Mark 13: 1-8 ...Not a composite sign/ two-fold prophecy scripture

by RULES & REGULATIONS 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  

  This brother starts off with reading the following scriptures from the book of Mark 13:1-8

  3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”
  

  5 Jesus told them, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed; these things must take place, but it is not yet the end. 8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.[a] These are the beginning of birth pains.

  
  

  The brother begins to explain that Jesus is giving the apostles a composite prophecy/a two-fold prophecy because some events Jesus was talking about was affecting the people in the first century and some other events have a would affect the time period that we're living in today(2018).

  
  

  
  

  After 40 years of being a Jehovah's Witness and having this scripture pounded into our brains, the twisting of this scripture really amazes me. Now, I stand back and see many-twisted scriptures taught by the Watchtower Society. Talk about twisting scripture to make it say what you want it to mean.
  

  
  

  Jesus was only addressing only Peter, James, John, and Andrew...not any other generation or period. Definitely not the year... 2018.

  
  
  

  Definition of you: the one or ones being addressed
  

  
  

  Definition of us: used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people as the object of a verb or preposition:

  
  

  
  

  Definition of them: used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to two or more people or things previously mentioned or easily identified:
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  Bobcat

  If you look at the whole chapter (Mark 13), verses 1 & 2 give the reason for the disciples questions in verses 3 & 4. Verses 1 & 2 are discussing the Jewish temple and a prediction by Jesus that it will be leveled. So, naturally, the disciples questions in verses 3 & 4 are directly related to that.

  At the other end, verses 28-31 are a sort of summary parable describing the events just described (verses 5-27) and Jesus describes these things as being fulfilled within "this generation." An unbiased reading would place everything between verse 5 and verse 27 as something Jesus was predicting for (then) contemporary Jews. Even if one doesn't understand how verses 24-27 could have happened back then, the surrounding context argues that Jesus was expecting those things to happen within that 'generational' time frame.

  Claiming that verses 5-27 must have a dual fulfillment is, in reality, an admission that they don't understand all of what Jesus was talking about.

  It is only starting at verse 32 that there is a hint of some future judgment that the disciples have to be ready for. The events in verses 5-27 have the disciples being given a way of escape and salvation from what was predicted for the temple and that Jewish generation. (verses 14-20)
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  john.prestor

  "Claiming that verses 5-27 must have a dual fulfillment is, in reality, an admission that they don't understand all of what Jesus was talking about."

  Or... that what "Jesus" ("Mark") predicted didn't actually happen.
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  Bobcat
  An unbiased reading would place everything between verse 5 and verse 27 as something Jesus was predicting for (then) contemporary Jews.
  Claiming that verses 5-27 must have a dual fulfillment is, in reality, an admission that they don't understand all of what Jesus was talking about.

  After you read Mark 13 ( unbiased....after you leave the Watchtower Society mindset ) in full context, you finally begin to see how the Watchtower Society twists Mark 13:1-30.

  Mark 13 was fulfilled (as you wrote): within Jesus's ''this generation,'' not as a dual fulfillment.
  
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  Crazyguy

  The whole thing is about that generation and nothing more. Even the scripture about preaching to the nations was really written about preaching the Roman lands. The fulfillment of those prophecies happen from 66 through about 73 CE. Remember these verses were written after the 1st century.
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  Phizzy

  I thought they said that the "duel fulfillment" thing was dropped ? I guess not for their fear-mongering " the End is so near" stuff.
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  Half banana

  There are two primary false assumptions made by the Watchtower:

  One is that the Bible contains the thoughts and demands of a supreme god.

  The second is that only the Watchtower/JW org leadership have the exclusive spin rights on how to interpret it.

  Therefore the GB think that all they need for any situation is to find a scripture relevant in content to the problem at hand and that will suffice-- so forget the original context or meaning. Trotting out scriptures regardless of meaning keeps up their reputation as a Bible quoting religion. The JW governing body are world leaders in "post truth" thinking!

  This matter is so clear when reading the gospels about the prevailing anxieties by Jews and the end of their system. As crazyguy mentions these were written close to the time of the sack of Jerusalem in 70 AD under Vespasian. The so called Third temple only recently built was destroyed and broke the power of the Jewish leaders and closed the Sanhedrin.

  The Greek scriptures were written for a new Christ cult which was growing at the time but were relatively few in number and mainly Jews. As yet they were not centrally organised apart from holding meetings in the manner of prevailing Greek and Roman cults, from which they derived their heirarchical orders; bishops, prebyters and deacons --still in use by JWs in modern translation.

  The words of the gospels are categorically not those of Jesus of Nazareth.

  Nazareth did not exist when Jesus was supposed to have been born! No one ever took down verbatim what Jesus said, mainly because nobody known to history actually knew him or reported his words or activities first hand.The gospels are the fabrications of the leaders of a new christ in a historical background of many christ cults which preached destruction of the world and salvation by belief in a resurrected christ figure--which was an evolving twist on an ancient story.

  My favourite which says it all is Mark 9;1.
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  WillYouDFme

  It is ALL BS!

  Anyone can make the Bible say what the want it to say.

  By the way Ezekiel and Revelation had to be the product of Magic Mushrooms.
  Fits a psychedelic episode 100%.

  JWs have always said there was a minor and major fulfilment of that set of scriptures.
  
  The funny thing is that they said they were going to abandon the minor/major thing a few years ago - in general, but they really have not in talks or in print.
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  Bobcat

  Even the scripture about preaching to the nations was really written about preaching the Roman lands.

  You are correct CrazyGuy. Romans 16:25-26 & Col 1:23 agree. And "inhabited earth" from Mt 24:14 was often used to refer to the Roman Empire. (E.g. Luke 2:1)
  
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  westiebilly11

  The danger of believing in something not understood.. Twist..and shake. JWs today.