Posts by Vidqun

39

Who make up the new memorial partakers?

by jwfacts in

when the doctrine regarding 1935 being the close of the calling was done away with in 2007, it was not unexpected to see the number rise.

over the next few years it went from around 8,500 to 10,500. this seemed to indicate that there were a couple of thousand people that may have felt they had the calling all along, but too shy to profess it.

for the 30 year period between the mid 1978 and 2007, parktakers had barely dropped.

Vidqun

The simple explanation is that everyone who views himself/herself a Christian, partake of the emblems for forgiveness of sins and to advertise the death of their Lord. Remember, in Raymond Franz's time some Bethelites partook of the emblems after the memorial and in secret. This many believe is not only a prerequisite for the so-called remnant of the 144000 but for all Christians. Where do all this come from? The following is a quote of John (6:53) from the NET Bible footnote:

Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. These words are at the heart of the discourse on the Bread of Life, and have created great misunderstanding among interpreters. Anyone who is inclined toward a sacramental viewpoint will almost certainly want to take these words as a reference to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or the Eucharist, because of the reference to ‘eating his flesh’ and ‘drinking his blood’ (John 6:53ff.; cf. Matt. 26:26-28). But this does not automatically follow: By anyone’s definition there must be a symbolic element to the eating which Jesus speaks of in the discourse, and once this is admitted, it is better to understand it here, as in the previous references in the passage, to a personal receiving of (or appropriation of) Christ and his work. Notice that in John 6:54 (NET footnote) the result (has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day) is produced by eating (Jesus’) flesh and drinking his blood. Compare John 6:40 where the same result is produced by “looking on the Son and believing in him.” This suggests that the phrase here (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood by the phrase in John 6:40 (looks on the Son and believes in him).

However, many believe that the above is no coincidence. This is the only place where the Apostle John refers to the memorial (cf. John 6:70, 71). Jesus uses this very same terminology when instituting the memorial of his death. Early on in his ministry (already in John 6) he would be preparing the people for the Eucharist. His intimate followers, later to be anointed with holy spirit, would celebrate the memorial for the forgiveness of their sins and as participants of the new covenant, prospective members of the 144000 (Matt. 26:28; 1 Cor. 11:25; Rev. 14:1). Jesus’ earthly subjects would celebrate the memorial in remembrance of their Lord and for the forgiveness of their sins. By doing this both groups would be unified in “proclaiming the death of the Lord until he arrives” and attaining the forgiveness of sins (Matt. 26:28; 1 Cor. 11:24-26; cf. John 6:56).

4

Watchtower's 144,000 logic Questioned

by Vanderhoven7 in

the watchtower september 1, 1951, in a wonderful article entitled “hated for his name”(pp518,519) describes the persecution and martyrdom of steadfast christians in the first 3 centuries ad.. “by the year (a.d.) 64 christianity was prominent throughout much of the roman empire, including the capital city rome itself.

their individual characteristics, form of worship and steadfast refusal to compromise thereon had madethe christians sure targets of hostility and ridicule.

that year, the tenth in the reign of emperor nero, rome was swept by a conflagration so great it is yet the object of poetry and legend....diocletian assumed the crown a.d. 284.. at first he seemed friendly to the christians, but in the year 303 he gave in to persuasion and opened the tenth persecution, probably the most ferocious of all.

Vidqun

According to my reading of the passage, they've got it all wrong. This is a future occurrence. See if you can follow the reasoning:

While the high and mighty of the earth and their attendants run to their underground cities to hide, leaving the ordinary folk to fend for themselves, the remainder of the 144000 are being sealed. These are taken from the twelve figurative tribes of Israel, i.e., “the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:15, 16; Rev. 7:4-8). God’s angel will be sealing them during the prelude to the Tribulation, 12000 from each tribe (Rev. 6:12-7:4). These follow in the footsteps of their Master, Christ (Hebr. 12:2). They would be sealed for their protection (Rev. 7:3, 4; 9:4).The transition between aforementioned chapters of Revelation is introduced by the Greek phrase Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο (Rev. 7:1 Tischendorf’s New Testament, 8th edition), “and after this,” “this” referring to the kings of the earth and their followers, finding refuge in their underground shelters.

14

"The sun will be darkened, & the moon will not give its light." How do events like this affect superstitious humans?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the gospel of matthew's homily on the signs connected with the imagined return of christ, features an element of the sign that seems to really scare superstitious people.. matthew 24:29 reads: "immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;".

in the nineteenth century such an even occurred twice in the 19th century and apparently became part of charlie russell's conviction that the end of the world was nigh, charlie, of course, was a 'man of faith' accepting the bible as true and not willing to search for alternative explanation for such events.

if charlie r. had been the sort of person that continually asks why, his life and ours may have taken a different course.. i cannot quote where in his mass of writings he cites those 19th c events (its a long time since i've bothered to be interested in his writings), but mention them he did, and saw these events as proof of the imminent return of jesus christ.. so let's look at these two 19th c.natural occurrences, and compare them to another occurrence some 1400 years ago.. the 19th c events occurred in 1814-16 and again circa, 1883. the reason for the sun and moon being darkened was volcanic activity, easy for us to appreciate, but more difficult for religiously superstitious people.. the wikipedia encyclopedia notes the 1814-16 event: quote.

