Posts by Doug Mason

5

Suggested chiasms of Matt 23-25; Mark 13; Luke 21

by Doug Mason in

my endeavour to identify chiasms in the parallel chapters of matthew 23-25, mark 13 and luke 21 may be accessed at:.

http://www.jwstudies.com/chiasms_at_matt24__mark13__luke21.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

My endeavour to identify chiasms in the parallel chapters of Matthew 23-25, Mark 13 and Luke 21 may be accessed at:

http://www.jwstudies.com/chiasms_at_Matt24__Mark13__Luke21.pdf

Doug

5

i was going to post this at another thread, but i did not want to have it hijacked.. you incorrectly assume that the 70 'heptads' were in some way related to jesus christ (yeshua ben yosef) of nazareth.

this was a 2nd century ce invention.. i can understand why you seek to relate cyrus' decree to the start of this period, since ezra 7 is irrelevant, but you have cramped your thinking by assuming that the 70 'heptads' are in some way related to the earthly ministry of jesus christ.. doug.

Doug Mason

Lars,

You are correct. All you can give me is "history".

However, I am talking about Scripture, which is where the 70 'heptads' are spoken of. You have failed to show that the "anointed" ones Gabriel speaks of is Jesus Christ.

Doug

5

The seventy 'heptads'

by Doug Mason in

lars,.

i was going to post this at another thread, but i did not want to have it hijacked.. you incorrectly assume that the 70 'heptads' were in some way related to jesus christ (yeshua ben yosef) of nazareth.

this was a 2nd century ce invention.. i can understand why you seek to relate cyrus' decree to the start of this period, since ezra 7 is irrelevant, but you have cramped your thinking by assuming that the 70 'heptads' are in some way related to the earthly ministry of jesus christ.. doug.

Doug Mason

Lars,

I was going to post this at another thread, but I did not want to have it hijacked.

You incorrectly assume that the 70 'heptads' were in some way related to Jesus Christ (Yeshua ben Yosef) of Nazareth. This was a 2nd century CE invention.

I can understand why you seek to relate Cyrus' decree to the start of this period, since Ezra 7 is irrelevant, but you have cramped your thinking by assuming that the 70 'heptads' are in some way related to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.

Doug

20

607 and 1914 etc ----help please

by AdaMakawee in

could someone please point me in the direction of some threads disproving the chronology for the 1914 date?

my brother needs this for a discussion he's having with a jw.. thanks,.

ada.

Doug Mason

Ada,

If it's of any help, I have a few pieces on the subject at:

http://www.jwstudies.com/babylonian_captivity.html

with some simple pictures at:

http://www.jwstudies.com/Why_historians_know_Babylon_fell_in_539_BCE.pdf

http://www.jwstudies.com/WTS_support_for_the_Babylonian_king-list.pdf

You will find my email address there, if I can be of particular help.

Doug

2

JW-related material at archive.org

by Doug Mason in

if you go to .

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=jehovah%27s%20witnesses.

and then click "date added" under sort results (on right), you'll get the latest uploads with the jw tag..

Doug Mason

If you go to

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=jehovah%27s%20witnesses

and then click "date added" under sort results (on right), you'll get the latest uploads with the JW tag.

16

Look what I found!

by agonus in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kkd4i4gem.

check it out at 3:11 (think about the numerical significance).... .

hmmm..... .

Doug Mason

agonus,

Lars was trying to make some big deal about Dec 25, and I am pointing out that even as recently as 100 years ago, Christmas was not universally celebrated on the day he makes such a fuss about. I assume some might be interested in searching the truth of the gradual shift from Dec 6 (with Grampus and Black Peter) to Dec 25.

Further, I don't see anything religious being contemplated on 25 December, what with feasting (pork included) and barbecues, Santa Claus, selfishness, spending money, wild partying, and the focus on all things secular being the theme of the day.

Doug

16

Look what I found!

by agonus in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kkd4i4gem.

check it out at 3:11 (think about the numerical significance).... .

hmmm..... .

Doug Mason

When my Mum was a young girl in Vienna (born 1911), Christmas was celebrated on 6 December.

Doug

16

A Sucker Bet , err, contract, to use on "End is Near" JWs

by Open mind in

so i'm getting mentally ready for the big un-thanksgiving celebration our extended jw family is planning for this friday.

turkey and all the fixings of course, but a day late, and wt-approved.. almost inevitably at our big jw family gatherings (tm), someone will make a statement or observation along the lines of "armageddon's so close" or "we're in the last minutes of the last days", you know the drill.

om: your house.

Doug Mason

One day as I was going along the road, I saw a man holding a sign, "The End is Nigh".

And he was right. When I went down the road the next day, he wasn't there.

19

My brief "Bible Study" with the Jehovah's Witnesses

by garyneal in

my wife called and told me she was going to a book study but my daughter did not want to go.

could i come pick her up my wife asked me.

sure, i went over as soon as i could.. when i got there, they were discussing encouragement and building others up.

Doug Mason

I provide my views on the HLCs in my Study at:

http://www.jwstudies.com/Loyalty_Test.pdf

It is my view that no member of an HLC would be able to know whether a patient is receiving the part of blood that is forbidden or permitted by the Governing Body of JWs, unless they obtain information. And that information cannot be obtained legally when legislation exists that enshrines patient confidentiality.

Except that the WTS says their right to know is greater than the laws made by human governments.

Doug

5

Kingdom of Heaven Like a Mustard Seed

by cameo-d in

"the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed which a man took, and sowed in his field:.

"which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

why is the kingdom compared to a bitter seed?.

Doug Mason

The "Kingdom of God" is the rule by God. This means that no human organisation (ekklesia) is the Kingdom of God.

On page 177 of Ladd's book, he writes:
"Do we not therefore have the Scriptural precedent to identify the Church with the Kingdom of God? Only in this sense: the redeemed are a kingdom because they shall reign upon the earth. ... The Church is a kingdom because it shares Christ's rule. The Kingdom of God ... is not the realm of God's reign; it is God's reign itself, a reign which is shared with those who surrender themselves to it.

"Revelation 1:6 is to be interpreted in light of this verse. The Church is both a priesthood and a kingdom. The redeemed share the prerogative of their Great High Priest of entering into the very Holy of Holies and worshipping God. They are priests. The Church also shares the prerogative of their Lord and King. They are granted the right to rule with Christ. They are a kingdom, a nation of kings.

"The Church therefore is not the Kingdom of God; God's Kingdom creates the Church and works in the world through the Church. Men cannot therefore build the Kingdom of God, but they can preach it and proclaim it; they can receive it or reject it. The Kingdom of God which in the Old Testament dispensation was manifested in Israel is now working in the world through the Church."

I provide the chapter that contains this page from Ladd's book at: http://www.jwstudies.com/Kingdom__Ladd__chapter_8.pdf

Doug