That was THE best book ever written by the WBTS. (In ref: The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived)
It was the only one that when I finished reading...that just plain made me happy!
the watchtower teaches only a few have the heavenly hope.
men of old such as abraham will supposedly be raised from the dead and live on earth.
yet, hebrews tells us these men actually had a heavenly hope.
That was THE best book ever written by the WBTS. (In ref: The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived)
It was the only one that when I finished reading...that just plain made me happy!
the bible reports that the babylonians under nebuchadnezzar destroyed .
chronology, the desolation of jerusalem would have been in the year 587/6 .
babylon (in his accession year, 605 b.c.e.
perspicacia2 is counting the time incorrectly....... If you add 70 years to 537, you don't get 607. Why? Because time counts DOWN not UP. The correct thing to do would be to SUBTRACT 70 years. Time (as counted by Western standards) goes 606, 537, 482, 1 BC...AFTER the birth of Christ, 1 AD, 537, 607, etc. The years before Christs birth are counting down to zero. (by Western standards, and whos to say Western standards are correct)
Fact is, no specific years are mentioned in the Bible because YEARS aren't important. Counting time as specific years is something that man has recently made up ...but it isn't God's way. The Bible tells us to pay attention to the signs, times, and seasons...not to any specific year date.
I for one am sick and tired of MAN trying to guess when God's day is supposed to happen. It isn't for anyone to know; therefor anyone who claims to know when it is, is an outright liar and a blasphemer. Stop being like Adam and Eve, stealing and eating something that doesn't belong to you....Can't God just have his one tree? ... His one secret day?
Like God has to do things when WE say so. Unbelievable!
The Gentile times haven't ended yet...their kings (rulers) are STILL having their day!!!! Next thing you know, somebody will be saying they know what year Adam was created. NOT!!!
Truth is, we don't even know what year this truly is from the beginning of man's creation. Is it really 2002? How do we know? We don't know. ( We made it up!! ) The reason we don't know is because its not important. I hope your entire faith isn't based on a Year date. If so, your faith is in vain.
Edited by - Lieu on 19 June 2002 3:43:57
Edited by - Lieu on 19 June 2002 3:46:1
q is the organization a direct channel between god and humanity?
a again, our governing body has never claimed that our organization is inspired or infallible.
instead they, our governing body, study the bible diligently and through prayer they make a request for his holy spirit to direct them and be upon them.
Here's something updated for the person who asked about 'channels': ....(Southland)
*** w99 12/1 15-16 Be Happy Readers of the Book of Revelation *** Who is the ultimate Source of the Revelation, and what channel is used to transmit it? The opening verse tells us: "A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place. And he sent forth his angel and presented it in signs through him to his slave John." (Revelation 1:1) To put it simply, the actual Source of the Revelation is Jehovah God, who gave it to Jesus, and by means of an angel, Jesus communicated it to John. A little further scrutiny reveals that Jesus also used the holy spirit to convey messages to the congregations and to give John visions.Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10; compare Acts 2:33.
4
Jehovah still uses his Son, the "head of the congregation," to teach his servants on earth. (Ephesians 5:23; Isaiah 54:13; John 6:45) Jehovah also uses his spirit to instruct his people. (John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10) And just as Jesus used "his slave John" to communicate sustaining spiritual food to the first-century congregations, so today he uses "the faithful and discreet slave," made up of his anointed "brothers" on earth, to give his domestics and their companions spiritual "food at the proper time." (Matthew 24:45-47; 25:40) Happy are those who recognize the Source of the good gifts we receive in the way of spiritual food and the channel He is using.James 1:17.Christ-Directed
Congregations5
In the opening chapters of Revelation, Christian congregations are likened to lampstands. Their overseers are likened to angels (messengers) and to stars. (Revelation 1:20) Speaking of himself, Christ told John to write: "These are the things that he says who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands." (Revelation 2:1) The seven messages sent to the seven Asian congregations show that in the first century C.E., the congregations and their elders had their strong points and their weak points. The same is true today. We will, therefore, be much happier if we never lose sight of the fact that Christ, our Head, is in the midst of the congregations. He knows exactly what is going on. The overseers are symbolically "in his right hand," that is, under his control and direction and answerable to him for the way they shepherd the congregations.Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:17.Confused, eh?
Edited by - Lieu on 11 June 2002 18:10:50
if anyone has read the study articles...exactly what did you think?
my take on the matter: all of the "great crowd of other sheep" are now being equated to the 'foreigners' of isaiah's prophesy.the 'gb' now thinks they are actually zion instead of being sons of zion which explains their thinking they are the "mother" and not the sons.but they are also the sons of zion....or earthly sons...but also zion...but wtf?if the gb are = to zion which is = to jah's woman, then they actually think they are = to jah...and are not the bride of christ (son) but have the audacity to think they could be the bride of jah (father).a reiteration of the 1919 stupid thing runs rampant throughout the article....can't we just stop with the dates fellas?!!
