You still didn't answer my question:
If you think the tribulation already came and went, then what is it you think he was talking about when he said "Keep on the watch"?"
take for example revelation 21: 10. .
“….and he showed me the holy city jerusalem coming down out of heaven from god.
here john sees something happening, action.
You still didn't answer my question:
If you think the tribulation already came and went, then what is it you think he was talking about when he said "Keep on the watch"?"
luke 23:43 - and jesus said to him, "positively i say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
nwt places comma here , giving a totally different meaning to the verse.
now the average jw uses this to back their doctrine and it seems in itself virtually impossible to reason with them on it.
"Ad hominem(Attacking the person): This fallacy occurs when, instead of addressing someone's argument or position, you irrelevantly attack the person or some aspect of the person who is making the argument." (txst.edu)
The points I brought out about were not "irrelevant". They were pertinent. I read pages from the websites you linked and I commented on them in depth with quotes to show that their substance and reasoning is flawed and unscriptural.
For me to say that the writers were pulling their interpretations out of a dark place wasn't an "ad hominem attack". It was truth. Jesus called out the Pharisees as serpents, offspring of their Father the Devil. He wasn't doing an "ad hominem attack". He was telling the truth about those religious fakers who pretended to be something they were not: friends of God. Those fakers were not God's friends, and they weren't our friends either.
"...if your eye is envious, your whole body will be dark. If the light that is in you is really darkness, how great that darkness is! No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches."
One of your website authors is looking for money rather than glory for God.
"...a man is declared righteous, not by works of law, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. So we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, so that we may be declared righteous by faith in Christ and not by works of law, for no one will be declared righteous by works of law."
The other website author you posted is seeking to make rules to enslave the sheep and harshly lord it over the flock.
Neither of those website authors has the mind of Christ. Since they don't have the mind of Christ and they don't have the holy spirit, they do not know how to interpret that verse correctly, just like the rest of the verses discussed in your other Robert Bowman and Brian Onken article there.
Those guys Bowman and Onken are making stuff up so people will look at their names. They don't know what they're talking about. They just talk and talk and talk and it's all just made up. You would do better if you just read the Bible yourself and asked God to help you.
Why do you want to follow men? Follow God. Follow the Christ.
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols."
take for example revelation 21: 10. .
“….and he showed me the holy city jerusalem coming down out of heaven from god.
here john sees something happening, action.
@Vanderhoven, the scriptures say that Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.
Do you think the fulfillment on "Jerusalem" is only on the literal city?
If you think Jesus just meant the literal city of Jerusalem, then do you think the appointed times of the nations is still going on since Jerusalem the literal city has never been free from "Gentiles"? Do you think that the Messiah will come back and rescue the literal Jews from the nations and give then a literal kingdom on earth in the physical nation of Israel?
The first century alone was not what Jesus was talking about.
Part of the fulfillment was the destruction of the literal temple in Jerusalem. But the trampling of "Jerusalem" and the great tribulation that has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again, is on the figurative "Jerusalem". Jesus wasn't giving that prophecy to warn the literal Jews. The literal Jews didn't listen to him. He was giving the warning to Christians.
The trampling of the figurative "Jerusalem" hasn't happened yet. The appointed times of the nations hasn't even begun yet. It will begin soon, and then there will be greater distress than ever in the history of mankind.
The conclusion of the appointed times will be 3 1/2 years after it starts. (A time, times and half a time. The same as 42 months mentioned in Revelation. The same as the three and a half times in Daniel.)
At the end of the appointed times of the nations, Jesus will come on clouds from heaven with great glory and his enemies will see him. Jesus is "pierced" today when people persecute his followers. When it says "even those who pierced him" will see him, it means they'll know Jesus is coming. They'll see him, just like people saw him go up in the clouds when he went to heaven in the first century.
"Flee to the mountains" when you see the UN (the disgusting thing causing desolation) in the vicinity of "Jerusalem". Jehovah and Jesus are our "mountains" - they are our mountainlike refuge, our relationship with them is a stronghold for us.
