20 Things I Don't Understand about Jehovah's Witnesses

by Vanderhoven7 72 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Longlivetherenegades

  @ Fisherman

  However, when the fulfillment of our expectations appears to be delayed, it may dampen our enthusiasm. We could even lose heart. (Prov. 13:12) This happened at the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, many anointed Christians expected to receive their heavenly reward in 1914. When that did not happen, how did faithful ones deal with their delayed expectations?... Watchtower August 2019 study article 31 paragraph 9

  Where did the scripture or Bible ever states the anointed one will receive reward in 1914?

  Who promised such a reward in 1914?

  Who made the anointed one be in expectation in 1914?

  Yet Jesus returned in 1914 spiritually 😂😂😂😂

  In fact the remnant of the anointed according to WTBTS still remaining on the earth were not cleaned or free from babylon the great until until 1919.

  and according to Vander......

  
  

  This was in 1927. In that year the witnesses understood that the dead spiritual Israelites had been raised in 1918 to life in heaven with Christ Jesus. It was an invisible resurrection, of course." From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained p.192

  I see Fraud
  
• 

  Vanderhoven7

  Yes, the current teaching is that the Apostle Peter and the rest of the anointed who died were raised to heavenly life in the spring of 1918. Those of the anointed class who are still alive (almost 20,000 at last count) will join the saints in heaven when they die.

  It is amazing what Watchtower knows without a shred of biblical evidence.
• 

  waton

  Vdh: It is amazing what Watchtower knows without a shred of biblical evidence.

  or even secular evidence. These newly resurrected immortal guardians , seeing what went on among their future heavenly co-citizen, should have been appalled to see that these were in a worldwide campaign to proclaim falsely, that "-- millions now living would never die"

  why did they not stop that devastating basis for false prophet judgement among the remnant of their fellow "anointed" ? if they were truly now alive and in action, watching in the spirit world over the "spirit directed" organisation? to assure that no contaminated spiritual food was spread by the soon to be appointed wt F&DS of 1919?
  
  
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  Earnest

  Vanderhoven7 : Yes, the current teaching is that the Apostle Peter and the rest of the anointed who died were raised to heavenly life in the spring of 1918.

  The current teaching is that the first resurrection began sometime between 1914 and 1935. Could it have been in the spring of 1918? The Watchtower of January 1, 2007, p.28, para.12 says :
  

  That is an interesting possibility. Although this cannot be directly confirmed in the Bible, it is not out of harmony with other scriptures that indicate that the first resurrection got under way soon after Christ’s presence began.
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  Vanderhoven7

  Thank you Earnest. I was not aware that they changed their teaching again on this invisible event. It is hard to keep up with all the changes.

  But then again, it could be 1918 after all.

  Why not between 1916 and 1943?

  What they should say is...we were just speculating about 1878, then 1918 and now we realize we haven't a clue if anyone is in heaven at the moment.

  Thanks again for the update.
• 

  Earnest

  Vanderhoven7 : Why not between 1916 and 1943?

  It is true they don't have a clue exactly when it happened, only that it must have been after the war in heaven, and before the great crowd was identified.
  

  The terminus post quem of 1914 is because the war that broke out in heaven (Rev.12:7) did not include the holy ones, unlike the later battle with the nations (Rev.17:14), and so it is inferred the first resurrection had not yet occurred.

  The terminus ad quem of 1935 is discussed in the same Watchtower article, para, 10,11. As the identity of the great crowd was revealed in 1935, the first resurrection must have already occurred (Rev. 7:13,14).
• 

  joao

  @Fisherman

  It seems that my questions are going to remain unanswered... That's a pity because you're losing the opportunity of putting some more time into your monthly report. And perhaps I would get the chance to see that I'm really wrong. Perhaps you could make me see the light and return to WT and stop trying to show my wife and daughter how mean and destructive it really is.

  Anyway, I still have two more questions for you:

  1. Why don't JWs turn the questions they ask other religions to their own faith?
  2. If you stand for WT as fiercely as you do, how come that you've been participating so actively and for so long in this forum in total disregard and opposition to the GB orders talking to all these apostates and heretics?
     
• 

  Longlivetherenegades

  @ joao to simply apply their own standards of judging others will lead to their own detriment.

