Have you read "Signs of the last days?" by Carl O Jonsson?

by Awakened at Gilead 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Awakened at Gilead

  After seeing H4O's thread today (about Hassans book), I decided to open up this one. I have only been out of the org since 3-29-08 so I have a lot of reading this past month and a half...

  I'm halfway through reading the "Signs of the last days" book. In some ways it has impacted me more than some of the others I have read.

  As I read CofC, for example, I could see that the inner workings of the GB showed that there were not spirit guided but very misguided...

  As I read ISofCF I could see logical Biblical arguments that refuted JW syances on blood, holidays, Jesus, etc...

  I read the Gentile Times Reconsidered, and was very impressed with the logic about 587 BCE. I had always doubted 1914 being the correct date because I did not agree with the "7 Gentile times" concept (also discussed in the book). He explains how the archaeological evidence points to the 70 year period being 609-539BCE based on Jer 25:11.

  But reading the signs of the last days and comparing it with my WT-Lib it is really revealing about the WT duplicity and deliberate manipulation of scripture and citations...

  I always had trouble explaining the signs of the last days to Bible students, whether from the Live forever book or the knowledge book...

  Reading that Earthquakes caused more monetary damage in our time and killed more people than in previous generations seemed like some circular reasoning, since property is simply more expensive and more people live on the earth. The same goes for pestilences, it's natural that more people should be kiled in our century because the population is larger...

  Yet the "Last Days" book debunks all of this as myths and shows how the WTS misquotes everyone in order to advance their misguided viewpoint that we live in the last days. In fact, a look at the current CD-Rom shows that they admit that earthquake frequency is no greater now than before:

  ***

  g023/22p.9Earthquakes, BibleProphecy, and You***

  BEFORE his death, Jesus foretold events and situations that would give evidence that this world had entered "the conclusion of the system of things." That period, he said, would be marked by such things as pestilences, food shortages, and large-scale warfare. He also mentioned "great earthquakes" that would occur "in one place after another." (Matthew 24:3, 7; Luke 21:10, 11) Was Jesus referring to our day?

  Many say no. They assert that the number of earthquakes has not substantially increased in recent decades. In fact, the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center reports that earthquakes of 7.0 magnitude and greater remained "fairly constant" throughout the 20th century.

  Note, though, that the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy does not require an increase in the number or power of earthquakes. All Jesus said was that there would be great earthquakes in one place after another. Furthermore, he stated that these events would mark the "beginning of pangs of distress." (Matthew 24:8) Distress is measured, not by the number of earthquakes or how they rate on the Richter scale, but by the effect that they have upon people.

  [Footnote]

  Some say that any reports of an increase in the number of earthquakes are simply due to advances in technology, which enable more seismic events to be detected.

  This is a big departure from the live forever book which falsely claimed:

  ***

  pechap.18p.151par.5"TheEndoftheWorld"IsatHand!***

  "THERE

  WILL BE... EARTHQUAKES IN ONE PLACE AFTER ANOTHER."—Matthew24:7.

  From 1914 until now, there have been many more major earthquakes than in any other like period in recorded history. For over 1,000 years, from the year 856 C.E. to 1914, there were only 24 major earthquakes, causing some 1,973,000 deaths. But in the 63 years from 1915 to 1978, a total of some 1,600,000 persons died in 43 great earthquakes.

  I am so furious to see the outright lies in the WTS literature!!!! This book has made me madder than ever...

  Oompa, you still want to bomb something???

  J/K but this book really has gotten me upset about the obvious duplicity in the WTS! A must read - even though written 20 years ago!

  (Note to older JWDers... sorry if there are similar threads, but I'm new and had to vent...)

  A@G (of the WTS writers will burn in hell, I'll be rejoicing class)
• 

  Hope4Others

  Gee Whiz,

  I could have saved 8 bucks and got free shipping, I could of added this to my order!

  Oh well, I'm on a roll to order books now,

  Thanks!

  hope4others

  edit to add; Vent all you want you need it!
• 

  Awakened at Gilead

  Could have asked first Hope...
• 

  AnnOMaly

  Yes - I think I dipped into this before any of the other forbidden books. I was particularly interested in the Parousia/Coming appendix, as I had re-examined the usual WT proof-texts and the surrounding passages and the WT exposition, thought something was awry and needed another angle. I eventually read the whole thing cover-to-cover and it was mind-blowing to see the bigger historical picture and how selectively the WTS used statistics. The Il Piccolo episode would be hilarious if it weren't so embarrassing.
• 

  TD

  I think one of the most interesting parts of that book are the actual letters from seismologists stating how they felt about the quoting practices of the JW organization.

  A long time ago, before JWD, one of the participants on the H2O board contacted Jane Cahill, Yilgal Yaden and David Tarhill regarding 607 and got similar responses
• 

  Awakened at Gilead

  Hey TD,

  letters from seismologists stating how they felt about the quoting practices of the JW organization.

  This is part of why I'm so upset.. I had kind of felt they were just somewhat misguided (as easyreader has asked on his thread), but the quotes show their deliberate intent to mislead... I am so f***ing pissed!!!! (and that's like the second time in my life I use the F*** word).

  A@G
• 

  Dagney

  I ordered it first along with the Franz's books.

  If you paid attention to the way the WBTS prints quotes, you already know this:

  I think one of the most interesting parts of that book are the actual letters from seismologists stating how they felt about the quoting practices of the JW organization.

  But when I read the actual letters from the sources, I was sick to my stomach when presented with the proof of their shoddy journalism.

  I wouldn't trust this organization as far as I could throw em. I knew they didn't really have any journalistic integrity...but when I saw it in print, it was pretty much over for me.

  And I felt similarly, with CofC etc., most of the stuff I knew or figured out. Jonsson's books were the clincher for me.

  (Hi Ann!! )
• 

  Awakened at Gilead

  I was sick to my stomach when presented with the proof of their shoddy journalism.

  I suspected it, but here was proof!!!!
• 

  yourmomma

  Hi Awakened, I have been reading many things and the one thing that I still am just shocked and disgusted with is the deliberate lying. Its one thing to be wrong and think you are right, but the way that they lie is just stunning. I have not read that book, I plan to. But what made me disgusted was reading the following: http://www.catholic-forum.com/members/popestleo/Historical%20Idealism%20and%20Jehovahs%20Witnesses.pdf there are other sites with the same subject, but this .pdf really broke it down well. being misguided or naive is one thing, but this is sinister. i think that they are actually sinister.
• 

  Hellrider

  Awakened: You have (so far) barely scratched the surface of Watchtower (intellectual) dishonesty. The following is a link to a collection of essays, many of which are focused particularly on this point:

  http://corior.blogspot.com/

  Read the ones by Alan Feuerbacher, especially: http://corior.blogspot.com/2006/02/part-1-disagreements-about-evolution.html

  ...which analyses in great detail misquoting and misrepresentation of scientists statements in the "Life-how did it get here"-book. Congrats of having been awakened, btw.