Peace and Security, Great Tribulation, Armageddon

[chuck83]

11 minutes ago, LeslieDean said:

Oklahoman here. Was living in California at the time. A study was still years ahead of my time. But oddly I felt 'extra grief', felt like I could  identify more closely for some reason. Years later, having been baptized now 5 years I felt extremely close to the situation. I could recognize it was because of the world HQ being there and all our spiritual family. Now, wherever a disaster strikes that is the first feeling, how are the friends? I immediately pray for them. This closeness I fell now is due to Jehovah alone broadening my empathy for the brotherhood mostly then mankind in general. 

 

yup. i had spiritual aunts and uncles in bethel from cong. it was one of our first concerns. they had only visited whatever tower(s) from time to time but did lose people they knew. was sad. it was a hard time for sure. we instantly think about our friends.

[Roxessence]

2 hours ago, Dhanyel said:

September 11, 2001  🏙️💐

What a horrible day! I’ll never forget it. I was at work, and after that day, it felt like a whole series of events had been set in motion.

Where were you guys that day?

Impossible to forget…(This was shortly after I had begun drifting away.)

Driving to work as a portrait studio photographer, heard all of the Shocking news on the radio.  Arrived to many multiple shoots scheduled All day - had to compartmentalize my grief to get little ones to smile while their parents shuddered in horror outside the camera rooms.

My husband was a professional firefighter with our city, had come home at 8 am & just went to bed after a tough night.  He woke at 10:30, turned on the TV & Immediately called me sobbing his heart out.

Our oldest son had just started his senior yr in college - called me sobbing as well, asking if This was Armageddon!   I reassured him that it was merely another aspect of satan’s wickedness & that unfortunately, we’d see much more of the same before the end came.   He has since moved purposefully away from the Truth BUT the seeds were planted early & I'm confident that Jehovah knows his heart.

2 hours ago, Dhanyel said:

September 11, 2001  🏙️💐

What a horrible day! I’ll never forget it. I was at work, and after that day, it felt like a whole series of events had been set in motion.

Where were you guys that day?

Impossible to forget…(This was shortly after I had begun drifting away.)

Driving to work as a portrait studio photographer, heard all of the Shocking news on the radio.  Arrived to many multiple shoots scheduled All day - had to compartmentalize my grief to get little ones to smile while their parents shuddered in horror outside the camera rooms.

My husband was a professional firefighter with our city, had come home at 8 am & just went to bed after a tough night.  He woke at 10:30, turned on the TV & Immediately called me sobbing his heart out.

Our oldest son had just started his senior yr in college - called me sobbing as well, asking if This was Armageddon!   I reassured him that it was merely another aspect of satan’s wickedness & that unfortunately, we’d see much more of the same before the end came.   He has since moved purposefully away from the Truth BUT the seeds were planted early & I'm confident that Jehovah knows his heart.

[Osprey]

I was driving in the car and heard news over the radio. I loved following news and geopolitics back then already, so when I heard about planes crashing into wtc I immediately knew and said to friend that was with me in the car: "Osama bin Laden". He didn't even know who that is.

Edited yesterday at 05:30 PM by Osprey

[sully313]

From my view as a raised in the truth but not baptized person or even close to dedication
 

I heard about it at like 1pm est hung over getting ready to go to work at 3pm at the ice arena I worked at. Just spent the night skateboarding and drinking with my friends till 4am. Mind you I was not baptized yet but still had a group of friends who were witnesses or raised in the truth like me but not baptized yet

 

I logged on aol instant messenger (AIM) and had brief chats about it but we were focused on what college or Uhaul building we would skate at that night and getting beer and when we all got off work etc

 

To us we knew this type of stuff would happen and were just focused on the same things we did prior, skating, punk rock, girls. Being 20 and being caught up in nonsense didn’t allow world events to affect me/us. I’m kinda thankful as this system and what happens in it traumatizes people

 

Now as a 45 year old man everything traumatizes me lol. But back then I was in my own world and it was just another blip on the news

 

I look back now and see how changed the world is due to that event, and It hurts me thinking about all the badness around it and have total empathy. But I just don’t recall it like everyone else. It felt like everyone around me, outside of my group of friends, was going crazy and I was still in a “pre 9/11” mindset

Edited 23 hours ago by sully313
Clarity

[Tortuga]

6 months before 9/11, a new TV series called The Lone Gunmen had an episode about a remote hyjacked plane hitting the World Trade Center..

[Ms. Piffle]

5 hours ago, Dhanyel said:

September 11, 2001  🏙️💐

What a horrible day! I’ll never forget it. I was at work, and after that day, it felt like a whole series of events had been set in motion.

Where were you guys that day?

I was out in service.  Did not know it was happening until we met with the group that morning at the KH. 

 

Every householder home that day was glued to the TV. We had some very good and/or interesting visits at every at home door.    

[Dolce vita]

I was at work; school had just started a week earlier. I think it was around 3 p.m. when the news broke. I found out about it when I got home that evening.

 

Exactly 10 days later, on a Friday morning, an explosion occurred in the city where I lived, at a SEVESO-classified chemical plant. The result: 31 dead and 8,000 injured, 2,500 of them seriously. Everyone thought it was a terrorist attack carried out by the same group that had struck the United States, but in the end, after a seemingly endless trial, the conclusion was that it was a chemical accident.

 

Dozens and dozens of children were deeply traumatized; they were in class at the time of the explosion. Some didn’t return to school for an entire year, traumatized and/or injured.

