GB Doesn’t Believe in 1914 Anymore – My reasoning

by thedepressedsoul 74 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  thedepressedsoul

  I have heard a lot of talk over the last year or so if the GB will eventually ditch 1914 and some have even made the claim that most, if not all of the GB do not believe in 1914. I’ve given this some thought and in the past I wasn’t sure. This annual meeting puts 100%, without a doubt in my mind that the GB do not believe in 1914. I’d even go as far to say that they talked about that date and have a “game plan” in mind.

  Here is why I feel this way:

  There were a lot of changes with the parables at this annual meeting. They kept stating that “we’re making it simple”, that “there doesn’t have to be meaning to every little detail”, or “we were missing the main meaning behind this parable because we were distracted with little things”. The GB sat down and closely looked at these parables and came to that conclusion. Now, most of those parables were applied to around the 1914 date with the old understanding. That is no longer the case and is now mainly applied to today or in the future. If they looked that deeply into the parables and changed them away from prophecies fulfilled in 1914, it only makes sense that they also looked at 1914.

  It would not make sense to change all of that and look that deeply into those parables and not start to question 1914. These are not dumb men, they’re helping to run a billion dollar company. They are making changes that are meant for survival of the organization into the far future.

  I honestly believe that they know 1914 is not real. To change that much about the parables and believe in 1914 would make zero sense. I know this will get a change in the future, the question is when? Personally I think they’re waiting to see if any big events happen around the 100 year anniversary to choose their action. When this change does happen, I know almost every rank and file will say they knew it wasn’t true or never understood 1914 when it is finally changed. I already have heard multiple people say that they never understood or really thought that Gog of May Gog was Satan. The same will happen with 1914. I don’t even hear the R&F talk about it that much. I can’t remember the last time I heard a debate at the door over this date or even brought up to a householder.

  What they do with 1914 is still up for grabs. The new bible makes me think that they will leave it as when Satan was cast out of heaven, since they have WW1 in their favor. If some big event happens shortly I think they will keep 1914 for a time and use it to scare in new members. If nothing happens, it will slowly start to fade. I think at first they won’t get rid of it completely, keep some part of it “true to their teachings”. You can’t shock the old timers by removing it completely. Then after they made that change to 1914 they will slowly start to dissolve it completely.

  I’ve heard people already say “this is not the organization I left, or grew up in”. I think if this annual meeting is any indicator, even more big changes are on their way.
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  sir82

  Could be.

  Their MO in the past, when a doctrine became untenable but was too firmly entrenched to "new-light" (the WTS version of gas-light?), was to just drop it. Never mention it any more.

  That is what they did with the 7000 year creative days, for example. Just stopped mentioning it in print, and it gradually faded from meory. Today, only the old-timers dimly recall it.
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  sloppyjoe2

  The organization has proven they will and can change anything they want. I think they will always hold on to 1914 with significance. You probably nailed it on the head as it will always be when satan was cast down. I don't think (and I admit I could be wrong tomorrow) they will have to do any significant change until after 120 years has past from 1914. Jaydubs will grasp at anything to make it appear they fulfill old prophecy today. Every JW would gladly hold onto the 120 years of noahs day. Once that goes they will have to create something new. I have no doubt they will create something new and do it successfully when the time comes.

  JWs will always say that people should have waited on Jehovah when it comes to people disagreeing with the organization. So even if thousands of people were DFd over 1914, most JWs would shrug that off as those people weren't humble and should have waited. An elder told me a featured video coming up on JW TV is how to explain 1914. So if that happens I don't see them having any plans of changes soon.
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  Londo111

  Yes, it could be. If indeed the GB is truly in charge.

  If they do this and get away with it, it will be like yanking a tablecloth underneath a table of dishes. Those that remain in the organization without appearing perturbed will be impossible to reach.
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  Island Man

  I think they'll eventually accept the 587 BCE date for the fall of Jerusalem and shift forward from 1914 to 1934.

