by Island Man 17 Replies latest watchtower bible
Ucantcome , l was just pointing out that by extending the " logic " of the WT it means that lots of people would know and that completely disagrees with what Jesus said . However the WT doesn't seem to have thought that through .
We cannot KNOW what will happen but anyone who has claimed to know the the time of the end had been proved wrong . That does , of course , apply not just to the Witnesses .
Jan
In heaven there are not guns, knives, bombs and samurai swords to execute any judgment. These belong to the physical realm. The waepons with which Jesus fights are not of the world! On the contrary they have divine power to demolish strongholds.(2. Cor. 10:3-5).
Note that not alone Christ is fighting against the demons but we men on earth according to Ephesians 6:12, we are putting on the armor and fight! "For our [daily] struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens"
Already since Paul wrote Ephesian 6:12 about the armor of God Christians have learned to fight and are leading this spiritual battle, Christ fighting in the battle in the first line.
Jesus' weapons in the spiritual warfire against the demons therefore are since 2000 years:
Fighting with TRUTH,
RIGHTOUSNESS;
GOSPEL OF PEACE (not Armageddon)
Word of God,
Prayer.
Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day [everyday that passed over the last 2000 years!] and, having done everything, to hold your ground. 14 So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, 15 and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.16 In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NABRE)
So tell me anybody, where the hell Jesus is fighting here. We alone have to armor us and to fight, Christ help us though. Let me smith my Smurai Sword for any case.
What the Son does not know is not the possible starting date of the battle - but as Matthew 24 turns around only around the day and hour of his parousia, his return as king, as our saviour - but the day of his COMING and our perfection.
He does not know when he will return at all. He did never know anything about that he would return 1914! and he doesnt even yet today know when he will return and celebrate the marriage with his virgin bride waiting for him with lamps! The date of rapture and anything related the day of Jehovah is in the fathers hand.
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
Disappointed now?
Jesus had respect for the fathers affairs! He didnt want to judge to fast and to annihilate.
Not to derail the OP but what they did was state the complete opposite of what the bible said was fact. The bible says "Jesus doesn't know"...they say "Jesus knows". With that kind of logic anything can be changed. Whatever is stated as true can be redefined as "true when it was written." Which reminds me of the Catholic viewpoint that the Apostle Peter and hence future popes could make whatever changes they deemed necessary because when he was given the keys to the kingdom whatever they loose will be loosed in heaven.
Why can't someone jiust say "do you follow the bible or the governing body" to a witness and show them the scripture and ask them what the bible says and then show them what the Society says and then ask them what they believe. If they answer in harmony with the Society then they reject the bible when the Society differs from what the bible says. Good and simple talking point.
Why didn't Big J execute "Satan" the very nano-second that he "sinned", before he could corrupt 1/3 of Heaven? Then he never could have corrupted Adam and Eve in the first place.
Jeehipity could have implanted intimate knowledge of all the evil "what ifs" into Adams brain. Or he could have invented a TV, and showed him what could have been; a real "It's a Wonderful Life" lesson. No need for untold suffering, followed by genocide. No need to clear the name of anyone, or vindicate anything.
God's ideas suck......
Back to the OP... Jesus doesn't know, but it's reasonable to conclude that he does?!?? Let's just throw that verse out of the Bible.
Without granting Organized Religions the power to interpret the ancient texts that we now call "The Bible", said texts would have long ceased to have any relevance. No relevance = No "Wizard of Oz"
Religion, and the tax free TRILLIONS it has scammed from the common man, would have died out long ago without "interpretations."
DD
I don't think WT would go so far as too actually choose a date again. They will simply imply that certain dates could be significant, for some JWs that will be enough to get them excited about the truth. Look at the Revelation book it has a big disclaimer at the beginning and people still thought every word was 100% truth from heaven.
A lot of them bought into the hype of the "kingdom ruling for a hundred years milestone"
"... But Christ has been empowered in heaven to wage war against Satan's world. (Rev 19:11-16) Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that Jesus now knows when Armageddon will occur...." - Watchtower July 2016, page 14, par. 4.
Look, the writer was simply stating an opinion. And he or she may be right. If we accept that "all authority in Heaven and Earth" has been given to Jesus, it would stand to reason that he would now know the time of his coming. The biblical Armageddon will begin about three and a half years after the historic peace agreement with Gog/Antichrist. At that time the agreement will be negated and the Muslim nations surrounding Israel will attack in a war of annihilation. Two prophets will withstand the enemy for another three and a half years, but will ultimately be killed. Their bodies will lie on the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days. Then Jesus comes, destroys Gog, converts the Jews and restores the Temple, making Jerusalem a world capital.
My point is, that one the peace agreement is signed, anyone with a calendar will be able to accurately predict Christ's coming. Thus, what was once true no longer will hold true. In the Society's case, the writer simply states an opinion that may or may not be true.
If the GB is God's official channel, as the JWs believe, then such a statement might be an inspired utterance. But whether an opinion or declaration, the statement may actually be correct. But to me it just sounded like an opinion. Nothing more.