When the UN attacks the religious institutions, Jehovah and Jesus will be our strong tower. There won't be church buildings and church leaders anymore. We will have to show brotherly love to each other and help each other get through. When Jesus said, "Do you love me?" Peter replied, "Lord, I have affection for you." Jesus said, "Shepherd my little lambs."
doubtful a judicial committee would order a sister to rescind a protective order, but might tell her she wouldn't qualify for the privilege of being a auxiliary pioneer while she had it.. .
https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/amish-men-who-told-woman-to-vacate-protective-order-against-husband-lose-appeal-of-intimidation-convictions.
'riley rejected the defendant’s citation of cantwell v. connecticut, 310 u.s. 296, 60, s.ct.
Jehovah's united family includes those from many places, not just "Jehovah's Witnesses" "in good standing" with the borg. The God of Love will gather us into one fold with Christ Jesus as head. (Ezekiel 34)
(The elders may try to intimidate the sheep, but they can't intimidate Jehovah or Jesus.)
doubtful a judicial committee would order a sister to rescind a protective order, but might tell her she wouldn't qualify for the privilege of being a auxiliary pioneer while she had it.. .
https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/amish-men-who-told-woman-to-vacate-protective-order-against-husband-lose-appeal-of-intimidation-convictions.
'riley rejected the defendant’s citation of cantwell v. connecticut, 310 u.s. 296, 60, s.ct.
Then a few weeks later my kids and I took a road trip to visit family down south. On the way back, I checked the online JWborg site for cancellations for a Bethel tour. We got in and toured Bethel and took photos with people there.
Since that time, I have been able to find the personal cellphone numbers of Tony Morris, Robert Ciranko, and Seth Hyatt online and was able to contact them to share a message via text. (Incidentally, both Tony and Robert picked up the phone when I called first.) I spoke to Robert Ciranko specifically about the recent morning worship he did regarding disfellowshipping. He said I could mail my question to the service department, but I told him they never answer when I write to them. It was an interesting conversation. I was respectful and polite, but I think he was surprised I called. When he asked how I got the number, I told him it was the same way I got the numbers to call people in the ministry. He said "that's fair". He asked me what congregation I go to and if I am one of Jehovah's witnesses. I told him what congregation I was going to and that I am a witness of Jehovah.
Anyway, it is clear to me from all of this that Jehovah's holy spirit helps even those who are disfellowshipped, and that the entire disfellowshipping process the borg does is completely bogus. I also consider it a huge blessing that I was disfellowshipped, because it helped me to research so many other things and find out cool stuff, like that the 1914 doctrine is false, the GB/FDS thing is false, etc, etc...
Now I am banned from pretty much everything locally - KH, assembly, convention. The local elders view me as a wicked disfellowshipped apostate, disruptive, mentally diseased and to be avoided like the plague. And yet, everyone we interacted with at the conventions, the Bethelites, the US Branch representative, even the former GB member and the current president of the WTBT$ all could see that we (me and my kids, who also now have disassociated themselves from the WTBT$) are loving witnesses of Jehovah.
Jehovah's holy spirit has made clear that the wicked intimidation techniques of those who lord it over the flock are not approved by God. Jehovah will clear His holy name of reproach at the appointed time. Jesus will see to it personally.
doubtful a judicial committee would order a sister to rescind a protective order, but might tell her she wouldn't qualify for the privilege of being a auxiliary pioneer while she had it.. .
https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/amish-men-who-told-woman-to-vacate-protective-order-against-husband-lose-appeal-of-intimidation-convictions.
'riley rejected the defendant’s citation of cantwell v. connecticut, 310 u.s. 296, 60, s.ct.
Then a few weeks later I went to the Portland Cross Arena for the "Exercise Patience" convention. We ended up sitting next to one of the Bethel speakers originally from England named Neil. While walking around another time, we met Robert Hendriks outside during break. Since I recognized him from Reddit discussions and PID videos that had been posted, I asked if I could take a picture with him. Since my tablet was slow turning on, he offered to take the photo with his own phone and text me the images. He told me and the kids to try to visit Bethel sometime (we have before) but he said the schedule's pretty full until November. Later that weekend we texted a bit - he told me my kids and I were good examples. I eventually told him about my situation and how I am currently disfellowshipped and why. He did respond and told me I could return to Jehovah, but I told him I never left Jehovah.
doubtful a judicial committee would order a sister to rescind a protective order, but might tell her she wouldn't qualify for the privilege of being a auxiliary pioneer while she had it.. .
https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/amish-men-who-told-woman-to-vacate-protective-order-against-husband-lose-appeal-of-intimidation-convictions.