  1. What makes a religion right is its total adherence to God’s Word. Whether our religion meets this criterion or not can only be determined by open-mindedly comparing it with the Bible.... Awake 1984

  Jehovah’s witnesses cannot afford to be open minded. It goes against the set up of obeying and following directions that doesn't make sense from human point of view

  2. Certainly such an important matter as our worship of God should not be determined for us by the coincidence of where we were born.....Awake 1984

  Does not apply within the realms of authority of the GB.
  

  
  

  
  3. After all, the child born to Catholic parents has had no more control over this fact than the child born to Muslim parents controls that..... Awake 1984

  I still wonder why the writer of this article cannot use JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES in the place of Muslims since their arch enemy is the Catholic. Why?
• 

  Vanderhoven7

  
  

  Found this question

  
  

  Why do Jehovah's Witnesses say they believe in the ransom sacrifice of Christ, but at the same time say they need to prove themselves worthy of salvation for the rest of their lives now and then for another 1,000 years?

  
  

  I'm trying to understand whether Jesus pays for their sins or if they pay for their own sins by dying?

  
  

  Who pays for the sins of the anointed?

  
  

  Who pays for the sins of the other sheep who survive Armageddon since they will not have died?
• 

  Vanderhoven7

  I don't understand how people can continue to trust and put faith in the Faithful and Discreet Watchtower Slave,

  In case anyone is wondering how many Armageddons the WTS predicted, Mark Jones says:

  Seven. Jehovah’s Witnesses have predicted Armageddon seven times.

  Armageddon in 1914:

  "But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. - Zion's Watch Tower 1894 Jul 15 p.226

  Armageddon in 1918:

  "The parallel, therefore, would establish definitely that the harvest would close forty years thereafter; to wit, in the spring of A.D. 1918. If this be true, and the evidence is very conclusive that it is true, then we have only a few months in which to labor before the great night settles down when no man can work." - Watch Tower Oct 1 1917 p.292,293

  Armageddon in 1920:

  "As the fleshly-minded apostates from Christianity, aiding with the radicals and revolutionaries, will rejoice at the inheritance of desolation that will be Christendom's after 1918, so will God do to the successful revolutionary movement; it shall be utterly desolated, "even all of it" Not one vestige of it shall survive the ravages of world-wide all-embracing anarchy, in the fall of 1920." - Studies In the Scriptures - The Finished Mystery (1918 edition)

  Armageddon in 1942:

  "Receiving the gift, the marching children clasped it to them, not a toy or plaything for idle pleasure, but the Lord's provided instrument for most effective work in the remaining months before Armageddon." -Watchtower 1941 Sep 15 p.288

  Armageddon in 1975:

  "If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the "last days" in 1914, Jesus foretold: "This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur." Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in highschool and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!" Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15

  "Well now, as Jehovah's Witnesses, as runners, even though some of us have become a little weary, it almost seems as though Jehovah has provided meat in due season. Because he's held up before all of us, a new goal. A new year. Something to reach out for and it just seems it has given all of us so much more energy and power in this final burst of speed to the finish line. And that's the year 1975. Well, we don't have to guess what the year 1975 means if we read the Watchtower. And don't wait 'till 1975. The door is going to be shut before then. As one brother put it, ‘Stay alive until Seventy-Five’” - 1967 District Convention, Wisconsin Sheboygan District Overseer Brother Charles Sinutko (listen to the audio of this talk here[1])

  Armageddon within the 20th century:

  "Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom." - The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah p. 216

  "He was laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our 20th century". - Watchtower 1989 Jan 1 p.12.

  Armageddon “Imminant!” (as of 2018)

  At the end of the Sunday convention of the 2018 convention. Governing body member Tony Morris declaired that Armageddon is “imminant!” See the full video here.[2]

  Which brings certain scriptures to mind…

  At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. - Matthew 24:23–24

  But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death." You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?". If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed. - Deuteronomy 18:18-22

  Footnotes

  [1] Watchtower's Charles Sinutko Jr. Assembly Speech on 1975 - "Stay alive till 75" - Dalcour

  [2] "Be Courageous"! Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses - Sunday (rebuttal