# ARMAGEDDON IS HERE!

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Posted by Kent [KENT] on October 24, 1999 at 04:29:19 {f8eW6hUOe2OJikFWJ7tMBSwZlMEBKg}:

# ARMAGEDDON MANIA

The Watchtower has a way with words, and many JWs on this site do try to close their eyes, saying "we never did say that" - to almost anything. Let us do a little investigation on their many "prophecies" on ARMAGEDDON

In their book Reasoning from the Scriptures they outline how new publishers should fire peoples interest in their weird doctrines, and on page 13 we find this little quote:

`*** rs 13 Introductions for Use in the Field Ministry ***
‘Many people believe that time is fast running out for this world. They speak of our time as being “the last days.” But did you realize that the Bible tells us how we can survive the end of the present world and live on an earth that will be made a paradise? (Zeph. 2:2, 3)’ (See also pages 234-243, under the main heading “Last Days.”)`

Many people believe......Well, among these "many people" are the Jehovah's Witnesses, and why do Jehovah's Witnesses believe this?
They believe so because the INSPIRED PROPHET IN BROOKLYN HAS TOLD THEM"

Nooooo. I hear the cry already. We NEVER claimed to be inspired! Well, let's start with that statement - before anybody tries to bring the discussion off tracks.

## The Inspired Prophet in Brooklyn!

Let us take a look at page 82, Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses 1937:

`The Watchtower is issued twice each month, and brings to its readers the current report which the Lord, in the exercise of his loving-kindness, manifests in the unfolding of his prophecies. . . The Watchtower being the means the Lord is pleased to use to transmit his message of truth to the people.`

Well, then. It is The Lord that is directly responsible for the stuff printed in the Watchtower. Here it is. Black on white. The Lord transmits his messages to people through the Watchtower.

The Reasoning book writes on page 7 that "Some (people) may ask questions to which they really want satisfying answers" - and here we will have lots of questions to this self alleged prophet in Brooklyn.

Well, this is "old light". I hear the cry, and see the scared faces of the "true believers". But let us investigate what the Lord himself do say in the Watchtower:

`*** w85 6/15 12 Digging Deeper Into God's Word ***
18 But that does not relieve each individual Christian of the responsibility to dig deeper into God’s Word, for the purpose of getting the full depth of the thoughts explained. This involves looking up the scriptures cited. It means reading the footnotes in Watchtower articles, some of which refer the reader to an older publication that provides a fuller explanation of a certain passage or prophecy. It requires digging deeper, putting forth effort to locate that older publication and then studying the pages referred to.`

So, then. It is proper to take a look in an older publication that provides a fuller explanation of a certain passage or prophecy. In other words, no need to scream your hearts out because some of the quotes here is from older literature. The Lord has transmitted the message that this is quite OK.

The Watchtower claims that a requirement for life is that we be associated with God's cannel, his organization. . . To receive everlasting life in earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as a part of it (Watchtower 2/15/83, page 12). Since they forward such claims - and the Lord also transmitted this message, we need to do an investigation:

`*** g84 8/22 28 From Our Readers ***
The Catholic Church occupies a very significant position in the world and claims to be the way of salvation for hundreds of millions of people. Any organization that assumes that position should be willing to submit to scrutiny and criticism.`

I did mention these things in the start, just to assure every faithful Jehovah's Witness - clinging to the Organization, that it is perfectly OK to investigate. I have proven that the Watchtower claims to be the way of salvation for hundreds of millions of people - and that the Organization therefore should be willing to submit to scrutiny and criticism. Which we will do.

Let us take a look at The Watchtower, 4/15/43, page 127:

`This is not giving any credit to the magazine's publishers, but is due to the great Author of the Bible with its truths and prophecies, and who now interprets its prophecies. He it is that makes possible the material that is published in the columns of this magazine`

Once again. Is there anything in this quote that is unclear? Does not the Watchtower tell its readers that Jehovah is the one that "interprets" the prophecies in the columns of the Watchtower? Tha Jehovah makes the magazine possible? Let us try to take a look at who was responsible for all the years in earlier days:

`We see no reason for changing the figures - nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble.`

This was from The Watchtower 7/15/1894, page 226. So then, Jehovah told the Watchtower, transmitted the message - that the end of 1914 was the end of the days of trouble. May I ask why the Watchtower is still complaining about these things? They are history, are they not? Or - was Jehovah lying back then?

