In essence JW are coming from the Millerites, who did not see Jesus come in the 1800s. Instead of recognizing the failure and moving on, explanations have been cooked up to cover the unfulfilled prophecy. it is very near, already for more than 150 years...
The GENERATION explanation is now a BOLD FACE LIE
by scotoma 47 Replies latest jw friends
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Rufus T. Firefly
<<When they say "We understand" they don't mean "translate" they must be giving their own interpretation.>>
Notice the difference in these two statements: "John is a thief!" and "I believe that John is a thief!" The former statement may be challenged as slander or libel. The latter is merely a statement of belief.
Even more outrageous was their advancing a completely new view of the "faithful and discreet slave" simply by saying, "In recent decades that slave has been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses." But they never said who it WAS in recent decades that closely identified that slave as such. Mindless people just swallow the conclusion without challenging it.
Pass the Kool-Aid, please!
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DATA-DOG
Rufus!!
GB: ( Looking in the mirror ) Who closely associates the FDS with the GB?!?!
GB: WE DO!!!! ( clapping/ yay me!!)
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caliber
hey've basically twisted what Jesus meant to mean an era or epoch.
Examples of ERA
- the era of the horse and buggy
- We're just now entering an era of great prosperity.
- His death marks the end of an era.
The new Bible was they're opportunity to change the word "generation' to "epoch"
WHEN DOES JESUS ARRIVE, OR COME?
Jesus’ arrival to appoint the faithful slave over all his belongings, mentioned at Matthew 24:46, 47, also applies to his future coming,
Sometimes the new teaching's get so confusing we don't know if we're coming or going !!! Have I "arrived" at the conclusion or
"come" to that conclusion which is proper English ?
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Apognophos
Even more outrageous was their advancing a completely new view of the "faithful and discreet slave" simply by saying, "In recent decades that slave has been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses." But they never said who it WAS in recent decades that closely identified that slave as such.
It's true, that wording is so disingenuous. I'm reminded of how a former president was told to "avoid the 'I' word" when speaking publicly. This caused him to speak in a roundabout manner and use fragmentary sentences just to avoid speaking about himself. There, the goal was to seem modest, but here, there's a much more dishonest motivation.
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braincleaned
Thanks scotoma!
This whole 'new light' thing is turning into a bad overused joke! But the R&F are not laughing... they don't get it.
They are mind-controlled to not get it. Wow.... just wow... -
caliber
closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses." But they never said who it WAS in recent decades that closely identified that slave as such.
Is that like " Close but no cigar" ?
back to the mid-20th century when carnivals were prevalent in the United States. There were lots of carnival games. And the winners of the game would get cigars as prizes. That’s how cigars got involved. “Close, but no cigar” was the possible words the person in charge of the games said to attendants when they came very close to winning but failed at the end. Therefore, “close, but no cigar” indicates the meaning of “very near to success only to fall short at the end”.
All the cigars go to group number two it appears ...should they be talking about grouping's or groping for answers ?
grope
To reach about uncertainly; feel one's way: groped for the telephone. To search blindly or uncertainly: grope for an answer.
v.tr.1. To make (one's way) by reaching about uncertainly
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Bobcat
DATA:
I'm not sure if you understood me correctly (or I you). I was saying that in the context of Matthew 24:34, "this generation" is a reference back to "this generation" that Jesus referred to in Matthew 23:36.
In 23:33-39 Jesus says that judgment was coming upon "this generation," the then current generation of Jews that he was describing. This prompts the disciples, when they have the next opportunity alone with Jesus, to ask, "When will these things be?" (24:3) There is some question about why they also asked about Jesus' parousia and "the conclusion of the system of things." It could be that, in their minds, the destruction of the temple (which was the center of their world) must also coincide with the ending of the whole world order. If so, Jesus set them straight that this was not the case.
In answer to the question about "When will these things be (the destruction of the temple & Jerusalem)?," Jesus gives the prophecy from 24:4-31. Verses 32-35 then form a sort of summary conclusion that points out that "this generation" would see all these things unfold, which answers the question, "When will these things be?" This logically ties "this generation" of 24:34 directly to "this generation" of 23:36.
