Achille.....That was a great contribution to the history of this doctrine.
Here's a link that describes the development of the doctrine and near the end of that discussion is a link to more detailed history.
Has The Interpretation of the Beast Changed?
by NotFormer 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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ThomasMore
Vidiot - at Bethel, anyone who wrote in with ideas about Bible prophesy was pounded down like a nail sticking up out of the floor. Bethelites took this to heart and gradually stopped offering “suggestions”.
The culture did not not tolerate anyone who did not go along with the twisted ideas that were “approved” by the GB. If it did not come from Fred Franz, it was the wrong channel.
Fast forward to 2024 and it is little wonder that they have no fresh thinkers. That kind of crazy will get you labeled as an apostate faster than Tony Morris can empty a bottle of McCallans.
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Vidiot
ThomasMore - “…If it did not come from Fred Franz, it was the wrong channel…”
Ironic, considering the guy spent his twilight years shuffling around Bethel dressed like Herb Tarleck, muttering to his shoes.
Credit where credit’s due, though… in his prime, the man had some mad writing skills.
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NotFormer
In the 70s , when there was a resurgence in interest in Bible prophecy, particularly after Hal Lindsay published The Late Great Planet Earth, most prophecy speculators from mainstream Christianity (usually independent purveyors of their own books and videos; the churches generally kept out of such speculation) decided that the beast was the EU (ECU back in the day). Their reasoning was usually that the beast had ten horns and ten crowns, and it would only be a matter of time before there were ten EU members. When Greece joined in 1981, I bet they all wet themselves!
I never followed those guys much after that. I wonder how they spun Spain and Portugal joining in 1986?
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ThomasMore
NotFormer - I recall the speculation by evangelicals about the EU. I wondered how they would spin the death blow and resurrection of the EU. None was offered.
JWs once felt strongly about the UN but now that the evidence is mainstream that WTC was an NGO, they pooh pooh the membership and now "it's not so bad after all".
The fact is that no matter what WTC does, the R&F loyalists apologize for them. WTC does not apologize because they have minions for that.
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blondie
Consider how the United Nations and its predecessor, the League of Nations, have fulfilled the Bible’s prophecy of the scarlet-colored beast. (ijwbq article article 100)
WT May 2022 p.10 Yes, Jehovah will motivate the nations to use the scarlet-colored wild beast, that is, the United Nations, to turn on the world empire of false religion and completely destroy it
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ThomasMore
Blondie, I actually agree with the interpretation by WTC on the League and the UN.
What I find hypocritical is their membership in the UN as an NGO as well as their membership in the European counterpart.
WTC also defines the “Man of Lawlessness” as the clergy of Christendom. Once again I happen to think they are correct. However, why would they join Jimmy Swaggert in court when he was being prosecuted as “friends of Jimmy Swaggart”.
Another example is cozying up to Hitler by Rutherford, being rebuffed, then using the rank ‘n file to blast Hitler, triggering an enormous wave of persecution by the Nazis that resulted in lives lost, all property confiscated, and imprisonment.
JWs repeatedly take the wrong side of an issue resulting in the need to coverup and redact their history.
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Vidiot
Kinda like the Religious Right in the US…
…they keep winning elections, but keep losing the “culture wars”.
😏