Met with the C.O., and need help with 1975

by OnTheWayOut 41 Replies latest jw friends

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  OnTheWayOut

  Here is a quick summary, in August I turned in an elder resignation letter stating that I could not teach doctrine from the Governing Body because I did not "know" them at all, and I had doubts. When asked by the elders, I said the doubts spring from THIS GENERATION and 1975. The elders took no action, waiting for Mother to tell them what to do. They said the C.O. would want to talk to me on his visit.

  This week, our C.O. visited. He did not call me, or nothing. An hour after his final talk was over, he was ready to leave the KH. The PO asked me to wait, he would get the CO. So I met with CO, PO. The CO told me to "make a decision what I was going to do. You have all the tools you need in the WT Library. Include Prayer." That was it, and he was ready to head out the door on dinner arrangements. I told him "I have researched and prayed for ten years, thank you for tearing yourself away for five minutes. Jesus said a shepherd would leave the 99 sheep and search for the 1 that strayed. Go take care of the 99 others."

  I managed to get 5 more minutes out of him (as he was standing by the door) by quickly telling him my biggest concern. "My mother was DF over 1975, then later reinstated. She explained her misunderstanding. The WTS said that the current 7000 year creative day started after Adam and Eve were created, but that the end did not come in 1975, 6000 years after Adam's creation, because we don't know how long it was until Eve was created, but the 6th Creative day ended before she sinned, therefore the end has to be 'right around the corner.' (Remember, he was standing by the door ready to leave, so my explanation was short.) Anyway, my current problem is that I did not believe that was a JW teaching until I looked it up. It not only is a teaching, it still has not been changed to any new current understanding."

  The CO had that 'deer in the headlights' look. He said that was NOT our current teaching. He suggested I have a study with 2 elders, focusing on the organization. I said I would mull it over. He left.

  Anyway, I am confident that the '7000 years creative days' teaching has never been changed, just dropped from more recent publications. I want to tell the elders two things:

  1. How stumbled I am by the CO visit.

  2. I will only study if you can show me that the '7000 years creative days' is not our current teaching.

  The latest reference I can find is WT 1987 Jan. 1st:

  QuestionsFromReaders

  ?InancientIsraelacycleof49yearswasfollowedbyaJubileeyear(50thyear).DoesthatJubileecorrespondtotheperiodfollowingGod’screativeweekof49,000years?

  That still teaches the '7000 years creative days.' Before I state #2 above, do any of you know something I am wrong on about that teaching? Or any comments about my CO visit? Thanks JWD for letting me vent.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Here is the entire WT 87 Jan 1st article.

  Questions

  From Readers

  In ancient Israel a cycle of 49y ears was followed by a Jubilee year (50thyear). Does that Jubilee correspond to the period following God’s creative week of 49,000 years?

  Because the number 49 occurs in both cases, it might seem that the Jubilee would foreshadow the time following the end of a creative week of 49,000 years. But for mankind in general who receive God’s approval, what occurred during Israel’s Jubilee corresponds more with what will occur during the Millennium, the last thousand years of such creative week, not what follows after that week. Consider the basis for this:

  First, the Mosaic Law required that every seventh year be a sabbath for the land; crops were not to be sown, cultivated, or harvested. After the seventh Sabbath year (the 49th year), there came a special Jubilee year, the 50th year. It was a sabbath during which the land was again to rest. More importantly, liberty was proclaimed. Hebrews who had sold themselves into slavery were freed from indebtedness and servitude. Also, hereditary land was returned to families who had been forced to sell it. So the Jubilee was a time of release and restoration for the Israelites.—Leviticus 25:1-46.

  Second, a study of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and of our location in the stream of time strongly indicate that each of the creative days (Genesis, chapter 1) is 7,000 years long. It is understood that Christ’s reign of a thousand years will bring to a close God’s 7,000-year ‘rest day,’ the last ‘day’ of the creative week. (Revelation 20:6; Genesis 2:2, 3) Based on this reasoning, the entire creative week would be 49,000 years long.

  Noting the similarity in numbers, some have compared the 49 years of the ancient Jubilee cycle to such 49,000 years of the creative week. Reasoning this way, they have thought that Israel’s Jubilee (50th) year should prefigure, or foreshadow, what will come after the end of the creative week.

  However, bear in mind that the Jubilee was particularly a year of release and restoration for people. The creative week largely relates to the planet Earth and its development. But with regard to the outworking of God’s purpose for man on earth, the globe itself has not been sold into slavery and thus is not in need of liberation. It is mankind that needs that, and humans have existed, not for 49,000 years, but for about 6,000 years. The Bible shows that some time after Adam and Eve were created, they rebelled against God, thus coming into captivity to sin, imperfection, and death. According to Romans 8:20, 21, Jehovah God purposes to liberate believing mankind from this slavery. As a result, true worshipers on earth "will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God."—See also Romans 6:23.

  While the small group selected to be taken to heaven have had their sins forgiven from Pentecost 33 C.E. onward and thus already enjoy the Jubilee, the Scriptures show that the liberation for believing mankind will occur during Christ’s Millennial Reign. That will be when he applies to mankind the benefits of his ransom sacrifice. By the end of the Millennium, mankind will have been raised to human perfection, completely free from inherited sin and death. Having thus brought to an end the last enemy (death passed on from Adam), Christ will hand the Kingdom back to his Father at the end of the 49,000-year creative week.—1 Corinthians 15:24-26.

