Calendar & Year-texts from the past

[jwhess]

8 hours ago, More4me2do said:

Calendar 1943 and the shift towards education is very much apparent from the quotation of 2 Tim 2:15 "rightly dividing the word of truth" KJV compare that to NWT "handling the word of the truth aright"

I have always been intrigued by this scripture.  In our Kingdom Interlinear Translation, it shows that the King James version is correct.  Paul really did say "dividing" or "cutting".  My research shows it is a Greek idiom (like a mother 'correctly' or fairly cutting a pie is doing her job correctly).

2 Tim 2:15...

Edited October 13, 2020 by jwhess

[More4me2do]

Idioms are one of the hardest things to translate as sometimes they are a play on words and make no sense in another language. Translators have to draw on the context and then convey the meaning. Being fluent in two languages many times I marveled at the way the translators conveyed the idea.

[M.J.]

10 hours ago, jwhess said:

I have always been intrigued by this scripture.  In our Kingdom Interlinear Translation, it shows that the King James version is correct.  Paul really did say "dividing" or "cutting".  My research shows it is a Greek idiom (like a mother 'correctly' or fairly cutting a pie is doing her job correctly).

2 Tim 2:15...

Due to your comment, I did research on this and it really is fascinating. The word can also mean straight/upright, but the cutting part refers to a clean sharp cut that is comprehensive/decisive,  not repeated cuts, which applies to a similar word, such as repeated blows or hacking. So much to glean from this, and so many ways it could apply! For one, to not overdissect the Bible and become obsessed with words. Another, to use the Bible skilfully, with key scriptures, instead of overwhelming the householder with irrelevant scriptures that are off topic and could be confusing.

 

Ps. I have all the references in case your interested.

 

 

[Whitley M]

I wonder, comparing how excitable and nervous we feel that the end is close - and looking back at those magazine and calendar covers that clearly depict Armageddon scenes etc... the brothers and sisters then also probably felt like it was so close... we could also be guessing totally wrong! Who knows. Just a thought! I sure hope not. 😕

[jayrtom]

On 10/13/2020 at 7:32 AM, More4me2do said:

Finally as WWII concludes the commission comes front and center into focus.

 

 

 

 

Interesting, the same text we have now

 

On 10/13/2020 at 7:24 AM, More4me2do said:

1942 Calendar by this time the young ones had the book "Children"

 

[\spoiler]

 Interesting that Jesus has no beard here

 

6 hours ago, Whitley M said:

I wonder, comparing how excitable and nervous we feel that the end is close - and looking back at those magazine and calendar covers that clearly depict Armageddon scenes etc... the brothers and sisters then also probably felt like it was so close... we could also be guessing totally wrong! Who knows. Just a thought! I sure hope not. 😕

I think that, if we considere how the slave is giving us food at the proper time, that it was just like it needed to be. Perhaps at the time, what was needed were strong counsels about the separation from the world (hence so many pics with two sides shows). Religion at the time had so much more power than they have now that that strong message was needed. Also the begining of the WW2 was a special occasion. All and all those messages helped the brotherhood to grow enormously. We needed a brother like Rutherford for those gind of messages, being him a man with a powerfull figure and attitudes.

But then we needed a man like Knorr with his strong organizational abbilities

For each time we needed a special kind of slave and got what we need as well as we got what we need now

 

But notice that, now, we don't need those kind of images to know that the end is near. We see it all around of us throughout the Globe

 

 

Edited October 14, 2020 by jayrtom

[jwhess]

The 1941 Calendar picture was used for the 1941 booklet entitled, "Theocracy".

 

 

[jwhess]

5 hours ago, jayrtom said:

 Interesting that Jesus has no beard here

 

Br. Russel; used pictures from Christendom to depict Jesus.  In the beginning, Br. Rutherford used pictures with Jesus with a shorter beard (1927).  But by 1934 he shows Jesus beardless.  It remained so after his death with Br. Knorr showing the beardless view in 1958 in the Paradise book.  But by 1968, the Watchtower Society made a clarification adjustment and stated...

*** w68 5/1 p. 288 Questions From Readers ***
Nevertheless, as already shown, it is apparent that Jesus did wear a beard, and so artistic representations of him in future Watch Tower publications will harmonize with the Scriptural evidence to that effect.
 

So my favorite picture of Jesus is the Dec 1979 full color Watchtower introduction.

