Will there be any updates to the verse by verse commentary on Revelation?

[xero]

I've been searching, but I haven't found much in the way of updates.

[Arauna]

Pretty much of it going into fulfillment right now!  What verses were you interested in?

[xero]

Well the first part up to chapter six makes sense, but there are parts which seem forced. (I need to go back and read again, but like the first book we had on Daniel that Franz wrote, it seems windy w/words. To me, you read a verse and if you know what it means you say "this verse means this", but if you have too many paragraphs w/too much talking, I begin to get the idea that maybe you're straying into imagination-land - which I can understand doing, but that's not the way I like it.) Anyway....You see I have a wife who has spent thousands of hours studying celestial weather and some of that in chapter six seems like it could be literal. Now even if there are arguments about dating and the like, it appears that there was an event at the close of the ice age where there was something akin to a mini nova event involving the sun. Geologists are debating about this, some thinking one thing, some thinking another. Robert Schoch has some ideas. https://www.robertschoch.com/plasma_iceage.html and others have other ideas. (Schoch is a geologist at Boston U, but is a little out there) Another is https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Did_A_Massive_Solar_Proton_Event_Fry_The_Earth_999.html

So when the Revelation Climax books says this (below), it seems to me more and more that some of these things are actually literal.(hence future)

"What a striking phenomenon! Can you imagine the frightening darkness that would result if the prophecy were fulfilled literally? No more warm, comforting sunlight by day! No more friendly, silvery moonlight by night! And the myriad stars would no longer twinkle against the velvety backdrop of the sky. Instead, there would be cold, relentless blackness." - from the Rev. book.

When I read "mountains cover us" I can imagine that people would definitely try to hide in the mountains and caves. The Bible does say there will be signs in sun and moon and stars....

[Arauna]

 If you look under 'mountains' in the Insight book you will find that mountains were places of refuge to provide protection. The kingdom of jehovah under christ is also depicted as  a mountain which fills the earth. 

Human governments and human institutions are often depicted as mountains. Da 2:35, 44, 45 compare to Isaiah 41:15; Re 17: 9-11, 18. Babylon was called a "ruinous mountain. "

The insight shows that the mountain in Revelation 8:8 "something like a great mountain  burning with fire" which refers to a form of  rulership which has a destructive nature like fire. It has a devastating effect on the "sea"    (wicked humankind) according to Isaiah 57:20. 

When one reads other prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem and subsequent exile one realizes that some of these expressions were symbolic - especially when referring to planets and stars.  Yet literal darkness came when Jesus died on the stake as this was a most unrighteous act ever in history - his murder which hurt jehovah. 

While there may be physical signs in the heavens, this will not be the most important ones. I personally think that the effects on society will be more devastating when an escalation of bad events hits them and the world government and its 10 kings (rev 17)  is incompetent.... all their beautiful promises to bring 'peace and security' totally  forgotten. Most of the 'bowls' thrown out have effects on humankind not on nature.... but of course humans are still ruining the earth.

When the 8th king starts to rule and the regular institutions which used to protect people - these  no longer do what they are supposed to or are sent into destruction - peoplec will feel so helpless as though it all is collapsing on them.

Dense darkness is such that one cannot see in front of you.... one is disorientated.  With life chattering events taking place it will be like one is walking in dense darkness and totally disoriented.  

In Arabic (semitic language)  the word for darkness has an associated meaning of extreme injustice. The world will be a frightning place when what is righteous is called wrong and what is evil is called right.  Injustice, incarcerations or liquidation if you serve God, the taking of your property etc.   We are heading this way at present with the new world philosophy and worship of the state  that is being foisted upon us with the   "  great financial reset".  It is now in the news quite often. 

When these life changing experiences come, the world's previous stable structures will be gone..... one can compare this to the stable" earth" . Darkness and suffering will indeed be on literal earth. The problems will be like scorching fires being thrown on mankind.. 

