The goal in all this 1918/1919 change?

by careful 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  careful

  As some have recently posted here, there does seem to be a shift going on in their self-interpretation(s) of what happened in 1918 and 1919. If we can look past all the details that emphasize the poor thinking and poor wording (or contradictions/just plain craziness/insignificance) of their message, something bigger seems to be afoot. What is it? They appear to be attempting to redefine the meanings for some "prophetic" scriptures in light of themselves. A few ideas/observations:

  1. They are trying to somehow fill the void they have themselves created from their rejecting Freddie Franz's (FF) type–anti-type postulations. They are not as intelligent as he was, in fact, are much dumber, so are struggling to make their new proposals in some way work, at least in their own minds.

  2. Many Witnesses have often felt that some small assembly in Ohio during the 1920s seemed too insignificant for a plague in the book of Revelation to have been poured out upon the earth, etc., etc., and that such an interpretation was just too obscure to believe. Likewise FF's ideas that the big gap in Western civilization's history from the end of the first century when the apostles were gone (or the Roman empire falling) to Charles Taze Russell's (CTR) day (or the rise of the "Anglo-American world power") had more significance than FF would allow.
  

  3. What we may be witnessing then is a return to CTR's ideas that people/key figures from the Protestant Reformation (or even earlier) onward, or certain features of Western civilization's history, were foretold in scripture. He identified Luther, Wycliffe, and others with passages in Revelation and the Hebrew prophets. GB 2.0 seem like they may be going back to such a view. Reported on this forum was a post that a Bethel heavy recently made a statement in harmony with this. Furthermore, the Bible display/museum they are working on contains copies of translations they have been collecting that would also be in agreement with this. Evidently if you were some figure in pre-WTS Protestantism and you used "Jehovah" for the divine name in your Bible translation, then you may rate a place in upcoming WTS pontifications of prophecy!
  

  Of course, another factor likely at work now is their interest in maintaining the importance of 1914, so that might somehow figure in here as well.
  

  Just some thoughts...
  
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  Magnum

  Some have indicated on this site that the org never (or rarely) makes changes without some goal (as you mentioned) in mind. I tend to believe that, so I wonder where they're going with the 1918/1919 stuff. Are they breaking ground and planting seeds for some further changes?

  The three observations you related are, to me, interesting and sound.
  
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  Finkelstein

  The WTS is trying now as it has in many times to get rid of old irrelevant problematic doctrines as an intent to validate their self proposed image of being god's chosen ones (True worshipers) here on earth today.

  In the future don't be surprised if they flush down 1914 as well.
  
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  UnshackleTheChains

  I think the GB should just simplify things by getting a few loaves of bread out again on JW broadcasting and explain it in simple terms. Perhaps then it might sink in!
  
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  jwleaks

  JW Broadcasting: 1919 and Jesus' Illustration of the Loaves.

  
  

  BROTHER DAVID SPLANE: "In the gospel accounts of the loaves and fishes Jesus was prophetically illustrating that a loaf of bread can be reused to feed a multitude of generations. Likewise today, faithful Christians may not fully understand how one generation overlaps another generation while still being the same generation...

  
  

  "Each overlapping generation can be likened to overlapping slices of a loaf of bread. Even though they overlap they are still one loaf. Clearly Jesus understood what he himself meant when he fed a multitude of generations from a single loaf. Should we be discouraged if we are not part of the first slice? Not if we desire everlasting life.

  "For many years the "faithful slave" had pointed to the year 1919 as their appointment by the Master, Jesus. The year 1919 can be likened to the crust slice in our loaf of bread illustration. Do we grasp the modern-day meaning of Jesus' prophetic illustration, or are we like that little bit of leaven that spoils the whole lump.

  "Hence we should not be discouraged when trying to understand the deep things of God. Rather, we should have complete trust in "the faithful and discreet slave" whom Jesus appointed in 1919 to feed the many generations from one loaf. One way we can show our trust is by accepting all things the "slave" provides for us including this loaf of sliced bread which represents 1919."
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  UnshackleTheChains

  Hey JW leaks

  Thanks for clearing that up for me. It all makes perfect sense now :-)
  
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  waton

  By treating the refining of understandings as work in progress, WT creates the aura of a special people, the GOD [ go--doctrine] , and the initiated courtisanes, via the wt study. Those that can not understand , do not care, the average JW, are comfi too, in supporting it. great parody, leaked.
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  Hairtrigger

  JW'S HAVE BEN TAUGHT TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE THE CHOSEN ONES." "You cannot come to Hobo until he calls you. He chose fishermen who understood his son's teachings but the educated Jew's and Romans could not.

  Things of God can only be understood with those whose hearts are open to THE TRUTH TRANSLATED =Hoboisms."

  THIS IS THE SPIEL THAT MAKES JW'S FEEL THEY ARE UNIQUE AND ONLY THEY ARE PRIVILEGED TO UNDERSTAND THE THINGS OF GOD . AND ONLY THEY ARE CHOSEN TO SEARCH AND CONJOIN OTHERS TI THEIR TRIBE _WHOSE HEARTS ARE PURE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORDS OF THEIR HOBO GOD.

  EFFING NARCISSISTS AND SELF AGRANDIZING DOLTS.
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  shepherdless

  In answer to the OP's question, my guess is that they are gradually demoting Rutherford, making it easier to move past some of his crackpot ideas.

  i suspect also that this is part of a process where 1914 and 1918/1919 will gradually be downplayed and airbrushed out of their history. It would have to be done very slowly, as even the most brainwashed JW would struggle if the changes are not introduced incrementally.
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  smiddy

  Your not a GB member on here JWleaks masquerading as an apostate are you? if not you should put in your application to be on the GB its the best illustration I`ve seen yet.