  Why do I say so? The 607 BCE start date is the most falsifiable aspect of the 1914 teaching since there's mountains of archaeological evidence pionting to 587 BCE. Everything else about the teaching is based on questionable, eisegetical interpretation of scripture, but cannot be definitively disproven (in the same way one cannot definitively disprove that there's an invisible pink elephant flying around a room).

  1934 is actually better because, unlike October 1914, it leaves some time between Satan's being cast out and the start of WWII, which was far more destructive and worldwide in scope than WWI. The 1934 date will also buy them more time for their overlapping generation (but they would have to change to it soon, perhaps within the next 5 years). Also, changing it this way allows them to save some face because they can say that the biblically based method of determining the end of the gentile times still stands as being true - only Russel (who by the way is not a member of the Faithful and Discreet Slave) got the start date wrong.
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  notsurewheretogo

  We all know they need to drop 1914 sooner or later to survive but their new "understanding" of who is the Faithful & Discreet Slave points to 1919 as a date thus this recent nu-lite is using a date only 5 years after 1914 so if they have to get rid of 1914 then 1919 will need to go too at some point and they will look very foolish if they hace to revise nu-lite...nu-nu-lite if you will...
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  OneEyedJoe

  On the topic of 1919, I'll repost what I said in another thread :

  I don't think they really need the 1919 appointment, honestly. I'd be willing to bet that 90% don't even know the significance of 1919, nor do they care. They've already been doing without it in spirit for years. Here's how it works:

  1. JWs are the only true religion (they're the only ones known for d2d work, they have brotherly love, etc, etc)

  2. God is a god of organization (twisting the scripture "god is a god not of disorder but of peace")

  3. Obey those taking the lead (Heb 13:17)

  4. The GB is taking the lead in the organization.

  And that's all it takes. The GB is to be obeyed, they don't have to deal with the pesky details of a 1919 "appointment" that can easily be demonstrated as false. Just unquestioning obedience.

  I'll add that the small number that do understand the significance of 1919, are made up almost exclusively of those who would be loyal to the organization through anything anyway. Removal of 1919 would be a non-event to most, and just another bit of new-light to be accepted without thought to a few. The line of reasoning above is the only reasoning that I ever recall hearing as justification for loyalty to the GB. 1919 is only discussed sporadically when they do one of those "hard" WT lessons on it, and then it's only mentioned off-handedly in one paragraph.

  I believe emphatically that the overlapping generations BS is just a stop-gap until they can get rid of 1914. If you've read CoC, you know that they often discuss things like this for years before taking action (they were discussing what to do about the generation teaching in the 70s, but didn't touch it till 1995). 1914 may remain in some form or other, but it won't be the start of "this generation" past 2034, and may well be gone much sooner. The overlap is fairly obviously designed to buy time until those that remember the emphasis on 1914 die off or at least are sufficiently senile or dependent on their JW children that they won't make waves.

  The other possibility is that they're just buying time until they die, and they'll let GB 3.0 handle cleaning up their mess.
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  Still Totally ADD

  Island Man there is something to what you said about it being 1934 instead of 1914. The reason I say that is because I have been hearing and reading on the history of so called WWI. Many now believe it was not a true world war because it did not effect the whole world unlike the way WWII did. If this thinking takes hold by many more historians the WT will have some kind of proof to change the date. Still Totally ADD
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  Finkelstein

  If they don't you can bet they are working on how to make it look like the WTS. didn't make it up fictitiously to attract people into reading their books

  and literature. You have to keep in mind that this doctrines of 1914 was a core integral doctrine that the WTS propagated for over a century.

  .

  The WTS was always proficient and competent toward exploiting "The Return of Christ" to attract attention to its literature, this goes back to C T Russell

  when he said 1874 was the year that Christ would return.
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  sporece

  I believe that GB knows most of their teaching are not bible based and they live in a fantasy world and down deep they know they are just another religion with its own interpretation and that "Jehovah God " has nothing to do with them.

  In due time they will eliminate the blood doctrines and maybe even the knocking on doors in order to be accepted...

  Mormons have been doing that for a long time, their prophet continues to get " New Rvelations".