It goes all the way back to Christ himself- who, immediately after begining his ministry, started organizing others to carry out the work of preaching!
Posts by Mad
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12Development of the 'meetings'
by cyberdyne systems 101 ini was wondering if anyone knew how what became the 'meetings' came into being.
say from the time russell printed the watchtower, to congregations forming and a particular format being followed.. i guess this question arose in my mind because to become a member of a religion/organisation you have to comply to a set of rules or guidelines that make you more unique to that particular religion.
the jw's have specific meetings, and this is one area i was curious to see the development of.
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40
Who is "us" Genesis 1:26
by BFD ina few weeks ago i started a thread explaining that i wanted to read the entire bible for the first time.
i had been reading the kjv and i read revelation, john i, ii, ii and then i read john, matthew, mark, luke using the kjv in that order at someone's suggestion here.
i further took the suggestion of the poster and purchased an niv bible.
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Mad
The problem in understanding this looks twofold;
1- You haven't read the entire book, and
2- The Trinity Fairy Tale pounded into our brains by the churches (They say God was talking to His other Split Personalities)
Not only was Christ there as the Earth was formed- the rest of the Bible explains that God made all things through Christ- but the ANGELS were there, as well-
Job 38: 7-" When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (God describing when the Earth was formed to Job)
Hope this helps!
Mad
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15
Daniel 4:1-37, "Seven times"
by Son of John indaniel 4:1-37, "seven times".
what was the tree like, before it was cut down?
the situation is described in daniel 4:11, 12:.
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Mad
Yadda wrote: "The 'tree' in Daniel 4 simply stands for world rulership given by God. It is not God's kingly rule on earth as exemplified by Jerusalem, as the Watchtower Society believes.
Mad writes: Correct! Rulership was given by God to Babylon, when He allowed it to be conquered by Babylon in 607. The scriptures state the Jews would be captive 70 years. They were released 2 years AFTER babylon fell in 539...in 537 BC (Berfore Christ). 70 years rolls back the calendar to (gasp!) 607 BCE. So nice try- but you fail at the very start, so the rest is at fault!
At the time the tree pictured world rulership that God had given to Nebuchadnezzar, ie, the Babylonian world empire. It is a parallel vision to that of Daniel 2 of the immense image (the head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar, likewise the immense tree was Nebuchadnezzar's world empire at that time).
Mad writes: Same date 7 rulership applies there.
That 'tree' was chopped down when the 'holy watcher' - an angel - came down and wrote the writing on the wall in Beltashazzar's royal court on the very night the Medes and Persians sacked Babylon. So the tree did not fall in 607 BCE (nor at Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BCE). It was chopped down in 539 BCE.
Mad writes: LOOKS that way- except that, just as you compared with the image of different metals in chapter 2 of Daniel, this tree does NOT simply represent babylon- but the passing of Rulership taken from the Jews, and given to the Gentile nations! So the "chopping down" takes place at the start of Christ's reign (Daniel 2:44). The verification is that, using the chronology that the WTBS and others have used (Each "time"= 360 days Hebrew Calendar/ symbolic of 360 years), takes you in the prophecy to the year Christ arrives on the scene- AND the Jewish Nation was expecting his arrival BECAUSE of this dating!
Nebuchadnezzar is spoken of in scripture as Jehovah's 'servant' and had a rather special relationship with Jehovah that no other gentile ruler has had since. He acknowledged Jehovah's sovereignty after regaining his madness and he received his rulership directly by Jehovah's authority.
The tree (world rulership given by God) was chopped down and the stump branded until Jesus Christ, the one with the legal right, is crowned as earth's new king. At the time the seven times will have passed and the tree will grow and flourish again. It will be world rulership by Christ and the holy ones (Daniel 7).Mad writes: Correct! This "world rulership" was given to the Gentiles....when the Jews were judged evil by the True God!
The 'seven times' is simply a symbolic statement indicating the passing of a long period until the fullness of time is reached for the completion of God's plan in relation to world rulership. It is not 2520 years and cannot be predicted in advance as if it was some mystical, hidden bible code.Mad writes: If it were merely symbolic, the details would be meaningless- and Jesus appearing at the date specified would be of a coincidence only YOU would want to believe!
