As a born and raised JW, I was taught that not only did we have the truth but we also had the keys to understanding of Bible prophecy. I was able to explain the Gentile Times timetable, the reason for 1914,etc. but there came a time when I really came to appreciate that I had no real foundation for these "truths". I guess I never REALLY BELIEVED in these explanations and secretly hoped that no one would ever give me a good challenge to Scripturally explain them.........Did you really believe the explanations that Jehovah's Witnesses gave for their understanding of Bible prophecy?
Did Any Of You Ever Believe In The Explanations Of JW Prophecy?
by minimus 40 Replies latest jw friends
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Lady Lee
Beleive them?
I couldn't even understand them.
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NeonMadman
Well, yeah, I guess I did. There was a time when I was totally convinced that the WT was "God's organization," and therefore that anything they said must be true. So I did believe their interpretations in general.
I did, however, scratch my head about some of the specifics (the 1290 and 1335 days of Daniel come to mind), and wonder whether more "new light" might still be in the offing on those topics...
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greven
Well, I understood them alright but to me most seemed so ludicrous it was hard to actually believe them. Especially the ones like the 1290 and 1335 days... everything seemed to apply to them i thought it was far from being modest.
From what I learn from inside the cong: most do not understand them, in particular the elderly. Quite a lot of folks find it unreal, but are afraid to speak up.
Greven one-down-one-to-go-before-I-am-Jedi-class
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minimus
I think that we accepted most of what we were taught blindly. Whether it be the meaning of the "faithful slave" or a prophecy from Revelation, we might have been able to memorize the Society's explanation, but that's about it. It just shows how weak our beliefs really were.
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Room 215
I dont' know whether I describe my attitude as ``belief." When it came to acceptance of the WT's interpretations of the more arcane prophetic pasages in Revelation and the Prophets, I was more than prepared to accord their published speculations a good-faith willingness to withold judgement, or ``wait and see" while they played out over time, to give the WT writers ``the benefit of the doubt," based on the following premises which to me seemed reasonable: (1) these things, after all, were there in black and white; there's no denying they're in the Bible and were obviously put there to inform/educate/warn the reader; and (2) the WT had at least as much right as any other Bible commentator to postulate as to their meaning.
What I never accepted, however, was the elevation of such speculation to the same level of weight and authority I accorded to such JW ``bedrock" doctrines as God's name, no Trinity, soul sleep, Paradise Earth, etc. etc.
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Austrian
I know I couldn't even memorize most of the stuff. And anything that had to do with dates would really throw me for a loop. Being raised a jw, I just never really gave any prophecy explanations any thought. Until I faded, the KH was just a big social club. I give more thought now to the teachings than I did as a jw. And as a result I realize that they make prophecy as confusing as possible so the R & F jdub won't question it...
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blackout
Hi Min
I didnt even learn the prophesies, it was all too convoluted for me, I just sorta said huh? That doesn't sound right but it must be if its in the bible. Pretty dumb huh?
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cruzanheart
Hell, yeah! I bought it all, hook, line and sinker. I figured that I wasn't smart enough to understand it without help from the guys who had the hotline to heaven. Amazing . . . .
I was talking with a guy at work who is studying to be a preacher, and he was reading Jeremiah so we got into a discussion about the Babylon of the Old Testament and Babylon the Great mentioned in Revelation. I had to bite my tongue because I almost said, oh, of course Babylon the Great is the worldwide empire of false religion, except, of course, for Jehovah's Witnesses. Then I smiled to myself.
Nina
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minimus
see Room, a dent was being made before you even realized it. "A thinking person" might seriously question this stuff but let it go and patiently wait it out. ....I don't think the average JW is all that committed. Do you agree?