Laying the groundwork for dumping the "1935 anointed cutoff" date?

by sir82 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  sir82

  The next domino to fall in the Society's muddled chronology-based teachings is very likely to be the concept that the "general call" for anointed members of the 144,000 ended in 1935, when the "great crowd" was identified. After 2+ decades of seeing the number of "Memorial partakers" hover in the mid-8000's, when actuarially speaking the number can't really be more than a few hundred at most, the Society needs to do something (as in, change the teaching, just as the passing of time necessitated a change to the "1914 generation" teaching).

  At our circuit assembly this past weekend, I heard something which makes me think the Society may already be laying the groundwork for this "new light". Here it is:

  The public talk included "4 lines of evidence" that we are living in "the last days". They were:

  1) World events (Matthew 24, Mark 13, etc.)

  2) People's attitudes (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

  3) Political developments (Rev. 12:9, Devil being hurled down to earth, etc.)

  4) Positive changes in Jehovah's org. (Isa. 2:4, preaching work Matt. 24:14, etc.)

  Now, compare that list to the 6 "lines of evidence" presented in a talk from last year's "Special Assembly Day" (this list was also found in a Watchtower article from 3 or 4 years ago - Blondie or someone with access to the WT-CD can help with the exact reference):

  (1) World events (2) People' attitudes (3) We're living in the time of the "8th king" (4) We're living in the time of the "toes" of the image in Daniel (5) Global preaching work (6) The number of "genuine anointed" is decreasing

  Notice any big differences?

  Items (1) & (2) are identical. Item (3) on the latest list is a summarization of items (3) & (4) on the older list. Item (4) on the new list is an expansion of item (5) on the old list.

  Whoops! There's nothing on the new list corresponding to item (6) on the old list!

  So, apparently, it is no longer a matter of concern that the "number of genuine anointed is decreasing"! Hmm, maybe they aren't decreasing at all...given that the majority of the Governing Body wasn't even born before 1935 (let alone baptized by then), and that within 3 to 5 years probably all on the GB will be "young anointed", it seems the Society is "easing in" this new light to help "legitimize" all these new, younger additions.

  I suspect we'll be seeing a Watchtower study article on this within a year or 2.

  What do you think?

  PS I also find it significant that the reference to the "8th king" (the UN) was dropped entirely, folded into a "political developments" item - the Society has been downplaying the UN for some time now.
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  Justitia Themis

  ***

  w001/15pp.12-13"KeepontheWatch"***

  Six

  ConvincingLinesofEvidence

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  First,weclearlyseethefulfillmentoftheapostlePaul’sprophecyconcerning"thelastdays." Paul wrote: "In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. But wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled." (2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13) Do we not see this prophecy being fulfilled in our day? Only those who ignore the facts can deny it!

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  Second,weseetheeffectsoftheousterofSatanandhisdemonsfromheaven,infulfillmentofRevelation12:9. There, we read: "Down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him." This has resulted in great woe for the earth. Truly, there has been much woe for mankind, particularly since 1914. But the prophecy in Revelation adds that when the Devil is cast down to the earth, he knows that "he has a short period of time." (Revelation 12:12) During this period, Satan wages war with the anointed followers of Christ. (Revelation 12:17) We certainly have seen the effects of his attack in our time. Soon, however, Satan will be confined in the abyss so that "he might not mislead the nations anymore."—Revelation 20:1-3.

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  Third,wearelivinginthetimeoftheeighthandfinal"king"mentionedintheprophecyrecordedatRevelation17:9-11. Here the apostle John mentions seven kings, representing seven world powers—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Anglo-American dual world power. He also sees "an eighth king" that "springs from the seven." This eighth king—the last one that John envisions—now represents the United Nations. John says that this eighth king "goes off into destruction," after which no further earthly kings are mentioned.

