Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassidy
"The original was said to be in 1997"
Wait. Something just occurred to me when reading your post. What do you mean "was said to be", OBW?
There must be a direct quote from Witness Lee stating that the Lord's return would be in the year 1997.
Did he? If so, where is that "1997" quote?
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What I'm saying is that this particular write-up is not the first discussion on the topic. I recall that when this was mentioned before, there was some kind of reference to the 1997 date. There was also a particular day given, although that might have been from the guy Lee was basing on and not Lee.
What I'm telling you is that there is somewhere to look. It is not just this one write-up by Tomes and these few comments by this forum.
This particular write-up by Tomes asserts that LSM (which prior to 1997
was Lee) pushed 1997, then changed it to 2070 when it was obvious that 1997 could not be true because certain events should already have been going on.
I think I remember noting that if it was considered a "prophecy" then under the old covenant, Lee would have been subject to stoning. (Not trying to be serious.) But it was noted that he did die in 1996 — after the necessary events were clearly not happening.
Again. Please do not think that I am asserting some kind of divine retribution. It is probably just an interesting combination of events. (And Lee was quite old.) Just like every generation thinks that the signs in their time are ripe for the Second Coming. The fact is that if it were so clearly obvious, then those who were not in that time would have cause to dilly-dally around. If we could know that 1997, or 2070, was the date, then some would have reason to toe the line while others could put it off. Do one of those "death bed" confessions.
And all of that kind of thinking misses so much of the point of salvation and following. It is at least as much about our returning to our righteous and rightful place as God's image-bearers in this life as it is getting some better place in the next life. This may be one of the reasons that LRC leadership has been so short on righteousness. They don't think that this age matters other than being "on the ground" and following the "minister of the age" into the next age. They don't care about this age.
And so much talk about eschatology is mostly so we can pine for the future and escape the present. If (and I believe it is true) Jesus is coming again, then he is coming again. I have yet to figure out what it is about knowing details about it that makes us better off for it. If it is uncertain, I have cause to consider my living at all times. If I can narrow it down to some particular year, then I might not be so careful. (Not saying that I always do a good job anyway.) I do not see that there is anything I can do about any of it outside of salvation, and living according to his teachings in God's righteousness. There is much more scriptural ink on how to do that. And it matters. Ignoring that to do anything else that you think is preparing for the rapture, or just the Second Coming (without a rapture theology), is probably a worthless endeavor because it will not be those who are waiting on the mountain top, but those who are living day-to-day according to God's righteousness that will be "prepared." Jesus didn't warn them so they would be weird, but so they would take their living seriously.