Um, I thought MILLIONS now living will never die.....OOOOPPPPS
We meant THOUSANDS now living will never die
Generation of 1914 gone!
by Gill 57 Replies latest jw friends
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EvilForce
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itsallgoodnow
Correct me if I'm wrong, I only go to some of the meetings, and I don't pay much attention, so...
Didn't they used to say that there would always be some of the anointed on the earth, that there would be some left when the Big A comes, and these would be taken away, like raptured, to heaven? I know they can always say there must have been a few that "fell away" and younger ones can take their place, but that's a bit of a stretch, don't you think? I mean, you are basically asking people to give up their lives for something that is so vague, at least before it was black and white.
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MidwichCuckoo
Oh Gill - are you saying that the ''Generation that will NOT pass away'', has PASSED AWAY???? They moved the goalposts......
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blondie
I might mention that the WTS teaches that the anointed have an initial sealing and then a final sealing that is yet future.
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w98 1/1 p. 6 Do Not Give Up in the Race for Life! ***They have thrilled to see the gathering of the remaining ones of Jesus’ brothers, and they rejoice to realize that the final sealing of the remaining ones of the 144,000 is well along. (Revelation 7:3, 4)
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w98 3/1 p. 12 Festival Milestones of Israel’s History ***The final sealing of the remaining ones of 144,000 anointed ones draws near
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w97 8/15 pp. 14-15 Living for Today or for an Eternal Future? ***four winds" of destruction are held back "until after we have sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads." This is not referring to the initial sealing, which takes place when those of the 144,000 receive the heavenly calling. (Ephesians 1:13) It refers to the final sealing, when they are irrevocably identified as tried and faithful "slaves of our God." The number of genuine anointed sons of God surviving on earth is greatly diminished. Furthermore, the Bible clearly states that it is "on account of the chosen ones" that the opening phase of the great tribulation will be "cut short." (Matthew 24:21, 22) Most of those professing to be of the anointed are quite elderly. Again, would this not indicate that the end is close at hand?
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w96 7/1 p. 19 Jehovah’s Great Spiritual Temple ***The 144,000 members of the holy priesthood have not all been finally sealed and gathered to their heavenly home.
*** w92 4/15 p. 17 Jehovah’s Provision, the "Given Ones" ***
Finally, after the demise of Babylon the Great, all 144,000 ‘sealed ones’ will be in heaven for the marriage of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:1-3; 19:1-8)
*** w82 2/15 p. 30 "What Prevents Me from Getting Baptized?" ***
When we consider how Jehovah has been dealing with his people during the ‘harvest period,’ it seems evident that the heavenly calling in general was completed about the year 1935, when the hope of the "great crowd" of Revelation 7:9-17 was properly understood to be an earthly one. This has worked out just as Jehovah foreknew that it would. As Revelation 7:3, 4 shows, there would be a final ‘sealing’ of the remaining ones of spiritual Israel. But, during this time just before the "great tribulation," a "great crowd" without any limitation as to number would manifest itself. They would retain their natural hope of living on earth, not being "born again" with heavenly life in view.—Psalm 115:16; John 3:1-8.
*** w74 1/15 p. 61 Do You Remember? ***What is the ‘sealing’ that is completed before the destructive winds of the "great tribulation" are released?—Rev. 7:2, 3.
This does not refer to the initial sealing of those numbered among the 144,000 who are in line for a heavenly inheritance. It is a final sealing, a determination of the permanence of the initial sealing. (Compare Ephesians 4:30.)—P. 730.
*** w73 12/1 pp. 730-731 Jehovah Brings ‘Sealing’ of His Chosen Ones to a Close ***THE FINAL ‘SEALING’
One of the Bible passages bearing on God’s activity toward his anointed ones on earth at this time is Revelation 7:1-8. There, the angels holding back the destructive winds of the "great tribulation" are told not to loose them until the 144,000 spiritual Israelites are "sealed" in their foreheads. (Matt. 24:21) What is this ‘sealing’? Some have understood it to mean that, during the spiritual "harvest," which is "the conclusion of the system of things," the selection of spiritual brothers of the Messiah Jesus will go on until the last year, day, hour and minute before the "four winds" begin to blow on the earth. Is this the correct understanding? No. Why not?—Matt. 13:39, 40.
Well, the ‘sealing’ here referred to does not mean the initial sealing of the 144,000, as if all of these, particularly all those yet remaining on earth, had not yet been sealed. The apostle Paul shows that this initial sealing takes place at the time of selection of an individual for the heavenly inheritance. He says to his spiritual brothers: "By means of [Christ] also, after you believed, you were sealed with the promised holy spirit."—Eph. 1:13.
Some of the ‘remnant,’ therefore, were sealed in this initial sense before the angel was sent forth with the "seal of the living God." The sealing that the angel does is a final sealing, a determination of the permanence of the initial sealing, so that "all [spiritual] Israel" is saved, the complete number of the 144,000 making the calling and choosing of themselves sure. (Rom. 11:26; 2 Pet. 1:10) Nearly all of these, if not all, were already sealed many years ago with the initial sealing. While it is true that some, before the sealing is permanent, may prove unfaithful and so others have to be sealed, there is no general ingathering of disciples being initially sealed at this late date. If those spiritual Israelites are to prove themselves true to God’s purpose for them, it is unlikely that God would initially seal new ones of this body of heavenly heirs at the ‘last minute.’
Blondie
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MidwichCuckoo
I didn't quite read all that Blondie - but are the ''anointed'', 'GB', ''covering their backs'' as it were?
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Gill
itsallgoodnow - In the past when the GB were a little more forth coming with their prophecies it was easier to pin them down on something. They always managed to wriggle out of their dates in one way or another by ambiguity and blaming it all on the R and F but now they are the masters of vagueness!
Blondie - There must have been a lot of 'bad' members of the 144,000 since the figures have not dropped since the 1960's for those still partaking of the emblems.
MC - The GB covering their backs! How could you suggest such a thing?!
Dr Evil - And finally - 'Nobody now living will never die!' and then we start talking the truth.
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blondie
This was in the paper today. Guess there are still a lot of people 90 and older, but it drops off when they hit 100.
The number of people aged 90 or older in Japan topped one million for the first time last year, including a record 23,000 centenarians, according to a government report released Friday.
http://www.canada.com/health/story.html?id=57f219e3-066f-4b84-9432-b1e4d62f422b
By 2034, they should be all gone, not too many people live to be 120 or older.
Blondie
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Gill
Wow,Blondie! 2034! Doesn't that date coincide with another possible date for Armageddon!?
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blondie
, yes, but I don't take it that seriously. I just live each as it comes.
Where are all those old people hiding out?
Blondie
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Gill
23,000 Centenarians, though! Isn't that incredible. I hope they've all got reasonable quality of life, though.
There was a couple in our area who have just celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary. The man was 105 years old and looked in fair condition for someone of his age. And they were holding hands. They were asked for the secret of their success. She said, 'Because we still love eachother, don't we?' He said, 'Yes, dear.'
It does appear though, that by the time 100 years is reached the figures start dropping of dramatically, sadly.