Questions and Answers at a 1976 Bookstudy

by refiners fire 6 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  refiners fire

  Answers at a bookstudy from January 1976

  The book: “Mans Salvation out of World Distress at hand!” Published in 1975. Its been sitting on my shelf, unread in years, and opening it I see That chapter 2 is marked about every 6 or 7 pages or so with dates where the book study for that night ended. It seems that our “group” was studying this chapter of the book in very early 1976. Chapter 2 is entitled :

  “THE RELIABLE COMMENTATOR ON THIS WORLD DISTRESS”

  Many of the paragraphs in this book are marked, underlined painstakingly, but very simply, with no particular creativity of thought, by a youth of 16. There are no margin notes, only doodles,lots of doodles, and absently conceived shapes, distractions for a bored mind. I recognize the handscrawl of my Brother.

  I read the question to paragraph 2:

  “In the face of predictions by Spiritists, whom do we prefer to consult as a foreteller of the future, and why?”

  My brothers underlined answer, verbatim from the paragraph:

  “ The foreteller of events whom we would like to consult would be the one who has proved to be correct in predicting events… Since He proved Himself true with regard to what has happened till now, he can be relied upon as being true in what he foretells as being just ahead of us.” And: “ His prediction of mans salvation out of this world distress is something upon which we can confidently base our hopes and plans for the future”.

  And many did brothers, My own family included. My parents sold all they owned in 1974 and winged to England in a last effort to recruit their blood kin, left behind years earlier, into the cult.

  Paragraphs 20 and 21 are linked together with A and B questions. Question A asks:

  “Why does this Great Tribulation mean the end of world distress?”

  My brother dutifully underlined, the editing his:

  “This is the tribulation that will end the world distress, for it comes according to the judicial decree of the highest court of the universe….Since the year 1914 this system of things has been undergoing pangs of distress, which pangs will cease only with the painful death of the system”.

  Question B asks:

  “According to what further words of the Prophet do we not need to have the mournful outlook of the world ? ”

  His answer, underlined in red:

  “ When you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I say to you, This generation will by no means pass away until all things occur.”

  And: “ Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away”.

  22B. Question:

  “Why do we of this century have the strongest of reasons to adopt this posture?”

  Answer. The editing is his:

  “ We of this 20 th century ..have the strongest of reasons to…lift our heads up .. Our deliverance has drawn near and is now nearer than ever before”.

  Underlined in Paragraph 23:

  “There is solid basis for announcing that Mans salvation out of world distress is near at hand!”

  Paragraph 24A asks:

  “ Why has the source of the prophecy been kept nameless till now?”

  Answer:

  “ We have avoided causing any favourable or unfavourable reflection by naming the source of the prophecy. The point has been, when viewed objectively, has the prophecy proved true or not? Is the prophet, regardless of his name, proved true or false? Prejudice should not sway us in our judgement of truth or falsehood”.

  A little slice of history there brothers .
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  Matty

  Memories of those tedious Fred Franz books come flooding back! I remember around 1981/1982 that we suddenly stopped studying one book (was it the Happiness book or the Family book?) and started studying this book again, but halfway through. I think it was as a result of the "Night of the long knives" at Brooklyn. Does anyone remember this?
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  Prisca

  I have that book too. It's a light blue book, right? (it's currently packed away somewhere)

  There are no margin notes, only doodles,lots of doodles, and absently conceived shapes, distractions for a bored mind. I recognize the handscrawl of my Brother.

  My book has doodles and scrawling handwriting too, only the doodles and writing are those of a five-year-old!
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  ozziepost

  The term "Book Study" is apt, isn't it? It's a study of a book, with occasional references to the Bible, but primarily to a book.

  Strange though that "interested persons" are invited to have a "home Bible study".

  Cheers, Ozzie
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  Matty

  Pris the Mans Salvation book was light green, the same colour as the old Is The Bible Really The Word Of God book. The big light blue book I think was Paradise Restored to Mankind - By Theocracy. I'm very sad aren't I?
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  wannaexit

  flashbacks of sitting through the study of that book are coming back. I can't beleive we actually sat through those boring sessions as young teenagers.

  I don't know if I really understood anything. I just underlined and then just parrotted the answers.

  The Isaiah book that is presently being studied has got to take the cake. It's full of cr#@$.
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  refiners fire

  Under the chapter- REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTERING THE SPIRITUAL PARADISE

  My 16 year old brothers understanding of the Organizational post 1919 , type / antitype, “spiritual paradise” was entirely clear too. Fortunately he had the WT Org to guide him thru the thickets of potential Biblical misunderstanding. As to the “Type” , the restoration of a remnant of Israelites to the land after the 70 years of Captivity in Babylon was a “sign” for all the world to marvel at. Irrefutable evidence of the power of God to save His people. As to the “Antitype” :

  Question, paragraph 37A:

  QUOTE: “With what people do we find a modern day counterpart for that Sign?”

  His underlined response, The editing is his:

  QUOTE: “ we look for a modern-day counterpart of it. To fit the ancient pattern, this would involve the modern-time remnant … Modern history confirms that this remnant was delivered from Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, in the spring of the year 1919 C.E. Their religious or spiritual estate on earth had been rendered quite desolate”….

  Question. Paragraph 39:

  QUOTE: “ How has a worldwide spiritual paradise been produced for the habitation of Gods people in modern times?”

  Answer:

  QUOTE: “Jehovah blessed the efforts of the restored remnant of spiritual Israelites. A spiritual paradise has resulted, that is a worldwide marvel today. It is as if the mountains and hills of their spiritual estate had become cheerful before them with a joyful outcry, and as if the trees of Christian fruitfulness were clapping their hands”....

  Well that hardly explains HOW, but then, perhaps the HOW of it isn’t really important, all that matters is the fact that it is so. Paragraph 40 asks:

  QUOTE: “ How has the beautified estate of the spiritual remnant become a “Sign” that honors Jehovah?”

  Answer:

  QUOTE: “This remarkable transformation in the spiritual estate of the remnant has resulted in Jehovah's becoming famous throughout the earth. God's personal name has become known around the globe”

  Well again it doesn’t answer the HOW of it, all that matters is that the world marvels at the amazing “restoration” of the Borg to world prominence after their “captivity” in 1917/ 18. As paragraph 43 says, wrapping it all up, underlined by my strictly orthodox brother:

  QUOTE: “It all tends to prove that this thing is not of man, but is of the Almighty God….."If this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them [the scheme or the work]." (Acts 5:38, 39)”

  My brother well understood that the GROWTH of the Borg was unquestionable evidence that it was the work of God, rather than of men.