question: what does the watchtower society's history of prophetic speculation prove?.
how would you respond to this answer provided by paul coom... yesterday on quora?.
"our organization has never been a prophetic speculator.
His response to me is interesting:
"I have been involved with Jehovah’s Witnesses for more than 60 years now Rick. I am very well aware of the history of this organization.
Now I have a question for you.
Are you someone who believes that the Bible is Gods inspired word to mankind? If you are, do you belong to any religious group? Which group is that?
Any further discussion depends upon your honest answer to my questions."
question: what does the watchtower society's history of prophetic speculation prove?.
how would you respond to this answer provided by paul coom... yesterday on quora?.
"our organization has never been a prophetic speculator.
Excellent response Tater-T
I responded
<<”Our organization has never been a prophetic speculator.”>>
Houston, we have a problem!!!
Paul I’m sorry but I only see several possibilities here…as follows:
a. you are employing sarcasm.
b. you are ignorant of your organizations’ history.
c. you don’t know the definition of the word “speculation”.
d. you are brainwashed and deluded
These are the only choices I can think of. Is there another that I missed?
question: what does the watchtower society's history of prophetic speculation prove?.
how would you respond to this answer provided by paul coom... yesterday on quora?.
"our organization has never been a prophetic speculator.
Question: What does the Watchtower Society's History of Prophetic Speculation Prove?
How would you respond to this answer provided by Paul Coom... yesterday on Quora?
"Our organization has never been a prophetic speculator. All the prophecies we have commented upon are scripturally based. Our comments merely reflect our understanding of such prophecies at the time they were made.
The prophecies themselves are guaranteed to come true. The fact that we have not understood every single one of them properly does not alter that fact.
What this all proves is that we are growing in biblical understanding on a daily basis. What this proves is that we are not tied to the past as most religions are. When a change needs to be made, we make it without looking for excuses. Science operates along these lines too. It’s a good system."
Been retired for the past 16 years. Retired from teaching at 58. I am blessed beyond measure with children who love the Lord and my wife and I will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary in August. PTL
have you gone back to that- or lost you faith because of 'brothers'?.
For those interested in a summary of 50 "truths" taught by Russell in the Finished Mystery I found online.
"In 1917 the Bible Students published The Finished Mystery, a powerful commentary on Revelation and Ezekiel." Revelation - Its Grand Climax At Hand! (1988) p.165
1. Charles Taze Russell is the faithful and wise servant (p.4)
2. Jesus gave Russell the key to understanding God’s mysteries in the last days (p.6)
3. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega in Revelation 1:8; 21:6 and 22:13 (p.15, p.318, p.336)
4. The Adventist Nelson Barbour showed Russell Biblical proof that Jesus was present since 1874 and Russell found this evidence satisfactory (p. 54) * 88 "proofs" that Christ's "Second Advent occurred in the Fall of 1874" (pp.68-71)
5. As per Russell, there’s no need to learn the Hebrew or Greek languages to gain a correct understanding of the Bible since the Presbyterians and Methodists have good versions (p. 55)
6. The remnant will be taken to heaven in 1918 (p. 64)
7. The 7 messengers in Revelation are Paul, John, Ario, Waldo, Wycliffe, Luther and Russell (illustration after page 64)
8. The 7 trumpets in Revelation 8:2 are the trumpets of the Lutherans, the Anglicans, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Methodists, the Evangelical Alliance and The Bible Students (chart after page 64)
9. Jesus began his reign officially in 1878 after raising the anointed dead (p. 66)
10. Demons will invade the minds of churchgoers in 1918, leading to their destruction. (p.128) "Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions...." (p.485)
11. The behemoth mentioned in Job 40: 15-24 is the stationary steam engine (p. 84)
12. The leviathan mentioned in Job 41:2-19 is the locomotive (p.85)
13. The "voice from heaven" of Revelation 18:4 is the voice of The Watchtower Society. (p.276)
14. According to Exodus 28:1 and Numbers 4:46-48, the number of the great crowd will be approximately 411,840,000 (p.103)
15. The horseman on the white horse in Revelation 6:2 is the personal representative of Satan: the bishop of Rome (p. 106)
