Jehovah’s Witnesses have always claimed with absolute certainty that Armageddon is just a few years away. 140 some years later, it still hasn’t happened. What makes them think it’ll still happen?

[Evacuated]

15 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

Deliberately or not, SIN IS SIN.

1John 5:17:"All unrighteousness is sin, and yet there is a sin that does not incur death."

34 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

You have faith of surviving, good for you, but no one promise this outcome to You, not even JHVH.

Sorry, you are not in a position to tell me what Jehovah has or has not promised me.

35 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

If you want to enjoy in the day of Armageddon, let it be your's. :)) Mindset... hahahaha

That is what I mean. You have your odor, I have mine....

 

[Evacuated]

24 minutes ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

My point was of course that if the Governing Body promote as 'fact' that they are the 'Faithful and discreet slave' therefore exalting themselves,  and then give false information (bad food) concerning the will of God, then they are deliberately sinning...  

"My sheep know me.........."

"They will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Should be self-explantory.

Got to go for now.  ?
 

[JOHN BUTLER]

41 minutes ago, Gone Away said:

"My sheep know me.........."

"They will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Should be self-explantory.

Got to go for now.  ?
 

You talk in riddles, well rubbish actually. 

I'm talking about the GB of the JW Org, you are quoting Jesus' words. There is no connection.

 

[TrueTomHarley]

Jehovah’s Witnesses have always claimed with absolute certainty that Armageddon is just a few years away. 140 some years later, it still hasnÂ’t happened. What makes them think itÂ’ll still happen?

 

DidnÂ’t the Red Sox win the championship in time?

[Evacuated]

2 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

You talk in riddles, well rubbish actually. 

I'm talking about the GB of the JW Org, you are quoting Jesus' words. There is no connection.

If you can't see it then................. you can't see it. Jesus' words don't always make sense to everyone actually.

[JOHN BUTLER]

25 minutes ago, Gone Away said:

If you can't see it then................. you can't see it. Jesus' words don't always make sense to everyone actually.

You are a joker. If you think you can apply Jesus' words to the GB then you too deliberately sin by going 'beyond the things written'. . 

My goodness how the JW Org corrupts some people.  I would laugh about it but it is such an insult to Jehovah and Jesus Christ. 

[Evacuated]

1 hour ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

You are a joker. If you think you can apply Jesus' words to the GB

You think that's what I am doing??? You have missed a turning somewhere there. I think the joke has to be on you if that's the case!

Anyway, I know you are hurting over something, so I'm not going to add to it by pursuing this silly GB bashing road any further. Sorry to have indulged so far. ?

Getting back on thread, the question was something about JWs being certain that Armageddon is only a few years away for 140 years. What makes them think it’ll still happen?

All I can think of (at the mo) is Habbakuk 2:3: "For [the] vision is yet for the appointed time, and it keeps panting on to the end, and it will not tell a lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it; for it will without fail come true. It will not be late."

 

[Space Merchant]

On 10/2/2018 at 4:21 PM, JOHN BUTLER said:

Exactly. So if the Governing Body of the JW Org are what they say they are (the faithful and discreet slave) then why do they give false information to the congregation ? 

Surely that is deliberate sin.

If that was the case, and if such is a sin for man is indeed imperfect, we should also be holding accountable Prophet Eli because he called Samuel's mother a drunk, not realizing moments later she was praying to God when she explained herself to Eli, who was clearly dumbfounded. He is a Prophet of God so surely he has made mistakes, as is with Samuel who was avoiding death at the hands of Saul, father of Johnathan, predecessor of King David, Son of Jesse.

As for pastors of the church today, they are all imperfect, so minor mistakes can be made, I can say the same thing of us Biblical Unitarians.

As for the other bit, they are not inspired, whatsoever, no Restorationist Christian in their historical existence ever claimed to be inspired. Unless you want to bring proof to claim, of which has already been debunked before when Christian history has been spoken.

[Space Merchant]

13 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

Was he last or not no one knows for sure. But You believe he was last. And i respect your belief.... even with  symbol

That is why it is best to study about Apostle John... If you can't even get this down, the basics at least, how can you profess the Word when you do not know the Word and rely on emotion and opinions in a convoluted sense and mingle it with Scripture?

I do not know if what you say, I respect your belief, is false or genuine, God our Father knows, granted with what you have been saying here and elsewhere, it is not wise to kid yourself when you reveal yourself.

 

[Space Merchant]

8 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

My point was of course that if the Governing Body promote as 'fact' that they are the 'Faithful and discreet slave' therefore exalting themselves,  and then give false information (bad food) concerning the will of God, then they are deliberately sinning...  

“Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?  Matthew 24 v 45.

But another point has just appeared to me. The above scripture is from Matthew. The below scripture is from Luke. Do you notice a difference ?

 And the Lord said: “Who really is the faithful steward, the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time?    Luke 12 v 42.

The Matthew scripture is past tense, the Luke scripture is future tense. 

But my original point on this issue was that the GB make it known as 'fact' that they have this responsibility, and only those 8 men, no one else. But they prove themselves false because the 'food' they supply in not true food.

The difference is that these 2 verses are parallel from each other, for if you actually studied the gospels, this would not be of a surprise, granted both Matthew and Luke, were eye witnesses of Jesus' ministry.

