by RULES & REGULATIONS 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
And not forgetting that although the sheep and goats are yet to be separated (occurs during the future great tribulation), the separation of the WHEAT AND WEEDS has been ongoing since 1914! The 'storehouses' that the wheat is gathered into since 1919 is....yes you guessed it, the organisation itself!
You couldn't make this nutty shit up if you tried.
I modified this a little
SEPARATING OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS
The Society's stance on Matthew 25:31-46, then, can be summarized as follows:
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1879-1923: is a future event taking place after the tribulation.
1923-1995: began in 1914 and is currently taking place.
1995-current: a future event taking place after the tribulation.
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1879-1923: OLD LIGHT = Separation is a future event taking place after the tribulation.
A thousand years of such ruling and teaching! ... This thousand years is the time during which all the nations are gathered before the judgment seat of Christ. It is their judgment day—one thousand years.[6] During all that time, God’s truth, as a two-edged sword, will be quietly, … doing a separating work, dividing the sheep from the goats. Matt. XXV, 31-46. Zion’s Watch Tower, September 1881, p. 269, par. 5, 6:
The Lord refers to this other flock of sheep, and explicitly tells us about the gathering of those sheep to his favor under him as the great Shepherd. He definitely fixes the time and shows that the parable of the sheep and goats belongs not to the present age but to the Millennial age…
Zion’s Watch Tower, March 15, 1905, p. 3528, par. 6:
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1923-1995: NEW LIGHT = Separation began in 1914 and is currently taking place.
The Lord revealed to his people the meaning of the parable of the sheep and the goats, showing how the "sheep" only would be spared by Jehovah when his wrath is expressed at Armageddon. All this information came not from or by man, but by the Lord God... The Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1938 p. 35
Increasing Flashes of Light11 Particularly since 1919 have Jehovah's servants been blessed with increasing flashes of light. What a bright flash of light shone at the 1922 Cedar Point convention as J. F. Rutherford, the Watch Tower Society's second president, drove home the point that the prime obligation of Jehovah's servants is to "advertise, advertise, advertise, the King and his kingdom"! The very next year, bright light shone on the parable of the sheep and the goats. It was seen that this prophecy was to be fulfilled in the present Lord's day, not in the future during the Millennium as previously thought. During the Millennium, Christ's brothers would not be sick, nor would they be imprisoned. Besides, at the end of the Millennium, Jehovah God, not Jesus Christ, will do the judging.-Matthew 25:31-46. The Watchtower May 15, 1995 p. 18
Since Christ returned and sat down on his heavenly throne, all humankind has been on judgement... During the present judgement people are being separated as ‘goats’ to Christ’s left hand or as ‘sheep’ to his right.” You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, p 183
Yes, all mankind is being scrutinized to see who are ‘sheep’ and who are ‘goats.’... the messages are broadcast by human mouthpieces under angelic direction. A person is identified as a ‘sheep’ or as a ‘goat’ by the way he responds to the angelic messages. During this 20 th century, only Jehovah’s Witnesses have cooperated with the angels in this vital work. WT, Jan. 1, 1988, p 16
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1995- EVEN NEWER LIGHT = Separation is a future event taking place after the tribulation.
“The rendering of judgment on the sheep and goats is future. It will take place after ‘the tribulation’ mentioned at Matthew 24:29, 30 breaks out and the Son of man ‘arrives in his glory.’ Then, with the entire wicked system at its end, Jesus will hold court and render and execute judgment.” Watchtower, October 15, 1995, p. 23, par. 26.
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We may not tell untruths in his name, for that puts God in the light of a liar. "Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar." (Rom. 3:4, NW) In Jeremiah's day the false prophets prophesied lies in Jehovah's name and lied against his purpose, foretelling in his name what he had not foretold. Therefore Jehovah was against them. He executed judgment against them at Jerusalem's destruction in 607 B.C. (Jer. 23:25; 27:15) Religious liars like them today cannot escape a like judgment but will meet a like end at Armageddon. --The Watchtower February 1, 1956, p.88.
Good post V. Marked for perusal later.
Bobcat
Wow, I didn't know this change was a flip-flop.
