Monday, February 8, 2010

Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe that watchtower predicted many false prophecies or others just made it up?

Just curious how Jehovah's Witnesses react to all the false prophecies that are said or do they just turn a blind eye to it all and ignore as if it never existed. Maybe they think we made it all up.





here a list of some of the things....


1889 ';The ‘battle of the great day of God almighty’ (Rev 16:14) which will end in AD 1914 . . . '; (Studies, Vol. 2, 1908 edition, 101).


1891 ';With the end of AD 1914, what God calls Babylon, and what men call Christendom, will have passed away, as already shown from prophecy'; (Studies, Vol. 3, 153).


1894 ';The end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble'; (WT Reprints, 1-1-1894, 1605 and 1677).


1897 ';Our Lord is now present, since October 1874 AD'; (Studies, Vol. 4, 1897 edition, 621).


1916 ';The six great 1000 year days beginning with Adam are ended, and that the great 7th day, the 1000 years of Christ’s reign began in 1873'; (Studies, Vol. 2, p. 2 of foreword).


1917 ';Scriptures . . . prove that the Lord’s Second Advent occurred in the fall of 1874'; (Studies, Vol. 7, 68).


1918 ';Therefore, we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the faithful prophets of old'; (Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 89).


1922 ';The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the scriptures than 1914'; (WT, 9-1-1922, 262).


1923 ';1925 is definitely settled by the scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge'; (WT, 4-1-1923, 106).


1925 ';The year of 1925 is here. . . . Christians should not be so deeply concerned about what may transpire this year'; (WT, 1-1-1925, 3).


1931 ';There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah’s faithful ones on earth concerning the dates 1914, 1918, %26amp; 1925 . . . and they also learned to quit fixing dates'; (Vindication, 388, 389).


1939 ';The disaster of Armageddon is just ahead'; (Salvation, 361).


1941 ';Armageddon is surely near . . . soon . . . within a few years'; (Children, 10).


1946 ';Armageddon . . . should come sometime before 1972'; (They Have Found a Faith, 44).


1966 ';Six thousand years from man’s creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E'; (Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God, 29).


1968 ';The end of the six thousand years of man’s history in the fall of 1975 is not tentative, but is accepted as a certain date'; (WT, 1-1-1968, 271).Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe that watchtower predicted many false prophecies or others just made it up?
They turn a blind eye and pretend it doesn't happen.Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe that watchtower predicted many false prophecies or others just made it up?
They, the Jw's bible students, are the best the world has to offer.


But is 1975 CE really year 6000?


Does the bible fail to tell all, how long God's day six lasted after Adam?





If 1975 is not year 6000, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is not as complete as it should be. Who is allowed to question and search, to ask the bible? That is how I started out?


In 1975 CE, I read of 1918 CE, ';millions now living will never die,'; as 1975 CE, was [ believed to be ], year 6000.


Now 1918 CE less 2009 CE is 91 years, when one has been in study of the bible for 12 years, to see most all taught is wrong in the three religions known since childhood, and you see the above statement in 1975, it smells of religion rather than scripture, and religion is what man thinks, not scripture, as a bible student this is all that one wants to move away from, scripture is scripture and man thoughts is man's thoughts. John 8:28-32; John 17:17, for truth only.


We were in the final last days, 398 years ago when the KJV Bible was published, in 300 year it was established, that was 98 years ago.


Satan was cast down for his short time, 95 years ago [ Charles Taze Russell got the 2520 years after Babylon 606/607 BCE, in the right place, but is year correct? for the whole truth ], Michael is in the time of the end, Dan.12:1-9,10-13 [ this is the sum of the book of Daniel, Dan.12:1-12 [ 2x 1335 = ] 2670 years, 2009 CE is 2615 years, after 2520 years was 1914 CE, and Rev.9:1-5 [ 5x 30 = ] 150 the pit is open for Satan, God's sealed are there, why not considered as a Maximum time? for 6130 years after Eden, to 1000 for Christ, this would have eliminated the 1918 CE, statement, as 1914 CE would have been year 5980, 1918 CE, year 5984 and 2009 CE, year 6075], So Satan has a short time [ has already been 95 years ], in the time of the end, with Michael, Rev.12:3,4,6-11,12 [ and he is there to the last, 1Thes.4:15-17; and children of the light know times and seasons, 1Thes.5:1-9,21,22 ].


