10/1 WT: Creative days = 7,000 years

by Seeker 36 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Seeker

  The fourth paragraph on page 30 in the October 1, 2001 WT says this:

  "Getting back to Paul's statement in Hebrews, we note that he pointed out that "there remains a sabbath resting for the peoples of God," and he urged his fellow Christians to do their utmost "to enter into that rest." This shows that when Paul wrote those words, "the seventh day" of God's rest, which had started some 4,000 years earlier, was still in progress. It will not end until God's purpose regarding mankind and the earth is completely fulfilled at the end of the Thousand Year Reign of Jesus Christ, who is the "Lord of the sabbath."

  They have just implied, once again, that a creative day is equal in length to 7,000 years. They say the seventh creative day began 4,000 years before the 1st century. Add on two thousand years to our day, and another thousand for the Thousand Year Reign, and you get 7,000 years.

  Now they have a choice:

  a) Claim that creative days are of different lengths

  b) Claim that the earth is only 48,000 years old (6 x 7,000 years + another 6,000 years in the seventh day).

  This is a mistake. Choice a) is problematic for there is no Biblical support for this idea. And if they claim that earlier creative days are millions of years in length, they will have to explain how they know this.

  Choice b) is deadly to them. All those college educated JWs who know the earth has been around far, far, far longer than 48,000 years will do a double-take when they read this paragraph. The WTS has carefull hidden this silly 7,000-year length for a creative day for the past couple of decades. Someone in Writing just let the cat out of the bag again.
• 

  jayhawk1

  I am sure some new light will flash before their eyes to cover this one back up. I doubt the average Joe Bookbag will notice this one though. Most JWs I know barely even look at what they are reading. Since independent thought is taboo, most just accept whatever is said and that is as far as it goes. If the writing department wanted to fix this flaw, I would suggest they consult the spirit like Rutherford.

  "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
• 

  Farkel

  : Someone in Writing just let the cat out of the bag again.

  They never had any "bag." Or a "cat." They've been clueless since the very beginning. They are idiots, pretending to be otherwise. They should learn a few lessons in common sense from the "Keystone Cops." At least that would be a start.

  Farkel

  "When in doubt, duck!"
• 

  AlanF

  Hi Seeker,

  You've hit on a serious problem for the Society alright. Very few young JWs today have any idea about the "7,000 year creative days" and would be shocked to learn that that's what the Society officially teaches. The concept is simply ridiculous. But since "God's spirit-directed organization" has taught this for some 120 years, they can hardly abandon it -- at least, not without seriously raising the hackles of thinking JWs. The Writing Dept. is perfectly well aware of this. Oddly enough, I hear tell that a few Writing Dept. insiders will admit to solid JWs that they have essentially abandoned the old concept. However, so many older JWs who don't have inside contacts are completely unaware of this change. This whole thing shows how cowardly and unchristian JW leaders really are, and that on the whole they're devoid of common sense.

  AlanF
• 

  chappy

  In all fairness, the WT has taught for quite a while that the earth was much older than 42000+ years. "In the beginning" implies no set time; could be millions. The creative days started when "the earth was void and without form".

  later,
  chappy
• 

  lisaBObeesa

  I bet the cat got out of the bag because this is another recycled article. I bet if we went back to the '60s or '70s we would find the article that was re-hashed and sometimes just re-typed to make this 'new' article.

  Where IS my Wt CD?

  --LisaBObeesa
  PS: What is the title of this 'new' article, and what is the main point of it? (to help in my research, should I find that darn CD)
• 

  Satanus

  The wt concept 'sabbath resting' or 'rest' of god isn't clear to me. I can understand the jman doing nothing for 7000 years, but how does the wt say jws are to get in on that resting? Jws are overstressed with all of their duties; the regular worldly ones with all the wt ones on top. Maybe some of the jws here could explain this in 50 words or less, without any quotes or scriptures? My memory on this concept is not clear.

  Thanks
  S
• 

  AlanF

  The sabbath rest is the spiritual paradise, man! It's here! You can see it! Just go to any JW convention!

  AlanF
• 

  Satanus

  Thanks Alan

  That's simple. Watch a jw come here and complicate it. Then i'll ask hum questions about it.

  So, you jdubs, to experience gods rest, all i have to do is go to one of your conventions, right?

  S
• 

  cornish

  Yes,the Witnesses have claimed that the earth that we stand on could be billions of years old but as for the creation of plants animals etc have clearly implied that this would have been no more than 49000 years ago including dinasours etc,that is why they have tried to discredit scientific dating methods because of the hole they are dug in which flies in the face of overwhelming geological evidence.
  I found this a bit hard to swallow as I got a bit more educated when I was a witness.