It appears to me that the context of these accounts is clearly focusing on an event (it occurred Luke 17:26) that overtook unwary people. THE WATCHTOWERSTUDY EDITION September2019, The WatchtowerStudy Edition| September2019. 20 Think how thrilled you will be when Babylon the Great is gone and when Armageddon is over! 85 PICTURE DESCRIPTION: Policemen get ready to force their way into the home of a Christian family who trust that Jesus and his angels are aware of what is happening. That's awful far away. Never in these instances, however, did they presume to originate predictions 'in the name of Jehovah.' Pin On Jehovah S Witnesses On The Move . How do we know that Armageddon refers to a symbolic place? -2 Thess. Seriously based on the 'overlap' generations definition Armageddon has been pushed back to 2154! There is little surprise that the movement frequently has been dubbed a non-prophet enterprise. They proudly bear his name, and they have obeyed his command to flee from Babylon the Great. The leaders of the Watchtower Organization have long taught their members that THEY, and THEY, alone, are "appointed by Jesus" to dispense His truth, or, as it is put to the rank-and-file, "spiritual food," and that if a Jehovah's Witness does not follow the teachings of the Watchtower, and remain "faithful" to the Watchtower Organization, they are "going against God and His . All rights reserved. (b)Why will our knowing Jehovah prove to be a blessing at Armageddon? To suggest that this text has a primary prophetic focus in modern times reflects a gross distortion of this passage. And they will not recover until they make a new prediction That is all history you know already, so sorry for going over it again. Copyright 2023 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. This crazy religion changes doctrine more than some people change underwear. www.opendialoguemediations.com. Yes, they have. Do Jehovah?s Witnesses claim that Jehovah God speaks through them? The group took on the name International Bible Students Association and by 1914 it . 11:18) To help us understand these points more clearly, let us consider four questions: What is Armageddon? Possibly. Was the Siege at Jerusalem in A.D. 70 the Worst in World History? jw Only 120 years more and Jehovah would bring 'the deluge of waters upon the earth to bring to ruin all flesh, Some 90 years have passed since the last days of this system of things began in 1914. A subsequent feature article by the same name followed (pp. Some 90 years have passed since the last days of this system of things began in 1914. Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement probably best known for their door-to-door evangelistic work. 38:23) Yes, Armageddon is good news for those who know God, obey his Son, and endure to the end.Matt. But Scott Terry, a former Jehovah's Witness for 14 years and author of Cowboys, Armageddon, and The Truth: How a Gay Child Was Saved from Religion, believes that a widespread apathy towards door . {WT 6}. Are There Signs of the Second Coming of Christ? According to Revelation 17:1, 6 and 18:24, why will Jehovah destroy Babylon the Great? Two portions of scripture were relied upon heavily as prophetic proof-texts that Armageddon was imminent. 11:16; 12:41-42; 23:36). We must, therefore, insist that the Scriptures do not teach that Armageddon is a carnal conflict that is a precursor to the end of earths history. You will see a gradual emphasis of this until the mid-to-late 2020s when they will go completely nuts with it like they did in 1914, 1915, 1925, 1975. How about just being aware, alert, ready? After the destruction of all false religious organizations, Gods people will stand out like a lone tree that survived a fierce storm. There are a couple f groups who believe in 2034. All content appearing on this site is owned and maintained by the Fortify Your Faith Foundation, a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Jehovah's Witnesses. 16 By their fruits YOU will recognize them Have Jehovah?s Witnesses and the ?Faithful and Discrete Slave? We are certainly in 'the time of the end.'. The organization is asking Ramapo . Never did they say, 'These are the words of Jehovah. For one thing, among Witnesses, the generation idea had a lot more credibility than the 1975 chronology. We are certainly in 'the time of the end.' 70 Replies slimboyfat. 46:10) Hence, Jehovah's purposes, and time, for establishing a righteous new order are firmly fixed.Awake! The core notion embraced by Jehovah's Witnesses is that Armageddon is imminent, and that the only way to be saved from a terrible end-times death is to abide by their tenets, which are dispensed . Still keep the whole end time thing like others have but make it much more nonspecific, keep the no trinity, no hell, maybe no holidays. 2. And you can tell when Armageddon is near when you see the things . They contend: It is the generation of people who saw the catastrophic events that broke forth in connection with World War I from 1914 onward (Watchtower, op. 9 Jehovah will not wipe out Satans entire world all at once, as he did in Noahs day. It's obvious to me that leadership needs to fire up the members in some way. 19-20. :) But wait, if there is a whole mutli-million $ industry for lovers of sado-masochism, then there's nothing extraordinary about the WTS business always taking its faithful members on a ride. Murderers! 