I thought of something during last weekend's WT study article, that made me think that perhaps we are on the wrong track on how the Governing Body is going to handle the whole 607-1914 thing.
In paragraph 9 it referred to the the Messianic Kingdom rule as a period as called 'times of restoration of all things' taken from Acts 3:21. This period of 'restoration', started in 1914 with Jesus becoming King in Heaven, and led to pure worship being restored 'soon after that'.
And it was the last comment, that got me going.
You see, in previous WT study articles (and I went through the 1990-2024 references) this term of 'times of restoration' was applied rather generally and more like a description of what Jesus and Jehovah was going to do during the Messianic rule, rather than a formal title and a fulfillment of prophesy.
However, what if the Governing Body keeps 1914 as Jesus' invisible crowning ... but dumps 1918 as the date for the beginning of true worship?
Firstly this paragraph reinforces the previously announced removal of Russell being a part of the slave class, for obvious reasons. But if 'true worship' had a soft start AROUND the 1920s and making THAT the elastic part, then the embarrassment of his teachings and maybe even Rutherford's, all of it could be excused as the speech of John the Baptist. In effect saying. "Yeh, they had a good heart but the real out pouring of the Holy Spirit came latter". And secondly and perhaps more importantly, by breaking the linkage between 1914 and 1918-9, they can still keep 607BCE and the major part of the 70 weeks of years prophesy, without upsetting those who have known this understanding for years.
Of course, future WT articles may clarify this topic, and I could be completely wrong. But I just thought this might be a way out for the Writing Committee problems in dealing with our early Adventist teachings and the more bombastic decisions of the past.
The Times of Restoration of All Things
by no-zombie 3 Replies latest watchtower bible
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no-zombie
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slimboyfat
Acts 3:21 is a key text in Mormon eschatology referring to the restoration of the true church from Joseph Smith on.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-44?lang=eng
Watchtower applies the timeframe of restoration from 1914 through to the end of the millennium.
https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/pure-worship/teaching-boxes/times-of-restoration-of-all-things/
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nowwhat?
So much for doing away with the year 1914 anytime soon
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NotFormer
nowwhat?, probably not. The recent raft of changes got a lot of people excited and speculating about possible future changes. Dropping 1914 is one of those things on a "Things I'd Like To See" wishlist
It'd probably make sense to do so, but very hard to do in reality.
That being said, although I'm sceptical about some of the suggested changes, I'll always be pleasantly surprised about any that do happen.