As for the next bit, paste tense, future tense, but why not take in the context of the verse, that is like making and eating a sandwich, but there is only beard and nothing in the sandwich itself.

In the Greek language, the word, which is a noun, oikonomos οἰκονόμος [Steward] (Strong's 3623) refers to the manager of the household, a person placed over servants, though he himself is a servant and or a slave like those in his circle. In ancient times, this steward/slave position  was often filled by a faithful servants, who they themselves were placed in charge of his master’s business and actions, and or affairs. It was a position of great loyalty and complete trust between the persons. Regarding the household servants, which applies to all individuals who work in the master’s household, you have this Greek Word oiketeias οἰκετείας (Strong's 3610a). 

In the Bible, the Scriptures contain examples of a single noun regarding a collection of persons and or group, we have biblical examples too, for when God Yahweh, the only and only true El Shaddai, addressed the nation of Israel as a group, in plural form.

 for instance, Isaiah 43:10. That being said, when taking in context we can see that this verse, Luke 12:42 is a complete parallel of Matthew 24:45, this steward, or slave, is called the faithful and  and is called discreet.

Now we have the word discreet (sensible in some translations), for in the Greek language it is an adjective, phronimos φρόνιμος [discreet/sensible] (Strong's 5429) for in it's use in the verse found in the gospel of Luke it conveys the idea of understanding in association such as insight, discernment, prudence, etc. This same Greek word is also used, by Luke, in Luke 16:8, and the rendering is ever so obvious, and it does not stop there either.

Now with this context in mind, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the leading pastors of this faith refers to themselves as the Governing Body, they also refer to themselves as the faithful and discreet slaves, and this term, found in those 2 verses you provided, fits the bill for them, for they are of a sole Christian community - The Jehovah's Witnesses, and they are a body of 8 persons who are stewards, servants and or slaves of the house, their faith community and so forth. It is only these 8 few because they are the ones who are leading the faith, as well as referring to themselves as the chosen ones of the Priesthood, which, to Jehovah's Witnesses mean Anointed Ones, and a term I normally use regarding the church, Church Fathers, just as Eusebius and the others were of such, centuries ago.

With all that said, the only thing that is inspired is the Scriptures.

5 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

You are a joker. If you think you can apply Jesus' words to the GB then you too deliberately sin by going 'beyond the things written'. . 

My goodness how the JW Org corrupts some people.  I would laugh about it but it is such an insult to Jehovah and Jesus Christ. 

He isn't joking he is professing his belief, as well as speaking of what the Bible says, for, even if he was not a JW, what is said is in harmony with the scriptures regarding those who lead in the early Christian church.

You'd laugh? But last time you yourself have stated religious leadership is of Pharisees when God is the head of the Christ and the Christ is the head of the church, of which the church is structure is of God's Order, and the church receives instruction from the Christ himself, hence the early Church and onward.

For what he said is in the right, it is only viewed as wrong because you show yourself to have a disdain for Jehovah's Witnesses, for @Gone Away is most likely one. For anything regarding the stewards who are sensible, it is the same as is in the Scriptures. this paste/future tense will not cut it for you if you do not apply context from very little elementary biblical hermeneutics.

For a former JW, you've gone down hill if you missed that point.

 

Also the Greek text isn't.... Rubbish...

[Space Merchant]

On 10/3/2018 at 5:48 PM, Anna said:

The last person who was inspired by God or Jesus was the apostle John, on the isle of Patmos, when he wrote Revelation. 

Well, you can't expect much from a guy who believes a woman named Chloe lead the church of Corinth.If he believes that, there isn't much information you can get from him regarding Apostle John.

[Space Merchant]

3 hours ago, Gone Away said:

You think that's what I am doing??? You have missed a turning somewhere there. I think the joke has to be on you if that's the case!

Anyway, I know you are hurting over something, so I'm not going to add to it by pursuing this silly GB bashing road any further. Sorry to have indulged so far. ?

Getting back on thread, the question was something about JWs being certain that Armageddon is only a few years away for 140 years. What makes them think it’ll still happen?

All I can think of (at the mo) is Habbakuk 2:3: "For [the] vision is yet for the appointed time, and it keeps panting on to the end, and it will not tell a lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it; for it will without fail come true. It will not be late."

Pretty much, in a simple sense: To endure to the end. To be vigilant until the end. To maintain faith/salvation to the end, for you do not know when the Master is coming, you do not know when God's day is coming, so you have to always be ready when it does happen, as you live and breathe.

Simple stuff like this if someone does not get, they haven't been reading their Bible as much. The one of God who is coming, as they also forget, will be coming with a sword, surely they know that Jesus is not just a high priest, not just a King or Christ, or even the Son of God. Our Lord, Christ Jesus is a Mighty Warrior, I don't see how that one spilled by regarding the masses, but they have to realize this is in an accurate and literal sense of what is, as they say in the streets, is about to go down.

Here's a reference for that verse, also in the Hebrew Old Testament:

 

• Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I will look to the LORD [YHWH]; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Meaning to keep on the lookout for God Yahweh, have a patient, waiting position for God to hand out salvation, and God hears those who calls for him, be it of the rich, the poor, white, black, male, female, etc. He hears all who is for him, he hears those who call for him, he is on the side of those who listen to him and his son, Jesus.