So does Matt.24:3,7,14,15,21-22-24,34,36, the word, the gospel and the knowledge that God alone knows the day and the hour, even if he told in the bible, that the resurrection for the 1000 year reign goes back 6000 years to Abel [ God's day seven ], who died year 130 [ to end God's day six ], that Satan had 6130 years after Eden, to the pit for the 1000 year reign, God alone would knows the day and hour, for sure every thing we can consider has all in the time of the end.


International Bible Students began 1870, that was 139 years ago.


Jw's began in 1931, 78 years ago. Using every bible available until the NWT in 1961 CE, 48 years ago.


IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THE ATTENTION OF MANKIND ON TIME.
There s no need to ';turn a blind eye.';








The problem you have is thinking that any of those statements equal some sort of prophecy. However not one of your quotes is a prophecy. It's that simple.
Jeh hovah's Wtnesses do not realize that they are taught numerology.





This many days means this many years and on and so forth.





It does not matter is this is being done by TV evangelists or book writers or preachers or the watch tower it is the mark of a false prophet.





Ostriches have a greater view of the enemy....
Greetings,





The accusation that Jehovah's Witnesses have claimed to be inspired prophets or have tried to foretell the future is absolutely false and a misrepresentation. Those making these accusations cannot defend their theology from the Scriptures so they have to distract by presenting slanted, incomplete and outright false accusations of what Witnesses teach!





The flat-out truth is that the Watchtower Society has NEVER claimed to give prophesies, to be inspired or to be infallible. These accusers try to deceive others by blatantly ripping the Watchtower's words out of context.





Notice this sentence in the ';Purpose'; statement that appeared in EVERY issue of the Watchtower up to the mid- 70's: ***';No, The Watchtower is no inspired prophet, but it follows and explains a Book of prophecy...';***





Also look at a few examples of statements made in the Watchtower:





';The Watchtower does not claim to be inspired in its utterances, nor is it dogmatic. It invites careful and critical examination of its contents in the light of the Scriptures. Its purpose is to aid others to know Jehovah and his purposes toward mankind, and to announce Christ's established kingdom as our only hope.';---- Watchtower, 15 August 1950





';It is not our intention to enter upon the role of prophet to any degree, but merely to give below what seems to us rather likely to be the trend of events—giving also the reasons for our expectations.'; Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's, March 1904, reprint, 3327 (emphasis added).





';And we still urge, as in the past, that each reader study the subjects we present in the light of the Scriptures, proving all things by the Scriptures, accepting what they see to be thus approved, and rejecting all else.';-- ';Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 12/15/1896





';Since today we have the complete inspired Scriptures, God is not giving any more inspired visions or dreams. However, Jehovah's people today are seeing the fulfillment of many of the inspired visions and dreams that God's servants had in ancient times, and they are even having a share in their being fulfilled. They are having a share in the fulfillment of the prophecy, ';your sons and your daughters will certainly prophesy.'; (Joel 2:28) Not that these prophesy in the sense of foretelling events under inspiration, but rather in that they are making public proclamation of the inspired dreams and visions long ago recorded.';--Watchtower, 1 January 1971,





There are scores of similar Watchtower quotes that go back to the 1800's many which accompany the *interpretations* of Bible prophecy being discussed.





Neither Russell, the Watchtower nor any JW's has EVER claimed to give prophecies nor to be inspired. They never claimed infallibility in their teachings. Quite the contrary, they have always been willing to change as they gained knowledge. What a contrast to religions that insist on believing pagan mythology.








On the other hand, I can show you several well known Evangelical ministers of Christendom who have claimed direct communication from God (usually when they need more money, or to claim God has forgiven them for moral sins).





