by Gretchen956 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Could someone please send me the references that changed the thinking (new light, if you will) about those alive to recognize the significance of 1914 being alive to see Armeggedon? Someone is asking me about this and I have been out too long.
Thanks,
Gretchen
6 Not only must we pay attention to the inspired prophecies concerning these final days of a wicked system but we must anchor our faith primarily on the precious sacrifice of Christ Jesus and God?s marvelous promises based thereon. (Hebrews 6:17-19; 9:14; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 2 Peter 1:16-19) Eager to see the end of this evil system, Jehovah?s people have at times speculated about the time when the "great tribulation" would break out, even tying this to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914. However, we "bring a heart of wisdom in," not by speculating about how many years or days make up a generation, but by thinking about how we "count our days" in bringing joyful praise to Jehovah. (Psalm 90:12) Rather than provide a rule for measuring time, the term "generation" as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics.
This quote is from the nov1/95 wt if that is what you are looking for
Someone is asking me about this and I have been out too long.
There is no such thing as being out too long
Thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for.
Gretchen
Unbelievable, what a cop-out!!!
But that's what happens when you have the wrong information!!
JC
Yeah, it is an amazing waffle.
CZAR
That is shocking that they finally gave up the generation teaching . Daniel 12 does refer to a tribulation so catastrophic that if God didn't intervene that no flesh would be preserved alive. This kinda works to their advantage because they can now pull the old get ready for the tribulation thing anytime they want . It's almost like a disclaimer of the previous attempts to pin down this elusive event .
I'm sure the Witness leaders and policy makers feel they have cleverly bought themselves some time. However the inconvenient fact remains that the Witness doctrine of the Great Crowd is irrevocably tied to the "old" understanding of a generation.
In the words of Revelation, the Great Crowd is composed of those individuals who "come out of" the Great Tribulation. Therefore those who are identified as prospective members of the Great Crowd must at least live to see that event, else there is no chance whatsoever that they will "come out of" it.
Therefore the concept of a generation as defined by its chronological limits is implicit in the doctrine of the Great Crowd. The Witnesses have no room to squirm on this issue. For them, the clock began ticking in 1935.
Good point TD. The rutherfords " millions now living will never die ", propaganda has been scrutinized on this board before . They continue to use that even claiming that faith in the WTBTS will be enough to save people thru the tribulation. I was told that myself , that as long as I was reading and studying the WTBTS publications that I would be saved during these events . What a joke .
Greetings H,
Actually I didn?t have Rutherford in mind nearly as much as those that came after him -- Knorr and Franz. When the Great Crowd doctrine was first introduced, the Witnesses believed that the Great Tribulation had already started with the first world war, but that those days had been ?cut short.? Consequently it was believed that those of the Great Multitude had already come out of the Great Tribulation.
When the Great Tribulation was subsequently relocated in Witness eschatology to a future event, it became necessary to explain exactly how the Great Crowd could have been identified ?before the fact? ? that is to say before the tribulation had actually occurred and anyone had survived it. And it was the ?old? understanding of the ?generation? that formed the basis for this explanation. In other words, those that stood up in 1935, were at least "prospective" members of the Great Crowd inasmuch as the end would occur within their lifetime and they therefore had the "prospect" of surviving it.
Even as recently as 1984, Witness literature was crystal clear on this point:
?Especially beginning in 1935, when the identity of the great multitude, or great crowd, was clearly understood, large numbers of these began to manifest themselves. Gods infallible Word depicts this group as coming out of the great tribulation, being survivors of it, living right on into Gods New Order without ever having to die. (Revelation 7:9, 10, 14; John 11:26) The early members of this group are now in their 60s or 70s or older. Jehovah did not allow the ingathering of this group to begin too soon. The great crowd, including many of the earliest members thereof, will survive into the new earth.? --Survival into a New Earth 1984 p.185
Therefore the ?old? understanding of the generation can?t be cast aside so easily. What they have done throws the shadow of doubt on one of the backbones of their unique theology ?the identification of the Great Crowd.
TD--- I suppose the best they can do now is eat their words on that one . No doubt they still say that the in gathering of other sheep is still taking place but that now they won't make any claims as to when the tribulation will take place. I still question alot of things they say about the little flock . It seem their words must taste good because they seem to wind up eating them alot .