'riley rejected the defendant’s citation of cantwell v. connecticut, 310 u.s. 296, 60, s.ct.
I wonder how the local elders handled it, and if it's the sort of thing they have to contact the branch for legal advice about?
I went to the assembly after getting disfellowshipped and I was respectful during the talks and sang during the songs, just like I always did, but I still talked to my friends before and after the programmed talks at the assembly. (A lot of the people there didn't know about the disfellowshipping.) The elders who had disfellowshipped me got mad, they watched others talking to me and me talking back and they wouldn't let me and my two children back into the Augusta Civic Center after lunchtime break (we had gone outside during lunch.) I had an idea ahead of time they might kick me out, so I made a sign and left it in the car that said "Jehovah's United Family" (that was the assembly theme) and after getting kicked out my two kids and I stood near the exit ramp of the Civic Center and waved to everyone who was leaving. Some people waved back and said "what a good idea! Just like at the international conventions!" Even the elder who chaired my judicial hearing and his wife both waved - until they realized who we were and then they looked shocked.
the wt org claims that the lamb's marriage will happen after armageddon, despite the fact that revelation 19 very clearly says that the lamb's marriage happens after the destruction of babylon the great.
and that after the lamb's marriage he with heavenly armies will go to destroy the wicked.. the wt claims that the order of events in revelation 19 is not really in that order referring to psalm 45. but i can't find in psalm 45 any explicit contradiction to revelation 19. .
paragraph 10 in the following article shows the wt org's view point:.
When the anointed are resurrected all together and join Christ, that is the "marriage of the Lamb". The fruitage of that union will include protecting the sheep at Armageddon.
take for example revelation 21: 10. .
“….and he showed me the holy city jerusalem coming down out of heaven from god.
here john sees something happening, action.
In Matthew 24:15 Jesus tells the reader to use discernment regarding the "disgusting thing causing desolation standing in a holy place". Daniel talks about the disgusting thing causing desolation on more than one occasion, and those events are separated by a great deal of time, also making clear that there was more than one fulfillment Jesus was speaking about. Specifically, the timeline of events delineated in Daniel chapters 11 and 12 make clear that the tribulation in our day will be 3 1/2 years long and have specific events occurring at certain points during that time period. Revelation and the gospels give more details on those events.
If you think the tribulation already came and went, then what is it you think he was talking about when he said "Keep on the watch"?
Jesus said "every eye would see him" and even his enemies would have to acknowledge him. Today there are some people on earth that don't even think Jesus ever existed, so obviously that part of Jesus' words hasn't been fulfilled yet. When he comes on the clouds, everyone will know who he is and why he's here. No one will be able to doubt his existence.
We have to keep awake. The GB/FDS is asleep, they think Jesus already came into Kingdom power in 1914, but they are wrong. We have to be ready to announce it when he gets the throne in heaven. We'll know because at that point he'll kick Satan out of heaven, Satan will get the UN all riled up, and when the UN attacks all religious institutions the great tribulation will have begun - at that point we'll know that Jesus has taken power in heaven but there will still be 3 1/2 years from that point before he comes at Armageddon.
We have to be ready to announce it. He told us to "keep on the watch." We are to be his witnesses.
the wt org claims that the lamb's marriage will happen after armageddon, despite the fact that revelation 19 very clearly says that the lamb's marriage happens after the destruction of babylon the great.
and that after the lamb's marriage he with heavenly armies will go to destroy the wicked.. the wt claims that the order of events in revelation 19 is not really in that order referring to psalm 45. but i can't find in psalm 45 any explicit contradiction to revelation 19. .
paragraph 10 in the following article shows the wt org's view point:.
The WTBT$ teaching about some kind of invisible resurrection in 1914/1918 thing is make-believe.
Nobody yet except Jesus has been resurrected to heaven.
Everybody else who has died is asleep in death. They didn't "go" anywhere except back to the dust. God has them in His memory, and at the appointed time during the great tribulation Jesus will resurrect those out of the 144,000 anointed who have fallen asleep in death, and the remaining ones of the 144,000 anointed who are still alive will be changed, and all together they will go to join Christ for the battle of Armageddon.
Everyone will see the anointed ones when they are resurrected as spirit creatures. It won't be "invisible".