Quote from a 1993 Watchtower article:
*** w93 1/1 9 Rejoicing in Our Grand Creator ***
"2 We can rejoice, however, that our Grand Creator has the permanent solution. In Jesus’ prophecy “the conclusion of the system of things” is linked with his invisible “presence.” (Matthew 24:3, 37-39) To create the “new heavens,” Jehovah placed Jesus on his throne as Messianic King, the prophetic evidence showing that this historic event took place in the heavens in the year 1914. (2 Peter 3:13) As associate ruler with the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, Jesus is now commissioned to judge the nations and to separate the meek, sheeplike people of earth from obstinate goatlike ones. The ungodly “goats” are marked for “everlasting cutting-off” and “the sheep” for everlasting life in the earthly realm of the Kingdom.—Matthew 25:31-34, 46."
Notice the article says that Jesus was installed as king in 1914 'To create the "new heavens" '. Yet, reading the entire chapter of 2 Peter 3, it is clear that the 'new heavens and new earth' only come into being AFTER the old heavens dissolving at Jehovah's day! There is no hint of the 'new heavens' being created before 'Jehovah's day'. This is made clear in the following Watchtower quote:
*** w98 4/15 13 Faith and Your Future ***
"19 Jehovah’s Witnesses put their faith in the Kingdom of God. It is the “new heavens” that the apostle Peter wrote about: “There are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Peter 3:13) The “new earth” is the new human society that will be governed by the new heavens, God’s Kingdom. This is the arrangement God revealed in a vision to the apostle John, who wrote: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away . . . And [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:1, 4."
Notice that the apostle John said that 'the former heaven and the former earth had passed away' BEFORE he saw the 'new heaven and..new earth'!
The Watchtower often contradicts itself concerning these subtle date-oriented teachings. The following quote from 1999 says that both the 'new heavens' and 'new earth' are developments for the 'near FUTURE', contradicting the earlier quote.
*** w99 7/15 6 Why You Can Trust Bible Prophecy ***
"Additionally, important Bible prophecies await fulfillment in the near future. Describing what lies ahead, the apostle Peter wrote: “There are new heavens [the heavenly Messianic Kingdom] and a new earth [a righteous human society] that we are awaiting according to [God’s] promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.”—2 Peter 3:13."
Similarly, this Watchtower quote says that the 'new heaven and new earth' described in Revelation 21 (obviously referring to the same new heaven and new earth as 2 Peter 3:13) are FUTURE events:
*** w99 12/1 19 Be Happy Readers of the Book of Revelation ***
"16 Happy readers of the book of Revelation can only thrill with joy as they read the closing chapters that describe our glorious hope—a new heaven and a new earth, that is, a righteous heavenly Kingdom government ruling over a new, cleansed human society, all to the praise of “Jehovah God the Almighty.” (Revelation 21:22)"
Also, if the new heavens began in 1914, then to be consistent so must the 'new earth' have begun then. Yet how can that be if the Society now teaches that the sheep are not separated from the goats and the great crowd does not form until the great tribulation? Despite this, the Society implies that the 'new earth' is already operating in a structured, organised gathering of people (via the JW organisation), only not presently 'in its fullness':
*** w99 3/1 18 "The Temple" and "the Chieftain" Today ***
22 Finally, what does the city in the vision represent? It is no heavenly city, for it lies in the midst of “profane” (nonsacred) land. (Ezekiel 48:15-17) So it must be something earthly. Well, what is a city? Does it not convey the idea of people coming together as a group and forming something structured and organized? Yes. Hence, the city appears to picture the earthly administration that benefits all who will make up the righteous earthly society. It will operate in its fullness in the coming “new earth.” (2 Peter 3:13)
The Watchtower Society's claim that the 'new heavens' began in 1914 is a clear twisting of 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1 and is just another example of the self-contradictory mishmash of error they have twisted to conform to their ridiculous 1914 creed. Clearly, the 'new heavens and...new earth' are both entirely FUTURE events. How ironic that just a few verses later (v. 16) the apostle Peter warned about those who would 'twist' the scriptures, to their own destruction.
When do the 'new heavens' at 2 Peter 3: 13 begin? Society twisting it
by yaddayadda 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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yaddayadda
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wozadummy
yadda - well worked out and explained
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Pahpa
yad
The whole concept of an "invisible presence" is foreign to what Jesus actually predicted. The various "signs" that Christ gave precedes the actual coming or presence. That is why Christ warns us not to be misled by the message that " 'There he is, out in the desert', do not go out; or 'Here he is, in the inner rooms', do not believe it." Jesus clearly states: "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." (Mt. 24:26-31)
All three gospels confirm the visible coming of Christ. (Mark 13:26,27 Luke 21:27, 28) Russell and Rutherford constructed a different view because they wish to confirm their teachings that Christ did come as predicted in their literature. (Russell: 1874 Rutherford; 1914) So, if the premise upon which they build their entire eschatology is wrong, it should not surprise us that the rest is wrong too.
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yaddayadda
Agree 100% Pahpa. Thank you.