Anyone notice how when some of us older ones were in the cult.......

by mickbobcat 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Sea Breeze

  in FF"s days we [were] taught that the great tribulation had started in 1914, was interrupted in 1918 [and there was a] ….hiatus until Armageddon, thus: the great crowd of OS would be able to scripturally "come out of the great tribulation"

  Waton,

  Wow! I did not realize this. Thanks for pointing this out. It would be great if a WT reference to this teaching could be found.

  Now, according to wt teaching, the great crowd does not really exist yet, or , anymore,, because the great tribulation has not started yet. and when it does, the GB, all anointed will be already gone.

  I didn't realize this either. So, the leaders are justified before God now, get raptured and the future Tribulation believers get saved by their works; Is that it? But, where does that leave JW believers NOW?

  I guess they are now encouraged to just die if they want assurance so that they can wake up in paradise?

  
  
• 

  FFGhost

  It would be great if a WT reference to this teaching could be found.

  "Ask, and ye shall receive".

  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1999323#h=14:0-15:594

  God’s people once understood that the first phase of the great tribulation began in 1914 and that the final part would come at the battle of Armageddon.

  However, in later years we have come to see things differently. On Thursday, July 10, 1969, at the “Peace on Earth” International Assembly in New York City, F. W. Franz, then vice president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, gave an electrifying talk.

  Then a significantly adjusted explanation was offered: “To correspond with the events of the first century, . . . the antitypical ‘great tribulation’ did not begin in 1914 C.E. Rather, what took place upon Jerusalem’s modern antitype in 1914-1918 was merely ‘a beginning of pangs of distress’ . . . The ‘great tribulation’ such as will not occur again is yet ahead

  You can get a whole long list of "clarifications" here:

  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200277174#h=1:0

  "Let the reader use discernment" as to which is wackier - old beliefs, or current beliefs.
  
  
• 

  Hopeless1

  Sea Breeze,

  one reference to said belief of interrupted G.T. is here, -

  WHEN DOES THE GREAT TRIBULATION BEGIN?

  3. In the past, what was our understanding of the timing of the great tribulation?

  3 For a number of years, we thought that the great tribulation began in 1914 with World War I and that “those days were cut short” by Jehovah in 1918 when the war ended so that the remnant would have the opportunity to preach the good news to all nations. (Matt. 24:21, 22) After the completion of that preaching work, Satan’s empire would be destroyed. Thus, the great tribulation was thought to have three phases: There would be a beginning (1914-1918), the tribulation would be interrupted

  (from 1918 onward), and it would conclude at Armageddon.

  
  

  Watchtower study edition July 2013 (Tell us, when will these things be? article paragraph 3)

  
  

  will look for original Watchtower teaching, but may take longer as dutifully disposed of old watchtower and awakes years ago.

  
  
• 

  Anna Marina

  JeffT and Smiddy

  Yes I notice WT is very civil rights anti-war. A good thing on the surface appealing to those concerned about others and not killing but it is as if they are set up like a net to catch anyone, motivated by stuff seen on the news to fall into their net.

  Then you have a Bible study which appears compelling but is full of semantic traps you are incapable of discerning at that point.

  Two media orgs working together? Secular one highlights the problems? Non-secular says 'come to us'. Maybe?
  
• 

  waton

  But, where does that leave JW believers NOW?

  SB: it leaves them slaving for their hoped salvation, for jehovah aka the wt bts. , because obviously their saying: "salvation we owe" can not be said until well "after the thousand years. have ended". and they will be toiling on land that belongs to the wt too, because it is the "anointed" aka wtbts, who are "the meek [that\ will inherit the Earth".

  "

  
  

  I guess they are now encouraged to just die if they want assurance so that they can wake up in paradise?

  Yes, wt can more easily promise the underground route to paradise, but strongly imply, for the old ones, that tunneling will only work if you leave your estate to "the society" with an elder as an executor of the testament.
  "the harvest is great!" really it is a great harvest for the a few workers.