by turtleturtle 47 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Here is the diagram we received as a hand-out when discussing this topic in our MTS class.
The information is fairly recent, because my MTS class was within the last 10 years.
All writing in blue is taken from my scribbled notes from what the MTS instructor was telling us.
You'll notice that the 9-month period from June 1918 to March 1919 has not a single scripture to support it. It is based purely on events happening at the time.
I hope you all find it helpful.
Cedars
...there is evidence that it was entrusted with enlarged responsibilities in 1919...
This cracks me up. Even with these crucial matters they just mention evidence instead of showing it. Sometimes real life is the best comedy.
@Cedars: sure makes lots of sense that the three and a half days are nine months. The bible doesn't seem to be more than a tool to make their silly ideas work, nothing more. The earth is flat, it has to be! If science today worked the same way...
I believe the theory is based on parallel
It was after 3 and 1/2 years that Jesus cleansed His earthly temple (casting out money changers)
So too, 3 and a half years after His presence began in October 1914, He cleansed His heavenly temple (1918) and appointed His F&DS 1919 to represent His cleansed heavenly class.
The GB would love to let 1914 slide in to oblivion I believe, because they know it has been discredited, but they have to keep it going to try to give themselves a reason for having authority and the right to interpret scripture and have strict control over circa 8 million lives, thay just love the power.
I reckon though they are paving the way for more obfuscation over this time of "choosing" and being appointed by Jesus as the FDS , they want the dates to fade in to distant memory, and the "fact" * of being chosen be simply accepted as true.
The question we ask now about the choosing circa 1919 applies though at whatever time they try to infer vaguely that it took place:
"What unique teaching did they have that caused Jesus to choose them over the more fitting groups of Chrisitans around at the time ?"
* "fact" in parenthesis because of course it is as far from being a fact as you can get, there is zero proof.
*** kj chap. 11 pp. 207-208 pars. 33-35 Disappointment in Store for Overconfident Ones ***
These dedicated worshipers, anointed with Jehovah’s spirit, were brought into a Babylonish captivity and exile during the world war of 1914-1918 and underwent a severe disciplining then. Their spiritual condition and their prospects of being reactivated in God’s service were pictured and foretold in the vision that was given to Ezekiel about 606 B.C.E., after the destruction of Jerusalem, and in which vision he saw a valley plain full of dry bones and what happened to make them live again. (Ezekiel 37:1-28; 33:21, 22; 32:1) In the spring of the year 1919 C.E. the faithful anointed remnant of Jehovah’s Christian worshipers were delivered from this Babylonish bondage and shook off the shackles of Babylon, thus being restored to the symbolic “soil” of spiritual Israel. This repeopling of the desolated “soil” of spiritual Israel was also foretold after Jerusalem’s destruction, in chapter thirty-six of Ezekiel’s prophecy.
34 These anointed spiritual Israelites Jehovah has purified still more since their deliverance from Babylonish bondage in 1919 C.E. Under the guidance of his holy spirit these restored ones have done just as he foretold: “They will certainly come there and remove all its disgusting things and all its detestable things out of it.”
35 To that end Jehovah has given them a better heart condition spiritually just as he had foretold: “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I shall put inside them; and I shall certainly remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, in order that they may walk in my own statutes and keep my own judicial decisions and actually carry them out; and they may really become my people and I myself may become their God.” (Ezekiel 11:18-20) These purified anointed worshipers of Jehovah as God are the ones who, as a class, fulfill the prophetic picture of the man “clothed with the linen, at whose hips there was the secretary’s inkhorn.” In so serving they mark the foreheads of persons who will be spared alive when there comes upon Christendom fiery destruction from Jehovah enthroned on his celestial chariot.
*** w67 10/1 p. 594 par. 11 Following Faithful Shepherds with Life in View ***
But in 1914 Jehovah enthroned his King Jesus Christ, and from 1919 onward the time became due for Jeremiah’s prophecy to be fulfilled: “‘And I myself shall collect together the remnant of my sheep out of all the lands to which I had dispersed them, and I will bring them back to their pasture ground, and they will certainly be fruitful and become many. And I will raise up over them shepherds who will actually shepherd them; and they will be afraid no more, neither will they be struck with any terror, and none will be missing,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.”—Jer. 23:3, 4.
*** w54 9/1 p. 533 par. 17 Recognizing the Theocratic Organization for Life ***
Since God established the Kingdom in the heavens A.D. 1914, and particularly since 1919, the prophecy of Isaiah 32:1 (RS) has applied concerning the enthroned Jesus and his appointed servants on earth: “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes [sarim′, Hebrew] will rule in justice. Each will be like a hiding-place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.” Since “princes” or sarim′ here means, not worldly princes, but principal theocratic men, those who are the appointed chief ones in a class or group even down to a group of ten, the “faithful and discreet slave” class would be occupying a princely position respecting the “other sheep” of Jehovah’s witnesses. The branch servants, whether members of the anointed remnant or members of the “other sheep” class, would be theocratic princes or sarim′ in the territory under the respective branches. Any male servant appointed by the governing body and ‘ruling in justice’ among ten of Jehovah’s witnesses would be a theocratic prince or sar. Of all of Jehovah’s witnesses on earth the theocratic sarim′ especially should recognize the theocratic organization today operating.
