by turtleturtle 47 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
If you want to find stupidity, lies and ignorance go to a religion.
If your in an expedient hurry go to a religion who's structured around a publishing company.
1919 like so many other particular dates constructed by the WTS. were intensionally created to draw attention to
this religious organization's published goods.......plain, truthful and simple.
Jeffro - Revelation 11:2-3 mentions periods of 42 months and 1,260 days (both 3½ years). The Watch Tower Society applies this period literally , from December 1914 to May 1918*, after which they apply the '3½ days' of Revelation 11:11 figuratively ,
The interspersion of figurative and literal aspects within the same Scripture is common with Watchtower doctrine. My question to a JW is how they justify such an approach.
I too would love to see a JW Apologist try to explain this rubbish, even when I was in and active I used to laugh at their interpretations then.
I remember one, I can't remember if it was 1335 days or 2300 days or some other length, but to make it fit, obviously by working backwards, they had to find something that happened in the month they wished to start the period.
Nothing happened in that month ! so they fixed upon a Watchtower article that said something they claimed was pertinent.
How could a magazine article, written by Russell more than likely, form part of the fulfillment of a Bible prophecy ?
How would anything that Russell and his Bible Students did or said be relevant in view of the recent Noo Lite ? Russell and Co , according to the N. L are just another religious group, proto J.W's the WT may claim, but how, and why, could they feature in Bible prophecy ?
Looney Toons or what ?
It really is a very very silly religion, it needs to stop treating its adherents as if they were childish idiots if it wants to attract more converts.
actually, the 7 trumpet blasts occured as late in time as the 19th of December 2012, 19:19 pm.
After a great meal of mostly baked beans...
Oz
Man I bet the hardest thing anyone ever had to do, Was Russell waking up on 1-1-15 and wondering how he's going to walk downstairs and 'splain that one
jwfacts:
The interspersion of figurative and literal aspects within the same Scripture is common with Watchtower doctrine. My question to a JW is how they justify such an approach.
Yeah, well that's anyone's guess. The short answer is, they don't. The longer answer is they (i.e. the JW leadership) make spurious claims about their various interpretations as either 'literal' or 'figurative' simply on the basis that they haven't dreamt up an alternative. As with their inconsistent approach to these aspects of Revelation, they do the same with their approach to the 'times' at Daniel 4:16, 7:25 and 12:7.
For example, they claim that, "If we were to count 2,520 literal days from Jerusalem’s destruction in 607 B.C.E., that would bring us only to 600 B.C.E., a year having no Scriptural significance." (Daniel's Prophecy, p. 96) The fact that nothing notable happened in October of 1914 either is glossed over as an all too convenient 'invisible fulfilment'. If they really wanted to, they could just as easily claim that something happened 'invisibly' in 600BCE instead.
In reality, the Watch Tower Society started with a few Adventist ideas in the 19th century, and from there they just make it up as they go along. It's best not to overthink it.
But yes, it would be mildly entertaining to hear a JW attempt to 'justify' it.
I with jwfacts here. On my wishlist: They must please explain how 3 1/2 days = 9 months.
Vidqun:
They must please explain how 3 1/2 days = 9 months.
That would be nice. Did I mention that they make it up as they go along?
This is the closest they get to 'explaining' it:
*** re chap. 25 p. 168 Reviving the Two Witnesses ***
Notice that in examining the experiences of God’s people at this time, it appears that while the 42 months represent a literal three and a half years, the three and a half days do not represent a literal period of 84 hours. Likely, the specific period of three and a half days is mentioned twice (in verses 9 and 11) to highlight that it would be only a short period compared with the actual three and a half years of activity that precede it.
Of course, they could just as readily say, "Likely, the period is mentioned twice to confirm that it is a literal period."
Their only rule is 'ignore all rules'. But religion in general as a long 'proud' tradition of just saying anything ridiculous is simply 'figurative' or 'allegorical'.
Don't they actually use the argument elsewhere in the Revelation book that if a number is mentined twice it is literal ?
My memory may be playing tricks on me, I am a venerable greyhaired one to whom you should all bow down after all, but I seem to remember noticing the last time I went through the book at the Group Study before I left, that they state a rule about this, and then violate that rule with in a page or two ?
I cannot check this myself, all my WT literature went in a not so mysterious fire some years ago.