The ';Father of Protestantism'; himself, Martin Luther taught Christ would return by 1564. Does that mean that all Protestants are false prophets? No, of course not. But they are if we equally apply the reasoning of those who accuse JW's.





Irish Bishop James Ussher's prediction was for 1996. Puritans Issac Watts, Joseph Mede and the Mathers in America were date-setters. The most famous one was actually a Baptist....William Miller who predicted 1843.





Pat Robertson announced it for 2007 (in a novel)


Elizabeth Claire Prophet announced it for 1989


Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California predicted the Rapture in 1981.


Hal Lindsey, author of The Late Great Planet Earth, predicted the Rapture would occur in 1988.


Dr. Jack van Impe has speculated that the end will come between September 1999 and 2000.


Philip B. Brown has stated that the millennial reign of Christ will begin April 6, 2008.


Dr. Harold Camping, president of Family Radio, expected the end of the world in 1994.





All you have to do is pick up a book called ';Apocalypses (Eugen Weber)'; from your local book store and you will see how busy Christendom has been at picking dates in the past...and they are still SPECULATING! See also various books by Paula Fredriksen.





Also, it wasn't too long ago that Protestants and Catholics taught that black people were cursed, that hell was literally in the center of the earth. And most religions joined in stating that the League of Nations was ';The manifestation of God's Kingdom on earth'; in the 1930's (it died a failure). Most have admitted such past beliefs were false.





Now is it fair of me to go back fifty to a hundred years to your religion’s roots and point out everything that was wrong, especially if it has corrected it's understandings? No, although a effective debate tactic, it would be unreasonable and a logical fallacy.





I could go on and on, but again, this serves no purpose toward identifying the true beliefs of genuine Christianity, since Christ did not say ';you would know my disciples because they would never be mistaken.';





Any logic that says ';they were wrong so that makes them false prophets'; would make the Apostles ';false prophets.'; Because even the apostles had incorrect understandings of end-times and had to be corrected. Their writings were misunderstood and misinterpreted several times by fellow Christians. Were these condemned as false prophets? Only by their enemies (Acts28:22). They were humble enough to correct themselves, just as JW's have.








Now, did early JW's (Bible Students) have incorrect understandings of Bible prophesy? Yes, of course, as did nearly every other religion of that age. I can give you quotes from well known Protestant clergymen from 1823-1870 who pointed to some of the same dates that Bible Students did. You can trace almost every religion's roots back to some of these clergymen! Now just because they were wrong in their timing, does it *prove* that their current doctrine is wrong? No. Only the Bible proves doctrine right or wrong. Does it mean they were false prophets? No, just honestly mistaken. Virtually every religion was influenced by the ';Advent Movement'; of the time, and thus had incorrect expectations!! Since these ';false prophet” accusations do not take this into consideration, they are faulty and prejudicial reasoning.








Jesus didn't say you would identify the true religion because they never misunderstood prophesy (indeed that would exclude the apostles). He said that you would discern the true Christian Organization from the false ';by their fruits,'; or the results of their Biblical teaching (Mat.7:16,20). Notice, this Scripture says Christians would identify ';false prophets'; BY THEIR FRUITAGE not by their infallibility. Now, who has the historical record of bloodthirsty wars, immorality, sectarian violence and factional splits?-- (Mat.7:21-23, 2Tim3:5, Gal.5:19-23)





When you consider the Witnesses ';stability'; in the essentials of Christian teaching and activity you get very solid evidences of True Christianity. From WW1 to Rwanda, Witnesses have imitated Christ while ALL other religions even kill members of their own church. JW's have continued to bring their beliefs into agreement with Scripture. When they were wrong about interpretations of prophecy, they were more than eager to admit it and change. This is in contrast to most other religions. For instance it took hundreds of years for the Pope to admit Catholicism was wrong about Galileo! Protestants are just now (barely) admitting error in their support of Hitler.





Sincerely,





BAR-ANERGES
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