PREPARE Ye the way to ditch 1914 (page 2)

I quit!

I was never a dub. I was just curious what you all thought when you read those two verses?

As a JW you look at the Bible very subjectively. YOu don't look at the Bible to see what it has to say you look at it to back up what the watchtower is telling you it says. The wt tells you that those scriptures didn't refer to his coming in 1914. They refer to his coming at Armageddon. This would be a third coming to any thinking person but as a jw you aren't allowed to think. Why do they still have the memorial if he came in 1914 when he said do this till I come. Again dubs aren't trained to think for themselves so they don't. Witness play a game of Bible hopscotch in order prove their beliefs referencing scriptures that have nothing to do with what they are trying to prove.

In all fairness jws aren't the only ones that do this. I see other religion doing this also, usually with less harmful results but non the less still doing it. On person I read many years ago said he felt that one of the worst things done to the Bible was adding chapter and verse because this encouraged people to view the Bible as individual verses rather than read it in context.

M.J.

On person I read many years ago said he felt that one of the worst things done to the Bible was adding chapter and verse because this encouraged people to view the Bible as individual verses rather than read it in context.

Hey that's a great point! The J dubs are a very verse oriented bunch. They have their collection of 100 or so verses which is the framework of their entire theological structure. Everything else must be forced to conform to that structure or explained away as "symbolic".

I think the more imminent question is what happens when the anointed all keel over? Or that it's simply ludicrous that there are any significant numbers of them still living due to the passage of time? The WTS supposedly represents this class and their authority derives from that arrangement. A new explanation is due very soon.

I quit!

I think the more imminent question is what happens when the anointed all keel over? Or that it's simply ludicrous that there are any significant numbers of them still living due to the passage of time? The WTS supposedly represents this class and their authority derives from that arrangement. A new explanation is due very soon.

Are there any of the old buggers left? The hall I went to had two of them. They would now be well over 100 now if they were still alive which they aren't. The "annointed" are supposed to be the ones giving out the meat in due season right? Not once do I every remember them being ask to help prepare the food. Did you ever here of conference being held where the annointed would gather to decide issues. Did anyone who knew any of these people every hear them say they were working on a watchtower article or one of the books? It is a hoax. Only thing they ever did that was different than anyone else was get to eat the cracks and drink the wine once a year. Things like this only make sense when you are brainwashed. If someone told you they were on the board of directors at Ford Motor Co. but for 20 years all you ever saw them do was sweep floors you would think they were delusional.

TheListener

I quit, here is my take on the anointed dying off.

First, there has been a relatively stable number of anointed for the last 20 years. The dubs are used to this by now. They don't totally understand it, but accept it as part of the way jehovah wants things. A large swing up in the numbers would scare the crap out of them; a large swing down would do the same and likely invigorate many fence sitters.

In the mid-90s the society started having older non-anointed brothers help out on certain GB committees. These ones are called 'given ones' like the nethinim. They are not on the GB, they are helpers. This gives the society many more years of lifeblood because no matter how old and out of it the GB become the Given Ones can cover the bases under the guise of "helping" the GB.

But, as the GB actually die off and fewer and fewer level headed replacements are around the given ones are gonna want to exercise some more control. Can you imagine someone who has been a Given One for the past 10 years or so and is himself in his late 60s or 70s answering to a much younger or new boy GB member? Likely not. Most likely the Given Ones will start to partake and suddenly become eligible for appointment to the GB. A list of Given Ones would be useful to compare against new GB appointments in the future.

About 4-6 years ago the society printed an article talking about Elijah and Elisha. They showed how Elijah was anointed by God but he was able to pass that anointment onto Elisha with Jehovah's blessing. Thus, even though Elijah was gone, Jehovah worked through Elisha. Elisha was basically an anointed one of God - in that he would be treated that way by Jehovah and followers. This is what I think the GB will likely do. They will allow some Given Ones to join GB by using the Elijah and Elisha example. There are a couple other articles that have come out but they aren't as pointed. The WTS could point to a couple examples and say 'see we told you this. This bible story is a precedent for what we're doing now.' I believe in the one WT article they even used the term Elisha class. I'll look it up when I get a chance.

I quit!

Thank you for your insights TheListener.

It shows how out of touch I am. I never even heard of the "Given Ones". I guess these individuals could be known as the "Always a brides-maid but never a bride class".

M.J.

If someone told you they were on the board of directors at Ford Motor Co. but for 20 years all you ever saw them do was sweep floors you would think they were delusional.

LOL. Great analogy. I gotta remember that one.

The Elijah and Elisha thing would be so ridiculous. Like Elisha was in some kind of different class than his predecessor because one was directly anointed and the other had it "passed on" from someone else. But they're backed into a corner so I'd really like to see whether or not it becomes their cover story. Hey listener, maybe some day you can show people you had new light before the GB did. You must be anointed or somthin.

blondie

Actually the WTS has used the Elijah, Elisha transition already. The anointed before 1918 are considered the Elijah class and the ones after 1918 the Elijah class. Interesting when you consider the WTS said the calling ended in 1881 and that they would all be in heaven by 1914 ruling with Jesus.

***

w54 3/1 p. 150 Restoration of True Religion Today ***

Not until the Lord of the harvest gave the command could that be done. Corresponding to the events of the first advent, there is first an "Elijah" work performed, like the work of John the Baptist, to warn the people, trying to bring them to repentance. Such a work was prosecuted in a particular way from 1878 to 1918, though similar work still continues with greater intensity, and is known as the "Elisha" work, and this goes on until Armageddon, when Jehovah "smites the earth with a curse."

jaffacake

I seem to remember the Gov Body considered a new theory which would entail ditching the 1914 date. A committee came up with an alternative, supported by one Gov body member, but the motion never got passed. It shows however that the GB had serious doubts about the 1914 date which was becoming untenable. They've taken it so far now that they can never abandon that date.

I'll dig out the references (I think form CoC or ISOCF). Does this ring any bells?

Jourles

It shows however that the GB had serious doubts about the 1914 date which was becoming untenable

This was in CoC. They thought of changing the year to, I believe, 1959? It had something to do with the space race and Sputnik being launched into orbit.

The problem the WTS has is this - How many corporations do you know of that try to mold their business model around the bible? None that I know of. Of course they have to distance themselves from 1914. 2014 will be a mentally challenging year for a lot of witnesses I suspect. They've already done an excellent job in distancing themselves from the "generation" definition. That basically was the ultimate tie-in to 1914 and armageddon.

The best way to hang on to the jw's now is to insinuate other dates without really backing them. Noah and the 120 years was a good one. Just look at how many people on this board reacted to that article. Just imagine how many witnesses thought the same thing and shared their impressions with others. Some witnesses will feel that the Society is saying to them, *wink wink nudge nudge*. That's all it takes. This is exactly what the WTS wants to see. If they can semi-subliminally insert dates into the articles, let the jw's run away with the speculation. It's kinda like speaking in code. Worldly people reading the mags won't notice the innuendo, but the witnesses will spot it quickly and they know it.

AnnOMaly

Although time is rapidly running out (has run out? - the 'generation' change bought a little time) for the 1914 teaching, it will be difficult to ditch this date without having to drastically re-jig the 'fulfilment' of prophecy about the 1919 'appointment of the faithful slave' doctrine. The two ideas are glued together. I don't believe the r&f can stomach a revolutionary upheaval on that just yet.

PREPARE Ye the way to ditch 1914

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