These problems will wake up some people to the truth as the signs in society will be clear. Some are already saying that the bible predicted unforeseen death with the 4 horses in revelation.  Soon the birth pains will multiply........ the conclusion of the perousia and with propaganda leading to Armageddon. Rev 16:14 -16.

Many will become like Pharoah, harden their hearts and be destroyed at Armageddon.

Be careful - we do not want to be like the pagans who counted on physical signs to guide them and predict the future. We walk by faith..... and we understand that most are looking for physical signs of christs return . We know better.... we know he has been ruling amidst his enemies since 1914.    The signs in society will soon tell us where we are in the stream of time. 

Lockdowns.... already here.... like the Jews in 66Ce were locked in when Rome came the first time........ 

[xero]

I don't know, sometimes the explanations seem forced, like some soft-headed new-agers looking for signed and reading into things, stuff that's not there.(at least not yet)

Exegesis over Eisegesis.

So I'm not making an argument, that all that's wrong,(an I'm sure a lot of it's right) but I am saying that when you find yourself living in an information bubble, you can get to thinking you've got it all figured out. I don't think anyone I've read so far has it all figured out. JW's seem really close, but there are places which seem wishy-washy.

Take the 8th king, that springs from the seven. The image of the wild beast. Perfectly fits the idea of the UN. It's a reflection. But the actual power of the UN is the US at this point, but more and more it's China. 

That all the governments will give their power to the UN seems a way off. I see it as the CNN of government at this point.  The UN is supposed to hate the harlot of false religion and do away w/her completely, but that seems like it would be really hard to do. And why would they do it, since so many give way to whomever happens to be in power? The pope sounds like a socialist. Would it be the tide of Islam? A nuclear exchange in the middle east via Iran? 

Seems to me that a lot of things are brewing, but nothing has gelled to the point where you can draw a straight line from (to phrase an old pub "Kurukshetra to Armageddon")

Along other lines I've been considering...Is God waiting to cash in the value of the ransom at the most opportune moment? When might that be? Moreover, it's clear that none of us know how much knowledge/and/or obedience is required of one at the point of finding onesself at "the plain of decision". Take the Sentinilese. These people probably have IQ's of 60 at best. They don't even know how to make fire. They can't read, and they are probably animists of some kind. I have a hard time imagining Jehovah will simply wipe out these ignorant, backward people simply for not having the good sense not to be born a Sentinilese.

I can see wiping the slate as it were at Armageddon, letting some survive and gradually bringing back these kinds of people to see how these react, but simply not being a baptized card-carrying member of the community of true Christians at Armageddon doesn't seem to be a great argument as to deciding on their ultimate fate.

I had one sister once say "I don't care as long as I'm there." ... That struck me as honest, but also evidence of moral defect.

I know, like Paul said that in me, there dwells nothing good. It's not false humility on my part to acknowledge that there are a lot of non JW's who are way better than me. I used to say to people "I'm not better THAN anyone, but better OFF for trying at least to stay in line w/the bible."

 

[Arauna]

1 minute ago, xero said:

Perfectly fits the idea of the UN. It's a reflection. But the actual power of the UN is the US at this point, but more and more it's China. 

Yes the seven heads were empires. This "image is a reflection of all previous empires together with 10 kings (a biblical complete number) and is the organization which prescribes policy to all. So it rules in a different way that the previous heads but more powerful over the earth in order to declare peace and security over the entire earth.... a counterfeit kingdom of Satan, trying to imitate Jehovah's kingdom. But Satan is the father of death.... it will not bring good things.

18 minutes ago, xero said:

That all the governments will give their power to the UN seems a way off.