 

 

[jwhess]

 

 

We have a new text for this year.  So let's slip back to 1946 and the text and calendar for that year

 

Yeartest 1946

Be glad you nations with his people. Romans 15:10

 

Yearbook 1946

comments pages 227-231

 

The physical facts now fulfilling Bible prophecy prove beyond question that we are in the last days of the old world and at the beginning of the righteous New World foretold in God’s Word. Why, then, should not the nations or peoples of the earth be glad?

 

…They are grateful to God and rejoice in the fact that Jehovah’s witnesses have gone to the uttermost parts of the world to preach. They observe that recently graduates from the Watchtower Bible College of Gilead have gone into every one of the Central American countries and most of the nations of South America to carry to the people the glad tidings. Not only to the south but to the north, too, Canada, Alaska, and Newfoundland! Eventually, by the Lord’s grace, the Watchtower graduates will be sent into all parts of the earth to work…

 

[Maris]

Thanks for sharing this fine history with the calendars. Indeed it took boldness to spearhead the Truth in those days too. Fine example for us. We need boldness in these unique times too.

[jwhess]

The 1947 Calendar gives additional focus to the world-wide preaching.  Note the comment in the 1947 Yearbook.

 

 

[jwhess]

I got distracted and forgot to continue the years calendars and text.  Here is 1948 (it is the best I can do, it is just a picture of the calendar).

 

 

[BLEmom]

As much as the photos are different they are also the same. The same peaceful paradise scenes. The same stark separation between the sheep and goats. The same protection of Jehovah’s people.  😊

[jwhess]

We go from war scenes to preaching scenes.  They quit the "Armageddon now" to "Preach (or Praise) the Word now".

[jwhess]

In 1947 we used the text to "Sing God's praise among the nations"  In 1948 we added the text to follow.  "Praise him more and more".  It was an emphatice continuation to increase the preaching work world-wide.   The calendar picture emphasizes the point.  Does anyone recognize the picture?

 

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by jwhess

[jwhess]

Here is a postcard from Bethel.  It shows almost the same view.

 

 

[Old]

Gilead School at South Lansing PA?

[jwhess]

7 hours ago, Old said:

Gilead School at South Lansing PA?

Very close, it was South Lansing, New York  (about 250 miles Northwest of NYC).

[jwhess]

With the increase in focus on the preaching (world-wide), along comes 1950.  It is the year of the great Convention at New York (the 1st one) and the release of the NWT Greek Scriptures.  The yeartext is "Preach the Word".  The picture is a photo of our headquarters and printery.  Remember Brooklyn?

 

 

[jwhess]

The 1950 Convention was amazing in many ways.  80,000 attendees and 40 new literature releases (some tracts, handbills and reports) including a first...New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures.  This was the assembly when they announced that the Watchtower  would be made the same size as the Awake magazine.  they gave us our new songbook and a new study publication.  See if you can figure out which publication that was.

 

 

[minister159]

I think it was "This Means Everlasting Life."  

[James the Less]

1 hour ago, minister159 said:

I think it was "This Means Everlasting Life."  

Yes. As I understand it, I think this book was kind of like the “Remain in God’s Love” book of its time. It was a secondary study aid to be considered after you had gone through the “Let God Be True” book. Some of the deeper topics it went into were “A New Covenant for God’s People,” “Woman’s Privileges in the Congregation,” “Subjection to the Superior Authorities,” and “The Remnant of Kingdom Heirs.”

[jwhess]

6 hours ago, minister159 said:

I think it was "This Means Everlasting Life."  

Yes it was.  And 16 years later a similar title was favored.  It was hard for me to say the right one.

 

 

[jwhess]

I am going to put 2 years calendars up in case we get busy with the December Monthly Broadcast next week.  Here are the calendars for 1951 and 1952.  Notice the yeartext in 1951 quoted the New World translation for the first time.

 

 

[jwhess]

Here are the 1954 and 1955 calendar pictures.  I have already shared the 1955 picture and it is the reason that I began going back to display the older ones first.  The version of the 1955 that I am sharing is the enlargement above the "tear-off" calendar pages.  Since we are studying the Pure Worship book at our midweek meetings, I noted similarities between the 65 year old picture and the current picture in the Pure Worship book on page 196-197.  The left side of each picture shows the Armageddon violence and the right side of each shows God's people in safety.

 

 

[jwhess]

During the last post I said I would how 1954 and 1955.  But what I put up was 1953 & 1955.  That was OK because I skipped 1953.

So to catch up, here is 1954 and 1956.  this will get us back on the timeline.  In the next 6 years or so the artwork begins to take on a more modern look.

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by jwhess