The OP image is a screenshot of the WT study article for this week... "Revelation—What It Means for God’s Enemies" (apparently babies lol)
If you must, you can view the entirety of that study article here:
Did they read this today at the meeting?
by Jerryh 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Disillusioned JW
A moment ago I checked my notes that are in my old Bibles about the two chapters, but the notes did not pertain to the verses about the faithful slaves and the wicked/evil slave. Thus, the conclusion I reached today about the identity of those slaves is the first time I drew that conclusion (at least in the fuller sense I now understand it) - though many years ago while an independent Christian I had tried to discover the answer. [Using the NIV Study Bible, another study Bible, and some non-JW Bible commentaries I found some proposed explanations, and one was close to what I mentioned in my prior post except it did not use chapter 25 to make the determination. (At least I don't recall them doing so.) As a result I was not completely sure of the identity of the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matthew 24:45-47. While I thought it might mean faithful Christians in general, I thought (perhaps due partly to WT influence) that more likely it meant faithful Christian ministers/pastors/elders of the congregations. Now I know what the Bible reveals its identity to be.]
I continue to study the Bible and my understanding of the Bible keeps getting better. It is very hard for me to permanently cease studying the Bible; some aspects about the Bible fascinate me (though some other aspects of the Bible anger me). Some Christians might interpret these matters to mean that I became saved and that I am still saved (and that Jesus is with me), even though I've been an atheist for more than 10 years who tries to persuade people to becoming atheists. One Christian woman (who attends a Bible Church) says I am an agnostic, even though I have many times I am an atheist. Perhaps that is because I sometimes say things (including explaining things) about the Bible from a Bible believing Christian's perspective - though as a part of looking at ideas from both sides of the issues.
Hypothetically speaking, if there is a heaven in the sense of a spiritual realm with God and Jesus maybe I will end up there. But if so, I sure hope that God is much more loving than the frequent portrayal of him in the Hebrew Scriptures OT Bible. The description of the Jesus Christ of the gospels seems mostly very good and very loving and very kind. Some evangelical Christians say "Once saved, always saved" and a long time ago (during the time period I partook of Memorial emblems at my home by myself) I did pray to Jesus, saying I accept him as my savior.
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Disillusioned JW
Correction to the last two sentences of the second paragraph of my prior post. I meant to say the following. "One Christian woman (who attends a Bible Church) says I am an agnostic, even though I have many times told her I am an atheist. Perhaps that is because I sometimes say things (including explaining things) about the Bible from a Bible believing Christian's perspective - though as part of looking at ideas from both sides of the issues. In my presence (at her church's dinning room, when I go there for a free dinner that is open to all of the public) sometimes she tells people that I know much about the Bible and that I am very intelligent."
Further information: About two weeks ago she said that she has asked God to make her gray hair go away, but that it hasn't gone away. That reminded me of what I learned online about catalase in onions having the ability to neutralize peroxide build-up in the skin, and thus restore a hair's natural color. I wanted her to know what I had learned, so I jokingly told her the following. "Maybe God is speaking to you right now, through me, even though I am an atheist. If God can use an ass ('donkey') to speak to Balaam, then God can use an atheist to speak to you right now." I then told her what I had leaned about why hair turns gray and what can restore the natural color.
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waton
Revelation is pertinent to the slaves, can there be any doubt that wt, the GB considers all witnesses their slaves?so, you get the picture?
wt made it official, you are slaves.
This book is supposed to be written by an anointed, ~ 30 years after the end of the temple worship in jerusalem, a survivor whose existence shoots down the wt idea of a second fulfillment of the generation prophecy of 1914.
the anointed generation of 1914, in the "Lord's day", the setting of this article, will end before the onset of the end.
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Disillusioned JW
Holy spirit! Notice that the last sentence of Matthew 24:51 (at least in the 1984 NWT) has the exact same wording as the last sentence of Matthew 25:30 (at least in the 1984 NWT, and in the latter part of both verses in both the 1901 ASV and the 1995 Updated NASB)! Also notice that Matthew 24:44 speaks about an hour that you don't know and so does Matthew 25:13. These factors suggest to me that very possibly Matthew 25:13-30 (or Matthew 25:14-30) should be right in between Matthew 24:44 and Matthew 24:45, or right after Matthew 24:51! If that was the case in extant ancient Greek manuscripts of the book of Matthew then it would be much easier for readers to discern the identity of the "faithful and discreet slave"! Talk about a revelation, or at least an insight!
Furthermore, perhaps Matthew 25:31-46 should immediately following Matthew 25:13!
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Disillusioned JW
In addition, it might be helpful to read Mark 13:33-36 in between reading Matthew 24:42 and Matthew 24:43, since that makes a more logical sequence in the narrative. It makes a better conceptual link between verses 42 and 43 of Matthew chapter 24. Shortly after I got that idea I noticed that an arrangement very close to that is in the book called A Harmony of the Gospels for Students of the Life Christ: Based on the Broadus Harmony in the Revised Version, by A. T. Robertson.
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BluesBrother
We are discussing Study article 19, I am afraid the link given above was to next week’s study . As to their teaching on to whom the Revelation was directed, and who are the Slaves.. they now say ‘ we ‘ and ‘us’ as though it includes all the Other Sheep .
The revised Revelation Book on line said “ The apostle John, who wrote down Revelation, describes himself as such a slave. He was the last surviving apostle and one of the select spirit-anointed group of “slaves” that inherit immortal life in the heavens.”
So they have changed it, So what? They do flip flops and tweaks to teaching all the time . I doubt that anybody up the K/hall noticed.
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VM44
The Book of Revelation is now compared to a photo album? Amazing!
Also, are "slaves" equal to "dedicated servants"?
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BoogerMan
Whenever I hear/read references to "the other sheep," (John 10:16) and the "little" flock" (Luke 12:32) whom Jesus was exclusively sent to gather, (Matthew 15:24) I groan inside that it took me years to realize that these two groups are simply Jews & gentiles - not an elite heavenly 'anointed class' and an 'earthly class.'
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nicolaou
So they have changed it, So what? They do flip flops and tweaks to teaching all the time . I doubt that anybody up the K/hall noticed.
Blues is absolutely right. Not only is doctrine irrelevant to 99% of JW's but most of them won't have noticed the change or will have forgotten it within hours if they did.
I think more exdubs get excited about this stuff than the dubs do.