how would u answer this?

by Noumenon 2 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Noumenon

  "True worship is back again

  Today, we see the reign of the 7th King of Bible prophecy, Anglo-America, continue to dominate the world. This king will only be in place for a ?short while? according to
  Revelation 17:10 . Already the infrastructure of the final 8th King is in place ? waiting for its ?one hour? of rule (
  Revelation 17:12 ). At this critical point, prior to the start of Jesus presence, only Jehovah?s Witnesses fit the requirements of a people for Jehovah. Although the original Christian congregation all fell away into apostasy, worship of the true God has emerged once again. Jehovah has a people for his name ? just as prophecy said there would exist prior to the Time of the End." (From www.jehovahsjudgement.com)

  I'm not aware of any prophecy that foretells that God would create a 'people for his name' prior to the time of the end, are you? The apostle Peter in Acts 2, or 3 (I think) specifically applied the scripture this author appears to have in mind (from Joel?) to his time, starting from Pentecost. So the way I see it this was fulfilled in the 1st century before the weeds infiltrated the wheat and the foretold apostasy began.
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  GetBusyLiving

  What was the date of this issue of the Watchtower?
  
  GBL
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  Narkissos

  Sounds like different discourses in Acts got mixed up. Which happens very easily for they are built on the same pattern.

  2:14ff:

  But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
  'In the last days it will be, God declares,
  that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
  and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
  and your young men shall see visions,
  and your old men shall dream dreams.
  Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
  in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
  and they shall prophesy.

  15:14f (quoting Amos 9:11f from the LXX Greek version):

  After they finished speaking, James replied, "My brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,
  'After this I will return,
  and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;
  from its ruins I will rebuild it,
  and I will set it up,
  so that all other peoples may seek the Lord--
  even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called.
  Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things
  known from long ago.'

  Yes for the author of Acts the (ideal) origins of the Church (Pentecost in chapter 2, Jewish-Christian blessing on Gentile churches in chapter 15) are identified with "the last days". And (in contrast with other NT material implying that the end was really really near) he already holds that those last days merge into the indefinite "time of the Church".

  In any case there is no room in those texts for "new last days" starting later.