What! No comments from anyone?
After reading AW and Seola I finally came to the conclusion that God brought about the Deluge to reduce human life spans. The WT says our life span were mainly reduced because we are so far removed from perfection. I disagree. God went way out of his way to just kill a few million wicked people. Besides, God never tells when he plans to bring upon a judgment day. Why would God need to tell Noah that he has 120 years before he floods the planet? It makes no sense for God to give that detail so far in advance.
Also, AW and Seola opened my eyes to the concept of the serpent having limbs before the curse in Eden. Do you all remember the Questions from readers about that thought?
From Seola page 54.
“But curious admiration was checked when I discovered upon every package a uniform mark, in shape like a winged serpent. I looked at the bearers of the treasures ; upon the breast of the tunics which they wore, and upon the band which crossed their foreheads, was the same emblem. I knew the deadly meaning of the seal. It was the seraphic form in which the Tempter appeared to our mother Eve, and I fled to my own apartment in great alarm.”
From Angels and Women page 65.
“
But curious admiration was checked when I discovered upon every package a uniform mark, in shape like a winged serpent. I looked at the bearers of the treasures. Upon the breast of the tunics which they wore, and upon the band which crossed their foreheads, was the same emblem. I knew the deadly meaning of the seal. It was the form in which the Tempter appeared to our mother Eve, and I fled to my own apartment in great alarm.”
Watchtower June 1, 1964
Questions from Readers:
Did the serpent lose legs or feet as means of movement as a result of the divine curse recorded at Genesis 3:14?
At Genesis 3:14 we are told: “And Jehovah God proceeded to say to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this thing, you are the cursed one out of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild beasts of the field. Upon your belly you will go and dust is what you will eat all the days of your life.’” This is the only place in the bible where any indication is given that the serpent did not at one time travel on its belly.
What is said here is, of course, directed principally to the invisible spirit creature who used the literal serpent as his mouthpiece. It foretells his debasement. But for the symbolic application of this judgment upon the wicked spirit creature who became Satan to have any force there must be a fulfillment of it in the literal serpent, which has come to symbolize Satan. It, therefore, is reasonable to conclude that before God cursed it the serpent possessed legs that elevated it above the ground. As he had the power to create the serpent in the first place, God had the power to transform its body so that it ceased to have legs and was able to move about on its belly.
Sadly the society made a retraction when the question was asked recently.
Watchtower June 15, 2007
Questions from Readers:
Did the serpent that spoke to Eve have legs?
The bible does not specifically state that the animal used in tempting Eve had previously had legs but lost them. While the wording of Genesis 3:14 might lead some to think so, we need not necessarily conclude that prior to this curse, serpents had legs. Why not?
(The article continues with the symbolic application.)
Did you know? The Python and Boa are of a family of snakes that have lizard talons near its reproductive organs, yes the crotch area. These talons are tied to muscles and bones which the snake has the power to move.
So the 1964 faithful and discrete slave member was right and the 2007 F&DS member was wrong. What say you?
Seola text
http://www.archive.org/stream/seolaxxx00smitiala/seolaxxx00smitiala_djvu.txt Burmese python with X-ray of vestigial legs
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/lizards/snakes/python.php