!they think they (gb) have been repurchased by jah .... not by christ and his blood who is supposed to be thier husbandly ownerthey try and rationalise why the congregational election of elders stopped...instead of telling the truth of why it stopped.. i have come to the conclusion that the gb does not acknowledge anything christ did, nor the fact that the 'annointed' are suposed to make up the 'bride of christ'.
If anyone has read the study articles...exactly what did you think? My take on the matter:
I have come to the conclusion that the GB does not acknowledge anything Christ did, nor the fact that the 'annointed' are suposed to make up the 'bride of Christ'. In my opinion this article says that Christ died for nothing...by stating He is NOT the repurchaser. They are not heirs or 'sons' they ARE the Mother, therefore they are OVER Christ since he is just the Son.
It amazes me that even today, JW's follow the lead of a cigar, smoking money mongering, drunkard. The GB is Disgusting! They have denied Christ and in doing so, they have denied Jehovah.
Did anyone see the article?
Edited by - Lieu on 10 June 2002 8:51:56
i was looking at another thread.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=24809&site=3.
and was wondering,if i'm not being too forward, what kh did everyone here go to.. i used to go to the cranston kh in ri, usa .
Bertchesgarten, Gernamy - Maryland - Balboa Panama - Sierra Vista, Az - Colorado Springs, Co - Clarksville, Tn
from 70-2000
Edited by - Lieu on 10 June 2002 5:57:31
my feeling on this whole sexual abuse matter is that if a child has been or is being molested, it should be taken straight to the police.
why allow the elders to "decide" first if there is any merit to the allegations.
mainly because if the accused has committed this crime and denies to the elders, the victim is basically screwed in the eyes of the congregation.
Interesting note:
I think the problem comes from the difference in 'training'. Males are taught to give teaching lectures to an audience...where females are taught to have teaching "conversations" on a personal level. Females are taught to talk "to" you.
Most Elders are...well...um....borish, stiff, unconsoling, non-comforting, and possess absolutely no inter-personal skills. Elders, can however, spurt off scriptures which have been taken out of context to make the unsuspecting depressed soul feel even worse.
Males aren't taught how to do anything on a personal level....it's quite obvious that they don't know how. Elders are taught to talk "at" you.
Who would want to talk with someone like that when in need of comfort? ... who would send their child for a grand inquisition from a person like that? I mean really!!!
There are very few elders who preside in a "fine manner" and are actually good "teachers" as opposed to good "speakers". I have yet to hear a personal kind word come out of an Elder's mouth directed toward a depressed soul.
Therin lies the biggest problem.
i agree with erica's comment below: .
"i am not an apostate, i have never spoken out against god and i never will, which is what the bible says an apostate is.
we all know that the wts is not god.
Luke 18:8
"Nevertheless, when the Son of man arrives, will he really find the faith on the earth?"
i agree with erica's comment below: .
"i am not an apostate, i have never spoken out against god and i never will, which is what the bible says an apostate is.
we all know that the wts is not god.
Its an oddity.....Jesus stated that one could even speak against Him and it would be forgiven.
Luke 12:8-10
8 “I say, then, to YOU, Everyone that confesses union with me before men, the Son of man will also confess union with him before the angels of God. 9 But he that disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone that says a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but he that blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven it."
I don't think the WBTS is better than Christ...after all, who is going to come out of the memorial tombs at the sound of a GB voice?
Apostate: person who deviates or rebells from the divine gospel by teaching heresies and false prophesies....
Matthew 24:23-28
23 “Then if anyone says to YOU, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. 25 Look! I have forewarned YOU. 26 Therefore, if people say to YOU, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner chambers,’ do not believe it. 27 For just as the lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
...."Look!, there is the Christ, albeit invisible, he has been ruling in the heavens since 1914!".....as JESUS said "DO NOT BELIEVE THEM."
The problem with all of this is that the WBTS forgot about Christ, as a matter of fact, I would say they like Paul better.
Its odd how things have developed....they say the Catholics are founded on Peter and they are founded on 'Abel and first century GB'....
Is anybody founded on Christ anymore?!!!
whether the two witnesses to two separate incidences is new or old, it is still a very stupid policy.
let us suppose a child was raped and their parents took the matter to police.
further suppose that the police said, that they couldn't investigate because there had not been any other complaints against the rapist.
I wonder if that applies to murder also?....two dead bodies required?
Interesting, if dead bodies can't give an oral testimony....? Hmmm?
who are these men?
who the hell put them in charge of six million people?
i know, i know, it was the holy spirit that put them there.. this is a corporation for chrissake!
See, the GB may not really care what happens to the majority of 'other sheep', 'foreigners', 'Jonadabs', etc. because they consider themselves too special to care about "that" side of the 'fold', 'other flock', 'less-than-theys'. Besides Jah will fix it in the NS when he exacts 'justice'...forget showing love and mercy in the meantime.
I say, if we are going to live strictly by some parts of the Greek Scriptures....we should live by all of it....
When my friend's mother hits 60, I, for one, want to see her (widow's) portion devied up.