WITH the 100 year anniversary of the 1914 Generation set to arrive next year Jehovah, it seems, has decided it is time to tell Jehovah's Witnesses that they have had it wrong all along and give them "new light" on many of the doctrines and teachings they once held dear.

In this article, former Jehovah's Witness Lesley Mitchell outlines the changes present-day Jehovah's Witnesses are to hear about this September.

JW 2013 Summary of New Light

By Lesley Mitchell

Jehovah’s Witness believe that Jesus Christ became invisibly present in 1914, and that October 1914 marked the start of his heavenly rule.

The Great Tribulation started in 1914 and ended in 1918. At that point in time, Christ “arrived as the bridegroom.”

They alone could see “with eyes of understanding” what was really going on back then because Jesus had chosen them as his sole channel of communication in 1919. Nineteen-fourteen is the foundation stone upon which this religion is based.

Ever since my parents became Jehovah’s Witnesses in the late 1930’s, the organisation has been anticipating “the end of this wicked system of things” at Armageddon, and the start of the millennial reign of Christ Jesus and the 144,000 who will rule, from heaven, over the inhabitants of a paradise earth.

My parents believed they would still be alive to see these momentous events, because they were part of the generation alive in 1914 to witness the earth-shattering events that started then.

When I was a Jehovah’s Witness, we all believed that October 1975 would mark 6,000 years since Adam and Eve were created and we would enter into the last thousand years of Jehovah’s day of rest. Everybody was fired up and excited at the prospect of this marking the start of the “new system” on earth – which could not happen till after Armageddon.

Disillusioned

1975 came and went without a murmur and over the next decade, thousands of disillusioned Witnesses left the organisation, myself included.

The leadership berated everyone who thought Armageddon was due, claiming they had never said any such thing. Then they said the preaching work would be finished before the end of the 20^th century. Clearly that implied Armageddon must take place first. It did not. In October 2014 it will be 100 years since Jesus is supposed to have started ruling from heaven.

How are they going to mark this anniversary? How is the leadership going to keep the faithful and obedient members motivated?

They are already anticipating this and have recently come out with amazing “new light” that takes everybody’s eyes off 1914 and gets them firmly focused ahead.

This “new light” is not being revealed all at once, but gradually.

Here are some of the changes that are being made, taken from the 15 July 2013 study Watchtower. The dates given alongside the articles are the dates that will be studied at Kingdom Halls worldwide.

 

Tell Us, When Will These Things Be? (September 2-8) 

This article first whets the appetite of the reader by discussing bible prophecy related to the “Great Tribulation,” which will commence with an attack on religion by the “disgusting thing” (the United Nations) and climax with Armageddon.

The article then provides a re-cap of the understanding, held since 1995, that the separation of the sheep and the goats will happen during the Great Tribulation.

The writers expand on this to provide “new light” on Christ’s “arrival” as bridegroom.

Whereas this was once thought to have occurred in 1918, the arrival of Christ as “master” or “bridegroom” is now scheduled to happen at some point during the Great Tribulation.

 

Look! I Am With You All the Days (September 9-15) 

Christ’s parable of the “wheat and the weeds” is applied directly to the long period between 33 CE and Armageddon.

The separating work is said to have commenced in 1914, when Christ undertook a period of “inspection and cleansing” of the organization that lasted until 1919, when the Bible Students were approved as being “true Christian wheat.”

 

Feeding many through the Hands of a Few (September 16-22)

Christ’s miracle of the loaves and fishes is held aloft as a fore gleam of his intentions to appoint only a small group of men over the spiritual feeding work.

The article discusses the “apostles and older men” as being forerunners to the Governing Body arrangement.

Russell and his associates (pre-1914) are precluded from representing the appointed channel through which Christ would feed his sheep.

 

“Who Really Is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?” (September 23-29)

The article begins by sweeping aside the previous understanding that the faithful  and discreet slave (FDS) was appointed in 33 CE, and goes on to explain how the words of the “prophecy” began to be fulfilled only after 1914.

The faithful slave is identified specifically as being “a small group of anointed brothers” currently comprising the Governing Body as a “composite slave.”

The article concludes by boldly insisting that Christ WILL appoint the Governing Body, along with other anointed Christians, “over all his belongings” when he comes in judgment during the Great Tribulation.

