It appears there are no more giant new interpretations of scripture these last few decades. Only Russell, Rutherford, Knorr and Franz were allowed to introduce major new understandings of scripture. The constant threat against independent thinking stifles new concepts and real change. Everyone everywhere in JWdom is afraid of being stabbed in the back and labeled an apostate. The downfall of Ray Franz is proof of that. I probably know more new stuff than they do. When you're PIMO your mind is allowed to think critically and even speculate here and there.
Book of Revelation
by Whynot 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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waton
I probably know more new stuff than they do
The problem is that the new permutations and refutations of the old ones are all like critiques of any fictitious story. ultimately entertaining, but not leading to serious results ( You can't tell me that you seriously believe in the base, the talking snake, carrion on Abel's altar, zombies walking into Jerusalem etc?
How about Babylon the Great not being Christendom but a bigger middle east based outfit?
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Phizzy
It has been pointed out that " Magic Mushrooms " grow on Patmos, though personally I don't think that "John" , whoever he was, who wrote The Revelation was actually high at the time.
It is typical of a Genre of Literature that stretches from the 3rd Century B.C.E to after "John" wrote, ( and wrote, incidentally, in very poor Greek, showing lack of education), and as I said above, is not prophetic in any real sense, the writer was only predicting things he hoped would happen within his lifetime.
Once we grasp this, it gets rid of all thoughts of a Great Tribulation etc, we realize that poor John was just another religious fanatic making silly pronouncements.
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Vidiot
Phizzy - "It has been pointed out that 'Magic Mushrooms' grow on Patmos, though personally I don't think that 'John', whoever he was, who wrote The Revelation was actually high at the time..."
It's also been pointed out that Patmos was used as an insane asylum.
Which, quite frankly, explains things even better.
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cobweb
Its interesting to look into Apocalyptic literature of the time. I just googled it and came up with this for example
As Phizzy says, once you see Revelation as just part of a Apocalyptic genre with similar tropes and imagery it stops being that special.
It is like in an old cowboy movie, the man in black hat and shirt is the baddie and the man in white hat and shirt is the goodie. You can guess this straight away if you have seen enough of them.
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Steel
Once I realized the watchtower didn't really understand basic Christology, the new conevant or how the bible is the story of God and the jews and then god and the church, the idea there is any real kind of prophetic insight in the esactogolical parts of the bible is ridiculous. -
careful
Can anyone understand the book of Revelation? -
Acluetofindtheuser
How about Babylon the Great not being Christendom but a bigger middle east based outfit?
You mean the place that sounds like "Becca"? That was a good one. I think I want more from you...How far is Babylon, NY from the old Bethel buildings in Brooklyn?
I saw that zombie movie too. I think it was called "World War Z"? Don't watch the trailer! It's too graphic.
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TD
"The Revelation was, of course, written for the people of the time, and was a thinly disguised attack on Roman rule. It is not prophetic of our time, or any future time, at all"
^^^ This ^^^
Most of it makes perfect sense in that context.
The woman of Revelation 17, who sits on the seven hills with her feet at the river Tiber is very obviously the goddess Dea Roma, (Rome personified as a goddess)
The Jews despised this goddess, calling her the, "Mother of harlots"