To make "this generation" of 24:34 refer to anything else requires some imaginative interpreting. But you only need to stick with the context to see that it refers to the 1st century Jewish nation of Jesus' time.
Note also that Jesus gave instructions in the prophecy for how his disciples could survive the then coming catastrophe. (24:15-20) So "this generation" could not refer to them. They were hoping to be survivors. It was the contemporary Jews who were going to "pass away." This also makes it plain that "this generation" could not refer to Jesus' followers. (The distinction between Jesus' disciples and "this generation" can be seen even more plainly from Luke 21:29-36.)
The answer to the second question of the disciples (about the parousia and the end of the age) begins at verse 36 where Jesus says, "But concerning that day and hour . . .," where "that day" is a short hand reference to "the day of the Lord" (or "the day of Jehovah"; e.g. compare Mt 7:22) and "hour" is idiomatic, referring in modern lingo to "time." Rephrased, Jesus says, "But concerning the timing of the day of Jehovah . . ." (Ekeinos, "that" in vs. 36, is also a reference marker to something previously said. Compare its use in Luke 12:45, "But if ever that slave . . .," referring back to the "faithful steward" just mentioned. In Matthew 24:36, "that day" refers back to the question about the parousia and the end of the age. This links Jesus' parousia to a sometime-in-the-future cataclysmic end of the world, not to the end of the Jewish system.)
Verse 36 begins with peri de ("but concerning" or "but about") which marks a change in subject. (Note that the NWT leaves the "but" untranslated.) Peri de is used to mark a change of subject or a change in the aspect of a subject already under consideration. Compare its use in Matthew 22:31; See Paul's use of it in 1 Cor 7:1, 25; 8:1; 12:1; 16:1, 12 where he uses it to move from one issue to another. Its use in Mt 24:36 breaks Jesus' answer into two parts, 24:4-24:35 and 24:36-25:46.
Jesus' statement that 'no one knows that day or hour' is in direct contrast to "these things" in 24:34. He plainly tells them "when" "these things" (about the destruction of the temple) will occur. They will occur within the lifespan of "this generation." "But concerning that day and hour, no one knows . . ."
If one sticks with the context, "this generation" can ONLY refer to the one Jesus was referring to in his time. And it CANNOT be a reference to his disciples.
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The GB ignore (intentionally, in my book) all that context. "We understand it [this way]" is simply a literary way of bullying anyone who might dare to think differently from them. They know many find this explanation incongruous, or even downright silly. They are simply digging their heels in. 'It's our playground, and if you don't want to believe it our way, you can go someplace else.' The OP is right. It is a bold-faced lie. And they will, eventually, have to pay for it. Like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, they are selling their future to have their way now. (Jn 11:45-50)
Take care
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villagegirl
They do this always, the "carrot on the stick" dangled in front
of the donkey who think if he takes a few more steps he will
reach the stick. The idea is they can't make "the end" too far away
or people will give up "the fight" The "fight" being the dead lives they
have led them into, the lost hopes, the dreams they never pursued,
the wasted time, the poverty they lived in all their lives. If only in a few
years it will all be over, just keep going, in the same rut, keep getting
dressed for those meetings, file in, sit down, listen and never question,
because soon, very soon, very, very soon now, it will all be over, really.
Yes it will, its called death. Why is it no religion on earth needs to do
this except the Jehovah's Wittnesses? If they are "the happiest people
on earth" why do they even care when the end of the world occurs ?
Because in truth they are suppressed and shamed and controlled and
living in social isolation on a treadmill of meaningless meetings and reading
really stupid books and literature that keeps coming and coming and coming
in endless piles and stacks filling every corner of their house. So soon now
it will all be over.
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BluePill2
What kind of dope are they smoking? This is too much for serious Bible students, but the last serious student left the room and closed the door. Nowadays they keep the oldtimers (my poor mother, still explains the generation thing like back in 75 - she clings to the old teachings - HEY, maybe she is up to date again!) and trapped kids and new people from third world countries.
The madness goes on and on and on.
