The heavenly resurrection of 1918: "An interesting possibility"

by AnnOMaly 25 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  AnnOMaly

  Possibility? They must be joking!

  Watchtower January 1, 2007, 'The First Resurrection - Now Under Way!' p.28, after talking about Bible parallels:

  "Three and a half years later, in the spring of 33 C.E., he was resurrected as a mighty spirit person. Could it, then, be reasoned that since Jesus was enthroned in the fall of 1914, the resurrection of his faithful anointed followers began three and a half years later, in the spring of 1918? That is an interesting possibility. Although this cannot be directly confirmed in the Bible, it is not out of harmony with other scriptures that indicate that the first resurrection got under way soon after Christ's presence began."

  Contrast that with the soon-to-be-studied-again 'Revelation Climax' statement:

  "All the evidence indicates that this heavenly resurrection began in 1918, after Jesus' enthronement in 1914 ..." (p.103)

  You think they are introducing some 'wiggle room' in the chronology department?

  Also included in the study article is a reiteration that "the resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communicating of divine truths today." Naturally, this idea relies on the biblical parallel whereby 1st century John represents the modern-day 'John class' which is being clued in by the heavenly '24-elder group' as to the identity of the 'great crowd.' But still, I am surprised to see this re-stated.
• 

  lawrence

  Annie-

  If the 24 elder group are communicating divine truths to these Brooklyn hucksters and frauds, then it would be better if they just hung around the throne and sang songs of praise. Imagine the WTS impuning that heaven is involved in their teachings. HA! HA! HA!

  Yes, the other statement does resemble "wiggle room".
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  vitty

  Well they really need to stop "communicating" since they keep getting it wrong.
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  sir82

  New light alert!
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  Narkissos

  At such a pace, the end of 6,000 years of human history in 1975 might be considered an "interesting possibility" in 2064...
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  AnnOMaly

  Never mind 'new light alert,' sir82. It's more like 'aim at your foot and pull the trigger' alert.

  'Interesting possibility'? 'Not directly confirmed in the Bible'? Are they crazy? These are JW givens, written in stone, as unchangeable as the laws of the Medes and Persians! Once they blur the 1918 thing, what's next? The 1919 thing? The *gasp* Sacred Cow itself - the 1914 thing?

  Having said that, I expect hazy statements like these will be made, then everyone will click back onto the the well-worn railroad when they study the 'Revelation Climax' book, or a more dogmatic WT study article will come out. Like with the radical Pinata article - the answer to the 'From Our Readers' letter and comments in the 'Bible Teach' book will counteract it by retreading the same old stuff.

  That '24-elder group' are sure kept busy with all this backing and forthing.
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  bennyk

  Recycled old post:

  01. April 1986 QfR:

  Do we have Scriptural precedent for taking such a strict position? Indeed we do! Paul wrote about some in his day: "Their word will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of that number. These very men have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred; and they are subverting the faith of some." (2 Timothy 2:17, 18; see also Matthew 18:6.) There is nothing to indicate that these men did not believe in God, in the Bible, in Jesus’ sacrifice. Yet, on this one basic point, what they were teaching as to the time of the resurrection, Paul rightly branded them as apostates, with whom faithful Christians would not fellowship.

  This is most fascinating. When the F&DS was supposedly appointed in 1919, the Watch Tower Society was still teaching that the Resurrection had begun in 1878 -- a teaching not altered until 1927 -- and which teaching the WTS now rejects as false. Does it not bugger the imagination to believe the Lord appointed over all his belongings an organisation that (by its own published standard) would be 'rightly branded apostate, with whom faithful Christians would not fellowship'?
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  DannyHaszard

  These are JW givens, written in stone, as unchangeable as the laws of the Medes and Persians! Once they blur the 1918 thing, what's next? The 1919 thing? The *gasp* Sacred Cow itself - the 1914 thing?

  Ergo,no 1914 then there can be no 1918 inspection..... The central CORE doctrine of the Watchtower,yes the reason the Watchtower came into existence was to declare Jesus second coming in 1914.When the prophecy (derived from William Miller of 1842) failed they said that he came "invisibly".
  
  Ergo,no 1914 then there can be no 1918 inspection and sealing of the 'anointed' so the entire WBTS doctrinal superstructure comes crashing down like a house of cards.
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  Poztate

  I always thought they taught it as a certainty?? What did the "Babylon the Great" of 1963? have to say about it??
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  Abandoned

  All the evidence

  Say, could you pass me another helping of this here evidence, because I seem to have missed it somehow.

  Also included in the study article is a reiteration that "the resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communicating of divine truths today."

  Actually, this could be true. With the convoluted mess of their current beliefs, they probably are getting them from a sprit version of (non)judge rutherford.