by thedepressedsoul 74 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I think they are bat-shit crazy and will do ANYTHING to survive. If the ORG is at war with itself and gets nailed with Pedo cases, especially publicly, there is no telling the crazy shit they will do!
Still, if history tells us anything, they will "adjust" and "refine" as needed. They have been playing CYA for over 100 years, they are really good at it.
DD
If they drop 1919, then when and who? 1914 is critical and based on undeniable chronology. After all, didn't Nebuchadnezzar have a dream about a tree being cut down?
There is no reason to change 1914....and the 2520 prophetic year proof.
I don't think 1919 means jack sh*t to them, and they will just claim "dog's blessing" on them because "it's obvious he supports us". You guys are SO obsessed with theology. More than the GB, I would bet money on.
1914 is liability for WT and JWs. They used to teach that 1918/1919 was a period in which Jesus selected his earthly bride, which was a pack of Rutherford followers. Various pourings from Revelation is associated unimportant conventions in Ohio from 1920's. There is just too muc cr.ap associated with 1914 and would have to be changed, which is not a problem for WT. I do not think moving date from 1914 to 1934 will do too much, as it happened 80 years ago, and it is another year lost in history.
What is ironic about this thread and many threads just like it is that eliminating the 1914 year is repeatedly speculated on here, all the while next week there is a part on the service meeting on how to explain 1914. The part then references upcoming articles in the watchtower November 1 that too explains 1914. It's not going anywhere anytime soon!
LOL - 1914 represents the only concrete event that the WT can point to where something of historical significance actually happened....even if it wasn't what they predicted. So it's not going anywhere soon.
I agree with Vanderhoven. They will never abandon the date nor its chronology but they will simply change the focus on it.
I also agree that some on the GB no longer believe or are very skeptical. Ray Franz said in ISOCF that even back in his time some GB members were saying they weren't sure about it anymore.
The fact that the pictures at the back of the new NWT translation does not mention Jesus' enthronement as king in 1914 but only Satan's ousting from heaven 'about' then is VERY telling imho and a strong clue of things to come.
I believe they will eventually de-link Christ's enthronement and the establishment of the Kingdom in heaven from the date and shift it to the great tribulation, along with the ousting of Satan and the demons, the ride of the four horsemen, and the resurrection of the dead 144k. All these events will be shifted to the great tribulation.
1914 will be watered down to mean nothing more than Jesus' PAROUSIA began in 1914 in a spiritual sense only, ie, as the 'messenger of the covenant' who came to his spiritual temple per Malachi 3:1, not as newly enthroned king. 1919 will remain as the year Jesus cleansed his spiritual temple and selected the Watchtower leadership as his FDS.
The vision of the giant tree chopped down in Daniel will be explained away as: the kingdom was only an unbanded tree stump in 1914 and began to regrow then, but Jesus is not enthroned until the tree is fully regrown at the outbreak of the great tribulation.
None of this will happen for quite a few years to come.
This is a good thread, different viewpoints but all constructive.
I agree with Baltar's last comment too...we are probably more obessed about this that the average dub and the GB!
We are longing for the day the JWs, gb, watchtower falls on its own sword.
Speculative questions /statements will continue until that day, hopefully sooner than later.
The Watchtower won't abandon 1914 altogether. They will spin it to a lesser important event, maybe the year "Satan was cast down" as was mentioned. They could come up with a "woe to the earth", then WWI began spin.
I too have thought they will eventually accept 587CE as Jerusalem's fall then extend the end of the Gentile Times out to 1934. They can spin the rise of Hitler and WWII as the start of the "last days".
These type changes actually would give them more distance between Russell and eventually Rutherford. These changes also could extend the end 120 years out to 2054 (Noah's preaching), and they could go back to a more sellable "this generation" belief.
This G.B. could them come up with a "new 1919" year that gives them all the authority that they need.