 

In 1981, the organisation was refuting objectors' claims that the FDS refers to only a few leading members of the anointed: Watchtower 1 March 1981 pp 24-5 said:

“The objectors may argue that not all of Christ’s anointed disciples have a share in preparing the spiritual food, so perhaps the “slave” pictures only the LEADING ONES and the domestics those they serve in the congregation. There is no point trying to force an interpretation of the parable. Self deception is of no benefit and is spiritually damaging.”

Today, the organisation is teaching exactly what it accused the 1981 objectors of being self-deceived: Watchtower 15 July 2013 p 22:

“Who, then, is the faithful and discreet slave? That slave is a SMALL GROUP of anointed brothers who are directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food during Christ’s presence. Throughout the last days, the anointed brothers who make up the faithful and discreet slave have served together at headquarters. In recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the GOVERNING BODY of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Here is the most significant quote from the 15 July 2013 Watchtower: "In the past, we thought that the great tribulation began in 1914 when World War 1 started. We thought that Jehovah 'cut short' those days in 1918 when the war ended so that the remaining anointed ones on earth could preach the good news to all nations. Then we realised that a part of Jesus' prophecy about the last days has two fulfillments. So we needed to change the way we understood some parts of the prophecy."

How amazing! In spite of claiming to be Jehovah’s sole channel of communication since 1919 and in spite of claiming that they alone can provide spiritual food for all the “domestics” through their “faithful and discrete slave” class, they have been getting it wrong.

With hindsight, they have looked back and come to the conclusion they need to change the way they understood things.

Does this “new light” come from Jehovah God?

If so, why does Jehovah God keep giving them wrong information? But perhaps more “new light” will be unveiled in the fullness of time, to make everything crystal clear. This is just the ground work, to prepare the “domestics” for some new revelation about 1914.

Here is a summary of all the changes that have been made so far:

The FDS were thought to be all the anointed followers of Christ on earth at any given point in history. Now said to be a small group of anointed brothers at headquarters who are directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food during Christ’s presence. The “composite slave” is made up of this handful of men plus the Governing body.

Christ appointed the FDS over the domestics in 33 C.E. That has been changed to 1919.
NOTE: Christ arrives to appoint the slave over all his belongings – they used to believe that happened in 1918, but now say it will be at the Great Tribulation.

Christ’s belongings were thought to be all the spiritual assets on earth that have become Christ’s property in connection with his heavenly authority as King. Now they’re saying Christ’s belongings are all things heavenly and earthly including the Messianic Kingdom.

Christ will appoint the Governing Body, along with other anointed Christians, “over all his belongings” when he comes in judgment during the Great Tribulation.

The belief that Christ arrived in 1918 as “the bridegroom” has been dropped. He will not arrive as “the bridegroom” till the Great Tribulation – sometime future.

It is tragic to realise that 7.5 million people have been deceived by the 8 men who comprise the Governing Body and who claim that to disagree with them, or question them, is tantamount to disagreeing with or questioning Jehovah God himself, such is the power they have given themselves.

Source: http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/new-light-watchtower-magazine-leaked-from-organization-weeks-ahead-of-general-release

“Jehovah rules! Through his Messianic Kingdom, he is exercising his sovereignty toward mankind in a marvellous way.” (Chapter 13, Revelation – Its Grand Climax at Hand!) In October 2014 it will be 100 years since Jesus is supposed to have started ruling from heaven. But was 1914 the start of Christ’s invisible presence? Please refer to the detailed article in this link: http://meletivivlon.com/discussion/1914-2/apollos-vs-jw/

JW 2013 Changes to Faithful Slave and Belongings

JW 2013 Generation and Great Tribulation Changes

JW 2013 July Watchtower FDS and GB

JW Presumptuousness and FDS (link to Insight Book pages 680-681)

JW 1914 Debunked (link to article exposing false teachings about 1914)

JW 1914 New Light Great Tribulation Last Days - Watchtower 15 July 2013:

Great Tribulation did not happen in 1914, nor was it cut short in 1918, but is yet to come.

Separation of sheep and goats will happen during the Great Tribulation.

Christ did not arrive as the bridegroom in 1918 but will happen at some point during the Great Tribulation.

Still claim Christ inspected and cleansed his organisation between 1914 and 1919 when the Bible Students were approved as being “true Christian wheat.”

Russell and his associates (pre 1919) did not represent the appointed channel through which Christ would feed his sheep.

FDS not appointed in 33 CE but after 1914 and is a small group of anointed brothers comprising the Governing Body as a “composite slave.”

Christ WILL appoint the Governing body, along with other anointed Christians, “over all his belongings” when he comes in judgment during the Great Tribulation.