 

Brothers and sisters were injured, some seriously.

 

I was working right at the site of the explosion, but that morning, I didn’t have class.

Life…

 

So I’m not ready to forget 9/11 and the 21st, and I understand to some extent how Americans felt on September 11.

 

 

 

 

[feebee]

In Australia: We had gotten home from the Book Study and put the kids to bed and were watching TV. A breaking news banner came across about a plane crashing into a building in New York. Didn't think much of it and we went to bed. Slept through the whole thing. Had to play catch up in the morning. 

[jdcarlson]

I was at my office, giving a new employee a "tour" of the office (where is the bathroom, fax machine, etc.). While we were by the sink in the "break room" one of my employees came downstairs from her office and said she had just heard that an airplane had run into one of the World Trade Center towers. In 2001 there was not the "on-line" availability we have now, so during the day, as different ones in the office heard something they would give us an update.

 

Incidentally, that new employee is still working for the CPA firm. Only, my CPA license is in "retired" status with the State of Florida. My son is now running the firm.  But in today's world it is unusual for an employee to stay at the same job in a small (less than six people) office for 25 years. She has turn out to be a good employee. Clients seem to like her and she puts up with those who call because they do not want to pay the tax they owe.

 

In February, 2002, I had the privilege of doing "temporary Bethel Service" for a week. While there, even though I was working at Patterson there were people at Patterson who had been at the Brooklyn Bethel complex on 9/11, I talked with some Bethelites who had seen the people jumping out of the windows (the ones above where the planes hit and there was no way for them to get downstairs past the burning portion of the bulding). Several Bethelites who talked about that said that it was VERY troubling for them at the time to see individuals jumping out of the window to certain death, to avoid being burned alive.

 

When I first heard that an airplane had hit the building I did not think much about it. I remembered reading the history that in 1945 a B-25 bomber had run into the Empire State Building, and the people in the airplane were killed, but the Building stayed intact. It was not until much later that I learned the difference in construction between the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center Towers. Apparently, the Empire State Building was built with a steel frame, throught the whole building, exterior walls, interior walls, etc. There was steel throught the whole structure, especially on the exterior. Whereas, the World Trade Center towers were constructed with the structural steel in the central core of the building where the elevators and stairs were. There was very little steel framing out from that central core. When the airplanes struck, and the fire started, there was not any exterior steel framing to hold the building up. And when the heat from the fire weakened the steel in the central core, everything came down.

 

I remember hearing stories when the World Trade Center Towers first went up that the people in the offices were told not to put file cabinets, or any heavy furniture, near the exterior walls. All heavy furniture, cabinets, etc., were to be placed in the center of the building. Now, knowing that there was no significant steel on the exterior part of the towers, it makes sense that heavy items had to be in the center, next to the steel framework running up through the center.

 

When I heard the towers had "fallen" the picture in my mind was of a movie many years ago showing a tall building in Hong Kong falling over on its side. It was not until the end of the day, when I got home and could see the TV film that I realized the buildings just collapsed in place. 

 

I remember after 9/11 our instructions from the Society for field service were to not emphasize any placements. Rather, they gave us some comforting scriptures to share with people. I picked the scripture from Philippians 4:6,7 "Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made kown to God; and the peace of god that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus." 

 

I found this to be helpful. In one particular instance, the man was on his driveway working on his car. He was already upset at something about his car. Then I come up (a total stranger) wanting to read the Bible to him. He at first did not want to hear anything, but then he laid down the wrench in his hand and turned to me. As I read the scriptue from Philippians, I could see his face visibly soften as I read the two verses. Then, in line with our direction, I thanked him for listening and left.

 

Will we have anything else like this to happen before everything ends. We do not know. We might speculate, but that does not do any good. We will just have to wait and see.

 

I am thankful that the Governing Body had the presence of mind to suggest at that time we take into account the attitude of people after such a disaster, and suggest some comforting message we could share at a very difficult time for everyone.

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

 

[Dhanyel]

Hi everyone! I’ve had this old clipping since around 2003. I believe it was written shortly after 9/11, but I’m not sure whether it’s an official announcement or just a personal report. Does anyone recognize it or know if it’s official? I’d also appreciate some help translating it accurately.

Spoiler

 

[CHecker]

I was working till late on the 10th, tried to sleep in but got a call at 7am about it. Tuned in to see the 2nd plane fly in

Edited 17 hours ago by CHecker

[Reader]

I was shopping at a large mall in Dearborn Michigan when the WTC attack occurred. Store employees were updating customers on events as they were happening. We were told to evacuate the building, go straight home and shelter in place. Dearborn is home to the largest Arabic community not only in the US but in North America. Some people had the mistaken idea that copycat attacks would occur in the area but those rumors were false. Tensions and fear were running high. It is interesting that we had an Awake magazine, May 22, 2001 issue "The New Look of Terrorism". We also received a special Awake dated Jan 8, 2002 about the 9/11 attack. Jehovah always provides comfort in times of distress and prepares us through direction ftom the FS.Those 2 Awake magazines can be found on our website. I highly recommend looking at them. It's still timely even after 25 years have passed.

 

[kejedo]

I got someone at a door and offered what I hoped was a comforting scripture. He said he was comforting people of his church (I think he was some kind of deacon) and I asked  what he said "Have faith in what you believe in." Sounded like a meaningless massage; it was a strongly emotional time.