Cedars, I tried to refute their interpretation, based on above table, by the following:
1) Trumpet blasts
According the the Revelation Climax-book:
1 st trumpet blast: Hail and fire (earth) 1922
2 nd trumpet blast: Blood (sea) 1923
3 rd trumpet blast: Wormwood (fountains) 1 924
4 th trumpet blast: Eclipsed son (heavens) 1925
5 th trumpet blast: Literature/Preaching
First woe (locusts) 1926-
Second woe (cavalry)
6 th trumpet blast: Altar measured, trampling of court= 1914-1918
2 witnesses 1919
7 th trumpet blast: Kingdom to become the Lord’s 1914
and his Christ’s
Refutation : Successive trumpet blasts indicate sequence. By using their interpretation the sequence is clearly broken. With the 7 th and last trumpet blast they are back to 1914, which is improbable to say the least.
2) Beast ascending out of the abyss
According to the Revelation Climax-book, “the beast ascending out of the abyss” = “the beast ascending out of the sea” (Rev. 11:7 ; 13:1). They go to great lengths “proving” this by invoking Hebrew and Greek.
Later on “the beast ascending out of the abyss” is identified as the League of Nations/United Nations (cf. Rev. 17:8).
This is dishonest scholarship, attempting to conform the text of the Bible to fit faulty doctrine.
For pointing this out, amongst other things, I was classified as an apostate.
Vidqun - yes, the non-chronological trumpet blasts are pretty damning evidence of how ridiculous the whole thing is - especially when you list them all in the way you have done above.
It sounds like bible prophecy was a major issue for you in your "awakening". It was for me too.
Cedars
1) Trumpet blasts
According the the Revelation Climax-book:
1st trumpet blast: Hail and fire (earth) 1922
2nd trumpet blast: Blood (sea) 1923
3rd trumpet blast: Wormwood (fountains) 1924
4th trumpet blast: Eclipsed son (heavens) 1925
5th trumpet blast: Literature/Preaching
First woe (locusts) 1926-
Second woe (cavalry)
6th trumpet blast: Altar measured, trampling of court=1914-1918
2 witnesses 1919
7th trumpet blast: Kingdom to become the Lord’s 1914
and his Christ’s
Refutation: Successive trumpet blasts indicate sequence. By using their interpretation the sequence is clearly broken. With the 7th and last trumpet blast they are back to 1914, which is improbable to say the least.
I wonder what happens if they 'suddenly' 'decide' that they were wrong have received a 'new understanding' about 607 and 'discover' 'new evidence' that 587 is actually the 'correct' year.
Then they can simply 'move' the last 3 entries to later dates, and put the 7th trumpet blast in 2034. Hey presto. (Remember, it doesn't have to make sense.)
This is far-fetched and obviously just as ill-founded as 1914, and I haven't thought through repercussions on their interpretations of other scriptures. But nothing would surprise me.
The GB don't seem to worry about repercussions on their interpretations of other scriptures either, if they like your new Light they will adopt it Jeffro !
It will give them another solid 20 years of their lifestyle, most of them will be 80 or over by then, so the new GB will have to deal with the flack and shrapnel from another exploded promised date.
| Seal | Trumpet | Year | Notes |
| 1 | 1874? 1914? | Can keep as Jesus, or change to the guy who killed Ferdinand to start WWI | |
| 2 | July 1914 - 1918 | WWI | |
| 3 | 1914 - 1918 | Various famines as result of WWI | |
| 4 | 1918 | Spanish Flu | |
| 5 | 1918 | Watchtower leaders imprisoned | |
| 6 | 1919 | Watchtower leaders released | |
| 7 | 1920s | Introduces the 'trumpet blasts' | |
| 1 | 1922 | Per current 'understanding' (or year can be shifted within the 1920s) | |
| 2 | 1923 | Per current 'understanding' (or year can be moved within the 1920s) | |
| 3 | 1924 | Per current 'understanding' (or year can be moved within the 1920s) | |
| 4 | 1925 | Per current 'understanding' (or year can be moved within the 1920s) | |
| 5 | 1931 | Name changed to 'Jehovah's witnesses' (the 'locusts') | |
| 6 | 1931-1933 | 'Advertise the kingdom' (the 'cavalry') | |
| 1931-1934 | 'two witnesses' (3.5 years) | ||
| 7 | 1934 | End of 2520 years |
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, as a parody of JW beliefs. It cannot be co-opted by the Watch Tower Society without explicit written permission from the author. :)
