i would REALLY love a scan of that article! this is an excelent find!
The Latest Lie
by agonus 30 Replies latest watchtower medical
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agonus
It must be an issue or two prior to Sept. 09.... can't be earlier than July or June...
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yesidid
Thanks for trying.
y
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Aussie Oz
Over the years they have changed, dropped, re-adopted, back tracked, double spoken, adjusted and lied so many times that the new GB, writing comittee and rank and file have no knowlege of the past. Let alone know what the latest beliefs are meant to be!
i am sure most would think Russell and Rutherfords books were apostate.
cheers
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BluesBrother
Hmm.. I think that the position is a little less clear, but still very misleading. The Wt article Aug 15,p 15 does say:
"The belief that only a few will go to heaven, whereas millions will be given perfect human life on earth, set the Bible Students apart from most of Christendom"
To the congregation studying the article, it implies that the 144k belief has been unchanged.
I am not expert, and I have no original articles, but as I read it The Bible Students of Russell's day had not two, but three hopes for salvation. 1] The 144K who would rule as kings. 2] a secondary heavenly class, the "great multitude" of Rev 7: 9 3] the sheep of Matt 24 who would inherit the earth.
The Proclaimers p 161 says:
"For many years the Bible Students thought that this was the group described at Revelation 7:9, 14 (KJ), which refers to “a great multitude” that come out of great tribulation and stand “before the throne” of God and before the Lamb, Jesus Christ. They reasoned that although these shunned a life of self-sacrifice, they would be confronted with trials of faith ending in death during a time of tribulation after the glorification of the final ones of the bride of Christ. They believed that if these who were said to be of the great multitude were faithful at that time, they would be resurrected to heavenly life—not to rule as kings but to take a position before the throne. It was reasoned that they would be given such secondary positions because their love for the Lord had not been sufficiently fervent, because they had not shown enough zeal. It was thought that these were people who had been begotten by God’s spirit but had been negligent about obeying God, possibly continuing to cling to Christendom’s churches.
They also thought that perhaps—just perhaps—the “ancient worthies” who would serve as princes on the earth during the millennial era would, at the end of that time, somehow be granted heavenly life. (Ps. 45:16) They reasoned that a similar prospect might await any who “consecrated” themselves after the 144,000 Kingdom heirs had all been finally chosen but before the time of restitution on earth began. In a limited way, this was a carryover from Christendom’s view that all those who are good enough go to heaven. But there was a belief that the Bible Students cherished from the Scriptures that set them apart from all of Christendom. What was that?
Living Forever in Perfection on Earth
They recognized that while a limited number taken from among humankind would be granted heavenly life, there would be many more who would be favored with eternal life on earth, under conditions like those that had existed in the Paradise of Eden. Jesus had taught his followers to pray: “Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” He had also said: “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth.”—Matt. 5:5; 6:10.
In harmony with that, a chart published as a supplement to the July-August 1881 Watch Tower indicated that there would be many from among humankind that would gain God’s favor during Christ’s Millennial Reign and that would make up “the world of mankind lifted up to human perfection and life.” This chart was used for many years as the basis for discourses to groups both large and small.
Under what conditions would people on earth live during that millennial era? The Watch Tower of July 1, 1912, explained: “Before sin had entered into the world, the Divine provision for our first parents was the Garden of Eden. As we think of this, let our minds turn to the future, guided by the Word of God; and in mental vision we see Paradise restored—not a garden merely, but the entire earth made beautiful, fruitful, sinless, happy. Then we recall the inspired promise so familiar to us—‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain,’ for the former things of sin and death will have passed away, and all things will have been made new!—Rev. 21:4, 5.”
It is misleading in the extreme to print in the current mag that the B.Students believed that "only a few " would go to heaven, when the Proclaimers informs us that they believed that a "great multitude" plus the 144k would do so. But they did preach also an earthly hope.
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mouthy
Welcome to the board. Thanks for your input.