Catholic troll,
The op did not ask for a refutation but for the origin of the doctrine in Watchtower theology. For once, stick to the topic.
the jw idea that believers are destined either for heavenly life or for endless life on earth comes in for significant criticism by critics of various kinds.
even some groups, such as the christadelphians, who share belief in a future paradise earth, don’t share the view that some christians are destined for life in heaven.
yet there is surprisingly quite a lot of evidence in the bible for the existence of two distinct groups of believers.
Catholic troll,
The op did not ask for a refutation but for the origin of the doctrine in Watchtower theology. For once, stick to the topic.
i just made a video every jw should see.
the aim of this video is to help jehovah's witnesses be more open to constructive critisism, especially from their own members, that are swiftly excommunicated /disfellowshipped/ removed from the congregation if they dare to point out their religion's flaws concerning doctrine and practises, even when there is scriptural evidence.
i have first hand experience of that.. https://youtu.be/71zcv7lux3g.
oh dear, masons is back with a new name. how swell
i just made a video every jw should see.
the aim of this video is to help jehovah's witnesses be more open to constructive critisism, especially from their own members, that are swiftly excommunicated /disfellowshipped/ removed from the congregation if they dare to point out their religion's flaws concerning doctrine and practises, even when there is scriptural evidence.
i have first hand experience of that.. https://youtu.be/71zcv7lux3g.
I've said it before. I'll say it again. You need mental health counseling.
the jw idea that believers are destined either for heavenly life or for endless life on earth comes in for significant criticism by critics of various kinds.
even some groups, such as the christadelphians, who share belief in a future paradise earth, don’t share the view that some christians are destined for life in heaven.
yet there is surprisingly quite a lot of evidence in the bible for the existence of two distinct groups of believers.
Most Age-to-Come adherents believed that Bride of Christ's proper home was earthly and that the kingdom was an earthly kingdom. Barbour (and perhaps Russell) believed that until 1877 when he published an article clearly explaining the two destinies salvation theory. The Herald of the Morning issue containing the article has been lost, but key elements are quoted by Peters in his Theocratic Kingdom. Barbour's article rejected the commonly believed earthly destiny doctrine. He called it an "agricultural heavens." [Theocratic Kingdom, vol 2. page 120 and following.]
The issue was current in millennialist circles. It does not show up in Bible Examiner until after Barbour's 1877 article.
George Storrs and George Stetson's history, biography and relationship to Russell are the subject of chapters two and three of Separate Identity volume one.
the jw idea that believers are destined either for heavenly life or for endless life on earth comes in for significant criticism by critics of various kinds.
even some groups, such as the christadelphians, who share belief in a future paradise earth, don’t share the view that some christians are destined for life in heaven.
yet there is surprisingly quite a lot of evidence in the bible for the existence of two distinct groups of believers.
Sadly, this post has been hijacked. To answer the original question, see Separate Identity, volume two, page 34. There you will find a brief summary of the 19th Century background to the two destinies theology. There are older writers teaching the same thing, but I do not believe Russell read any of them.
can i call you friends, i think so after 23 years posting here.
i am dismayed how jwn is being "dominated" or taken over by a few posters, peppering the comments.
in the past, the admin did not approve of this and did remove some posters from jwn.
It's way past time for FreeMasonsw and the Catholic missionary go.
c t russell and jellyfish case.
then he said, "i am like a jellyfish.
i float around here and there.
Caution is needed here. The story was told in court third hand. Mrs. Russell declined to depose the woman involved though she could easily have done so. So while it might have been accurate as told in court, though seldom as told in newspapers, it has no first hand support.
thinking back when i was a true believer these are probably the top ten reasons why i believed jws are the true religion.
1. they show love among themselves by not going to war.
not killing your fellow believers in any circumstances, including war, would seem to be a very basic requirement for true christianity.
Freethe, a new posting name?
i would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
Those who rely on John 1:1 to prove the trinity should explain why it says the Word was God instead of "the word is god."
i would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
Neither English nor Hebrew grammar sustains your view. The verse reads: "out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” The antecedent of "whose origins" is not Ephrathah but "One who." The Complete Hebrew Bible with Commentary translates it this way: "And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah-you should have been the lowest of the clans of Judah-from you [he] shall emerge for Me, to be a ruler over Israel; and his origin is from of old, from days of yore." This and similar translations demonstrate that the antecedent of "whose origins" is the one who emerges to be ruler.
J. P. Lange's (Commentary on the Minor Prophets) translation also makes the grammar clear: "... shall come forth for me he that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth..."
Genesis 48:7 shows Ephrathah to be a place name and in the parenthesis names it as an older name for Bethlehem. The rendering of "clans" is literally thousands. Some, Lange for instance, see this as meaning "districts" rather than meaning genetically related as a clan. Others see this as military districts. That's irrelevant here, since the grammar does not support your contention.
We should note, too, that Christ goes forth at God's command: "Out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that shall be the ruler in Israel." Christ rules at God's express will. As such he is God's representative, but not God himself. The verse does not say, "I will come and rule Israel" or imply anything like that.