Did the 1914 Generation Die Anyway? (page 2)

Englishman

That's about the best summary of the 1914 affair that I have ever read.

Hope it's OK with you if I mail to a few people?

Englishman.

Amazing, those who try to apply Jesus' words to some distant future -- 2000 years later! -- seem to ignore the plain wording. Jesus was speaking directly to a number of people. He said "this generation", that is, he was talking to and about the people he was directly addressing.

- Jan

Room 215

.... And, of course, if they uncouple their end-times expectations to any sort of 1914-related chronology, what is to keep from trom fading into the vast pool of fundamentalist protestant apocalyptic doomsayers who stand on the street corners with their placards and handbill? Let's not forget that the Watchtower has no monopoly on the ``The End is Near'' mantra.

JanH

Englishman,

That's about the best summary of the 1914 affair that I have ever read.
Hope it's OK with you if I mail to a few people?

Thank you! Of course. Feel free to send it around.

The article was originally written for and stored on my web site. When I discontinued my site, Kent hosted it on Watchtower Observer.

- Jan

NewYork44M

Excellent post. I remember attending the WT study when the 1995 article was discussed and was taken back by the total lack of understanding of the significance of the change. There was no after meeting discussion bny the R&F and the tone and mood of the congregation during the study was no different than any other study. I am sure that even the society was amazed at how easy it was to insert a major doctorinal change.

hillary_step

Jan,

Amazing, those who try to apply Jesus' words to some distant future -- 2000 years later! -- seem to ignore the plain wording. Jesus was speaking directly to a number of people. He said "this generation", that is, he was talking to and about the people he was directly addressing.

I agree entirely. The Preterist view of this statement makes much more sense, that is. that Jesus himself was speaking in local terms both geographically and theologically in these statements.

Excellent post by the way.

Best - HS

Perry

Excellent research JanH. That issue redefining the Generation, was the last straw for me. I never believed nor trusted anything they said after that. Like expatriot, it still took me years to come to full psychological honesty.

Well written.

Perry

Dutchie

It is interesting to note that so-called apostates are much more successfull in predicting what the Watchtower Society will do, than the Society has ever been in predicting God's activities.

Truer words were never spoken.

Being free of the restraints of "watchtower thought" allows one to analyze and critique this religion intellectually and thus one is able to preceive the directions it is going in and to note where changes must be made in its questionable doctrine in order for it to remain viable.

Incredible essay!

dmouse

Excellent post, definitely a keeper.

This change in doctrine was MAJOR. There is now no time limit on when Armaggeddon may come connected with 1914. The time limit is now linked to the lifespan of the annointed ('on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short')

I remember when I mentioned the 1995 article to my dub wife, she said (regarding the end coming withing the liftime of those born in 1914) "I know, I've said it myself on the doors" with the meaning that it was SHE who had been 'running ahead' and making unwarranted speculation!

As long as there are such blindly loyal followers of the WBTS out there, who are willing to take the blame even when it's not their fault, the Society can get away with anything.

It's like the Society can cause a reboot in peoples brains so they forget old 'truth' and replace it with new 'truth'.

ItsJustlittleoldme

The insurance industry in the USA and many western nations treat 95 or 99 years of age as statistically at the end of human life. So, if I buy a life insurance policy at age 30, then when I reach 95 in the USA, the insurance company will pay out my policy to me as though I died. This is not to say that all 95 year old people are expected to be dead, but the few that remian do not make up a viable, insurable generation.

Quick, someone tell the GB.. They can issue "new" used light, and go back to their previous definition of Generation, and start all over at the year 2013 or so!!
(sigh).. Sadly enough, if that started showing up in print from them, I would not be the least bit surprised...
-- WT 1/15/2003
"Brothers, in the handbook published by the Insurance Industry of a well known country, they define the term generation as being 95-99 years of age. We feel this is very relavent to our current day, as we all know, the average life span of humans throughout bible history has varied greatly, from 969 years for Methuselah to as little as 30-40 years during Jesus' time. It is now evident from reliable sources, and backed up by bible chronology that the life span of the generation Jesus was talking about HAD to be 95-99 years. From bible scripture, we have more evidence today than even Noah had in his day that 1914 was the beginning of the time to the end. We have bible chronology to support the reliable interpretation that the generational span would be 95-99 years, coupled with the beginning of the last days starting in 1914, and we can clearly see that bible chronology supports the battle of Armageddon happening sometime between now and 2013. Yes, my friends, Armageddon is not far away. Stay vigilent in these last days, as Satan is well aware that his time is drawing to a rapid close, and will become even more devious and deceptive in trying to draw us away from Jehovah in these final months before the battle begins!"

Did the 1914 Generation Die Anyway?

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