5:19-21. The Scriptures we were taught to use as Jehovah's Witnesses when we preached the Watchtower's "good news" concerning the reestablishing of God's Kingdom had more to do with the nation of Israel and God's covenant with the Jewish people rather that the real "good news" of Jesus Christ. 3:16) And so, at times, it has been necessary, as understanding became clearer, to correct views. (Read Matthew 24:37-39.) Like clouds covering the land, he will attack Jehovahs people. I don't know what I am talking about read this post at your peril. A Numerologist can always add 30 or 40 years to the last date that failed because it was based on Numerology and go on like all is well. I'm the guy for the job! 4. 1993 March 22 pp.3-4 Why So Many False Alarms? Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years.' If you found the Watchtower contradicted the Bible which would you believe? It was also successful. *** Watchtower 1983 February 15 p.12 You Can Live Forever in on Earth-But How? What will Jehovah not allow the nations to do, and why not? Of special interest are the expressions this generation, and all.. "Why 1999? Why? One would suppose (and even hope) that eventually they would learn from their dismal record of date-setting blunders. 10 The judgment on the great prostitute. (Read Revelation 17:1,6; 18:24.) Zoning, tax questions. This calculation is based in the year 1914 as the begining of the last days plus the. class. I recall giving a PT about the last days (early 90s) and even using the argument that we were almost at the 80 year anniversary of 1914 and that generation didn't have many left. Because of this, some have called them false prophets. 33:22; Heb. rutus produceremus solvendus domino pingit emittetis in Hebrew Gematria equals 3532: r 80 u 200 t 100 u 200 s 90 0 p 60 r 80 o 50 d 4 u 200 c 3 e 5 r 80 e 5 m 30 u 200 s 90 0 s 90 o 50 l 20 v 700 e 5 n 40 d 4 u 200 s 90 0 d 4 o 50 m 30 i 9 n 40 o 50 0 p 60 i 9 n 40 g 7 i 9 t 100 0 e 5 m 30 i 9 t 100 t 100 e 5 t 100 i 9 s in Hebrew Gematria equals 3532: r 80 u 200 t 100 . for God has on earth today a prophetlike organization , Jehovah's anointed witnesses on earth. Some of these views involve the length of time it would take for the end to come. 1. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/61661/1.ashx. Why do they have to go from one extreme to another? Matthew 24:21 NWT. Witness leaders nowadays do not have the luxury of an 'open the window' period of reform, although there have been some small moves in that dirrection. 12:2; Rev. Included therein were Noah's building of the ark and his preaching work, right up until the time that the Flood finally arrived. 6 How will God defeat his enemies at Armageddon? They were guilty of false prophesying. And she has spilled much blood, including the blood of Gods servants. The Jehovahs Witness view of the battle of Armageddon is but one example of the ineptness of this group to analyze biblical prophecy. To teach his disciples the importance of keeping on the watch, Jesus told them: "Note the fig tree and all the other trees: When they are already in the bud, by observing it you know for yourselves that now the summer is near.". Their strength will be in keeping calm and showing trust in Jehovah and his heavenly armies.Isa. THE WATCHTOWERSTUDY EDITION September2019, Audio download options It's not like they haven't done this before. Never did they say, 'These are the words of Jehovah.' 17:3,16) That swift destructionas if in one daywill come as a shock to those who supported her. We can imagine how the world will respond. "Jehovah has kept these warnings in front of his people by means of timely reminders through the spiritual food provided by 'the faithful and discreet slave'". 24:13. It suggests that someone in the writing department (perhaps a younger Nethinim hopeful, waiting for the governing body to be opened to the great crowd) has perhaps given passing thought to the possibility of a 120 tie in with 1914 to 2034. (1 John 2:17) Now is therefore the time to do Jehovah's will with a keen sense of urgency.". First, there is no literal mountain of Megiddo. by slimboyfat 2. 7. (Matt. It is vital that we appreciate this fact and respond to the directions of the 'slave' as we would to the voice of God, because it is His provision. 18. From what I've read in the forum, the doctrine change has been a fairly stealthy one and hasn't fully registered in the consciousness of the rank and file (especially with the WTS still shouting the "end is near! Fred Franz was allowed to write his prediction about 1975 in the "Life Everlasting" book. 2:26, 27; 7:9,10) Yes, what a privilege the great crowd will have had to support Jehovahs anointed servants while these were still on earth! 