by minimus 41 Replies latest jw friends
I always had my doubts about that but I was at least hopeful that all would work out as they said. I saw so many "faithful ones" who were True Believers expire before they got the prize, that I started to think it probably wouldn't happen in my lifetime.
What a bunch of suckers, huh?
I remember it was a big worry for unmarrieds that if you didn't make it throught the tribulation you wouldn't be able to marry or have sex ever !
lol... u r rite.
I was told going to meetings and out in service was the pass to paradise.
So for a few years in the early 70's I believed I would never die.
I read the fine print "as a group." At one the point the WTS said that some faithful jw individuals might die due to illness but not due to direct execution by God so would be resurrected.
*** w75 6/15 p. 377 par. 10 ***Should we expect, moreover, that because Jehovah is on our side he will miraculously intervene to protect each one of us personally from death or injury during the “great tribulation”? Both Psalm 91:7-12 and Proverbs 3:25, 26 have been mistakenly cited by some as supporting this view. The psalm says: “A thousand will fall at your very side and ten thousand at your right hand; to you it will not come near.” Lest we read into this text more than it states, we must ask ourselves if Moses is here talking about the coming “great tribulation” and is declaring a blanket protection for individual servants of God then. This would hardly be so when we remember that centuries later Paul showed that up to his time the devoted followers of Jehovah had undergone mockings, scourgings, prisons, tribulations and many other persecutions, even violent death. However, we can be assured that, as a group, Jehovah will protect them from being exterminated by their enemies during the “great tribulation,” and He, himself, will not touch them during his executing of adverse judgments.—Heb. 11:36-38.
*** w74 3/15 p. 172 What Protection for God’s People? ***
SURVIVAL THROUGH DIVINE PROTECTION
When the "great tribulation" destroys this ungodly system there will definitely be survivors. In fact, the Bible refers to a "great crowd" who "come out of" or survive this "great tribulation." (Rev. 7:9, 14) Jehovah God will not allow the haters of his people to vent their rage to the point of exterminating them. By means of his Son and the angelic forces, he will come to the defense of his people, rescuing them from annihilation. They being his "loyal ones," their death as a people would be too "precious," too costly, in his eyes. (Ps. 116:15) They will also be shielded from the execution of divine judgment. Neither Jesus Christ nor his angelic forces will make a mistake. None of God’s servants will be swept away along with the wicked.
Even if some do die at the hands of the enemy, their death would serve for the vindication of God’s holy name. Is your love for God of such a quality that, faced with death, you would count it a privilege to prove your loyalty to him no matter what the cost? Such a firm stand would glorify Jehovah and it would prove false Satan’s claim that your service to God is based on selfish considerations.
One thing we definitely know: Jehovah God will never allow his loyal servants to be effaced from the earth. And not a single one of them will perish at the hands of Jesus Christ or his executional forces.
I dreramt about it, but the feelings of guilt about doing "unapproved practices" and barely any serve-us had me doubting.
It is strange though. When you're born-in and have never been presented with the substance for the shaky paradise earth doctrine, you just accept it as fact. We learn to not ask questions or really weigh the "facts". Honestly most born-ins that I know know less about the Borg, it's doctrines and history than most of the apostates on this site!
Minus brief moments in 1993-1995 ........ Totally 100% not a doubt in my mind.
Surviving and Service were really the only things I was trained up to do in my life....
My first set of Elders....told me I could and should lie to the worldy authorities to make sure I survived if I was detained beause Jehovah would know I was loyal in my heart. ....
Collectively as a group, Jehovah's people would live through the trib.
I never thought I would live through it.
Just figured the horror of it all would cause me to have a massive heart attack and die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think expect is not the right word for me. I hoped that i would. I believed that i had the prospect of never dying. However as I believed when i was a JW that there are no thoughts when you are dead. There cannot be any time lapse between dying and being resurrected. At death the only difference would be that my marriage ended suddenly. In the twinkling of an eye.
I always had the feeling that it was all just a big fairy tale.
For one thing, I knew about certain scientific facts that would make "eternal life on earth" quite impossible.
