May’s ‘study WT’ admits having taught “far-fetched” ideas

by wheelwithinwheel 48 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  wheelwithinwheel

  Not on the front page, not in the study articles, but carefully camouflaged in the “questions from readers” on page 18 (Watchtower March 15, 2015). You can bet most JW’s won’t even read it.

  There is no apology…just the usual excuses.

  First, they situate their error “in the past”, “many years ago”. Then they minimize their wrongdoing by using the term our publications “mentioned” types and antitypes. Next they explain their falling into the trap of “seeing types everywhere” by telling us they weren’t the only ones who did. Finally they let us know the ‘others’ were worse. The ‘others’ had much more outlandish ideas. And that brothers, is why they aren’t apologizing.

  Here are some things to think about:

  • For decades talks were given, books were published and book studies were conducted for months on end discussing divine types and antitypes. Missionaries were subjected to special insight into deep Watchtower type/antitype doctrine by GB members. If the missionary didn’t grasp just who the modern day Elijah and Elisha was, he was deemed unfit to represent the organization. Finally, in the ministry, these antitypical applications were touted as the revealed truth to anyone studying with the Witnesses. Can this type and antitype indoctrination be truthfully termed “mentioning”?

  • The Watchtower points out that for good reason it has seldom mentioned types and antitypes in recent years. Doesn’t this indicate that the GB has actually known for years that their explanations were erroneous and “far-fetched”?

  • The Watchtower’s new rule is “The clearest course is this: Where the Scriptures teach that an individual, an event, or an object is typical of something else, we accept it as such. Otherwise, we ought to be reluctant to assign an antitypical application to a certain person or account if there is no specific Scriptural basis for doing so.” What about Ezekiel and Revelation. If we follow the rule the Society’s explanations of these books are now automatically classified “far-fetched”?

  • And what about ‘crazy Nebuchadnezzar’ + the banded tree + the 7 times + the 2520 years = 1914 idea? Shouldn’t it now be designated “far-fetched” nonsense?
• 

  FayeDunaway

  Www, what is the title of this article? What was the headlining 'question'?
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  Splash

  TYPES AND ANTITYPES

  Are Important - w50 9/15 p. 321 Ancient Patterns for the Present
  "Could it be that all those regulations, ordinances and commandments given Israel regarding their tabernacle services and sacrifices were pictorial of greater things to come? Most assuredly!"

  Are Important - w70 12/1 p. 714 par. 4 The Desolator of Christendom Historically Prefigured
  "Consequently, the ancient type shows us what its modern antitype will be like; and what befell the ancient type indicates prophetically what must befall its modern antitype,"

  Are Important - w71 3/15 p. 180 par. 5 A Change from Mourning to a Good Day
  "This agrees with the fact that in the antitype the Esther class, acting under the instructions of the Mordecai class, do not try to destroy by violence the professed Christian clergy of Christendom."

  Are Important - kj (Know Jehovah) - 1971 chap. 12 p. 216 par. 9 "Until He Comes..."
  "Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom."
  (NOTE: This statement is wrong on two counts. 1. For using Types, and 2. For getting the date wrong!)

  Are Important - w72 12/1 p. 714 par. 21 The One True Temple at Which to Worship
  "Also, what is the antitype of the first compartment or Holy of the earthly tent or temple? Let us figure this out with Bible help."

  Are Important (last reference to types/antitypes for 13 years...) - w02 5/1 p. 30 Q.F.R.
  "In times past, it has been said that the great crowd is in a spiritual equivalent, or an antitype, of the Court of the Gentiles that existed in Jesus’ day. However, further research has revealed at least five reasons why that is not so. (NOTE: 'Five reasons' for flip flopping on that particular subject!)"

  Are NOT important - w2015 3/15 p.17 Questions From Readers
  "Many years ago, our publications stated that such faithful men and women as Deborah, Elihu, Jephthah, Job, Rahab, and Rebekah, as well as many others, were really types, or shadows, of either the anointed or the "great crowd."...

  Some writers in the centuries after Christ’s death fell into a trap—they saw types everywhere... even in the number of fish caught by the disciples on the night the risen Saviour appeared to them—how much some have tried to make of that number, 153!" (NOTE: much like Daniels images toes perhaps?)

  "Humans cannot know which Bible accounts are shadows of things to come and which are not. The clearest course is this: Where the Scriptures teach that an individual, an event, or an object is typical of something else, we accept it as such. Otherwise, we ought to be reluctant to assign an antitypical application to a certain person or account if there is no specific Scriptural basis for doing so."
• 

  stuckinarut2

  Oh wow!

  But how to raise this topic without the average witness realising what "apostates" we are ????

  Seriously, do most witnesses today even know what this stuff is about!.??
• 

  stuckinarut2

  Oh and:

  GB...OWN YOUR MISTAKES!! Stop trying to excuse things, or blame others for it!

  OWN YOUR MISTAKE. ADMIT YOU WERE WRONG, you never know, that may actually gain you some respect?!

  (You know, by this line of conduct, if I was ever brought before a bunch of elders, I could just imitate the GB methods of not admitting to a mistake. "Oh, I may have possibly held to some form of former conduct, but things are revised now...")
• 

  wheelwithinwheel

  FayeDunaway

  March 15, 2015 Questions from Readers:

  In the past, our publications often mentioned types

  and antitypes, but in recent years they have seldom

  done so. Why is that?

  QUESTIONS FROM READERS
• 

  Finkelstein

  The unapologetic excuses is not surprising since all of the GB members do not want to relinquish their power and authority or cripple the posturing of god selectively choosing them as his FDSL. Its about power folks cultivated by themselves for themselves.
  

  Which is more important than people's lives they may ruin or cause the deaths of its allured and corruptly coerced members.
  
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  WingCommander

  And just like that, with a small "Questions from Readers" article, an entire "generation" of false-hoods has been swept up under the carpet, never to be heard from again. From now on, it will only be spoken about has as if it were speculation and rumours that the rank and file pulled out of thin air, and of course the GB never REALLY meant to imply this and that with types and anti-types. Just like the 1995 article washed away decades of the "Generation of 1914 that would not pass away", so this article washes away the types and anti-types convoluted BS. People under 25 probably won't even miss it or even fully comprehend how HUGE such an article is.

  I am 35, almost 36 years old. I grew up attending ENDLESS book study groups in homes of much older ones who lived thru so much, and hearing and studying and comparing older publications concerning types and anti-types from ol' Oracle Freddie Franz was common place in the 1980's. Now? Freddie Franz has been reduced from being the Org's once great "Oracle" to a footnote in WT history along with Knorr; a bat-shit crazy senile old preacher spouting off that the sky is falling - Soon! and that probably had dementia.

  Incredible.....just.....incredible. I didn't think anything could top the "Overlapping Generations" thing for me, but this just might have done it, because it effects literally EVERYTHING. Everything in WT-La-La-Land is symbolic, type vs anti-type nonsense. WT writers could make anything mean anything they wanted with "types and anti-types." Now what are they going to do? All that's right, I forgot, "Obey us or DIE. The GB has spoken. Nevermind those Rolex wearing geezers behind the teleprompter."

  My jaw is on the floor. What charlatans!
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  Vidiot

  This thread title made me think it was about all the increasingly impossible events predicted in the Revelation Climax book.
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  freemindfade

  Vidiot

  That book (that we studied 3 times) has got to now be one of their biggest abortions.