Posts by Rattigan350

79

607 date of Jerusalems destruction

by benny in

i am confused about the time scale regarding the year of the destruction of jerusalem.

in the 1st october 2011 watchtower an argument is presented to back up 607 bc but there are so many conflicting arguments that this happened 20 years later according to secular sources.

your thoughts please..

Rattigan350

"Carl Johnson's book is exhaustive on this topic"

Carl J's book is about as bad and the GB's thinking. They can't see the forest through the trees. They are focusing too much on the destruction of Jerusalem as the start of the 7 times. The destruction is not the start of the 7 times because that is not what the prophesy was about. Nathan told David that his offspring would sit on Jehovah's throne to time indefinite. That happened until Jehoiakim became vassal king to Nebuchadnezzer. Jehovah is sovereign, so no king on Jehovah's throne can be a vassal to someone else. The 7 times made that possible by pausing that line of kings for 2520 years when Jesus took the throne. That is all Biblical. Any criticism of that is outside the Bible.

23

jwfacts.com Have you looked at it?

by blondie in

jw
friends

i use this extensively rather than re-inventing the wheel.. paul grundy, the admin, keeps it up-to-date and welcomes any corrections or new information, especially in a well-written article, supported by wt publication quotes.. the 2 places i check first is www.jwfacts.com and then searching on jwn with key word(s) to see if the topic has been already extensively researched or commented on.. don't be frightened away by the material being more than 3 paragraphs.

the quotes from wt publications is are extensive and from publications that are older and less available.

i find it good to read many posts on a single topic and expand my knowledge and sources.. blondie.

Rattigan350

Until the WTS challenges sites like that with jw in the name.

The WTS holds the trademark to jw as of 10/31/2017

https://trademarks.justia.com/873/61/jw-87361634.html

Digital media in the field of religious education, namely, pre-recorded video discs, digital versatile disks, downloadable audio and video recordings, DVDs, and high definition discs, all featuring religious information relating to the tenets of the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination; Downloadable software in the nature of a mobile application for accessing, viewing and downloading audio and video recordings, music, digital print publications, online publications, documents, forms, audio and digital content, and web pages, all featuring religious information relating to the tenets of the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination

79

607 date of Jerusalems destruction

by benny in

i am confused about the time scale regarding the year of the destruction of jerusalem.

in the 1st october 2011 watchtower an argument is presented to back up 607 bc but there are so many conflicting arguments that this happened 20 years later according to secular sources.

your thoughts please..

Rattigan350

Scholars like Brown and EB Elliott back in the 1820s held that it was Nebuchadnezzar's ascension year that started the seven times. They thought it was 604-1917 or 606-1914, but it was not based on Jerusalem's destruction as that was 587.

Back then they looked to the 6000 years as ending in the 1870s. Nelson Barbour felt that the current belief that it was 587BC meant that the desolation was 50 years from 537 to 587. In March 1874, in the Midnight Cry, Barbour combined the two periods of captivity and desolation into one. He changed Jerusalem's destruction to 607 and Russell followed that. When Russell split from him, he should have examined his chronology too.

I adhere to what Elliott taught, that the seven times ran from around 606/604 to 1914/1917 and was not connected to the destruction of Jerusalem.

So blame it on Nelson Barbour who changed history and Russell and his followers for adhering to it.

60

Our congregation will be deleted

by Rattigan350 in

last night was the co's visit.

prior to his part, an elder had a part on following theocratic direction.

it was about our congregation being deleted (there are 2 sharing this hall) and the people and territory being divided up to the 4 other surrounding ones.. they say it is not about numbers but about making best use of resources.