25:31-40. The abundance of spiritual food and the amazing details of Jehovah's purposes that have been revealed to Jehovah's anointed witnesses are clear evidence that they are the ones mentioned by Jesus when he foretold a "faithful and discreet slave" class that would be used to dispense God's progressive revelations in these last days. Notice, though, that Jesus did not liken his presence to the Flood of Noahs day, an event in time, but to the days of Noah, a climatic period of time. Jesus statement helps to correct the wrong idea conveyed in the way some Bible versions mistranslate the word presence. Some translations render it coming, advent, or return, all of which imply a momentary event in time. (Luke 21:32) And Jehovah, who is the source of inspired and unfailing prophecy, will bring about the fulfillment 1989 "The apostle Paul was spearheading the Christian missionary activity. (b)Based on Revelation 16:14, 16, why can we say that Armageddon is not a literal place? It will NEVER come. Poul Bregninge's parents became Jehovah's Witnesses when he was 2 years old. A quarter of a century ago I filed a copy of the Watchtower magazine (published and distributed by the Jehovahs Witnesses). Should we use these accounts in Matthew and Luke to indicate an extended period of time of the presence of Jesus Christ? But there is one important difference between the two conflicts. They will not even be armed! Like Pharaoh at the Red Sea, Gog will learn that he is fighting against Jehovah.Ex. Why were publishers doing more hours (per publisher) in the late 1980s/early 1990s than in 1975? There are no signs of the second coming of Christ in spite of the claims of the Watchtower cult and their religious kinsmen, the Dispensationalists. Certainly, I am not going to assign any meaning to this at all except to take the clear warning not to be like the people in the days of Noah and Lot and miss the signs leading up to the event that faced them. SONG 143 Keep Working, Watching, and Waiting. *** w86 3/15 p. 19 Allow No Place for the Devil! How foolish to take the view that expectations needing some adjustment should call into question the whole body of truth! Isn't it wonderful brothers that we can prove the pagan Mayan long count cycle that ends in 2012 is wrong, therefore it must be Satan's influence we see in the Mayan calendar. The memory of 1975 is still too fresh for many, and they know their critics (us) will quickly sieze upon such mistakes. "My own counsel will stand, and everything that is my delight I shall do," says Jehovah. Well, I'll be, let's see74 then. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . | ***15 Yes, Jehovah's people have had to revise expectations from time to time. 1986 June 8 p.9 "Would That All Were Prophets!" ", ok, so here is MY gripe. Jehovah's Witness 'ordered to renounce faith and join Russian army' Europe. 17. Had not the society stated it in certain terms (unlike the 1975 date on which they were wishy washy)? In December, the 2021 Governing Body Update #10 announced that 25,658 Jehovahs Witnesses have died due to Covid 19. (see earlier thread) That is not so easy to call. 4 Why did Jehovah connect the final great war with Megiddo? But this lie will be especially dangerous because it will give people a false sense of security just before the greatest tribulation in human history begins. In verse 5, the apostles concluding admonition is: from these turn away. The expression turn away renders the Greek term apotrepou, an imperative mood, present tense, middle voice form, together with the singular number/masculine gender. The account in Luke is admittedly much clearer in putting emphasis on the event, it occurred rather than the days of. By that time I hope my kid is a millionaire helping to support me in my retirement. This is a really just a preparatory question which should have an obvious answer, but it is designed to introduce the idea that there may be a disparity between the Watchtower and the Bible. In contrast, what the Bible says about Armageddon involves good news, a cause for happiness! How thankful we should be for the provision God has made of this slave class, the modern spiritual remnant, as they faithfully dispense the revealed truths of Jehovah ! 15. Tweet. 6/1/99 and 8/15/99 Watchtowers each had articles that drew the parallel between the JWs work and Noah's. Either you are "over-eagar" OR you are "spiritually asleep.". 9:26) (Aid to Bible Understanding, Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Society, 1971, p. 642). Songez ce qu'il signifiait : plus que 120 ans et Jhovah allait amener" un dluge d'eau sur la terre, pour ravager de dessous les cieux toute chair dans laquelle la force de vie est en action" - Gense 6:17 7 () Et nous ? ^ par. 1:2-4) A key is to persevere in heartfelt prayer. Let's take a real close look at the name "Jehovah . The common-sense rules of responsible exegesis are thrust aside with reckless abandon. (Rev. 13 The attack of Gog. The torrent of Kishon washed them away.Judg. (Rev. watchtower Even the Watchtowers Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures acknowledges the force of the original text by this rendition of the term apotrepou, and these be turning yourself away from.. (a)What does the word Armageddon mean? THE WATCHTOWERSTUDY EDITION September2019, Share (Jas. ):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought. Is it just me, or do they swing from one extreme to another? friends, Ijust ran across this. However, there appears to be an opening in these statements for some to do just that. (Rev. Why will the proclamation of peace and security be a dangerous lie? This is similar to the view that the disciples had as to the imminence of God's kingdom in their day. God gave the people in Noah's day 120 years, and perhaps he was giving us 120 years also. He merely uses the ?servant? latest Most Jehovah's Witnesses - roughly two-thirds (65%) - are . The Adventist movement emerged in the 1830s around the . Sure, you'd lose some members but I would bet you'd keep more born-ins who view JWism as just another religion. 