Last minute repentance

inbetween

While most talk about the end of reporting for publishers, I think the doctrinal change is even bigger.

Repentance after start of GT still possible?

What does that mean for the judgement message, they pushed a bit lately?

Will that be really just before Armageddon?

What does it mean for the preaching now? If they are seriuos about human lifes to be saved, the main message has to be, that Babylon the great will be destroyed. Even if most will not believe it now, they have to remember who foretold it, so they can change their mind and be saved, when it really happens.

Also how is the scripture in Revelation 18 to be understood? "Babylon has fallen, get out of her." Was the falling not 1919 but in the near future? Any more doctrinal changes in line with this big turnaround are necessary.

NotFormer

That's a good point about the "Babylon has fallen" message. They should really be ramping up that message if they believe it the precursor, the thing that lets everyone know that the JWs were right, so that they know who to go to for the last minute repentance. It's great how you've connected the dots. I wonder how many JWs will do the same, saying, "If that's the case, shouldn't we be pressing home the XYZ message?" Do you foresee any such message becoming the new focus, or has the GB simply failed to realise the implications of their own doctrinal change?

In mainstream Christianity, last minute repentance is generally referred to as a "deathbed confession". A person goes through life "sinning" and then "give their life to Christ" when they know it's all ending. The episode of Blackadder where he is the archbishop of Canterbury gives an example of how it worked in those days.

EasyPrompt

The WTBT$ message is so scrambled. They say incorrectly that Jesus was enthroned in 1914 and that around that time Babylon fell figuratively and that the WTBT$ was selected out of all Christendom to represent God and that the BOEs are in Jesus' hand and their judicial committees are like an extension of Christ.

Liars.

Jesus wasn't enthroned in in 1914. Babylon didn't fall yet. When it does everybody will know because the religious institutions will be dissolved. That will be evidence that Jesus is finally enthroned as King in Heaven and that he is figuratively riding the white horse with judgments against the religious institutions. That will also be the message for the 3 1/2 years of the tribulation, namely, once the religions fall the message will be that Jesus has finally taken the throne in heaven and the Kingdom will remove the governments at the end of that 3 1/2 year time period.

Mark 1:15

"The appointed time has been fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent, and have faith in the good news.”

Matthew 10:7

"As you go, preach, saying: ‘The Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’"

The message has never changed. Until the Kingdom comes at the end of the 3 1/2 years of great tribulation, the message is the same. "Repent, the Kingdom is coming."

The Bible shows that many will repent during the 3 1/2 years of the great tribulation. It wasn't until the end of the plagues on Egypt that the people went out to the promised land. Some of the Egyptians and others who were not Hebrews went out with them, even though they didn't know a lot about Jehovah yet. It will be the same with those who survive the great tribulation. After all the plagues on religion, many will repent. Same when the plagues come on the governments. Many people won't know hardly anything about Jehovah yet but they will have the opportunity to learn later... "We will go with you people, for we have heard God is with you people" - they are included in that "great crowd out of all nations and tribes and tongues" who are redeemed because of Christ purchasing them with his own blood.

Kosonen

This is what the Bible says that people will not repent at the last minute. Here Revelation chapter 16 lays out the result of the 7 consecutive plagues when this system of things comes to an end.

Revelation 16:2 The first one went off and poured out his bowl on the earth. And a hurtful and malignant ulcer afflicted the people who had the mark of the wild beast and who were worshipping its image.

8 The fourth one poured out his bowl on the sun, and to the sun it was granted to scorch the people with fire. 9 And the people were scorched by the great heat, but they blasphemed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent and give glory to him. 10 The fifth one poured out his bowl on the throne of the wild beast. And its kingdom became darkened, and they began to gnaw their tongues because of their pain, 11 but they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their ulcers, and they did not repent of their works.

16 And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Armageddon.

Kosonen

The following scripture shows that the punishment for taking the mark of the beast and worshiping it will be severe, is there any way to repent after that? Chances don't seem great.

Revelation 14:9 Another angel, a third, followed them, saying in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the wild beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink of the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of His wrath, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb

EasyPrompt

Revelation is presented in signs/visions. Some things are figurative and some are literal. When people take Revelation out of context with the rest of the Bible, they get the wrong understanding.

Look at Jesus.

His example proves that he does accept "last minute repentance". Some people will choose not to repent. But others will. Jehovah is merciful. He is not a tyrant.

Kosonen

Yes, I agree that Jehovah God and Jesus Christ are always ready to forgive a person if he is genuinely repentant and wants to serve God and be Jesus' disciple.

But in the last minute, the last weeks or last months of this systeme of things will there be such persons?

The world is in a process of maturing as the Bible teaches. The distinction between the weeds and the wheat will become clearer and clearer.

I think it will be hard for a weed like person to suddenly turn to wheat.

Like when the Israelites came to conquer the Canaanites. Only the Gibeonites came to ask for peace and do what ever they were told to do. The rest chose to stubbornly fight the Israelites. Was it 30 Canaanite kings with their people?

The sooner someone repents and starts to serve God and be a Jesus' disciple the easier.

During the last years the pressure will become even greater not to serve God and as Jesus said many will then lose their faith and betray one another.

Matthew 24:10 Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another.

But at the same time wheat like persons will mature in righteousness.

Daniel 11:35 And some of those having insight will be made to stumble, in order to do a refining work because of them and to do a cleansing and a whitening until the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed.

At that time the Governing Body will not be in charge of this spiritial maturing. Instead it will be those having insight as the book of Daniel says.

Verse 34 says about those with insight: "and many will join with them by means of smooth speech."

So the many of the "flock" that followed the Governing body will after the Governing body has disappeared, turn for guidance from those having insight.

The Governing Body really has not insight, they are blind to almost all Bible prophesies dealing with the end time.

EasyPrompt

The "weeds and wheat" illustration is specific to the Christian congregation. Jesus gave it as an illustration of how false teachings spread in the congregation. It is not an illustration about the entire population of the world.

Jesus forgave the criminal next to him on the other torture stake at the last minute.

John 14:6-10

"Jesus said to him: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you men had known me, you would have known my Father also; from this moment on you know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

Jesus said to him: “Even after I have been with you men for such a long time, Philip, have you not come to know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father also. How is it you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in union with the Father and the Father is in union with me? The things I say to you I do not speak of my own originality, but the Father who remains in union with me is doing his works."

Jesus showed us the way. He showed us the Father. Jehovah will forgive people last minute who are repentant. He doesn't want to lose anyone. He is a Father, not a murderer. "God is Love."

Kosonen

Yes, the illustration of the weeds and the wheat are about Christians.

Jesus started the Christian congregation. And then Satan begun sowing weeds into it. Already huge spiritual problems arose in the first century and it has continued until now.

During the centuries that followed from the first century different churches appeared and more and more have appeared. And they exist today. Are their members either "weeds" or "wheat" from Jesus' illustration?

Then there are Muslims, Hindus, Buddists, were do they fit in?

And the fact is that they even in a far lesser dergee are interested in the good news about Jesus.

Vidiot

Maybe the WT leadership is worried that at the rate they’re losing members, they won’t have enough people left to properly start over after the Apocalypse.

😏

Last minute repentance

Share this