If "rarely, if ever" we understand a Bible prophecy correctly until after its fulfillment, why assume that you can explain something that you already admit to not understanding? That's a great quote, Blondie! Why accept anything that is supposed to happen in the future when you know the "prophet" probably is false?
Did Any Of You Ever Believe In The Explanations Of JW Prophecy?
by minimus 40 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
kilroy2
I for one believed because I was told so. I liken it to the mom and dad cant be wrong so it must be true. then I grew up and found out mom and dad can and frequiently are wrong.
Then I found out that the explinations we were given were not explinations, they were doctrin given as fact,that had no fact to back it up. they never went past doctrin to facts unless it was superficial like hezikias tunnel. [excuse the spelling] any way how do you prove that jesus did or did not come invisible in 1914, It would be just as easy to say the end of the world would come in 1925 or for that matter 1975 errr. I guess thats been done.
-
KGB
Minimus,
Nothing personal but did'nt we all have to believe that in order to be one of them? I know personally that I had to believe in everything about what they told me or I could not get baptized.
-
JustUs
I really appreciated Blondies input:
*** w97 8/15 16 Living for Today or for an Eternal Future? ***As events develop, though, our understanding of prophecy has become clearer. History shows that rarely, if ever, are divine prophecies fully understood before their fulfillment.
*** w81 3/1 29 The 'Faithful Slave' Gives "Food at the Proper Time" ***
The "slave" is not divinely inspired but continues to search the Scriptures and carefully scrutinize world events, as well as the situation of God’s people, so as to understand the ongoing fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Because of human limitations, at times there may be an incomplete or incorrect understanding of some matter that may require correction later.Challenge now what may be corrected later, and you will be subjected to the "hell hath no fury" mentality that instantly kicks in when it comes to defending Brooklyn from the "mature ones", and you will forever be marked as someone to watch and report on if you're caught engaging in that kind of devisive questioning. It happened to me when I asked why, if there are around 10,000 (at that time) of the "faithful and discreet slave class" still here on earth, why are only a few (10 -15 at headquarters) involved in dispensing "food at the proper time"?
Still don't have an answer to that one. What a load of crap.
-
jads
As a JW from the time I was in kindergarten I must say that when the society was pushing 1975 as the end of the world I was terrified. Because I thought I was not going to make it since I was not baptized at the time. I was in the 8th grade and I was frantic because I thought that Since Armaggeddon was due and I was not baptized that I was doomed for destruction. Boy what a relief when 1976 I was still alive. That is when I start wondering How could Jehovah be wrong on 1975. But I still believed that JW's were the truth. I had a hard time accepting the 1918 prophecy concerning when Rutherford and his leaders were arrested and that was the prophecy concerning the two witnesses being revived in the streets. I just could not swallow that one. Then when they start changing the "generation'' rapidly until they had to do away with it I had already left the JW's in 1989 I just found out about the "new Light" on the generation about a year ago I did not even know about it. But I knew when I left that athey would have to change it because time was running out. I wonder what they are going to do when the year 2014 arrives after a 100 years from 1914?
-
Black Man
Yep, I believed it all.....hook, line and sinker. I could articulate all of it very well and throw in the powers of persuasion to sound so convincing. It wasn't until I got to Bethel, that I began to question things, when I actually saw WHO ARE WRITING THESE ARTICLES AND HAVE THIS DIRECT PIPE-LINE TO GOD. All these cats coming up with this new light, were some of the most dysfunctional, unbalanced, socially infantile, idiosyncratic human beings. The questions began at that point for me.
I asked one of the brothers in writing about how much a stretch it is to apply the seven trumpet-blasts in Revelation fulfilled by some obscure assemblies in 1922. His reply was, well that's the frame-work that they're stuck with from the previous "regime", so they just run with it.
-
JCanon
It doesn't seem to work out when you think of JWs as being "God's organization" and all the missed prophecies, but actually it was prophesied regarding them that they would NOT have everything correct.
Many prophecies in the NT are about this organization, including how the GB becomes the "man of lawlessness" and the "evil slave". But basically the parable of the "wheat and weeds" explains it. It shows how first good seed was planted but before the blades came up, meaning before the organization began to even grow large, Satan planted weeds. These weeds were the Freemasonry influence of Russell and Rutherford. Thus when the organization began to grow, by 1914-1918 there the weeds were beginning to show themselves. At Russell's death, therefore, Rutherford turned Russell into a god and claimed he was the prophesied "Faithful and wise servant". This was later changed, of course, but that was the idolatry of the "Faithful Slave".
But Rutherford took over at this point and to remove him and start over would mean some true wheat/sheep who had begun to gather would be lost. So it was decided to just let the corruption remain in the organization until the very end. Thus the "wheat and weeds" would grow together. In the meantime, it would be difficult to separate the two.
So now we are seeing the combination of both the true part of the prophesies being understood and the misunderstood parts that don't work. If you keep in mind, therefore, that God still chose to use this organization even though the management was corrupt from nearly the very beginning, then you can understand how God is dealing with the organization that he still uses for his temple organization. Basically, when the Messiah comes the sheep would be removed out of the organization and the weeds destroyed.
But, in THAT regard, while it seems the DATES don't work for their stated purpose, they still served their general reference of drawing attention to the times and they REMAIN SIGNIFICANT, prophetically.
1874, while not the date of the second coming is still the dating for "Noah's generation" of 120 years from 1874 to 1994.
1914, while not the date for the second coming or the "end of the gentile times" is still the correct date for the "last generation" of 80 years from 1914 to 1994. So attention was drawn to that date generally and that's correct.
Of course, 1925 and 1975 were just wrong.....
Canon
-
minimus
I don't know how many explanations of the Watchtower Society I actually, totally believed in. I accepted them as the "truth". But I've always had a hard time trying to persuade a person that all elders are appointed by holy spirit or that selling your homes because 1975 was right around the corner was a good thing. I think we blindly WANTED to ACCEPT that much of this was true. Who wants to think that their parents and family are all wrong? Who WANTS to believe that ALL of their friends are brainwashed? We accepted because it might have been all that we knew.
-
Zapper_1
I really wonder how anyone could have felt the way that so many apparently do about JW prophecy still remain faithful to the organization while feeling that way. If I found any part of a belief system uncomprehensible or questionable, I think I'd begin to question the the entire system. Of course, I've never been a JW and have always been guilty of "independent thinking" . And please don't misunderstand me. It isn't my intention to insult anyone. I'm just interested into getting a little more insight into the mind of the Borg. Thanks.
-
berylblue
No, I didn't. But I did believe in Jehovah. I suppose that's why I stayed.