A person can achieve everything by being simple and humble.
—The Vedas
Encouraging scriptures for the day
by Kosonen 543 Replies latest jw friends
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Queequeg
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Kosonen
The last three and half years before God's judgements begin
Revelation 3:10 Because you kept the word about my endurance, I will also keep you from the hour of test, which is to come upon the entire inhabited earth, to put to the test those dwelling on the earth.
Revelation 12:13 Now when the dragon saw that it had been hurled down to the earth, it persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is to be fed for a time and times and half a time away from the face of the serpent.
Revelation 14:9 Another angel, a third, followed them, saying in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the wild beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink of the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of His wrath, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb
Revelation 16:2 The first one went off and poured out his bowl on the earth. And a hurtful and malignant ulcer afflicted the people who had the mark of the wild beast and who were worshipping its image.
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Queequeg
"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
Buddha
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Kosonen
The end to the Watchtower organization is foretold in the Bible:
Daniel 8:9 Out of one of them came another horn, a small one, and it grew very great toward the south and toward the east and toward the Decoration. 10 It grew so great that it reached all the way to the army of the heavens, and it caused some of the army and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. 11 It exalted itself even against the Prince (Jesus) of the army, and from him the constant feature was taken away, and the established place of his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 And an army was given over, together with the constant feature, because of transgression; and it kept throwing truth to the earth, and it acted and had success.
17 So he came near to where I was standing, but when he came I was so terrified that I fell facedown. He said to me: “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
19 Then he said: “Here I am causing you to know what will happen in the final part of the denunciation, because it is for the appointed time of the end.
23 “And in the final part of their kingdom, as the transgressors act to a completion, a fierce-looking king who understands ambiguous sayings will stand up. 24 His power will become great, but not through his own power. He will bring ruin in an extraordinary way, and he will be successful and act effectively. He will bring mighty ones to ruin, also the people made up of the holy ones. 25 And by his cunning he will use deception to succeed; and in his heart he will exalt himself; and during a time of security he will bring many to ruin. He will even stand up against the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human hand.
Verse 11 that says: "the established place of his sanctuary was thrown down".
Isn't this the Watchtower organization and a foretold end to it?
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punkofnice
Kossy - The end to the Watchtower organization is foretold in the Bible:
It'd be nice to think so. However, it doesn't say or infer that in the vaguery it uses. I think you're putting too high a value on the fake religion that no one in their right mind cares about.
This chapter would more likely be about ending the oppression of the Jews back then. Look at the timeline and when it was written. VS:1.
The Watchtower Corporation(tm) isn't big enough or important enough to be the biggest part of a prophecy.
That's my sixpence ha'penny on it anyway.
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Queequeg
"Silence is beautiful for wise people; it is all the more beautiful for fools"
- Talmud
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KalebOutWest
Daniel is not a prophecy but an apocalypse, which is a different type of genre altogether.
It employs prophetic Jewish tropes to:
- hide the fact that the author employs critical language against a nation that is oppressing the Jews and
- comfort the Jews with the hope that events are "in the hands of God" and will turn out for the better.
Daniel is a Mesopotamian folkhero and during the time of the Maccabean revolt, he was cast as an "every-day" man who proved so faithful during the Babylonian exile that God used him as a prophet that had the power to humiliate Gentile kings.
It should be noted that of the 55 prophets listed in the Talmud, Daniel is not one of them, and the Biblical book of Daniel is not included in the Prophets section of the Jewish canon, but the writings due not only to this fact but to the fact that it is not a prophecy but an apocalypse written by the Hasmoneons/Maccabees.
The events in Daniel chapter 8 are actually a commentary on the revolt itself that eventually turn into the very first celebration of Chanukah. As noted in any mainstream Bible (such as The Jewish Study Bible, the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible, the NABRE, and the New Jerusalem Bible, to name a few), the schema is that of the power struggle after the death of Alexander the Great's death, when in verse 8, out of the four horns one in particular comes forth, which is Antichus IV Epichanes who suppresses Jewish worship in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Talk of the "sanctuary" and the "end" are discriptions of the end of the revolt and Judas Maccabees' enemies.