(Jesus said explicitly that these things are reserved for the Father only and no one knows the day or the hour except the Father.) The 'seven times' began when the Babylonian world empire was 'cut down' in 539 BCE and will end at an unknown future time when Jesus is crowned as earth's new ruling king (not 1914).
Mad writes: Day & Hour, true! The year appears to be a different story- although even I as a JW find it hard to swallow that Christ began ruling in 1914. Yet the year IS specified- if you look closer! Maybe it had a DIFFERENT signifigance!
JWfacts is NOT the WTBS.
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Sincere Question to Anyone who Believes in God
by Big Tex inlately it's occurred to me that one day i will die.
being raised in a cult that teaches you, you will live forever without dying will warp perspectives.
and i've been working hard on coming to terms with that realization, and it's becoming more and more okay.
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Mad
Wednesday, you are an accomplished deceiver.
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84
Sincere Question to Anyone who Believes in God
by Big Tex inlately it's occurred to me that one day i will die.
being raised in a cult that teaches you, you will live forever without dying will warp perspectives.
and i've been working hard on coming to terms with that realization, and it's becoming more and more okay.
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Mad
So humbly put, Jgnat!
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It amazes me, that no violent acts have been perpertrated against the JW's
by JH inwhen i listen to the news about the school shootings in virginia, and the previous school shootings elsewhere, it amazes me that nothing similar has ever happened in a kingdom hall.. i'm totally against violence but i know that it just takes a nut, to do something like this, and there are plenty of nuts and angry people running around.... so many lives have been broken because of the watchtower, and so many jw's and xjw's are unhappy because of this sect.. are you also amazed that there has hardly been any violent crimes agaist jw's or the watchtower?.
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Mad
LOLOLOLO!
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Why does being right = being arrogant?
by AlmostAtheist inwhat is it about a person's believing they are "right" that leads them to being arrogant?
you've surely noticed that the more sure a person is that he's right, the more likely he is to treat those that disagree with him with disrespect.
it's hard to see how a person can disagree with something that you know is right.
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Mad
thank you, Jgnat!
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It amazes me, that no violent acts have been perpertrated against the JW's
by JH inwhen i listen to the news about the school shootings in virginia, and the previous school shootings elsewhere, it amazes me that nothing similar has ever happened in a kingdom hall.. i'm totally against violence but i know that it just takes a nut, to do something like this, and there are plenty of nuts and angry people running around.... so many lives have been broken because of the watchtower, and so many jw's and xjw's are unhappy because of this sect.. are you also amazed that there has hardly been any violent crimes agaist jw's or the watchtower?.
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Mad
No- but I AM amazed that noone has shot YOU yet!
Such an arrogant, deceptive spirit. Are you a relative of Craw?
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Why does being right = being arrogant?
by AlmostAtheist inwhat is it about a person's believing they are "right" that leads them to being arrogant?
you've surely noticed that the more sure a person is that he's right, the more likely he is to treat those that disagree with him with disrespect.
it's hard to see how a person can disagree with something that you know is right.
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Mad
That is a simple question to answer- from the Bible!
It tells us that the True God hates & opposes the Arrogant. So, when arrogant- they are right only in the superficial.
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It's not bad, it's good. ....no, really.
by ozziepost intake a look at this from the wt's own site:.
such an examination will show that instead of bringing a cataclysmic end, armageddon will introduce a happy beginning for people who desire to live and thrive in a righteous new world.
you will be rewarded with a clear understanding of this vital scriptural truth as you consider the discussion of armageddons real meaning in the next article.. what do you think armageddon is?a nuclear holocaust an environmental disaster a collision of a celestial body with the earth divine destruction of the wicked .
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Mad
Just WHAT is your problem, OZ?
Ridiculing the Bible now?
I guess the Almighty should simply let Evil continue to spread, and to let mankind completely ruin all!
Share with us YOUR wise understanding of what this war will mean, please!