Separation of the sheep and goats

by RULES & REGULATIONS 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  Separating of The Sheep and The Goats

  You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, p 183, states: “since Christ returned and sat down on his heavenly throne, all humankind has been on judgment... During the presentjudgment people are being separated as ‘goats’ to Christ’s left hand or as ‘sheep’ to his right.”

  The WT of Jan. 1, 1988, p 16, confirmed this: “Yes, all mankind is being scrutinized to see who are ‘sheep’ and who are ‘goats.’... the messages are broadcast by human mouthpieces under angelic direction. A person is identified as a ‘sheep’ or as a ‘goat’ by the way he responds to the angelic messages. During this 20 th century, only Jehovah’s Witnesses have cooperated with the angels in this vital work.”

  After 130 years of preaching, what book, scripture, or message by the Jehovah's Witnesses separates the sheep and the goats? What exact message from a Jehovah's Witness will separate a person ? Here is a typical conversation with a Jehovah's Witness at a door! What was said in this typical conversation with a householder that '' humankind been judged ?''

  Witness: Good morning!

  All humankind : Good morning to you!

  Witness : "Hello. we are affected by many of the same problems—high cost of living, crime, illness—is that not so? . . . Do you feel that there is any real solution to these things?

  All humankind : "I’m busy today'' or "I’m not interested in the Jehovah’s Witnesses " or '' I have my own religion '' or '' I don't really know ''

  Witness : '' I have a magazine ( the WATCHTOWER MAGAZINE ) which explains these problems. I would like you to read it and maybe in a week or so I will return and discuss this with you and see what the real answer is.''
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  Phizzy

  I asked this of a very keen Bro, angling to get appointed, who called on me after I had left thinking he could get me to return.

  I pointed out that the populace at large had not a clue what JW's believed or taught, that after a 100 years of knocking on their doors, all people could say about them, at best, was what they did NOT believe in, Christmas, Birthdays and Blood Transfusions.

  What sort of basis for seperating Sheep from Goats was that ? I asked.

  I got the Deer in the Headlights look, and no reply.
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  Ding

  Or perhaps they leave an Awake with a life-changing article entitled, "Interesting Insects of South America."
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  Separation of Powers

  No longer applicable. This is another change to the Watchtower doctrine and thus another reason to publish another book that can be purchased, oh excuse me, donated for, and use for a study.

  SOP
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  Bobcat

  It should be noted that the WT changed their understanding of this parable in 1993(?) And then had another article on it in the July 2013 Study WT. I'm not sure if anything changed in that article from the 1993 change. [edited: SOP beat me to the punch]

  In the parable, "all the nations" are divided are then judged. And this is said to be done after Jesus "arrives" or "comes." The division wouldn't make sense if it was accomplished during a 100+ year preaching campaign as most of those 'divided' would have died of old age long before judgment was passed.

  The old WT understanding (cited in the OP) was based on the idea that Jesus "arrives" in 1914, and thus requiring a long 'dividing' period before he passes judgment. The new WT understanding sees Jesus 'arriving' just prior to the battle of Armageddon (after the great tribulation has already begun).

  To be fair, some of the new WT understanding is an improvement in understanding. Moving Jesus' 'arrival' to the time of the GT is more in line with how Jesus referred to his "coming" or "arrival" (Greek erchomai). On the other hand, their understanding of who constitutes "the least of these my brothers" and "these least ones" is still outside of how the terms are used in Matthew. They've basically boiled it down to 'obey us (the GB) and your elders, preach, and give money to the Society,' and if you do this you will be a "sheep," which is not at all what Jesus credits the sheep with doing in Mt 25:34-40.

  Also, in the parable, the sheep profess to not knowing that their actions would be accepted by Jesus as being done to him. But supposing the GB did indeed represent Christ's "brothers," and their explanation was correct, no R&F JW could honestly say to Jesus that he didn't know that what he was doing for the GB would be accepted by Jesus.

  Here is an analysis of the parable (Mt 25:31-46): See here , here , and here .
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  Phizzy

  What then nowadays is the actual point of the preaching work supposed to be, officially ?
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  wannaexit

  To the global community:

  you have been warned. If you don't accept the the watchtower's propaganda YOU will be deemed a goat and therefore be doomed to destruction.

