( Apologies for the large space at the top I don't quite know why ) I sat through the WT study that dealt with all the new “understanding”. The conductor started by by saying “well we won’t spend too much time on what we used to believe, we will consider what we believe now”. I took a look round to see how the members of the congregation were reacting to this. Nothing.... The study or lesson, whatever you want to call it, proceeded as usual. We might as well have been discussing how to make scrambled eggs. Just the usual parroting of what is written in the paragraph. The only highlight was when a brother commented that probably many will stream in to Jehovah’s organization after the start of the Great Tribulation, when it states quite clearly in the WT article para 13 Until the great tribulation begins, people still have time to change their thinking and start walking on the cramped road “leading off into life.” The same wording appeared under the picture on page 7. Obviously hinting that after the Great Tribulation starts there will be no way that people can change their thinking. The door would be closed. So this Brother caused an interesting pause while the conductor tried to digest a comment that wasn’t actually written in the paragraph. Then another Brother stuck his hand up and “ corrected” the comment. But after that it settled back in into the routine. After the study finished a group of Elders huddled together obviously discussing this point. But on the whole no one seemed to grasp the significance of what was being studied in relation to what was taught as truth before. How was your meeting, if you attended? |
The WT study yesterday
by molybdenum 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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molybdenum
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clarity
Moly .....it just gets crazier & crazier .... after 5 decades in,
I see a remarkable change in the thinking ability of these
poor suckers! (I was a poor sucker)
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Did you hear, that they actually said that the GT had already started?
clarity
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Julia Orwell
Already started? I thought they said it hadn't?? Also, when do we hear about the AGM?
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konceptual99
The teaching on when the judging of the sheep and goats takes place has remained the same since 1995 (Oct 15 WT). The teaching is that Jesus arrives to judge the sheep and goats during the GT. So people have until that time to make a stand for Jehovah. This means that even if someone rejects the message now they still have time to change their mind.
The implication, never stated to the best of my knowledge, is that (a) some of those who think they are sheep could be judged as goats and (b) some of those who are thought of as goats are judged as sheep. Therefore the final number of those sealed as sheep or goats is not confirmed until that judgement time.
Just to be clear - the WT repeated the teaching that the GT has not started. This has been the case since around 1969. There were several teachings repeated, mainly to set the scene for the rest of the magazine and to ensure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. The only new changes in the article were (a) the anointed being raptured before the final battle of Armageddon and (b) the taster of the change regarding the F&DS not being appointed over the master's belonging.
Everything else is old sh/light.
Julia - the AGM is a few weeks away yet.
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Phizzy
The conductor started by by saying
“well we won’t spend too much time on what we used to believe, we will consider what we believe now”.
That comment alone should have been a MASSIVE wake up call, but it is difficult to wake up the brain-dead.
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Captain Blithering
Ours said EXACTLY the same thing, "we won't spend much time on what we USED to believe", with the caveat that he didn't want to get us confused and go home remembering the wrong thing!
I had a great answer lined up about the old light, but he skimmed over it dead quickly..
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Julia Orwell
Yep, don't want people thinking about the old light. It might get them thinking about other things too.
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St George of England
Our WT study was fairly uneventful except for Par 5 when a sister answered that the GT began in 1914. The WT Overseer simply said 'Thank You' but another brother corrected the answer.
On Par 19 an elder answered and explained that whilst the FDS get appointed over all things in the future they were appointed in 1919 to feed the domestics. This seemed to give the WT Overseer a surprise so maybe he has not read the other articles yet.
Other than those items it was business as usual.
George
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The Searcher
KONCEPTUAL99 - This article from 1975 seems to be still clutching to the failed prediction that the Great Tribulation commenced in 1914 and was still ongoing at that time.
*** w75 5/1 pp. 275-276 pars. 16-19 Why We Have Not Been Told “That Day and Hour” *** 16 As a comparison of the Scriptures with the events of history indicates, from verse 29 in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew’s account down to the end of chapter 25, the events described are ones that reach their climax during the time period since 1914 C.E. Some of these events, of course, had their beginning in the first century, but the finale to which they point is in the twentieth century. This is true of what is said about “the faithful and discreet slave,” also the illustrations of the ten virgins and the talents.—Matt. 24:45-47; 25:1-30. 17 When Matthew 24:29 refers to something that takes place “after the tribulation of those days,” it is talking about events since 1914 C.E., and that is after the “great tribulation” that came upon Jerusalem in 70 C.E. It is true that, from the standpoint of man with his short lifespan, events of our day might not be viewed as coming “immediately after” what took place in 70 C.E. But God, for whom a thousand years are “but as yesterday when it is past,” sees matters differently.—Ps. 90:4; compare “shortly” in Revelation 1:1. 18 Since 1914 C.E. it has taken place, just as foretold: “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Starting with the outbreak of World War I, mankind entered a gloomy period, indeed. There was no light for the future from the sources to which man was accustomed to look. It was also true that, historically, the literal heavens were viewed as the domain of the birds. But early in the twentieth century man succeeded in flying an airplane, which soon was employed for purposes of war. This led to development of death-dealing rockets, also to space probes that carried men to the moon, with the result that it came to be viewed as a potential military base for control of the earth. During this same time, what was being learned about the bombarding of the earth by cosmic rays from the sun and the stars added to man’s fears. Not because the heavens themselves had changed, but as a result of what man himself was doing and because of his increased knowledge of extraterrestrial forces that he could not control, the physical heavens have come to have a foreboding appearance to many people in this generation.—Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24, 25. 19 All of this is leading up to the end of this system of things, to the time when, as Matthew 24:30 says, “the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation.” That time is now very near!
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Splash
While pre-studying the following questions came to mind:
Para 5: "These pangs of distress correspond to what took place in Jerusalem and Judea in 33CE to 66CE."
Question: Were there war, famine and earthquakes in Judea between 33CE and 66CE?Para 6: "In the first fulfillment, the Standing In A Holy Place occurred in 66CE."
Question: Did the Romans infiltrate the temple in 66CE?Para 6: "In the larger fulfillment, the Standing will occur when the UN atacks Christendom."
Question: Since when do we consider Christendom to be a Holy Place?Para 7: "In 66CE the Romans cut short it's attack... Jehovah will cut short the attack of the UN on false religion"
Question: So if the 1st century Christians had to flee when it was cut short, what corresponds to fleeing today when it will be cut short?Para 8: Now describes the Rapture of the anointed, as pointed out by many others.
Checking the description of Rapture in the reasoning book, it says being 'bodily' caught up. This, deceptively, is not the definition of Rapture as believed by other religions, but does allow the WT to still say the rapture doesn't apply to them since they will be caught up in Spiritual bodies.Para 15: Lots of talk of Jesus 'coming.
Question: If he is 'coming' does that mean he is currently 'away'? If so, since when? If so, who has been appointing GB 2.0 in his absence?Splash