WTBTS "Anointed" Resurrection Fallacy

by The Searcher 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  The Searcher

  Based on the following statements of the WTBTS, the first resurrection began in 1918, is ongoing, and ceases when the living anointed are taken to heaven - just before Armageddon.

  (w88 10/15 p. 12 par. 13) "....according to all the evidence, those of the anointed who had already died faithful began to be resurrected to their promised place in the heavenly sanctuary starting in 1918."

  (w07 1/1 p. 30 par. 18) "As Christ’s presence progresses, anointed Christians who faithfully finish their earthly course are changed "in the twinkling of an eye" into powerful spirit creatures."

  (w14 2/15 p. 10 par. 12) "Sometime after the destruction of Babylon the Great, Jesus will gather to himself all the remaining members of the bride class. Before the outbreak of the war of Armageddon, therefore, all members of the "bride" will be in heaven."

  (The first resurrection - according to the Brooklyn hierarchy - will be completed before Armageddon commences)

  Revelation 20:1-3 tells of certain events which take place before the first resurrection occurs, followed by the resurrection itself in verse 4:

  1) "And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand."

  2) "He seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years."

  3) "And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not mislead the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After this he must be released for a little while."

  4) "And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for 1,000 years."

  According to the organization, the first resurrection began in 1918 and concludes prior to Armageddon - followed by the "second" resurrection which occurs sometime after Armageddon.

  According to Rev. 20:1-12, the first resurrection (the righteous) only begins after Satan is thrown into the abyss, with the second resurrection (the unrighteous) occurring at the end of the 1000 years.

  The only possible way for the WTBTS to dismiss the Bible account is to claim that the apostle John got the Revelation details chronologically wrong, just as they did with Luke's account of the Lord's evening meal. (it-2 p. 130 Judas - "Luke’s presentation of this incident evidently is not in strict chronological order")

  On that basis, the org's faithful worshippers will swallow it.
  
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  Listener

  w07 1/1 When does the first resurrection occur? There is strong evidence that it is now under way.
  

  
  They may decide that the first resurrection hasn't begun.
  
  

  w7612/15 To those who are doers of God’s will on earth to the end, his promise will be fulfilled. The “dragon’s” all-out efforts to keep the remnant from gaining entrance into the heavenly kingdom are doomed to failure. Revelation 20:4-6 assures us that these doers of God’s will who are yet needed to complete the full membership of 144,000 Kingdom joint heirs will endure in faithfulness to the death, that they may know the happiness of having a part in “the first resurrection.” God’s Messianic kingdom will not be lacking even one of its foreordained number of Christ’s joint heirs.

  
  This seems to indicate that they believe these scriptures are referring to the remnant, not all of the 144,000. As to why, they do not say.
  
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  Ding

  I think most JWs never notice such discrepancies.

  After all, they aren't allowed to read anything critical of WT theology or chronology.

  If they do notice such problems themselves, they don't care.

  They shrug them off as technicalities they don't understand anyway, grateful that Jehovah will straighten out the faithful and discreet slave if they have a wrong interpretation regarding such esoteric matters.

  They just keep on reporting their time and waiting for Armageddon.
  
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  prologos

  TS:"--(w14 2/15 p. 10 par. 12) "Sometime after the destruction of Babylon the Great, Jesus will gather to himself all the remaining members of the bride class. Before the outbreak of the war of Armageddon, therefore, all members of the "bride" will be in heaven."
  

  (The first resurrection - according to the Brooklyn hierarchy - will be completed beforeArmageddon commences)

  And this is the Achilles Heel of current wt doctrine. "all the things" that Jesus predicted are supposed to occur before the generation passes. If the anointed remnant is called to heaven, passes upward, to be there to fight at Armageddon, how can it be said the anointed generation will not pass? Surely, Jesus predicted Armageddon as part of "all these things"?, the end? --- and the generation, anointed and overlapping, will have passed at least once before that. eat your hat.
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  Vanderhoven7

  Could they respond: Since the Lord is coming with a multitude of saints, there will be some (remnant) on earth and some (those previously dying in the Lord) already graduated since 1918.

  14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones 15 to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”…Jude 1:14-15
  
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  prologos

  V: "Could they respond: Since the Lord is coming with a multitude of saints, there will be some (remnant) on earth and some (those previously dying in the Lord) already graduated since 1918.

  well they could, and have done so in the past, but now they are clearly contradicting Jesus by having all the anointed dead before Armageddon, and fighting and then getting married in heaven as the completed bride, --before the onset of paradise down here.

  PS: Jesus also said that " flesh would be saved" The disaster will be cut short for the sake of the "chosen ones" , He could not have been talking about the anointed, who can't wait to die, go to heaven, give up the flesh. Fixation on themselves, navelgazing got the better of them, with the anointed, overlapping generation.
  
  
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  prologos

  Vanderhoven7: "Could they respond: Since the Lord is coming with a multitude of saints, there will be some (remnant) on earth and some (those previously dying in the Lord) already graduated since 1918.

  Yes they could say that, but it would be a short term flip-flop, and shred their published charts, and expose them to the questions: with the Spirit's guidance, how could you possibly have missed Jesus' words to the effect that the generation would not pass until all (obviously including Armageddon) has come to pass? in the first place, without prompting, from of all places, here?
  
  
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  Bobcat

  Propaganda lesson 1:

  To make your opinions true, always preface them with this phrase:

  ....according to all the evidence....
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  Ding

  Flip flops are not a problem for the WT.

  They've been getting "new light" throughout their entire history.
  
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  prologos

  Ging: "Flip flops are not a problem for the WT

  It took them ~ 37 years to correct their glaring, "superior authorities" error. ~ 1927- to ~1966 ?. The anointed generation is totally wrong, contradicting the printed bible text; then on top of that came the overlapping. It is hidden now, but will expose them then,