16. The stars that fell from the heavens in Revelation 6:13 refers to the meteor shower on November 13, 1833 which covered 11 million square miles. The symbolic fulfillment occurred when the bishops and priests lost their influence over the minds and conscience of the people (p.120)
17. There is evidence that proves that the Palestine will be re-established in 1925 (p.128)
18. The demons will invade the minds of the members of Christianity and will bring them to their destruction in 1918 (p.128)
19. The earth was created 48,000 years ago (p.139)
20. The “angel” mentioned in Revelation 8:5 is the Watchtower Society and the “incense vessel” is the book “Finished Mystery” divinely provided to humanity (p.145)
21. According to Revelation 9:15, all of the 177,300,000 protestants on earth, who represent 1/3 of all Christians, will be destroyed in 1918 (p.164)
22. The “Time of the End” started in 1799 (p.171)
23. The “Great Tribulation” started in 1914 (p.178)
24. Michael the Archangel is the Pope of Rome (p.188)
25. The 2 wings of the woman in Revelation 12:14 are the Old and New Testaments (p.191)
26. England is a satanic country because it forcefully exports 5 million pounds of Opium to China each year (p.202)
27. The Great Pyramid of Egypt confirms the fact that the time of Harvest has come (p.226)
28. Revelation 14:20 provides us with the precise distance between Scranton, Pennsylvania (where this book was written) and Bethel in Brooklyn (where this book was printed) … 137.9 miles (p.230)
29. The clergy are like dumb dogs because they prefer to remain silent rather than accept one single “Truth” from Russell’s precious writings (p.238)
30. The republics will disappear in the Fall of 1920. Every nation will cease to exist as they get swallowed up by anarchy (p. 258)
31. The “glory” of the angel mentioned in Revelation 18:1 enlightened to earth resulting in such great discoveries and inventions such as the electrical motors, airplanes, the Panama Canal, vacuum cleaners, the books from the Watchtower, etc. (p.273)
32. The “voice out of heaven” mentioned in Revelation 18:4 is the voice of the Watchtower (p.276)
33. According to Revelation 18:14, during the millennium, the clergy will have to work for a living. This means that each preacher in Christianity will have to spend 65 cents for an alarm clock (p.285)
34. The God sitting on the throne in Revelation 19:4 is Jesus (p.290)
35. God assumes full responsibility for the entire volume of Studies in the Scriptures (p.295)
36. The Kingdom of a thousand years started in 1874 with the second coming of Jesus (p.301, p.386)
37. According to Revelation 21:17, the number of sheep at the end of the thousand-year reign will be approximately 20.7 Billion (p.323)
38. When Russell understood the full import of God’s Word, he took a firm stand. The spirit, power and influence of God entered him, never to leave (p.377)
39. Ezekiel 5:2, 12, 16, 17 refers to the way in which Jerusalem was destroyed in 606BCE and 70-73EC and it also refers to the way Christianity is being destroyed between 1914 and 1918 (p.398)
40. God’s Day of Vengeance started in 1914 and will culminate in 1918 (p.404)
41. The literal fulfillment of Ezekiel occurred in 1898 when a miller, who publicly thanked the Virgin for dear bread, literally threw gold and silver at a crowd in the streets in a vain attempt to pacify them. But they demanded his life and took it (p.407)
42. According to Ezekiel 11:9, Christianity will literally fall in the hands of labor unions, socialists and anarchists (p. 425)
43. The preachers of Christianity say things that originate in their own imagination (p.432)
44. According to Ezekiel 17:22 and 20:42, Zionism and Judaism will proper on Earth as their leaders will be Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others upon their resurrection (p.450, p.462)
45. The congregation mentioned in Ezekiel 23:46 are union workers, socialists, democrats and anarchists (p.480)
46. In fulfillment of Ezekiel 24:15-19, God took away Russell’s desire for his wife by putting a spiritual plague over her which made her “dead” in the eyes of Russell (p.483, p.484)
47. God will destroy all of the churches on earth including all of its millions of members in 1918. It is expected that this will occur on or around April 27, 1918 (p.485, p.513, p.530)
48. All Jews will return to their native land according to God’s promise. Russell has been preaching the message Zionism since October 1910 (p.536, p.554, p.555)
49. In 1878, during the First Resurrection, God raised up the members of the Body of Christ, the “stem of David” (p.539)
50. According to Ezekiel 40:1, the establishment of the Kingdom on earth will occur 13 years after 1918 (p.569)
it just that the gb has a problem mixing biblical fact with goofy opinions.. but at least is isn't like the churces!.