1-5). The Watchtower, December 15, 2003, Pages 14 - 19, Please be patient while the web page loads page scans of the Watchtower article. friends. 5 Barak and Deborah ended their song with the words: So let all your enemies perish, OJehovah, but let those who love you be like the sun rising in its glory. (Judg. - Genesis 6:17", Page 15, Paragraph 7 "Noah received the warning of the upcoming catastrophe decades in advance and he wisely used the time to prepare for survival.' How so? As we have seen in recent years, subtlety isn't working; they've gone bat-crap crazy in their bluntness. 11 Jehovah will destroy the great prostitute by means of the ten horns of a scarlet-colored wild beast. That figurative wild beast represents the United Nations. Their writings are not inspired as are those of Paul and the other Bible writers. Jehovah is the one behind all of it. 3. It is Gods spirit that bears witness with that persons spirit that anoints them with the heavenly hope. All this activity is not an accident. Satan, of course, will be enraged. 202-203 ***. She has used her power and influence to exploit her flocks. Pole. (Prov. 2048 BCE-2034: Restrictive Banding: Iron: Under Strongest Divine Ban (Jude1:6) Future World Judgment: . The expression this generation (he-genea-aute) is found five times in Matthews Gospel record, and never is it employed in any sense other than that of the generation contemporary with Jesus Christ (cf. Not at all. The present study of 50 Jehovah's Witnesses admitted to the Mental Health Service facilities of Western Australia suggests that members of this section of the community are more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital than the general population. If they keep going the way they do, I see a slow death by a thousand cuts. (a)How do we show that we know God? That great historical event took place in the year 1914, conclusive proof concerning this having already appeared in the . Even so, we can endure with joy. Megiddo and the nearby Jezreel Valley were the sites of many battles. But is it not preferrable to make some mistakes because of 'over-eagerness' to see God's purposes accomplished then to be spiritually asleep as to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy . Revelation is clear that it is the Kings of the earth versus God. No wonder this has a dramatic effect on the Witnesses' ability to convert and retain members - in the western world they have still to recover from the 1995 announcement. Five years later, Poul and his wife stopped associating with the Witnesses, which in 1964 resulted in his being interrogated by their Elders and then ostracised from the . *** Awake! There may be some infighting about this as there was in Franz' day, but some new 'prophet' will need to come forward from among them! 346-348 pars. . And, since Luke included both Noah and Lot in his discussion, we would now have to calculate the time that Lot was in Sodom and figure this into our calculations, and I have been unable to find any reference to that time period anywhere. Failed Watchtower date predictions and changed date doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, including lesser known ones such as 1799, 1844, 1874, 1878, 1918, 1920 and the 1940's. . "for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.". 19:11-15. Russell, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. Each year they gather into the organization tens of thousands of new ministers, clearly a product of Jehovah's spirit operating through his invisible King-Son and his angelic representatives, then through his faithful slave class on earth today.- . *** Watchtower 1965 June 1 p.352 Questions from Readers ***. They will then be part of the heavenly armies that will crush Gog and safeguard a great crowd of sheeplike ones. We can benefit from this consideration. In fact, they are known throughout the world as Jehovah's Witnesses. I asked this question (and I received no answer). marked the beginning of the end for that ungodly world. (2Chron. Was it not founded on the 'immovable' 1914 date? Would you like to read this article in %%? #1 would make the most sense from a business prospective but I don't see them resisting #2. 16:16. Final Prophecy Cycle Timeline Images; . The "Jehovah's Witness" view of the "battle of Armageddon" is but one example of the ineptness of this group to analyze biblical prophecy. (Watchtower, Jan. 1, 1989, p. 12 [bound volume changed "20th century" to "day"]), Jehovah's prophetic word through Christ Jesus is: 'This generation (of 1914) will by no means pass away until all things occur.' The Society is adding a 120 years to the 1914 date to come up with the hinted date of 2034. Personally, having lived through the 1975 era as an adult, fully aware of the speculation and expectations associated with that time, along with the effect that it had on brothers around me, I am not excited to see the prospect of a similar event occurring as a result of the above statements.