  Consequently, for believing mankind with earthly prospects, the liberation and restoration that marked the Jubilee year in ancient Israel will find a fitting parallel during the coming Millennial Sabbath. Then liberation and restoration will be experienced. That will be under Christ’s rulership, "for Lord of the sabbath is what the Son of man is."—Matthew 12:8.
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  katiekitten

  That is so unbelievably RUDE that the CO had no exclusive time put aside for you. He should have at the very least had a sheperding visit for you where you were able to discuss your concerns unrushed and in private.

  What a lazy ass, to not even give you 5 minutes private time. He probably didnt have the courage to think about your misgivings.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Oh, also. He said the announcement that I was no longer an elder would be made next week. I asked if the Society said anything else such as "Give up on him, like you are doing." The CO said that their answer was "Snatch him out of the fire." I said "That should only take 5 minutes."
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  fullofdoubtnow

  He probably didnt have the courage to think about your misgivings

  I think Katie is right there, OTWO.

  If your co is anything like the one's I've known, they don't like challenges like the one you gave him. And I agree, it was very rude of him not to address your concerns, or even make the slightest attempt to do so.
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  mann377

  This is a golden opportunity for you to "witness" to the other elders since the CO advised you to "study" with a couple of them. A blessing in disguise.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Mann, even though it just happened, I already thought about that. I don't want to study with the elders for two reasons.
  1. They will only go over Society stuff that supports the BORG, and try to steer me away from actual understanding.

  2. They will expect progress and I want withdrawal.

  I plan to use this as a major stumbling block. I am not actually totally upset by his visit, but I will let the elders know that I am blown away. Remember, the PO was there, he knows the truth. He's so faithful, totally borg assimilated, but he was surprised by the exchange and he remained silent, promising to talk to me later.
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  OUTLAW

  Tell him you`d like to study articles from previous Awake and Watchtower magazines..April 5,1968 "1975 What does it mean to you?"..Watchtower September 15 1968 "Why are you looking forward to 1975?"..Maybe he can explain the crap the WBT$ forced Jehovah`s Witness`s to preach for decades,and now,can`t remember preaching it at all..Jehovah`s Witness`s claim it never happened because the WBT$ say`s so..The information is there for all to read..LIARS!!...OUTLAW
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  mann377

  You don't study by answering their questions. You study by asking "leading questions" to get them to thinking. Pretend to make progress and be be very accommodating, never confrontational. Go out of your way to be social with any friends that you have in the borg. This will drive the CO crazy.
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  blondie

  The WTS has silently phased out stating that a creative day is 7,000 years long.

  ***g041/22p.23WhyIBelievetheBible—ANuclearScientistTellsHisStory***

  For example, some scientists and others erroneously think that the Bible teaches that plants, animals, and humans all developed on earth within six literal 24-hour days. This would be in conflict with known scientific facts. But the Bible does not teach that. Rather, it reveals that the creative "days" encompass thousands of years.

  ***

  g026/8p.10ReconcilingScienceandReligion***

  The Bible’s creative days allow for thousands of years of time each.

  ***

  Creator book (1998) chap.6p.93AnAncientCreationRecord—CanYouTrustIt?***

  The fact is, the Bible reveals that the creative "days," or ages, encompass thousands of years

  *** w964/1p.13par.10PraisetheKingofEternity!***

  Wonderful developments took place on earth during the six creative "days" of Genesis chapter 1, each day covering thousands of years.

  ***

  w931/1p.4OurGrandCreatorandHisWorks***

  In an orderly sequence of six ‘creative days,’ each thousands of years in length, "God’s active force" proceeded to prepare earth for man’s habitation.

  ***

  g916/8p.13DidEachCreativeDayAlwaysFinishWhatItStarted?***

  And the creative days of Genesis chapter 1 were not 24-hour days, but they extended over many thousands of years.—See Life—HowDidItGetHere?ByEvolutionorbyCreation?, pages 26-7.

  ***

  it-1 (1988) p.545Creation***

  And, since the seventh day has been continuing for thousands of years, it may reasonably be concluded that each of the six creative periods, or days, was at least thousands of years in length.

  Ascribing not just 24 hours but a longer period of time, thousands of years, to each of the creative days better harmonizes with the evidence found in the earth itself.

  But up until 1987 the WTS said a creative day was 7,000 years long. There never was any article or talk announcing this change in doctrine. When the Creator book was released and studied in 1998 (see above) many old-time JWs were surprised to see the change and many new JWs were surprised that the WTS had once taught that a creative day was 7,000 years long.

  ***w871/1p.30QuestionsFromReaders***

  Second, a study of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and of our location in the stream of time strongly indicate that each of the creative days (Genesis, chapter 1) is 7,000 years long. It is understood that Christ’s reign of a thousand years will bring to a close God’s 7,000-year ‘rest day,’ the last ‘day’ of the creative week. (Revelation 20:6; Genesis 2:2, 3) Based on this reasoning, the entire creative week would be 49,000 years long.