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At one time the truth from the Bible was that accepting vaccinations was a sin against the everlasting covenant. Im happy to say that the WTS took full responsibility for those who perished for want of a smallpox vaccine.
Then for years bloodclotting fractions were banned... by the Society ... until Jehovah suddenly changed his mind on the subject...thank goodness.
Then from 1967 to 1980 Jehovah's sole organization on earth banned organ transplants. But now they are OK with him. Funny though, because more white blood cells are passed with each transplant than during a whole blood transfusion.
We should all be glad for the new light Jehovah shares with his people. It is indeed hard to keep up with his speeding chariot.
The Bible encourages us to put our faith for life and death decisions and even our eternal salvation... in uninspired men who evidently hear from God for us.
it just that the gb has a problem mixing biblical fact with goofy opinions.. but at least is isn't like the churces!.
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Hi TruthMatters,
Still waiting for you to answer the question.
What would convince you that your faith in the Watchtower Society is misguided?
We already know that a. a stream of erroneous prophetic speculations won't suffice
Mr V- goofy takes on God's prophecies is a mistake made by all.
Hmmmm....can you prove that? I don't remember anyone else teaching that Christ returned in 1874 right up till 1930. I don't remember anyone else teaching that Armageddon would arrive in 1914 along with the end of all human governments. I don't remember all ministers being slaughtered by the masses in 1918; nor anyone suggesting that one could call Jerusalem in 1926 and ask Abraham to raise grandma; that 1925 was God's date not the Watchtowers. I do remember a Watchtower follower prior our high-school grad in 1968 telling me that there was not enough time left to go to university and that if I didn't become a JW by 1975 I would be destroyed. I told him that he would wake up in 1976 with egg all over his face. Guess what. I'm sure he is still window washing today and teaching that we are in the last part of the last day.
It is interesting that the WTS recently identified Hymenaetus and Philetus as apostates for teaching a false date for the resurrection (2 Tim.2:17-18)... and yet the WTS taught that the resurrection occurred in 1878 right up to 1927 when this event was changed to 1918. Imagine being disfellowshipped for apostasy in 1926 for denying that the first resurrection took place in 1878.
So again I ask you as one whose faith is in men who claim to speak for Jehovah, what would convince you that Watchtower religion is false?
it just that the gb has a problem mixing biblical fact with goofy opinions.. but at least is isn't like the churces!.
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Hi TruthMatters,
What would convince you that your faith in the Watchtower Society is misguided?
We know what can't suffice:
a. a stream of erroneous prophetic speculations
b. a history of medical misinformation
c. a list of extra-biblical criteria for disfellowshipping members
d. a history of protecting pedophiles and endangering children.
I could go on...but I'm in a rush...so what would convince you that you do not have the truth?
it just that the gb has a problem mixing biblical fact with goofy opinions.. but at least is isn't like the churces!.
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Sorry TruthMatters
You have it all wrong. The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was never the truth; it was never biblical. In fact, every current doctrine which is unique to Jehovah's Witnesses is extra-biblical. Your faith is in men and their speculations and interpretive abuse and not scripture.
i have an honest question, so i hope someone will explain this to me to the best of their ability.
i'm fascinated with learning about religion!
and i've been looking for a place to ask this, believe me it wasn't an easy find.
JWs will tell you that in every instance birthdays are mentioned in scripture somebody gets beheaded or the roof caves in on them etc.
I have heard a seasoned Witness tell me that birthdays focus undue attention on individuals instead of Jehovah.
The truth probably is that they want Witnesses to be separate from the world and look holier than others.