LOL.  Most JWs do not know that UN Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030 is in full swing.  You can go and read the documents  on the UN website or even watch a video about it. It looks innocent enough but when you understand neo-communism you will get a shock.  Most people are appalled at what the UN are planning and most write about it in a negative way.  A central government body that will be a totalitarian system (one under which one will not be able to buy or sell or say what you think. They will control all food water, energy and more). To crown it all, the UN already has many non-government organizations in most countries that have been implementing local laws to bring their Agenda 2030 to fruition.  it is usually called "sustainable development " organizations , a title that does not make people associate it with the UN.  These have been funded by the UN or the billionaires who have charity foundations/organizations. They pay no tax on their earnings and put their money where they want to help their cause - which is UN agenda 2030.

People who go to local council meetings only get 3 minutes to object and then are let out of the room... the officials then go on putting legislation in place which permanently  changes the use of the land.  Many farmers suddenly find that they have to pay carbon tax etc.and can only use a small piece of land    The UN  also made an agreement with the WEF (World Economic Forum) two years ago (type it in on Google and look at the document). 

What is the WEF?   All the richest oligarchs, technocrats and corporations on earth belong to the WEF.  They are deciding world policy and how it should be implemented during their "closed " or a better word is secret.... meetings. DAVOS and Bilderberg are just two of these yearly meetings. No one knows what they decide. The G20 and G7 usually also talk about world policy to unite the world in a kind of federation under the UN. Have you not understood how all media and tech companies censor what they do not want you to know?

This plan has been going on since 1957.  BUT now they have the technology to surveille everyone( as  they are doing in China)  with the help of  FB, google, and the rest..... and decide if you are worthy to live under this system. "Worthy" which is a behavior passport and a vaccination passport which will allow you to move around in your city to buy your food or not. Now they have the technology to bring this powerful system in.

I can tell you much more about what they are planning but what is happening is BIBLE PROPHECY GOING INTO EXACT FULFILLMENT...... AS JWs have understood it. Rutherford spoke about a totalitarian system but expected it too early

Great hunger is coming and abuse of technology. The 4th industrial revolution is part of this plan.  What is this ? the idea to unite us biologically with a central computer system.  Can they do this?  Yes - they have researched crowd control, and Elon Musk is researching Neurolink; Google and FB are doing AI research and the nanotechnology is already so far advanced that they can do frightening things.  Gen 11:6 - read it.  We are here already.  Will these people use advanced technology for the good of mankind or to gain control of the earth and all its people?

They are also using this lockdown to do an economic reset.  By next year they are planning to reveal a plan for everyone to be on digital money.  Most small businesses in the world will be closed - even airlines.  They will put all people without work on a universal paycheck.... which sounds wonderful .... but you will have to obey their new morality and the new rules. Later they will offer to pay your debt - all house and student debt - for your consent to adhere to all rules. No one will own a house any longer. Most will have to live in a city

They plan in to bring in a new morality for all people and will eventually turn against all religion to get this done...... do you start to figure out what is happening? or do you think it is 'conspiracy' or thumb-suck?

China has an important place in the UN and UN thinks that china is the best role-model for the world.  Do you understand where we are heading? China has more than 1 million people in re-education camps and have taken their children away from them because they are Muslim... This week they burned all religious books they could find.  They have been doing  60,000 transplants per year with body parts they take from  Falon Gong prisoners - a religions they have designated terrorist just because their numbers were growing fast. China s CCP (central govt) does not tolerate this. 

No wonder Jehovah says no flesh will be saved if he does not step in. My dear brother - do not be non-shalant about this.... we are already far down the line towards the UN ruling the world. They are determined to get their plan completed before 2030 and are using this lockdown to do it

.  I believed our organization and therefore have been watching the UN all the way .. and their shenanigan's. 193 countries out of 196 already signed agenda 21  more than 30 years ago. There is no way they can turn back..... soon everyone will willingly hand over their personal autonomy to the UN.  They will own us and we will have to obey them or  face the consequences!

I really can tell you much more ... but i leave it for another day....

all the best

You cannot say that you do not see prophecy going into fulfillment ... as we speak.

[xero]

Interesting, I'll have to look up some of this.