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  Fourth,wearelivingintheperiodsymbolizedbythefeetofNebuchadnezzar’sdreamimage. The prophet Daniel interpreted this mysterious dream of an enormous image in human form. (Daniel 2:36-43) The four metallic parts of the image represent various world powers, beginning with the head (the Babylonian Empire) and extending down to the feet and toes (the governments that are ruling today). All the world powers represented in that image have made their appearance. We are living in the period symbolized by the feet of the image. No mention is made of other powers to come.

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  Fifth,weseeaglobalpreachingworkbeingaccomplished,whichJesussaidwouldtakeplacejustbeforetheendofthissystem. Jesus stated: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) Today, that prophecy is in the course of fulfillment on an unprecedented scale. True, untouched territories still exist, and it may be that in Jehovah’s due time, a large door leading to greater activity will open. (1 Corinthians 16:9) Nevertheless, the Bible does not state that Jehovah will wait until every individual on earth has received a personal witness. Rather, the good news must be preached to Jehovah’s satisfaction. Then the end will come.—Compare Matthew 10:23.

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  Sixth,thenumberofgenuineanointeddisciplesofChristisdwindling,thoughsomewillevidentlystillbeonearthwhenthegreattribulationbegins. Most of the remnant are quite elderly, and over the years the number of those who are truly anointed has been getting smaller. Yet, referring to the great tribulation, Jesus stated: "Unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short." (Matthew 24:21, 22) Evidently, then, some of Christ’s "chosen ones" will still be on earth when the great tribulation begins.
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  fullofdoubtnow

  Evidence suggests you are right. As time goes on, and still the "end" shows no sign of comimng, they simply have to have some sort of contingency plan to keep the publishing company religion going and keep the cash rolling in lifesaving preaching work going. And if all the fds dies off, where would the spiritual food come from?

  However many doctrinal errors they have made, the corporate side of the wts has been running well for years, and there's no doubt they would be prepared to change any doctrine to hold on to their financial status, however it affects the rank and file.
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  Zico

  sir82,
  
  In the Public Talk at my Circuit Assembly the speaker mentioned the UN being the 8th king.
  
  According to the 1935 doctrine, Armageddon should have come by now. Since Jehovah can't look into the future, he can't know about replacements and should have planned to bring the end before replacements would become so important. If there had been no replacements, we'd have 3 men in their 90s/100s running the whole Org now. Jehovah wouldn't have put that much pressure on them if he'd made 1935 the cut off date! However, if you ask Witnesses about it, very few of them even know the 1935 teaching, so there isn't as much need to change it as the 1914-Generation teaching.
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  heathen

  Where'd they come up with the chosen ones only includes the 144k? Revelation is very clear that the 144k are martyrs and die by the ax for bearing witness to jesus , I don't know how they can ignore that and make up some freaky dogma that makes no sense at all when compared to what's in the bible .The souls that are screaming for vengeance under the alter in heaven were slaughtered on behalf of the preaching work . Revs 6:9-11 Revs 20:4
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  M.J.

  The one sure-fire source of new light are "present truths" with an expiration date.
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  Outaservice

  As time goes on, there will be a lot of other 'stuff' they're going to have to dump too! Problem is many now do not even know anything about 1975 etc. And even though it is current information, many have still not heard of the UN connection to the Watchtower Society. Keep em out of college and dumb as door knobs!

  Outaservice
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  lawrence

  So when the new light shines in from the Pleiades, will it mean that those who partake and were baptized after 1935 will be disfellowshipped, or given 6 months to renounce their "annointed state" just like the smokers got 6 months to quit in the 70's?
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  OnTheWayOut

  Zico, that is so insightful:

  According to the 1935 doctrine, Armageddon should have come by now. Since Jehovah can't look into the future, he can't know about replacements and should have planned to bring the end before replacements would become so important. If there had been no replacements, we'd have 3 men in their 90s/100s running the whole Org now.

  Too bad the average JW will never allow such reasoning. "Of course he knew some would be unfaithful."
  Personally, I think the new light will be that Jehovah planned for this and did not choose all of the
  anointed, saving some slots for the "very last days."
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  slimboyfat

  Since Jehovah can't look into the future

  False assumption. Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe that.

  Slim