first, the word jehovah came about because the ancient jews had a superstitious dread of pronouncing the name yhwh for fear they would violate the commandment not to take god's name in vain.
to avoid the possibility of breaking this commandment, the jews substituted the name "adonai" (lord) or some other name in its place when ever they read it in scripture.
eventually the scribes inserted the vowels from adonai within the consonants yhwh and the result was yahowah, or jehovah.
Just a small point, some OT verses are quoted in the NT which would have had God's name in them, so although you are right that the name doesn't appear in the Greek text, its certainly not inppropriate to include YHWH in the OT quotes. The trouble is once WTS took this name on they can hardly take it back can they.
Also I had never considered the fact that Jesus was never recorded as saying God's name, although he does state something like 'I made your (His Father's) name known to them'.
hi, i just got registered and am looking forward to getting to know others who have escaped from the controlled environment that i was so faithful to for so long.
i hope to meet others with similar backgrounds.
i've been out about 4yrs and love the feel of it, but to be honest, as much as a definiate decision it was on my part, there was still a long time of adjustment.
Welcome from another newish member. You comment on the time it takes to adjust to life beyond the WTS is so often the case, i'm just the same.
Arnie
im fading, and some of my family now realize we arent going to meetings.
everytime they phone or speak to me me, they keep reminding ( threatning) that the end is so close, dont give up now.. i just dont know how to respond, i know so much, but dont want to go into the un stuff yet ( dont want to sound apostate just yet) how can i say i dont believe the end is close !
that armageddon isnt iminent, what scripture can i use to back it up.
Then end is close for them because they are told it is. If you read Mathew 24 with out any bias, you can see Jesus was talking to the disciples about the time coming soon - the destruction of Jerusalem. There is no reason to read into it a broader meaning that just happens to coincide with 'today'. Why did the apostle Paul say to those he wrote to that there would be some of us changed in a twinkling of an eye to be in heaven? Yet the Witnesses claim this wont happen until Armagedon!? Unfortunately there is no way to refute their arguments without sounding apostate to their doctrines. Just be sure to your own understanding and convictions, and I dont know about you but I hated doing research when I was in, but now I love doing it. To actually be looking into the bible to discern its true meaning instead of listening to the constant propaganda dredged up year after year is actually exciting.
genesis 6:5-7, 8:21. god decides to send a great flood to kill all humans, save noah and his family, because man's heart is evil.
"and god saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.... and the lord said, i will destroy man whom i have created from the face of the earth.".
later, after the flood waters recede, god promises never to do it again because man's heart is evil.
Does not this account prove that the Witless idea of the paradise on earth, after all wicked mankind is destroyed to be false. After all if God says he wont do destruction of this scale again, that kinda flies in the face of the way the WTS presents their unique interpretation doesn't it?
up to last month i was a witness in "good" standing in the cong.
i was not from the elite circle but everybody respects me and a lot of people go to me for advice or comfort when they feel left out by "holy ones".
so, i don't know if i made a mistake by cutting all jw activities at once because now i think i'm the topic of the conversation and phone calls already started to come this past weekend.
I left abruptly too, I knew I was unhappy and there were things I didnt agree with so I just stopped. I then called the book study overseer round to let him know (as the book study was at my house) and said there are things that I no longer agree with. I was left alone until they found a reason to hound me 8 months later! They invited me to a JD which I declined, and as far as i know I was DF.
i thought i would let you know that my dad, passed away a little while ago, tonight, january 23. they called me at 6pm to tell me.
he had been failing rapidly for the past month, and had completely lost his hearing and was totally blind.
the dementia was extreme too, and he still knew me on thursday, but didn't wake up to know me in the following days.
Thank you for sharing, my thoughts go out to you
Arnie
can anyone tell me the year zion's watch tower was changed to the watchtower, and also why?
I dont know the exact answers to your questions, more a thought on it really. The full title included '..and herald of Christ's presence' It was these type of words that were being used by the Adventists, from where CT Russell gained the reasoning of the time of the end prophesies. At that time as you know it was believed that Christ had come invisibly from 1874 if I recall correctly, because of the discovery of the word translated: presence in one translation, and that as this magazine was printed during that believed time of his presence that it was to this the title refered. I will be interested to hear more on this as people reply.
i was speaking to my ex last night and saying how did she feel the governing body of the witnesses worked in practice, and that as annointed its been 71 years since the number was sealed - and therefore what happens when they become too old or dead?
she then mentioned the 'ruth class'.
i imagine this is some way the society is trying to alleviate the problem of the dying annointed by saying its a prophesy indicating that others would join the annointed and help out?
I was speaking to my ex last night and saying how did she feel the governing body of the Witnesses worked in practice, and that as annointed its been 71 years since the number was sealed - and therefore what happens when they become too old or dead? She then mentioned the 'Ruth class'. I imagine this is some way the society is trying to alleviate the problem of the dying annointed by saying its a prophesy indicating that others would join the annointed and help out? Anyone know more about this?
Arnie
i left the org slightly before the change in the "generation that was alive in 1914" thing was announced and wondered, what were peoples in the congregations reactions after this was announced and did it you notice people falling away because of it?
has it had a damaging effect?
I was there when this change came about and for me it didnt bother me at that time, partly cause I didn't read all the information (magazine's and what not), partly cause I went along with the B.S. that it hadn't changed a thing as the end was still just round the corner, and partly that looking back I dont think I saw the end of the world as a reality. When i look back at that i'm horrified that I associated with it for so long without any real reasons for doing so, apart from i was brought up in it...shame on me
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hi everyone!
was there ever an issue as to whether you were / weren't allowed to wear shoes at a group book study in someones house , so everyone had to dump their shoes at the door?.
My experience was that some Elders insisted people keep shoes on like at the kingdom hall and others were more polite and caring and were happy to take them off. I used to quote the burning bush, where Moses had to remove his footware before the presence of jehovah.
