by FusionTheism 39 Replies latest watchtower bible
Exactly, Billy. Those claiming to be the "slave" can say anything in public, but in their hearts they delay the parousia.
If the bible is from God, even if he let it become corrupted by man, I have to go with preterism for the most part. It's all done. That doesn't mean Jesus couldn't "come along side" you in a personal way. It's seems that the GB would hate that teaching.
Anyway, barring some miracle, we will all have Hebrews 9:26,27 fulfilled in our time.
DD
Great comments Billy and Data-Dog.
Thank you.
How do they know it's the final push if they can't know the day and the hour??
DD
They would not know for a fact without some divine communication. But without that, in terms of the Bible:
1. You have 1914 going on 101 years this October
2. You have 1975+ x amount of years to correspond with the beginning of Gods rest in Genesis
3. You have Daniel's image collapsing
4. You have JW preaching going on for 100 years to 4 generations of people. It would not make sense to reject the message with no consequences.
5. There are other things too...
Time's up. JW "movement" about Christ's invisible presence and the time of the end is is not going to make any sense to non JW hearers of the word 105 years later. JW preaching is coming to a close. JWS can go on preaching but no one will care anymore. The time is up. Ran out of time.
Paragraph 6: "We might ask: Could not 'the conclusion of the system of things' refer to a future time when world conditions will become even worse? The Bible does indicate that wickedness will greatly increase 'in the last days.' (2 Tim. 3:1, 13; Matt. 24:21; Rev. 12:12)
So we can expect that world conditions, bad as they are now, will continue to decline."
Am I reading this right? It sounds like a major change.
WT explanation;
With this in mind consider Jesus's words;
(Luke 21:26, 27) . . .while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the
things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens
will be shaken.
So we can see friends, that the world is not at a point where men are becoming faint out of fear of the things coming upon the inhabited earth. This should encourage us to exert ourselves vigorously in the preaching work and give as much as we can in volunteer work and financial support-$$$$ While we still have time.
(Luke 13:24) . . .Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, because many, I tell YOU, will seek to get in but will not be able.
Aren’t we appreciative that Jehovah has seen fit to lengthened the time of the end and kept the ark of salvation open-Jehovah’s Organization- for more people to be saved. So let us follow the admonition in God’s word and not slack off, but instead be diligent in God’s work before the door closes.
(Ecclesiastes 11:6) . . .In the morning sow your seed and until the evening do not let your hand rest;. . .
Does that sound about right?
When I was bamboozled into joining this religion in 1969 all Jehovah WItnesses believed the end was coming in 1975 or very soon thereafter. If any one questioned this they were accused of being weak in faith.
Despite the fact that this was a failed prediction, just like every other prediction they have made, they still pretend the end is eminent. They get away with it because memories are short, people are gullible and fear is useful in manipulating people. I believe many do not enjoy being in a doomsday cult, but they stay because "what if they are right" fear overcomes rational thought.
Paragraph 3: "After looking forward to the end of this system for what may seem to be a long time, however, some may wonder, ‘Do we still have sound reasons to keep in expectation?
Back in the early 70's an old sister wrote a letter to my parents regarding 1975. She was a sister that done a lot of personal study and cut articles out of the newspaper and gave interesting answers at the book study. At least that's what my parents thought.
In the letter she explained that she had been talking to one or two at the circuit assembly and had now come to the conclusion that Armageddon would not be coming by 1975 or in her lifetime and she felt how difficult it was going to be for the young people who attended the kingdom hall in the many years to come.
My parents were dismayed by the letter and thought she was going out of the 'truth' and she was quite old.
Years later when I had stopped attending the meetings and going in field service I had a lively discussion with my father on the topic of the 'end' and being in expectation of it. He had not been raised in the 'truth' he had been baptised after he had a good job, married had a house and two kids. That wasn't how I had been raised.
I left the witnesses regarding the view of Christ's 2nd presence. Although I at first had no intention of leaving, gradually as my thoughts changed so did my life. For an example. Because I now became like the old sister who I mentioned at the beginning of my post and felt that the great tribulation may not come in my life time. I felt a need to try and alter own financial/ work situation. This put greater strain on attending meetings. Especially when you feel a lot don't like your viewpoint. I also had to consider the children would I allow them to go into assembly at school attend birthday parties etc. Well we soon found we were fairly isolated in the congregation as far as social activities were concerned and due to my now no longer feeling I could participate in the field ministry with my view of the 2nd presence it would be hypocritical to expect my children to support the view. They needed association and if they weren't finding it in the congregation they needed to find it else where. And so eventually we found we were really out. Mostly due to raising the children.
To keep in expectation of the 'end' I tried to explain to my father presented difficulties. If you have faith that it will come soon then you act accordingly. If you feel that due to experience and your understanding that it may not happen in your life time your expectation may still be there but you will have to act differently if in line with your faith or else it would be hypocrisy.
My two cents worth
Back in 1975, my former Team Lead worked with a guy who quit his job and sold his house anticipating the arrival of Armageddon.
I guess that guy had to get another job and another house because Armageddon was, once again, a no show.
The Bible Students and JWs have been claiming the end is close now for over 136 years.
Seriously, this isn't soon.
The Big 'A' is nothing more than a control mechanism. 'But it's in the Bible' has to be one of THE worst comebacks I have received on why it hasn't arrived yet but it will soon whenever I have brought up the fact that it hasn't arrived when predicted in the past.
Wishing something were true does not make it so.
FusionTheism - "Doing away with calculating how close we are to THE END"...
...is a bit of a catch-22 for the Org.
x
Historically, apocalyptic groups have had to occasionally "date-set" to stir up their memberships' interest and willingness to advance the groups' agendas...
...but...
...the WTS can't really do that anymore.
They hold the (unofficial) record for failed End-Time-related predictions, and they've been around long enough that the tactic is long past it's sell-by date; if they tried to do it as explicitly as they had in the past they'd lose too much credibility even amongst the R&F.
x
They're just left with insisting that the End is immanent, and occasionally making oblique implications towards certain dates and letting the membership stir themselves up.
Overall, the article sounds like a bit of an apology for screwing up so many lives with their end of times previous predictions.
apology accepted, on my part. Now, I shall carry on with whatever life plans.
SL
