A time paradox with the Faithful and Discreet Slave

gods vigilante

Continuing in my endeavor to find the truth I found something quite interesting about the "faithful and discreet slave". According to the Society they say that the faithful and discreet slave mentioned in Matt. 24 : 45 refers to the anointed ones who have been appointed by their master over his belongings. Thus giving the the great crowd "their food at the proper time".

The Society says that Jesus Christ's second coming had taken place in 1914 and so they were appointed over his belongings at that time. However, according to vs 44 of Matt 24, just one scripture before vs 45, it says "at an hour that you do not think it, the Son of man is coming." If this were true then the "1914 prophecy", presented by Bible Students at the time, could have never taken place because no one knows the hour in which the Son of man is coming.

Yet, as many people know, the Society refers to the hour as being Armageddon. Yet, if that were the case, how did the "faithful and discreet slave" get appointed over his belongings, when in fact it can't take place til "after" Armageddon?

If anyone has any other thoughts please let me know. Thank you.

garybuss

Welcome gods,

I was surprised when I started to look at Watch Tower Publishing Corporation's doctrines and guidelines, that I did not know the doctrine of the progressive coming . . . the parosia or the doctrine of the appointment very well. I didn't even know very well the doctrine of the two hopes, family merit, or the doctrine of Theocratic war strategy.

I have heard the Watch Tower Inc. members says the day and the hour is not known but the month and the year are known. ( that might have been before 1975)

In 1995 they changed their doctrine to indicate the sheep and the goats will not be selected until AFTER Armageddon starts:-)

GaryB

gods vigilante

Yes, I have read up on those too. What I find funny is that, while looking up this information, most of these articles that they referred to were from the 1960s or back. When I decided to look up the information in the Watchtower Library to confirm its accuracy, lo and behold, it wasn't there. I always asked myself before, why the Society didn't have information that far back. I thought maybe it was because they didn't yet convert it to computer, or maybe there wasn't enough room on the CD. But now seeing that there were "false prophecies" from those articles, I now know why it's not accessible to the Witnesses.

(Thanks for the reply)

XQsThaiPoes

Most witnesses don't want those articles on their anyway. I know it sounds weird, but we know the watchtower was blowing smoke the only problems start when people ask us when did it stop. We are just a hodge podge jumble of unitarians people shouldn't take us so seriously. Oddly even atheist take offense to us and we like them better than religious people. Maybe its the chip on our shoulder.

If you notice some subjects have very few articles. The one you bring up is one of them. Also I don't think the watchtower knows how it got its authority. It just materialized over time. Most people have the concept that the watchtower has evidence they were choosen. We don't we just proclaim we were like everyone else. I think people think the watchtower is a real religous organization. Jehovah's Witnesses is a church granted, but the watchtower its a book company. It is sorta like how the government buys money from the treasury even thought they are the same people. If you read the literature it looks like we choose Jehovah and he got stuck with us. Because the WTS considers its self false religion until 1919. Unofficialy who knows? But seems the logic is we hunted God down and kidnapped "true" religion.

Oroborus21

Hey GV,

You are correct in your conclusion that the "slave" of Matthew is not appointed until after the Son of Man actually arrives (not just is "present" according to JWs), thus after Armageddon.

The traditional JW view involves the Parousia doctrine which arose out of Adventism and the disappointment that occurred when Christ did not bodily return as expected. In a nutshell, JWs believe that Christ "arrived" or was established by Jah to his heavenly throne ( thus he is now "present") in 1914. This action is also seen as the fullfillment of the ride of the rider on the White horse of the apocalypse from Revelation and of the War between Michael and the Dragon (Satan) where Satan has been "hurled down to earth."

But the "arrival" of the Son of Man is not known and this is seen as when Michael/Jesus finally "stands up" from the throne and begins the final war of Armageddon. The Bible clearly says that it is Christ's disciples that at this time are found either "faithful" or "evil" (unfaithful) but in order to warp the FDS doctrine into the scripture, the Organization attempts to create an application of the ILLUSTRATION and to personify the figurative slave and embody him in the form of a class of select individuals.

Totally wrong as you correclty surmised.

I have writen a paper re the FDS doctrine if you would like to read it just send me a personal message and would be happy to email it to you, or if you keep searching you will find much has been written on this topic by far better authorities than myself.

-Eduardo

paulista

Peace of God!!!!! The Word says that be every men a lier and only God true, books and doctrines that tell us things that there are not in Bible don't come from God, the Holy Spirit has to teach us everything and not a group of men who made a study about the Bible that is not the Bible, I am not attacking or deffending, I am just telling that we need to think inside ourselves to do the right thing. Peace of God!!!!!

undercover

I'm not real up on my indoctrination memory these days, but it seems like that the dubs like to say that Jesus returned in 1914, examined all the worlds religions and in 1919 granted The Bible Students(later JWs) his stamp of approval.

But, at the same time CT Russell was the slave and then the early brotherhood was the slave as a collective. In fact, the WTS has said the the FDS class has existed in one form or another since the first century. Several problems with this, like, who was the slave in the 2nd to 17th centuries? How did CT Russell become the slave if he rejected organized religion of that day? And, as was pointed out in this thread, how can the slave exist before 1914 if it wasn't appointed until after Jesus arrival?

Corvin

The Society says that Jesus Christ's second coming had taken place in 1914 and so they were appointed over his belongings at that time. However, according to vs 44 of Matt 24, just one scripture before vs 45, it says "at an hour that you do not think it, the Son of man is coming." If this were true then the "1914 prophecy", presented by Bible Students at the time, could have never taken place because no one knows the hour in which the Son of man is coming.

Of course the GB will argue that while it is "at an hour that you do not think it to be, the Son of man is coming (on the Greyhound)", they were watching out for him the whole time. They were at the ready when JC stepped off the bus. They just went by the wrong bus schedule is all.

paulista

Peace of God!!!!! Nobody has the right to say a prophecy about the time of Jesus' second coming. That wasn't God's will. We have to attempt to other things more important to our salvation, as love the neighbor and do good things. Here in Brazil there are lots of religions and JW are in every state of my country, I wish they spoke things to make people better and happier and not things so confusing as they do. Read the Bible and don't hear to WTS they are only a group of men and not the Truth. Peace of God!!!!!

akhessa

Rather than wondering when, what and how is going to happen - Armageddon, Jesus second coming or whatever - why don't we concentrate on ourselves and finding out who we truly are, learn ourselves to live in love and in peace, spreading that energy around in order that it may spread and reach others. If we live our lives in accordance to His will and feel Him in everything we think, say and do, then what does it mater when Armageddon or Jesus is coming. Basically, that should not be and is not of our concern. Maybe someone ought to tell the WT so that they stop trying to find new dates and times for such events.

A time paradox with the Faithful and Discreet Slave

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