  The lunacy of this teaching takes my breath away and yet I believed it and taught it. I can still see my father writing GOAT on the territory card next to the householders name.

  The new teaching hasn't strayed too far from the old. Now they say that a householder is making known whether he is a sheep or goats by the way he treats the witness and his message.
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  clarity

  Yes they now teach that christ will be separating

  the sheep & the goats after the great tribulation!

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  If it was not us doing it all those years, you may well

  ask......what were we really doing? Especially since

  the 'generation will by no means pass away' ...actually

  passed away! The last 130yrs was a complete waste of

  time & energy!(the whole thing of course is a waste of time)

  clarity

  *
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  wearewatchingyouman

  The old WT understanding (cited in the OP) was based on the idea that Jesus "arrives" in 1914, and thus requiring a long 'dividing' period before he passes judgment. The new WT understanding sees Jesus 'arriving' just prior to the battle of Armageddon (after the great tribulation has already begun).

  Wait, wait, wait, wait.... if Christ didn't arrive in 1914 how in the world did he pick his earthly organization in 1919?

  Sorry, this is a new one on me. Talk about a fork in the road.
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  WHEN DOES JESUS JUDGE THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS? JULY 2013 WATCHTOWER STUDY

  10. In the past, what was our understanding of the timing of the judgment of the sheep and the goats?

  10 Consider now the timing of another part of Jesus’ prophecy—the parable of the judgment of the sheep and the goats. (Matt. 25:31-46) Previously, we thought that the judging of people as sheep or goats would take place during the entire period of the last days from 1914 onward. We concluded that those who rejected the Kingdom message and who died before the start of the great tribulation would die as goats—without the hope of a resurrection.

  11. Why could the judgment of people as sheep or goats not have started in 1914?

  11 In the mid-1990’s, The Watchtower reexamined Matthew 25:31, which states: “When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne.” It was noted that Jesus became King of God’s Kingdom in 1914, but he did not “sit down on his glorious throne” as Judge of “all the nations.” (Matt. 25:32; compare Daniel 7:13.) However, the parable of the sheep and the goats describes Jesus primarily as Judge. (Read Matthew 25:31-34,41, 46.) Since Jesus was not yet active as Judge of all nations in 1914, his judgment of people as sheep or goats could not have started in that year. * When, then, will Jesus’ judgment begin?

  12. (a) When will Jesus for the first time act as Judge of all nations? (b) What events are described at Matthew 24:30, 31 and Matthew 25:31-33, 46?

  12 Jesus’ prophecy about the last days reveals that he will for the very first time act as Judge of all nations after the destruction of false religion. As mentioned in paragraph 8, some of the events that will occur during that time are recorded at Matthew 24:30, 31. When you examine those verses, you will note that Jesus there foretells events that are similar to the ones he mentions in the parable of the sheep and the goats. For example, the Son of man comes with glory and with angels; all tribes and nations are gathered; those judged as sheep “lift [their] heads up” because “everlasting life” awaits them. * Those judged as goats “beat themselves in lamentation,” realizing that “everlasting cutting-off” awaits them.—Matt. 25:31-33, 46.

  13. (a) When will Jesus judge the people as sheep or goats? (b) How does this understanding affect our view of our ministry?

  13 So, then, what can we conclude? Jesus will judge people of all nations as sheep or goats when he comes during the great tribulation. Then, at Armageddon, the climax of the great tribulation, the goatlike ones will be ‘cut off’ forever. How does that understanding affect our view of our ministry? It helps us to see how important our preaching work is. Until the great tribulation begins, people still have time to change their thinking and start walking on the cramped road “leading off into life.” (Matt. 7:13, 14) To be sure, people may now display a sheeplike or a goatlike disposition. Nevertheless, we should remember that the final judgment of who are sheep and who are goats is during the great tribulation. Therefore, we have good reason for continuing to offer as many people as possible the opportunity to listen to and respond to the Kingdom message.