Pre- mid- or post-?
Submitted by chadrory on Sat, 2007-12-22 23:11.
I've been discussing the tribulation issue with some friends of mine this evening... We are all over the place. Every one of us supports one of the other. Me, well, I am of the opinion that Jesus is coming back. Plain and simple. I would love to hear your opinion.
Chad.
First, a minor misunderstanding.
As I noted, your idea was new to me. In my research- in Watchtower material, at that- I found the "corporate" idea. It was quoted from non-Witness sources; neither the WT nor myself agrees with it. I have noticed the WT's willingness to state other beliefs- if only to refute- rather than ignoring them; gives me more reason to believe that I've made the right choice. (Counterexample: My Catholic St. Joseph's NAB notes, at Mt 1:25, "Moreover the New Testament makes no mention anywhere of children of Joseph and Mary." I know that the RCC believes that Mary was "ever-virgin", but the quoted statement is incorrect. There is at least, Mr 3:31-35 to be dealt with. I know also that every good Catholic believes that dogma overpowers Mark, but the editor was over-zealous.)
I'm aware that "servant" (and other words) can be singular or collective nouns when brought into NT teachings. However, I have one immediate problem to your application of, "And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought." Jesus was "set at nought"- he was in fact murdered. But the organization he founded, by whatever name or title, has not been. (IMO) Like the bible itself, it has confounded the efforts of all from Tiberius through Constantine to modern governments to destroy it. (I daresay the various sects of it have done more damage to themselves and each other!)
Side note: Do you really favor the KJV over newer translations? One scholar- not a Witness- says, "It has been convicted of containing over 20,000 errors." I know of several myself, minor and not so minor.
In the meantime, please read and digest my other reply.
Unless etc. all scriptures are NWT
Doug