Rattigan350

Blondie, Back around 2012 there was one cong using the Hall. Then they formed a new congregation out of that one and the surrounding ones, the one we attend. The Hall was in the territory of the new one. According to county records the Hall is in the name of the original congregation. (Though it listed the owner as a former elder in my congregation). I was told that they letter from the Branch said to dissolve the new congregation as they would not have to change any county records and it will simpler. I don't see a difference in dissolving congregations where 2 or more where at a Hall. The thing that makes no sense is when they sell Halls and then force people to go 20 or more miles away. People will drop out as it then costs them more.

60

Our congregation will be deleted

by Rattigan350 in

last night was the co's visit.

prior to his part, an elder had a part on following theocratic direction.

it was about our congregation being deleted (there are 2 sharing this hall) and the people and territory being divided up to the 4 other surrounding ones.. they say it is not about numbers but about making best use of resources.

Rattigan350

Blondie, I heard that the elders got a letter from the Branch stating that the congregation that does not hold title to the Kingdom Hall would be dissolved. I thought the Watchtower Society held title to all the Kingdom Halls. Or the local congregations hold title until the Watchtower Society wants it to be liquidated and then they obey.

22

What Jesus' Return Would Mean for JWs, According to the Bible

by Afterburn in

on the last day, jesus returns, and 8,000,000 jehovah's witnesses are shocked that he didn't return invisibly.

remembering the account of stephen, they know if they can see him, they can speak directly to him, so they line up proudly to be rewarded for all they've done for his brothers.. "lord, lord," they happily cry out, "just look what all we have done in your name!".

"i know," jesus says, "i saw.

Rattigan350

Vanderhoven, No one prevents people from having a relationship with Jesus Christ, except there is no point in it. He is not the objective. He is a priest bringing people to Jehovah God. Israelites could have friendly relationships with the high priests, but the high priests were just a go between. The whole point was to bring them to God.

22

What Jesus' Return Would Mean for JWs, According to the Bible

by Afterburn in

on the last day, jesus returns, and 8,000,000 jehovah's witnesses are shocked that he didn't return invisibly.

remembering the account of stephen, they know if they can see him, they can speak directly to him, so they line up proudly to be rewarded for all they've done for his brothers.. "lord, lord," they happily cry out, "just look what all we have done in your name!".

"i know," jesus says, "i saw.

Rattigan350

When Jesus said he is to return, he was not referring to his returning to the earth. He was referring to his disciples returning to him as in his resurrecting them to be with him in heaven.

60

Our congregation will be deleted

by Rattigan350 in

last night was the co's visit.

prior to his part, an elder had a part on following theocratic direction.

it was about our congregation being deleted (there are 2 sharing this hall) and the people and territory being divided up to the 4 other surrounding ones.. they say it is not about numbers but about making best use of resources.

Rattigan350

I was referring to the city of Oglethorpe near Montezuma not Fort Oglethorpe GA.

60

Our congregation will be deleted

by Rattigan350 in

last night was the co's visit.

prior to his part, an elder had a part on following theocratic direction.

it was about our congregation being deleted (there are 2 sharing this hall) and the people and territory being divided up to the 4 other surrounding ones.. they say it is not about numbers but about making best use of resources.

Rattigan350

Last Saturday I drove through the town of Oglethorpe GA and saw the Kingdom Hall. Today I drove that same road and saw the Kingdom Hall but this time it had a Realtor For Sale sign.

Another one down. I no longer see that congregation on jw.org. That leaves a big hole in the map there.

68

Do You Think Disfellowshipping Is The Worst Thing About Jehovah’s Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

the longer i’m out the more i feel that disfellowshipping is cruel.

i understand the organization tells parents to not even accept emails or texts from their disfellowshipped children.

while i was a witness they tried to discourage families from association but there was some leeway if it was considered necessary business to interact.

Rattigan350

LoveUniHateExams - The two-witness rule is applied to everything and everyone equally and it should not have exception for child sex abuse cases. Due process is due process. This is just a for people to easily attack the Witnesses with something easy to get public opinion behind. Attacking the Witnesses or Watchtower should never be a motivation. Making your life the best it can be should be one's only motivation.