Ultimately any real power comes down to force. A lot of people will go along w/something if it suits them, but when you see what happens w/corrupt governments is that the people increasingly view government as an occupying force and the only way you can keep it going is through brute force. In Stalin's world, people got sent off to gulags, but the top-down system of economic control always fails. It can never succeed and it never does. They stretch too far and they collapse. People remain people. It doesn't matter if they lived in the 1st century or the 21st century - they have the same motivating and demotivating factors. Perhaps the elimination of babylon the great is elimination in the same sense as the inhabitants in Canaan were eliminated (they weren't, but were in the sense of losing any real power).

Too, Jesus also said the system of things would be going on as usual, that it would be like the days of Noah, people buying, people selling and they took no note.

 

[TrueTomHarley]

6 hours ago, xero said:

Is God waiting to cash in the value of the ransom at the most opportune moment?

Maybe there will be a short squeeze come into play.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

On 2/3/2021 at 6:45 AM, xero said:

but simply not being a baptized card-carrying member of the community of true Christians at Armageddon doesn't seem to be a great argument as to deciding on their ultimate fate.

 

On 2/3/2021 at 6:45 AM, xero said:

It's not false humility on my part to acknowledge that there are a lot of non JW's who are way better than me. I used to say to people "I'm not better THAN anyone, but better OFF for trying at least to stay in line w/the bible."

 

I think there is a scripture that says something like "You are not far from the kingdom of God" 

But the question must be then, Do you think a person has to be a Baptised JW to be saved at Armageddon ? 

[TrueTomHarley]

17 minutes ago, 4Jah2me said:

I think there is a scripture that says something like "You are not far from the kingdom of God" 

Please don’t tell me that 4Jah is now assuming the role of Jesus. He really has advanced since leaving the godly organization.

[xero]

3 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

 

I think there is a scripture that says something like "You are not far from the kingdom of God" 

But the question must be then, Do you think a person has to be a Baptised JW to be saved at Armageddon ? 

It's none of my business, but I'd encourage people to follow their bible trained consciences. Personally? I think not. How it's all going to go down, I don't know. Will it be a wipeout and restore operation? Does the scripture which says "those slain by Jehovah will be from one end of the earth to another" be that which Jehovah ALLOWED or CAUSED to be slain by some cosmic event which has been on it's way to this planet for thousands of years?

I think the overweening concern with judging others alive or dead or living at that time is out of place. What it really means is that the individual imagines either what some organization told him is going to happen is true and moral when it's neither true nor moral (and not at all what Jehovah is up to) , or they simply don't trust God to be a moral God.

If the latter is true, then we're all screwed. I don't think that's the case, however and I avoid the apparent joy and relish some have at contemplating the destruction of anyone. Certainly God has said he takes no delight in the death of the wicked. So we ought not either. In either case, you are right that some in the organization have said these things, but when you read the fine print there's always an asterisk * "*" - meaning we don't really know.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

On 2/6/2021 at 10:26 AM, xero said:

What it really means is that the individual imagines either what some organization told him is going to happen is true and moral when it's neither true nor moral (and not at all what Jehovah is up to)

You confuse me and make me laugh. I think you said you are an Elder in the CCJW. But then it seems that you are saying that you don't believe the things the CCJW teaches. 

I have noticed this with JWs. The easiest way to remain in the Org is not to believe what the Org teaches .  Physically in, spiritually out.  I suppose it's like having a safety net. Serve God your own way, but stay in the Org as it might be the only ones God saves at Armageddon .   

Sorry, I find you funny.  I personally could not stay in the Org as my 

On 2/6/2021 at 10:26 AM, xero said:

bible trained consciences

told me to leave. Mainly due to the CSA problem in the org Earthwide, but also for other reasons. 

On 2/6/2021 at 10:26 AM, xero said:

Will it be a wipeout and restore operation?

I don't think so as the scripture at Matthew 24 :22 says, 

And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the elect, those days will be shortened.