Verse 14 may have been the literal days the Temple stayed without a sacrifice until it was rededicated at the first Chanukah celebration.
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Duran
The end to the Watchtower organization is foretold in the Bible
Verse 11 that says: "the established place of his sanctuary was thrown down".
Isn't this the Watchtower organization and a foretold end to it?Yes and no.
Whatever proves to be the 'his sanctuary' will be thrown down/put an end to. That is what is foretold in the Bible. If JW's believe they are God's people and therefore 'his sanctuary' then they should expect the WTS to come to its end by the KFIC.
But there is no proof the WTS are God's people, at least no more so than others claiming to be. Since 1914 is a LIE then so is being appointed in 1919 is a LIE too, so again there is no basis for claiming they are God's people.
Just to note here is that the parallel account to the 'sanctuary' being thrown down is the 'holy city' being trampled by the wild beast/8th king for 42-months. The 8th king is the same as the KFIC/small horn.
[Daniel 8:23 And in the final part of their kingdom, as the transgressors act to a completion, a king fierce in countenance who understands ambiguous sayings will stand up. 24 His power will become great, but not through his own power. He will bring ruin in an extraordinary way, and he will be successful and act effectively. He will bring mighty ones to ruin, also the people made up of the holy ones. 25 And by his cunning he will use deception to succeed; and in his heart he will exalt himself; and during a time of security he will bring many to ruin. He will even stand up against the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human hand.]
[Rev 11:2 But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple sanctuary, leave it out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for 42 months.]
[Rev 13:5 It was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and it was given authority to act for 42 months. 6 And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his dwelling place, even those residing in heaven. 7 It was permitted to wage war with the holy ones and conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. 10 If anyone is meant for captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone will kill with the sword, he must be killed with the sword. This is where it calls for endurance and faith on the part of the holy ones.]
[Rev 17:13 These have one thought, so they give their power and authority to the wild beast.]
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Kosonen
Duran I liked your comment and the parallell scriptures you quoted. 😊👍
Yes, the Watchtower organization needs to come to its end. I am confident that Jehovah God and Jesus have directed and accomplished much through them, just like the jewish religious system that existed in Jesus' days had accomplished much. But it was not good enough, as today the Watchtower organization is not good enough. Actually they have shown that they stubornly persist in many falshoods and false unacceptable unbiblical practises. Therefore Jehovah and Jesus can not tolerate the Watchtower organization indefinetly.
The prophecy in Daniel 8 says that this destruction that will occure to "the sanctuary" is because of their transgressions.
Verse 12 And an army was given over, together with the constant feature, because of transgression;
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Kosonen
So nice it will be on earth
Matthew 5:5 “Happy are the mild-tempered, since they will inherit the earth.
Jesaja 35:1 The wilderness and the parched land will exult, And the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron. 2 Without fail it will blossom; It will rejoice and shout for joy. The glory of Lebʹa·non will be given to it, The splendor of Carʹmel and of Sharʹon. They will see the glory of Jehovah, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the knees that are shaking. 4 Say to those who are anxious at heart: “Be strong. Do not be afraid. Look! Your own God will come with vengeance, God will come with retribution. He will come and save you.” 5 At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 At that time the lame will leap like the deer, And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert plain. 7 The heat-parched ground will become a reedy pool, And the thirsty ground springs of water. In the lairs where jackals rested, There will be green grass and reeds and papyrus. 8 And a highway will be there, Yes, a way called the Way of Holiness. The unclean one will not travel on it. It is reserved for the one walking on the way; No one foolish will stray onto it. 9 No lion will be there, And no vicious wild beasts will come on it. They will not be found there; Only the repurchased ones will walk there. 10 Those redeemed by Jehovah will return and come to Zion with a joyful cry. Unending joy will crown their heads. Exultation and rejoicing will be theirs, And grief and sighing will flee away.