Vidqun

Historically, the sun has switched off in Argentina, Switzerland and Siberia. How on earth do you switch off the sun? Do some research. Check the news and webcams. Please see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3eDDkxjAhs

14

"The sun will be darkened, & the moon will not give its light." How do events like this affect superstitious humans?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the gospel of matthew's homily on the signs connected with the imagined return of christ, features an element of the sign that seems to really scare superstitious people.. matthew 24:29 reads: "immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;".

in the nineteenth century such an even occurred twice in the 19th century and apparently became part of charlie russell's conviction that the end of the world was nigh, charlie, of course, was a 'man of faith' accepting the bible as true and not willing to search for alternative explanation for such events.

if charlie r. had been the sort of person that continually asks why, his life and ours may have taken a different course.. i cannot quote where in his mass of writings he cites those 19th c events (its a long time since i've bothered to be interested in his writings), but mention them he did, and saw these events as proof of the imminent return of jesus christ.. so let's look at these two 19th c.natural occurrences, and compare them to another occurrence some 1400 years ago.. the 19th c events occurred in 1814-16 and again circa, 1883. the reason for the sun and moon being darkened was volcanic activity, easy for us to appreciate, but more difficult for religiously superstitious people.. the wikipedia encyclopedia notes the 1814-16 event: quote.

Vidqun

So, if the sun is not giving out white light, that means the moon will be dark. Reminds me of "Eclipse" of Pink Floyd, which turns out to be prophetic: "There's no dark side of the moon really, matter of fact, it's all dark."

Have you noticed the pink-purple skies? Do yourself a favor and view feeds from the space station, when their spotlights are turned off. Everything is bathed in a purple hue. At the moment the moon would be the color of blood, purplish-blue (venous blood). What you see up there is either a projection or a hologram. It is much shinier than usual. And since when does the moon appear to be in front of the clouds? This explains the anomalies viewed during the American eclipse, which was man-made. Look it up, makes for interesting reading.

14

"The sun will be darkened, & the moon will not give its light." How do events like this affect superstitious humans?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the gospel of matthew's homily on the signs connected with the imagined return of christ, features an element of the sign that seems to really scare superstitious people.. matthew 24:29 reads: "immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;".

in the nineteenth century such an even occurred twice in the 19th century and apparently became part of charlie russell's conviction that the end of the world was nigh, charlie, of course, was a 'man of faith' accepting the bible as true and not willing to search for alternative explanation for such events.

if charlie r. had been the sort of person that continually asks why, his life and ours may have taken a different course.. i cannot quote where in his mass of writings he cites those 19th c events (its a long time since i've bothered to be interested in his writings), but mention them he did, and saw these events as proof of the imminent return of jesus christ.. so let's look at these two 19th c.natural occurrences, and compare them to another occurrence some 1400 years ago.. the 19th c events occurred in 1814-16 and again circa, 1883. the reason for the sun and moon being darkened was volcanic activity, easy for us to appreciate, but more difficult for religiously superstitious people.. the wikipedia encyclopedia notes the 1814-16 event: quote.

Vidqun

"Then I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became blood red" (Rev. 6:12 NET).

Half Banana, perhaps this will help you to consider such a sweeping statement. Above photo is of the sun, using a zoom lens, polaroid and light density filter. The light density filter gradually removes the light as you turn it from maximum to minimum. As you remove the light, above photo is what you end up with. Obviously above is not the sun. Question is: Where is the sun? Here I refer you to above scripture as explanation. Not bad for a prediction made over two thousand years ago. Go figure.

15

William Redding

by Bobcat in

is anyone familiar with this person and his possible relationship with ctr or the wt?.

if you are wondering why i ask, take a look here and scroll down one page and start reading a little.. i could not find any mention of him in the wt online library.

i wonder if this is something barbara anderson would be familiar with?.

Vidqun

That type of question you should ask Vienne. She's an expert on JW history.

