The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason 56 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  smiddy

  Great work , well done
• 

  EdenOne

  Nice work, Doug, thank you.

  Although I should point out something that i find confusing. You quote the article on The Watchtower, July 15, 2013, pages 3-4, § 3 :

  "For a number of years, we thought that the great tribulation began in 1914 with World War I and that "those days were cut short" by Jehovah in 1918 when the war ended so that the remnant would have the opportunity to preach the good news to all nations. (Mat 24:21, 22) After the completion of that preaching work, Satan's empire would be destroyed. Thus the great tribulation was thought to have three phases: There would be a beginning (1914-1918), the tribulation would be interrupted (from 1918 onward), and it would conclude at Armageddon".

  I was surprised to read this, because I have no memory of ever reading such explanation before. This is the part I find confusing. Exactly what has the GB been teaching in recent years about when the Great Tribulation starts? Acording to the above statement, they have taught in had started in 1914? Really??

  • The Watchtower, May 15th, 2008, pages 12-16, § 16: "This world has been in the last days, or “the conclusion of the system of things,” since the year 1914. (Matt. 24:3) Very soon now, what Jesus called the “ great tribulation” will occur. " - So, in 2008, the GB was teaching that the start of the Great Tribulation was a future event, not something that had started in 1914.

  • The Watchtower, March 15th, 2009, pages 15-19, § 11: " Bible prophecy does not give a date for the first phase of the great tribulation to begin, though it does tell us what extraordinary event will signal its start. That event is the destruction of all false religion by the political powers." -In this article in 2009, not only the great Tribulation is described as a future event whose start is marked by the destruction of all false religion [surely that didn't happen in 1914, did it?], also is blatantly stated that the Bible prophecy does not give a date for the first phase of the great Tribulation to begin. So, how come the GB is saying that they thought the Great Tribulation started in 1914?

  • The Watchtower, April 15th, 2010, pages 7-11, § 14: "How, then, are we to understand Jesus’ words about “this generation”? He evidently meant that the lives of the anointed who were on hand when the sign began to become evident in 1914 would overlap with the lives of other anointed ones who would see the start of the great tribulation. That generation had a beginning, and it surely will have an end. The fulfillment of the various features of the sign clearly indicate that the tribulation must be near." - Clearly, as recently as 2010, the GB was NOT teaching that the Great Tribulation had started in 1914. Not only it is said here that it "must be near" [therefore, an event still in the future], but it expressly states that the 'generation' of the anointed that lived in 1914 did not see the Great Tribulation - it would take an 'overlaping generation' to see the Great Tribulation starting.

  Clearly, the GB isn't being factual current when they claim they have taught that the great Tribulation had supposedly started in 1914. Eden
• 

  Amelia Ashton

  Fantastic! Thank you for all your hard work.

  I particularly liked this quote ‘False prophets do not correct themselves’.

  I would ask Why would a "true prophet" need to? They also say "Correct themselves" so would that NOT be a god directed correction when they need to "clarify" doctrines then?

  I will be reading it again when I have more time tomorrow.

  Thanks again. Greatly appreciatd
• 

  prologos

  eden one, that is what I find puzzling too. it was in the 50s that we taught the wt doctrine of Gt at 1914, and that was dropped in favor of the "shorter than necessary,possible Gt" doctrine currently taught. why did the GB not admit to the current teaching? and

  Doug's good work lets that glaring cover-up, weaseling stand out.

  leapfrogging from really old light, over current ===sense (censored) to the new, july15 013 vintage, obscures the fact how many facets, variations of truth there really are, were, will be. could be.
• 

  Julia Orwell

  Great work! It's so refreshing, after years of pseudo-academia vomited out by the WT, to see really well structured and properly referenced analyses.
• 

  mzmmom

  This is so upsetting. When will they WAKE UP. Thanks for all of your hard work, I have saved it.
• 

  Wilfried

  Thank you---another work to translate in french...
• 

  EdenOne

  Ok, I've found it!

  Apparently it was a teaching that was held up on publications until the late 1950's and dropped by the WTS during the late 1960's.

  Here's a quote from the book "From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained", (1958) page 197:

  "The great crowd has 'come out of the great tribulation'. This is the great tribulation or trouble that Jesus said would mark this 'time of the end'. This tribulation began on the Devil's organization A.D. 1914 when Jehovah's newly enthroned King took war action against his enemies in heaven. Jesus said that this tribulation would be cut short so that some flesh could be saved. How was it cut short? By God's stopping the war action up in heaven against the Devil's organization. So after the Devil was hurled down out of heaven the first part of the 'great tribulation' ended. Soon now the climax or last part of the 'great tribulation' will take place...The last part of the 'great tribulation' means destruction of this world. It is during this in-between period, between the first part and the last part of the 'great tribulation' on the Devil's organization, that the great crowd of 'other sheep' come out. Now is that time."

  I find really strange that the GB presents the understanding of the start of the 'Great Tribulation' being a future event as "new light", when the "old light" it supposedly replaces has alreaby been abandoned for well over 40 years and the understanding of the start of the "Great Tribulation" as a future event has been around for decades already.

  Eden

  Edit: If someone is interested, you can find the link to the pdf. file of the book "From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained" here:

  http://www.a2z.org/wtarchive/docs/1958_From_Paradise_Lost_To_Paradise_Regained.pdf

  Be patient, it takes a while to download. I have a hard copy of this book but it's not in english.
• 

  Listener

  Eden one

  "I find really strange that the GB presents the understanding of the start of the 'Great Tribulation' being a future event as "new light", when the "old light" it supposedly replaces has alreaby been abandoned for well over 40 years and the understanding of the start of the "Great Tribulation" as a future event has been around for decades already."

  It is strange and makes reading their articles all the more difficult. It has to be deliberate and it is probably to stop the flow of free thought. I think they've done a similar thing with the idea of when the bible is talking about Christ's presence as opposed to his coming.

  How is a JW able to understand the 'deeper spiritual things' if they've got to go back over old teachings and work out how the new changes differ and on what basis.
• 

  yadda yadda 2

  Excellent.

  They may be laying the foundation for more radical shifting of events on their eschatological abacus. The article on 1914 on the following site has some interesting views on what may be coming up www.jwsrefined.com