1935 A Gentle Reminder

by Inkie 19 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Inkie

  And . . .

  It must not be forgotten that back in the early 1900's the Society taught that World War I was the beginning of the Great Tribulation and when WWI ended--that was the "unless those days were cut short no flesh would be saved" AND it was the "these are the ones that come out of the Great Tribulation" as recorded by the apostle John in his Revelation. When WWII started it was the Great Tribulation commencing again such that all of those JW's between the two world wars belonged to the Great Crowd.

  In 1968 at the Peace On Earth International Convention, the Society changed its teaching and made the Great Tribulation a yet future event. Which, frankly, negates the 1935 Great Crowd coming out of or from between the world wars of the Great Trib. They didn't change THAT teaching and few among the JW's realized the ramifications of making the Great Trib a future event thus nullifying the existence of the Great Crowd. Now that the Great Trib is a future event, the Great Crowd coming out of it also has to be a future event--Duh! So . . . there can't be a Great Crowd yet because they don't make a showing until after the Great Trib and therefore all Christians today have a heavenly hope.

  (Now as for where the Great Crowd are located, that's another discussion. . . .)

  And that's just my two cents.

  Inkie
• 

  Gopher

  In 1968 at the Peace On Earth International Convention, the Society changed its teaching and made the Great Tribulation a yet future event.

  I remember this convention, although I was just 7 years old then. I didn't understand anything about what they were saying, but I remember the excitement over the new little blue bible-study book they released for twenty-five cents.

  The name of that book should have been "The Troof that Leads to Eternal Confusion".

  I wasn't aware that they previously had taught that the "great crowd" was supposed to be extracted from mankind during the time AFTER the days were cut short. Of course, the "Truth" book was the first Watchtower book I studied and could understand, so all I knew was that the "great crowd" was supposed to come through Armageddon and into an exclusively-JW utopia.
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  garybuss

  Thanks Inkie, That was a great post and might be the best summary of the problems with the Society's core doctrines.
  
  When the Society messes with the anointed and the sheep and the great crowd they are messing with the very foundation of their religion. Their whole thesis is that they know the problem, they know the solution, and they know who will benefit from the solution. That's the whole program. Now they say we were wrong about who benefits and HOW they benefit.
  
  These guys don't have any credibility left at all.
  
  Post some more, you write some good stuff!
  
  
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  Ancientofdays

  That's really great point, I never realised this !!

  It must not be forgotten that back in the early 1900's the Society taught that World War I was the beginning of the Great Tribulation and when WWI ended--that was the "unless those days were cut short no flesh would be saved" AND it was the "these are the ones that come out of the Great Tribulation" as recorded by the apostle John in his Revelation. When WWII started it was the Great Tribulation commencing again such that all of those JW's between the two world wars belonged to the Great Crowd.

  When you say early 1900's , you mean Russel's Watchtower ? Do you have quotation or reference. I have WT until 1916 in .pdf format, I'd like to find it. thanks
• 

  dedpoet

  In 1968 at the Peace On Earth International Convention, the Society changed its teaching and made the Great Tribulation a yet future event. Which, frankly, negates the 1935 Great Crowd coming out of or from between the world wars of the Great Trib. They didn't change THAT teaching and few among the JW's realized the ramifications of making the Great Trib a future event thus nullifying the existence of the Great Crowd. Now that the Great Trib is a future event, the Great Crowd coming out of it also has to be a future event--Duh! So . . . there can't be a Great Crowd yet because they don't make a showing until after the Great Trib and therefore all Christians today have a heavenly hope.

  Thanks for this Inkie. You are so right - very few jws do realise what
  the wt teaching on the tribulation really means.

  It's typical wts tactics though, making a subtle, barely-noticeable change
  to a doctrine years after initially formulating it, and hoping that most of
  those who were around when they originally thought it up are either dead
  or too blinded by propaganda to notice the ramifications.

  If the jws really studied their doctrines, I think the current 6.5 million
  total would be significantly reduced once some of them realised what
  nonsense they are actually putting their faith in.
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  Inkie

  Ancient,

  Yes, I do have a quotation reference from a Watchtower stating this exact thing. However, I will have to go look it up. I don't know it off the top of my head which WT it is.

  --Inkie
• 

  SPAZnik

  Interesting points Inkie. Nice one.
  
  How many times does an organization's prophecies have to be proved wrong before we consider it a false prophet and stop giving our decision-making powers over to those running it?
  
  It blows my mind how often I actually bought into their "light brighter" rationalizations that being mistaken time and time again somehow means they have god's spirit so everyone should continue to listen to their latest/future prophecies.
• 

  AlphaOmega

  Yep, an excellent point and clearly made !

  I was having a discussion about this the other week with a Witness.

  I showed him this from the "Revelation Book"...

  ***

  re chap.20 p.124 AMultitudinousGreatCrowd***

  [Box

  onpage124]

  Members

  of the great crowd

  * come out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues

  * stand before Jehovah’s throne

  * have washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb

  * ascribe salvation to Jehovah and to Jesus

  * come out of the great tribulation

  * serve Jehovah in his temple day and night

  * receive Jehovah’s loving protection and care

  * are shepherded by Jesus to fountains of waters of life

  I asked him, "Do you know any members of the Great Crowd / Other Sheep?"

  Obviously he said yes.

  I asked him if he knew any that had died.

  Again he said yes.

  So... How can they have been "of the Great Crowd" as the Tribulation hasn't happened yet?

  No answer !
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  minimus

  Inkie----EXCELLENT thread!
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  moshe

  Thanks, Inkie for this thread. It makes a lot of sense and I had not really thought about the illogical Great Crowd dogma that the WT has made for themselves. It's just like the JW comments that only "they" preach the good news of the kingdom and when challenged to explain and prove exactly what that is they fall flat on their face at the door. All the core doctrines of JW's have been so muddied in the past few decades that JW's are only left with the work of preaching/selling door to door as the one core teaching that has remained constant for over 100 years. They are holding onto that flimsy lifeline like a man sinking into quicksand.