Alg, one thing about Matthew 24:14, this scripture identifies a work that would be done during a particular period of time - not a particular religious group. Additionally, Matthew had a 1st century fulfillment, yet, the Society still operates on a Parallel Dispensations interpretive model of the bible, claiming that many parts of the bible have a secondary, larger fulfillment. However, is there any evidence according to Jesus' words that a second fulfillment would take place?
Ultimate Reality
JoinedPosts by Ultimate Reality
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48
Waking Up From a 34 Year Slumber.
by alg1052 injuly 11, 2011 will be 34 years since i was baptised as one of jw's.
the sleeping pill i took was in the form of them providing the information that made the bible come alive with the truth and insisting that they go by the bible not adding or taking away from it.
i had negative experiences from local brothers from time to time, however i excused them as part of being imperfect.
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48
Waking Up From a 34 Year Slumber.
by alg1052 injuly 11, 2011 will be 34 years since i was baptised as one of jw's.
the sleeping pill i took was in the form of them providing the information that made the bible come alive with the truth and insisting that they go by the bible not adding or taking away from it.
i had negative experiences from local brothers from time to time, however i excused them as part of being imperfect.
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Ultimate Reality
Alg, welcome and remember that the emotions you face, and the ones you will yet face, have been dealt with by many on this board. Some end up going right back into a control group and others push through the difficulties and grow. Read the three books already mentioned and you'll build a foundation for understanding how this happened and set the stage for growing beyond it. And, if it is your choice to maintain your belief in Christianity, remember that Peter did not ask where will we go but to whom.
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Gems from the August 15, 2011 WT
by Ultimate Reality inpdfs can be obtained at jw.org.... spiritual gem #1. perhaps witnesses should apply the standard the wt recommends for gathering information on the internet to wt publications; from page 4:.
(1) who published this.
material?
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Ultimate Reality
PDFs can be obtained at jw.org...
Spiritual Gem #1. Perhaps Witnesses should apply the standard the WT recommends for gathering information on the internet to WT publications; from page 4:
(1) Who published this
material? What are the author’s credentials?
(2)Why was this published? What motivated
the writer? Is there any bias? (3) Where
did the author get the information? Does he
supply sources that can be checked? (4) Is
the information current?
Spiritual Gem #2. We finally have a comment regarding the Memorial partakers; from page 22:
Memorial partakers. This is the number
of baptized individuals who partake of the
emblems at the Memorial worldwide. Does
this total represent the number of anointed
ones on earth? Not necessarily. A number
of factors—including past religious beliefs or
even mental or emotional imbalance—might
cause some to assume mistakenly that they
have the heavenly calling. We thus have no
way of knowing the exact number of anointed
ones on earth; nor do we need to know.
The Governing Body does not keep a list of all
partakers, for it does not maintain a global
network of anointed ones.
What we do know is that there will be
some of the anointed “slaves of our God”
on earth when the destructive winds of the
great tribulation are released. (Rev. 7:1-3)
Until then, the anointed will take the lead in
something that is well-documented by our
annual service report—the greatest preaching
and teaching work in human history.
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3
Faithful Slave chosen in 1874
by Ultimate Reality inas further proof that the 'slave's' appointment taking place in 1918/1919 is a bunch of non-sense and internally inconsistent with the society's own claims, they (that is, what became the slave) did not even know they were appointed in 1919. in the early 1920's, they thought russell was the slave and that he had been appointed by christ (as added proof of his heavenly presence) in the 1870s.. from the harp of god, chapter 9, (1921 edition):.
"...we mark a wonderful fulfillment of this statement of the lord as further corroborative proof of the lord's second presence from 1874 forward.
he had said, in answer to the question relative to his second presence: "who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
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Ultimate Reality
As further proof that the 'slave's' appointment taking place in 1918/1919 is a bunch of non-sense and internally inconsistent with the Society's own claims, they (that is, what became the slave) did not even know they were appointed in 1919. In the early 1920's, they thought Russell was the Slave and that he had been appointed by Christ (as added proof of his heavenly presence) in the 1870s.
From the Harp of God , Chapter 9, ( 1921 Edition ):
"...We mark a wonderful fulfillment of this statement of the Lord as further corroborative proof of the Lord's second presence from 1874 forward . He had said, in answer to the question relative to his second presence : "Who then is a faithful and wise servant , whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods."—Matthew 24:45-47.
"[417]About 1870 Charles Taze Russell , of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, then a truly consecrated Christian and a careful student of God's Word, learned from the Scriptures that God has a great and harmonious plan for the salvation and blessing of mankind. Like other earnest watchers, he was watching for the evidences of the Lord's coming. About 1875, while carefully and prayerfully studying the Scriptures, he became convinced of the Lord's second presence, resulting in his writing and publishing a booklet entitled, "The Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return," which had a phenomenal circulation amongst the Christian people of the world. In 1879 he began the publication of a journal, The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence , which has since been issued regularly twice each month. This is the first and only publication that for more than forty years has announced the second presence of the Lord. This journal is devoted exclusively to discussion of Scriptural questions, being the means of carrying the food to the household of faith in due season."
After describing the many books Russell published, the Harp of God author concludes:
"[420] Without a doubt Pastor Russell filled the office for which the Lord provided and about which he spoke, and was therefore that wise and faithful servant, ministering to the household of faith meat in due season . Pastor Russell finished his earthly course in 1916."
