S. Assembly Day St. Louis 10-16-05

by jeeprube 20 Replies latest jw experiences

  • jeeprube
    jeeprube

    My wife attended the Special Assembly day this last Sunday. Here are some interesting points.

    1. Attendance was 700. (Typically, attendance tops 1000)

    2. One person was baptized. (That's right only ONE person).

    3. Just before lunch it was announced that the cost of holding the assembly that day was $4000. At that point only $2000 had been contributed, and could the brothers please pony up the rest? (The assembly hall is owned by the Society, for at least 20 years. The obvious question is what the f&ck costs $4000? There was no breakdown in costs given, only the usual quilt laden request for more cash).

    4. My wife talked to some old friends from our circuit (she's was attending with her parents, who live in another circuit). Apparently the attendence at our assembly day was 500. Now that shocked the hell out of me. When I was still in, an assembly day was shoulder to shoulder, with at least 1200 people attending. The assembly hall is built to hold at least that many, so I can only imagine how bare it looked with 500 "loyal christian witnesses" there.

    5. An interesting statement was made....."All major prophecies in the book of Daniel have now been fullfilled, the end is only moments away."

    6. The WTS is apparently increasing their rhetoric against higher education of any sort.

  • blondie
    blondie

    5. An interesting statement was made....."All major prophecies in the book of Daniel have now been fullfilled, the end is only moments away."

    *** w81 5/15 p. 27 Have Faith in the Kingdom! ***

    Where are we, then, in the stream of time? At the conclusion of verse 43 there is no more "image" left. We have come down to the very "toes"! We are living in that time when the development of man-made government reaches its sorry end. The climax of the ages is upon us!

    I wonder if this is similar to the statement that humankind is at the "toes" stage of the image thus fulfilling it.

    Blondie


    Notice the 4th live of evidence

    ***

    w00 1/15 pp. 12-13 "Keep on the Watch" ***

    Six

    Convincing Lines of Evidence

    13

    First, we clearly see the fulfillment of the apostle Paul’s prophecy concerning "the last days." 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!

    14

    Second, we see the effects of the ouster of Satan and his demons from heaven, in fulfillment of Revelation 12:9. 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.

    15

    Third, we are living in the time of the eighth and final "king" mentioned in the prophecy recorded at Revelation 17:9-11. 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.

    16

    Fourth, we are living in the period symbolized by the feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image. 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.

    17

    Fifth, we see a global preaching work being accomplished, which Jesus said would take place just before the end of this system. 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.

    18

    Sixth, the number of genuine anointed disciples of Christ is dwindling, though some will evidently still be on earth when the great tribulation begins. 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.
  • AlmostAtheist
    AlmostAtheist
    3. Just before lunch it was announced that the cost of holding the assembly that day was $4000. At that point only $2000 had been contributed, and could the brothers please pony up the rest? (The assembly hall is owned by the Society, for at least 20 years. The obvious question is what the f&ck costs $4000? There was no breakdown in costs given, only the usual quilt laden request for more cash).

    It's been beaten to death on other threads, but this has always been one of my favorite bits. Before an assembly, the CO and the elders decide what contribution will be made to the Watchtower on behalf of the assembly. In this case of this assembly, let's say it was $2500. (Just a number, maybe it was $20. The point is they pick a number) They add that to the expenses list. So the "cost" of the assembly includes that "contribution". This is amazing to me, especially in view of the Watchtower's and individual JW's continual bashing of the churches for "passing the plate".

    Dave

  • luna2
    luna2

    Wow! Attendance was very sparse. Very different from even just a few years ago.

    LOL on the Daniel stuff. Now they are moving into the toenails of the image.

  • AK - Jeff
    AK - Jeff

    Blondie - thanx for the quote. How laughable are these 'lines of evidence'? Not a single one is definable, provable.

    • First, we clearly see the fulfillment of the apostle Paul’s prophecy concerning "the last days."

    I don't see that so clearly. Men have said this since just after Paul wrote it about every time period.

    Second, we see the effects of the ouster of Satan and his demons from heaven, in fulfillment of Revelation 12:9.

    Where is this. I don't see it. More of the same.

    Third, we are living in the time of the eighth and final "king" mentioned in the prophecy recorded at Revelation 17:9-11.

    Only as defined by a book publishing company in Brooklyn. Again no proof! Even if they have it right here, that eighth king got started in the predecessor of the UN, the LoN. So it is close to 90 years now.

    Fourth, we are living in the period symbolized by the feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image.

    Same as above. Not even a new line of evidence. Could they prove this statement?

    • Fifth, we see a global preaching work being accomplished, which Jesus said would take place just before the end of this system.

    Paul said that was done in his day too. The Wt organization said it was getting this done a hundred years back also.

    Sixth, the number of genuine anointed disciples of Christ is dwindling, though some will evidently still be on earth when the great tribulation begins.

    If they define this number by the partakers at their own 'Memorial' annually, I think they need to take a closer look. Any 6 year old could tell that there is no meaningful drop in those numbers. In fact they are going up a little some years.

    Why could I not see this as the crap it is when I was in? There is not a single provable, or sustainable argument in this at all.

    Conclusion: Crock o' Fecal matter!

    Jeff

  • Poztate
    Poztate
    LOL on the Daniel stuff. Now they are moving into the toenails of the image.

    Friends...We are now into the last bunion on the last toe "time of the end"™

    Within the next few hours or days at the most..blah...blah..blah

  • crazyblondeb
    crazyblondeb

    Thinking of that assembly hall in St. Louis is like a blast from the past. I used to go with my stepdad when it was being built. He was an electrician and gave up many hours there. I used to get into alot of trouble during assemblies there for flirting! (or just smiling and laughing with a guy.) I got baptized there, too. Boy, would I love to go and picket there!!

    shelley

    What circuit were ya'll in??

  • Stealth
    Stealth

    Shelly, You may have flired with me? I was in Illinois Circuit 7 and also went and worked on the assembly hall while it was being remodeled from the ice rink. Spent one whole summer working there just about every day. Was baptized there in 1978 or 1979, can't remember now.

  • RunningMan
    RunningMan

    I was rooting around in the basement a while ago and found an old program from the mid-80s. I had marked the attendance at just over 700. My inlaws are still in that circuit. They now have trouble breaking 400.

  • jeeprube
    jeeprube
    What circuit were ya'll in??

    I think it was 8b or 8c. Springfield area.

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