14

"The sun will be darkened, & the moon will not give its light." How do events like this affect superstitious humans?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

the gospel of matthew's homily on the signs connected with the imagined return of christ, features an element of the sign that seems to really scare superstitious people.. matthew 24:29 reads: "immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;".

in the nineteenth century such an even occurred twice in the 19th century and apparently became part of charlie russell's conviction that the end of the world was nigh, charlie, of course, was a 'man of faith' accepting the bible as true and not willing to search for alternative explanation for such events.

if charlie r. had been the sort of person that continually asks why, his life and ours may have taken a different course.. i cannot quote where in his mass of writings he cites those 19th c events (its a long time since i've bothered to be interested in his writings), but mention them he did, and saw these events as proof of the imminent return of jesus christ.. so let's look at these two 19th c.natural occurrences, and compare them to another occurrence some 1400 years ago.. the 19th c events occurred in 1814-16 and again circa, 1883. the reason for the sun and moon being darkened was volcanic activity, easy for us to appreciate, but more difficult for religiously superstitious people.. the wikipedia encyclopedia notes the 1814-16 event: quote.

Vidqun

Perhaps viewing it from another angle might be helpful. One should keep in mind that some Biblical prophecies could have a primary as well as a secondary fulfillment. If you believe that you are in good company. A number of scholars (e.g., Jerome, Martin Luther) would view Antiochus IV Epiphanes as a type of the Antichrist. And that would explain the partial or secondary (imperfect) fulfillments of Daniel’s prophecies during the years leading up to the second century BCE. The full or primary (perfect) fulfillment would occur, with new role players, during the end time (cf. Dan. 11:40-45). Most famous example of a double fulfillment must be the composite sign of Jesus’ end time prophecy, which deals with the conclusion of the Jewish system, yet corresponds to his parousia at the conclusion of the present system (cf. Matt. 24, 25; Mark 13; Luk. 21). Note also some OT prophecies deal primarily with Israel and its neighbors, but then reminds the reader of the day of the LORD and the final reckoning of the human race. E.g. Is. Is. 2:9-12, 17, 19-21; Joel 2:30, 31; cf. Rev. 6:12-17.

15

William Redding

by Bobcat in

is anyone familiar with this person and his possible relationship with ctr or the wt?.

if you are wondering why i ask, take a look here and scroll down one page and start reading a little.. i could not find any mention of him in the wt online library.

i wonder if this is something barbara anderson would be familiar with?.

Vidqun

Interesting book. In my research I have come to a similar conclusion. However, the difference would be that I view it as being a future event.

13

Increase in Second Sealings for the Anointed?

by Nevuela in

the other day i heard my anointed roommate on the phone, discussing something called the "second sealing".

i heard her say that most anointed people only receive it shortly before death, if they receive it at all.

she went on to say that she has been hearing about several other anointed people receiving theirs recently and not dying afterward.

Vidqun

I agree, perhaps these people are delusional. This does not fit the Bible narrative. According to Paul, he and his fellow apostles have been anointed and sealed:

But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us,
who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment (2 Cor. 1:21, 22).

But it seems as though the official sealing of the 144000 will only take place during the Great Tribulation, which makes it a future occurrence. John saw a vision of a scroll with seven seals being opened.

Then I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became blood red; and the stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when shaken by a fierce wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
Then the kings of the earth, the very important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Rev. 6:12-17)

And again:

16 They said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,
17 because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?"
Revelation 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so no wind could blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He shouted out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given permission to damage the earth and the sea:
3 "Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." (Rev. 6:16-7:3 NET)

The transition between aforementioned chapters of Revelation is introduced by the Greek phrase Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο (Rev. 7:1 Tischendorf’s New Testament, 8th edition), “and after this,” “this” referring to the kings of the earth and their followers, finding refuge in their underground shelters.

Conclusion: According to Revelation the official sealing of the 144000 must still take place.

114

JW Stumper Questions - List You Best Here

by pale.emperor in

hi guys.

sooner or later we're going to get a jw knocking on our door.

just like when we were jw's doing the knocking, it's good to have a question prepared to get them thinking about their own beliefs.

Vidqun

Here's a technical question for those that are interested in JW interpretation.

JWs believe the two witnesses of Revelation are symbolic, with their death and resurrection taking place during 1914-1918 when Rutherford and co. were jailed. They were "resurrected" when they were freed and could continue their preaching work.

See Questions From Readers on JW.ORG:

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20141115/questions-from-readers/

The two witnesses are killed by the beast coming up from the abyss. The Witnesses believe the wild beast that "was, but is not and is about to ascend from the abyss" refers to the League of Nations and later the United Nations (Rev. 17:8). See Revelation Climax-book, p. 248.

My question: How is it that they could be "killed" by a beast that did not as yet exist? The League of Nations only came into being in 1920. It was created only after the war, because of the war. But alas, very few Witnesses today will be able to understand such a question, let alone answer it.

Yes, I also like the question (of a more simpler variety): After elaborate dedication ceremonies of Kingdom and Assembly halls, do you "undedicate" and then sell them, or do you sell them as is? As was brought out, after such questions the bells starts ringing and they think: APOSTATE!