The 1914 generation is still going strong 100 years later - 2014 study article.

by THE GLADIATOR 443 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  St George of England

  @conceptual99 - The only scripture I have ever seen in support of this is Ex 1:6

  *** w10 4/15 pp. 10-11 pars. 13-14 Holy Spirit’s Role in the Outworking of Jehovah’s Purpose ***

  For example, consider our understanding of those who make up “this generation” mentioned by Jesus. (Read Matthew 24:32-34.) To what generation did Jesus refer? The article “Christ’s Presence—What Does It Mean to You?” explained that Jesus was referring, not to the wicked, but to his disciples, who were soon to be anointed with holy spirit. Jesus’ anointed followers, both in the first century and in our day, would be the ones who would not only see the sign but also discern its meaning—that Jesus “is near at the doors.”

  14 What does this explanation mean to us? Although we cannot measure the exact length of “this generation,” we do well to keep in mind several things about the word “generation”: It usually refers to people of varying ages whose lives overlap during a particular time period; it is not excessively long; and it has an end. (Ex. 1:6) 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. By maintaining your sense of urgency and keeping on the watch, you show that you are keeping up with advancing light and following the leadings of holy spirit.—Mark 13:37.

  George
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  konceptual99

  @StGeorge

  I don't even think that scripture can be used to support the overlap. I've looked at that before and my conclusion is that it actually supports a typical definition of the term "generation". It's talking about Joseph, his brothers and their contemporaries. Of course, some of them would have overlapped but I don't think that passage is in the Bible to support some notion of how Matt 24 is being interpreted now by the GB.
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  tootired2care

  New definition of "generation" from 1914 =160-180 years. Average lifespan is 70-80 years, so they will use 80-90 x 2 for their calculation. So...the FDS can stretch their doctrine out until 2094! JW's have a long, and exhausting marathon of futility ahead of them. It's really an incalculable amount to require of their members, with zero evidence of their being chosen by Jesus in 1914.
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  looter

  Never made sense. Never will. Always will be here just to justify the current anointed. Nothing more than that. I will never understand why their followers actually buy into this garbage. When I was Watchtower true believer, hardly ever heard about any kind of overlapping generation from them. Oh and if I did, I had not a teaspoon of understanding. It was always somrthing overlooked. But I don't think I have believed that.
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  St George of England

  @konceptual99 - I fully agree, but it's the only attempt they have ever made to provide a 'scriptual' backing for the idea.

  Of course it's not the only doctrine for which there is no Biblical support. I once asked an elder to prove to me from the Bible that the Other Sheep and Great Crowd are the same and that Christendom's view that it refers to Jews and Gentiles is wrong. He got more than a little stroppy!

  George
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  AlphaMan

  What is sad is that even worldy magazines doing expose on the Watchtower knew that the JW's would run out of time and have to change their generation teaching.
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  Listener

  Although they have stopped predicting a specific year they continue to set the time period for the end, this makes them a false religion.
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  garyneal

  Oh Dear God In Heaven

  They just won't let that go will they. I guess I am still amazed at the number of seemingly intelligent people that swallow this tripe. I suppose most of them don't really pay attention anyhow.
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  The Searcher

  There are 2 generations being spoken of who overlap one another. :) To be included in the first generation, you'd a) have to be "anointed", b) have been old enough to "discern the events and signs of 1914". (allegedly!) So, to fulfill the criteria for being part of the 1st generation, an individual would have to have been born circa 1894. A generation, in anyone's language, (even the Bible's) is never based on the oldest living person. At a push, it's 70 years. Therefore the generation born in 1894 would effectively end circa 1964. Now it gets interesting! To overlap with the 1st generation, the 2nd generation of "anointed" would have to have been "anointed" when the overlapping took place. Again, they would not reasonably have been younger than 20 years of age when they were "anointed", making their year of birth, 1944! That now brings us to how old the 2nd generation should be now, give or take a couple of years; 1944 + 70 = 2014! This is, assuming that you dismiss what Jesus told his apostles that it was none of their business, and that Paul told the Thessalonians not to believe any stories about God's day already having started! (Acts 1:7: 2 Thess. 2:2)
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  Splash

  What is the Bible's definition of a Generation:

  35 years: (Job 42:16, 17) "And Job continued living after this a hundred and forty years and came to see his sons and his grandsons—four generations.

  37 years: Jerusalem was destroyed about 37 years later when Jesus said "this generation will by no means pass away"

  38 years: Deut 2:14 - And the days that we walked from Ka′desh-bar′ne·a until we crossed the torrent valley of Ze′red were thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war had come to their end.

  (Mt 1:17) "All the generations, then, from Abraham until David were fourteen generations, and from David until the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon until the Christ fourteen generations":

  - Abraham to David : 2018BCE -> 1107BCE /14 generations = 65 years

  - David to deportation : 1107BCE -> 617BCE / 14 generations = 35 years

  - Deportation to Christ : 617BCE -> 29CE / 14 generations = 46 years

  Splash