In The Time is at Hand, printed in 1888, Russell writes on pp. 76-77:

`Bible evidence proving that the full end of the time of the Gentiles, i.e., the full end of their lease of dominion, will be reached in A.D. 1914; and that that date will be the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect men.`

Is todays rulers perfect men, or did "The Lord" mess up again? As a matter of fact, someone messed up. Because Russell wrote this in the 1916 edition of the book, in the foreword:

`Our mistake was evidently not in respect to the ending of the Times of the Gentiles; we drew a false conclusion, however, not authorized by the Word of the Lord.`

So, even though it was God's own figures, it was God that "reveiled" his prophecies, what was said and printed was not authorized by the Lord? As an editor myself, I find this stuff strange!

## Has the Watchtower learned from Russells errors?

Naturally not. They have kept on, all the time.

### What is inspiration?

This question is extremely important, since the Watchtower actually claim inspiration - and I will prove here that they actually do. Let us take a look at the book Good News, where the Watchtower's definition of inspiration is printed:

`*** gh 14 2 Making the Book of Good News ***
9 It was because they did not write of their own impulse, but were inspired by God. What is here meant by the word “inspired”? It means that God, the Creator of heaven and earth, moved these men by his spirit or invisible empowering force, putting into their minds what they should write down as his “word,” or message, for mankind.`

So the creator of heaven and earth moves an inspired prophet by his spirit. Then the prophet is inspired. OK. Let's take a look at Aid to Bible Understanding, page 1344. Here we can read:

`The source of all true prophecy is Jehovah God. He transmits by means of his holy spirit or, occasionally, by spirit-directed angelic messengers.`

So, inspiration is also to have the messages from Jehovah via angelic messengers. Do the Watchtower claim such a thing? Let us investigate:

`*** w73 7/1 402 Praise Jehovah with His People ***
For example, Zion’s Watch Tower of March 1880 had declared: “‘The Times of the Gentiles’ extend to 1914, and the heavenly kingdom will not have full sway till then.” Only God by his holy spirit could have revealed this to those early Bible students so far in advance.`

So, it was God's holy spirit that made the Bible students see these "facts". It was "reveiled" to them by God's holy spirit. But - that is, says the Lord in the columns of the Watchtower - inspiration!!!

Oh, well - some say. But there was no angelic messengers involved. Oh no? Oh YES - it was. Let us take a look at the Watchtower again, where the Lorde reveils his prophecies:

`*** w73 7/1 405 Praise Jehovah with His People ***
20 That same holy spirit and angelic direction still affect the preaching activities of Christian ministers.`

So. Both God's holy spirit and angelic messengers "transmits" the messages from God to the Watchtower. Isn't that inspiration according to their own definition? These angels have been traveling back and forth between Jehovah and Brooklyn for ages. Let us have a look at what Rutherford wrote back in 1932, in the book Vindication III, page 250:

`These angels are invisible to human eyes and are there to carry out the orders of the Lord. No doubt they first hear the instructions which the Lord issues to his remnant and then these invisible messengers pass such instructions on to the remnant.`

No inspiration, eh? I could bring tons of quotes regarding this subject, but I believe these are enough. Funny then, that the Lord said untill 1925 that Jesus returned invisible in 1874, and then decided it should be 1914....

## ARMAGEDDON

We all know all the prophecies of Armageddon in 1914, so we better look at something else. Did you know that in 1916 Armageddon had begun? No, I didn't think so. But the Lord reveiled this truth in the columns of the Watchtower 9/1/16, page 265:

`our eyes of understanding should discern clearly the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty, now in progress;`.

Armageddon should start in 1918:

`It is the Day of Vengeance, which began in the world of war of 1914 and whic will break like a furious morning storm in 1918` (Finished Mystery, page 404 - 1917 ed)

On page 485 in the same book, we can read that the churches would be destroyed wholesale, and the members by millions.

Then it was 1925, "Millions then living is now dead!"

In 1941 (Watchtower 9/15/41, page 288), it was just "the remaining months before Armageddon". In Watchtower 12/1/41 page 355 it is said in black on white that "The Lord now makes known" etc, and Armageddon is on its way.

Then it was 1975

I could go on with Armageddon in the 80es, the 30es, etc. But I'll have to come back to that later. I have got visitors :))

Kent

Follow Ups:

- *ARMAGEDDON IS HERE! Randy Watters 09:36:08 10/24/99 (2)
  - **ARMAGEDDON IS HERE! FRED HALL 15:49:00 10/24/99 (1)
    - ***ARMAGEDDON IS HERE! IBelieve 22:48:45 10/24/99 (0)
- *ARMAGEDDON IS HERE! FRED HALL 06:11:04 10/24/99 (3)
  - **ARMAGEDDON IS HERE! sobeit 06:51:05 10/24/99 (0)
  - **ARMAGEDDON IS HERE! Julie 06:44:06 10/24/99 (1)
    - ***ARMAGEDDON IS HERE! FRED HALL 06:58:29 10/24/99 (0)

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