire Bible wrong (since, as he said, JWs teach the Bible)? Is there even a God? Pretty soon, the person has this tremendous amount of doubt and then they believe in nothing at all, and leave and just go live their lives in "an unreality". Of course, not one single mention about wrong interpretations, changed scriptures in the NWT, etc. But then he had the audacity to say, 'wouldn't we rather be in Jehovah's favor when the end comes on His timetable, or if we were to die prior to then'? Huh? If we weren't in Jehovah's favor if we die prior to Armageddon, then, according to WTS, all our sins are forgiven anyway. It was totally a "both sides of your mouth" sort of thing.

Finkelstein

One thing that should be noted is that going as far back as William Miller in the early 1800's these so called "preachers

of Christianity" who published their own books calculated dates out very weak unsupported bible interpretation.

Why was this done ?

Simple, to attract attention to those books and other pieces of literature. !

Many of these books and their publishers exploited people's ignorance of the bible and what it really says

and from a theological stand point, they were poorly trained amateurs. More upfront salesman charlatans than well trained bible theologians.

Jesus himself said and discouraged of making up calculations or resting on a specific date but these corrupt religious charlatans

passed on the instruction to purse their own agenda and that is attracted attention to their published goods and this still

goes on today by many religious organizations like the WTS.

When one realizes for example that the WTS. under F. Franz (self described anointed and at one time President of the WTS. )

made up an intensional lie concerning the capability to count 6000 years from Adam's existence right up to October of 1975.

Its indicative that he was not only a false prophet he was commercialized false prophet, which to me is even worse.

AndDontCallMeShirley

These are just a sampling of the numerous quotes in WT literature assuring readers that the End is imminent. The specific dates were received from God and beyond dispute. This goes well beyond 'wrong expectations'! These were prophecies on which JWs based their lives on and the WT wielded control. Later, WT denied they ever said these things.

***

jvchap.10p.136 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth***

Did the Lord tell us that we would be taken [to heaven] there ? No. What did He say? His Word and the fulfil[l]ments of prophecy seemed to point unmistakably that this date marked the end of the Gentile Times. We inferred from this that the Church’s ‘change’ would take place on or before that date. But God did not tell us that it would be so. He permitted us to draw that inference; and we believe that it has proven to be a necessary test upon God’s dear saints everywhere."

WT blamed GOD for the wrong dates!!!!

In the November 15, 1955 Watchtower President Knorr went so far as to say that God was the One who was responsible for the preaching of Rutherford’s message! Under the heading, "Jehovah Is In His Holy Temple" it says …

Stirring up increasing interest in them, Jehovah caused to be preached from 1918 the startling public

message, "Millions Now Living Will Never Die."

***

w72 11/1, p.643 Be Big Enough to Admit a Mistake***

"Stumble" is just another word for "make a mistake." And though we all make mistakes, how difficult it is to admit making one! It goes against one’s pride.

When one is charged with making a mistake one is prone to want to justify oneself, to make excuses, to shift blame onto others, or to deny having made the mistake. It takes bigness to admit a mistake, to shoulder the blame, to admit that one has been wrong, or used poor judgment.

The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked in Scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874.
-Zion's Watch Tower, 15 January 1892, page 1355

We see no reason for changing the figures--nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble.-Zion's Watch Tower, 15 July 1894, page 1677

The Scriptures show Surely there is not the slightest room for doubtin the mind of a truly consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present and has been since 1874.
--The Watch Tower, 1 January 1924, page 5
that the second presence [of the Lord] was due in 1874 . . . . This proof shows that the Lord has been present since 1874.
--The Watch Tower, 1 March 1923, page 67

'There will be no slip-up...Abraham should enter upon the actual possession of his promised inheritance in the year 1925' (Watchtower Oct. 15, 1917, p. 6157)

'No doubt Satan believed the Millennial Kingdom was due to be set-up in 1915...Be that as it may, there is evidence that the establishment of the Kingdom in Palestine will probably be in 1925, ten years later than we once calculated.' (Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, p. 128)

Note:

1. this is promoting Zionism, which the WTS later rejected as a "satanic" concept,

2. apparently Satan firmly believes the same things that the WTS and Rutherford believed!

"We have no doubt whatever in regard to the chronology relating to the dates of 1874, 1914, 1918, and 1925. It was on this line of reckoning that the dates 1874, 1914, and 1918 were located; and the Lord has placed the stamp of his seal upon 1914 and 1918 beyond any possibility of erasure. What further evidence do we need? Using this same measuring line.... it is an easy matter to locate 1925, probably in the fall, for the beginning of the antitypical jubilee. There can be no more question about 1925 than there was about 1914." (Watchtower, p. 150, May 15, 1922)

If the organization did not actually prophesy the end in 1914, 1925 and 1975 why did so many leave the Org. after the failed dates passed?

"After almost six thousand years of human sorrow, suffering and death, at last permanent relief is near at hand and will be realized within this generation." (New Heavens And A New Earth; 1953; p. 7)

"The immediate future is certain to be filled with climatic events, for this old system is nearing its complete end. Within a few years at mostthe final parts of Bible prophecy relative to these last days will undergo fulfilment resulting in the liberation of surviving mankind into Christ's glorious 1000 year reign!" (Watchtower, 1/5/1968)

…"By 1975 civil disorder, anarchy, military dictatorships, runaway inflation, transportation breakdowns and chaotic unrest will be the order of the day in many of the hungry nations." (The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, p 88-89, 1968)

1974 "Yes, the end of this system is so very near! Is that not reason to increase our activity?...Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end." (Kingdom Ministry, May 1974, p. 3)

1916: "We see no reason for doubting, therefore, that the Times of the Gentiles ended in October, 1914; and that a few more years will witness their utter collapse and the full establishment of God's kingdom in the hands of Messiah." (Watchtower Reprints, VI, Sept 1, 1916, p. 5950)

And a similar statement 53 years later:

***Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15 ***

"If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years.

Of the generation that observed the beginning of the 'last days' in 1914, Jesus foretold:'This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.' Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers."

"The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah" - How" p216 (released 1971)

9 Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom.

--

The Bible (Deut. 18:20-22) says they ARE false prophets:

20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death."

21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?"22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken.(that about sums it up!) That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

and 1975, then how come so many Witnesses left the faith immediately afterwards? ("They lost roughly three-quarters of the movement between 1925 and 1928, then suffered huge losses after 1975, when the end didn't come as they had implied over and over again," said Jim Penton, an ex-Witness who writes entries on Jehovah's Witnesses for the Encyclopedia Americana.)