Today, all those late 19th century dates have been thrown out as has the idea that Russell was the Slave. Yet, supposedly the Faithful Slave, as a body of specially chosen Christians (not Russell) knew exactly when Christ's Presence began and by extension when they were 'inspected' and 'appointed'. The modern Governing Body slave-members currently claim:
"Those without spiritual understanding today have felt that there has been no "striking observableness" with regard to the sign of Jesus' presence. They reason that everything is continuing on as it did in the past. (2 Pet. 3:4) On the other hand, Christ's faithful anointed brothers , the modern-day John class, have recognized this sign as if it were a flash of lightning and have understood its true meaning . As a class, these anointed ones make up the modern-day "generation" of contemporaries that will not pass away "until all these things occur." - The Watchtowe r, February 15, 2008, p. 24
However, based on the comments from the 1921 Harp of God , after the flash of lighting struck them in 1918/1919, they still did not recognize nor understand 'the sign'. Further, the Society would have us believe the Slave has always been clearly identified and would, obviously, know its own identity and be aware that it itself passed the 'inspection' after 1914. In typical WT-Orwellian fashion, the 1940 edition of the Harp of God removed all references to Russell as the Slave.
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41
2011 DC Invitation
by LostGeneration incouple of things i found kind of interesting.
on the front it has the wording "qualify to live in the paradise" or something to that effect.
just another weird thing that jws teach, having to "qualify" for the paradise, based on your works of course.. the back has the image of daniel with the world powers on it, the bottom has a circle with a "?
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Ultimate Reality
Here is a link to the invitation:
http://www.jw-archive.org/2011/04/district-convention-invitation-2011.html
Some of the Facebook comments on the left are entertaining.
This seems to represent a change of Daniel's interpretation. In the Daniel book I recall the feet being the politically divided world in the 'time of the end' and the ankles were the Anglo-American power. Now the feet are the the UK & US...
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WT admits Matthew 24 was fulfilled in 1st Century
by digdeeper ini am looking for a watchtower study article from early in 2009. in one of the study articles there was inserted a small information box in which was admisssion that all of matthew 24 was fulfilled in the 1st century...although they did continue with the unscriptural claims of waiting on a greater fullfillment.
anyway does anyone remember the article i speak of or more importantly where i can find a scanned copy of the article?.
thnaks.
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Ultimate Reality
So, if only Jesus' anointed followers "back then" could understand, that means that the understanding of signs is also subject to parallels. For example, the modern day 'generation' is also the only one that can discern the 'sign' of Jesus' 1914 presence (or was that 1874?). Is it not happifying that Jesus has chosen a group of men in Brooklyn to to tell us what we cannot understand and then tell us what it means?
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Email from mom: First Prophecy in at least 20 years fulfilled in the last two weeks ...
by Soldier77 inif you get a chance, read the latest daniel publication (about 11 years old ...) on page 59-60. whats happening in the middle east and north africa is a fulfillment of that prophecy.. love,.
mom.
so i dust off the ole cdrom and look it up and this is what it says:.
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Ultimate Reality
The Daniel book is still 'present truth', but how she see's a link with the Middle East situation is not clear. My father said something similar to me recently; how these events 'line up with the book of Revelation'. Of course, there were no specifics as to how this is true and it does not even follow what the Society teaches. Then again, I've heard that the Berlin Wall falling was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, the 'peace' during Clinton's administration was the prelude to "sudden destruction", and 9/11 was more fulfillment of Bible prophecy. I guess we are in a state of perpetual fulfillment. How happifying!
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A former CO elder wants to speak with me. What do you guys make of this?
by Piercingtheveil81 ina former co elder visited my grandmother, who studied years ago with jws, and said he wanted to speak with me.
i da'd myself about two years ago from the org after 11 years.
i was an ms and pioneer for 8 years and the whole bit.
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Ultimate Reality
Let him explain what he wants. If he has doubts and wants help to sort things out you'll know right away and may be able point him in the right direction. If he's fishing, you'll know that too...
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Ultimate Reality
Matt 24 gives events that mark a certain period of time -- not a particular religious institution 'doing the preaching work'. This was to be fulfilled in the first century, during that generation (generation in the classic sense).
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BOE LTR PDF Nov 17- Notation made to ks10
by yknot in(( hardcopy link of boe ltr pdf : http://www.sendspace.com/file/1gncdo ))... in my best 'theocratic' voice trying to mimic a service meeting conductor (giggles) ..."if you have acrobat you can insert this behind the other boes in the ks10 pdf, or if not consider downloading and keeping it in the same file as your ks10 for future need to know..... i chose to 'highlight' what i thought might be of interest to the forum in the below transcript but of course it is not limited!.
to all bodies of elders.
re: letters of introduction.
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Ultimate Reality
It seems that we can take this as internal evidence that more people are just 'walking away'. Now we have a procedure to handle the cards in this event -- assuming the body knows where the individual moved.
What I really love about this letter is how the Society puts all the liability for what is written in the introductory letter on the local body. Sure, they tell them to include basic biographical information, no surprise there. But then they answer a question with a question: "What informati o n s hould be conveyed in the lett er of introduction ? A s k yourse lf : What information would we want to receive if this person were moving into ou r congregation?"
A typical (Reasoning-book style) non-answer that places all the risk on the local elders!