Posts by Doug Mason

55

Signs - Jesus - Has the Scripture Been Misread ?

by *lost* in

meletivivlon.com - interesting and enlightening theory on jesus and the signs.. wars, earthquakes, food shortages.. what if jesus meant the very opposite ?

jesus said - look out that nobody misleads you.

( jesus warning us as a safegaurd for us not to be mislead about exactly when the time would come ) .

Doug Mason

Matt 24 does indeed warn the disciples against seeing wars, etc., as signs. They are not told to beware of wars but to beware of deceivers. Matt 24 does not say "huge wars", "large loss of life", "lots of nations", "long wars", "many earthquakes with large loss of life". Also, wars, earthquakes (no volcanoes?) and such have always existed. Wars and earthquakes are not portents of good tidings.

Later in the Matthew discourse they are again warned against listening to deceivers saying he has come in the secret place or in the desert, and later still parables are given that again say things will carry on as normal (unaware in Noah's time) and it will happen when no one expects (midnight, long after the day had ended at sunset).

The people who wrote Matt 24 had heard Paul say he was expectiing the Coming would take place in his own lifetime; the people who wrote Matthew (aafter Paul's death) tried to dampen the expectation (they were allied to Peter, not to Paul). And later the guy who wrote Revelation aimed it specifically to people of his own time, saying it was going to happen "soon". Even Jesus is supposed to have said it would happen within the time of his own generation.

At every age since then people have warned of an imminent divine intervention. The score - a Big Fat Zero.

Doug

35

Bad chronology - Samuel, Saul and David

by Jeffro in

according to 1 samuel 13:1, in the oldest hebrew manuscripts, saul ruled for two years (assuming saul actually existed at all, for which there is no hard evidence).

however, various [christian] translators assume this 'must' be an error because acts 13:21 says saul reigned for forty years.

saul's age at 1 samuel 13:1 is conveniently missing from the oldest manuscripts.

Doug Mason

Acts (of the Apostles) is recognised as providing stories that cannot be relied on. Which is of itself interesting, inasmuch as the WTS relies on Acts 15 for its authority.

I have no knowledge of the matters you raise, so I wonder why you rely on the Hebrew text when the Greek is so much older. Is the Greek different to the MT?

Doug

56

The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

A good and long-standing friend has provided me with a few corrections, including:

Page 2 should read: Jesus and his Father actually came to inspect the Earth during the Great War and they performed a “cleansing"

Remove the qq. (red face here).

Place quotation marks after "Great Tribulation on page 16.

Should be: Previous Truth on these parables (page 19) - that is, make "parable" to be plural.

Should be: they appointed Rutherford (page 29) - not "it"

I have uploaded the corrected file.

Apologies,

Doug

56

The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

I guess I won't be the most popular person with certain people. I have to admit that I haven't been on their Christmas card list.

How will they implement these changes? How do they implement any changes?

Will Witnesses have to change their words on July 15? How will Witnesses (generally speaking) react when they are told to goose-step differently? How much leniency is shown if someone hangs on to the previous eschatology?

As you all say, this is very confusing for people, especially when the GB's words do not reflect people's memories. It is said that he who writes history controls history. But that cannot erase people's memories.

Let's hope that some Witnesses will examine the Study and see the inconsistencies when they are force-fed the latest ideas.

I hope you all noticed that Russell expected the "great time of trouble" would END in 1914. The Great War started in August while Russell expected the unprecedented peace under the Zionists to come on October 1. So you can imagine what they thought when hostilities opened up - the great tribulation had reached its final climax, no doubt.

Pick out the eyes from what I have written and use what is useful to you.

Doug

56

The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

Wilfried,

If you do translate it into French, could I please have a copy?

If you email me I might be able to give you a little assistance. I provide my email address in the Study.

All the best,

Doug

56

The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

The Watchtower magazine of July 15, 2013 introduces significant changes for the Governing Body, the organisation, and for all Jehovah’s Witnesses. In recasting its eschatology (study of the “Last Days”), the GB has cut away from its past, distancing itself from previously held applications – which up to now had to be vigorously defended by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

With this magazine, the GB completely changes several key positions, and in the process remodels its past, its attitude towards Russell, the Bible Students, and to 1914. In the process, the GB is moving its focus from past dates to an anticipated future – without making commitments to dates. The centenary of October 1914 looms, and the events of those times slip ever further away.

This Study provides an analysis of the changes the GB is imposing through this magazine:

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

50

The United Nations will attack Christendom

by Doug Mason in

this is a serious question and i hope to receive intelligent explanations.. .

the wts says that the great tribulation lies in the future.

they write that it will start when the united nations attacks christendom.. .

Doug Mason

Thank you for clearing my old befuddled mind. As you would guess, I am analysing the July 15, 2013 Watchtower magazine.

Slimboy and EdenOne - do you object to my including your responses, suitably acknowledged, in my Study?

Thanks,

Doug

50

The United Nations will attack Christendom

by Doug Mason in

this is a serious question and i hope to receive intelligent explanations.. .

the wts says that the great tribulation lies in the future.

they write that it will start when the united nations attacks christendom.. .

Doug Mason

Thanks all.

Other thoughts are most welcome!

With your help I therefore understand that the WTS says this Great Tribulation begins with the UN acting politically to end all religions. This political interference is then paused to protect the JWs. The sun darkens (etc). during that pause. After that the Great Tribulation reaches its climax with Armageddon, at which time Jesus comes/appears as Judge. And the GB floats off to take their seats in the government in heaven.

I am not saying I agree with any of this fanciful picture. I purely want to understand - otherwise how can one intelligently reason against it?

Thanks,

Doug

50

The United Nations will attack Christendom

by Doug Mason in

this is a serious question and i hope to receive intelligent explanations.. .

the wts says that the great tribulation lies in the future.

they write that it will start when the united nations attacks christendom.. .

Doug Mason

Hi,

This is a serious question and I hope to receive intelligent explanations.

The WTS says that the Great Tribulation lies in the future. They write that it will start when the United Nations attacks Christendom.

Exactly what are they expecting JWs to see happen?

What exactly does the WTS mean by "Christendom"? Are these the nations where Christianity is the dominant or national religion? But aren't these nations members of the UN?

As examples, let's imagine three countries where Christianity is the dominant religion: USA, England and France. They are also leading members of the UN. Does this mean that in the UN they would vote for and implement tanks rolling out on themselves, for bombs to be dropped on their own countries, to sink their own ships and so on?

Or is there something that I have completely missed?

So what do JWs expect to happen, and how?

Thanks,

Doug

28

"Apostasy took root and flourished" (WT, July 15, 2013, page 18)

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

Books to read (for starters):

"Jesus Wars: How Four Patriarchs, Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians Would Believe for the Next 1,500 Years", Philip Jenkins, HarperOne 2010

"AD 381: Heretics, Pagans and The Christian State", Charles Freeman, Pimlico 2009

"A New History of Early Christianity", Charles Freeman, Yale University Press 2009

Doug