Sorry - 1918/1919 again...

by Awakened07 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Awakened07

  This story of how Jesus supposedly inspected earth in 1918 and as a result chose the Bible Students to be his people in 1919 (since they were the only true Christians) is rather important to me.

  We have discussed previously to some extent how they at that time believed a lot of things that JWs no longer believe; for instance they still celebrated Christmas and Russel was the entire Faithful and discreet slave.

  However - the reason I raise the topic again, is to ask what things did they believe in 1919 that one could say would truly separate them from all other denominations?

  I guess they used the name Jehovah. I guess they didn't believe in the trinity(?). And as far as I've gathered, Russel never believed in a fiery Hell, so that was out.

  What other things?

  And could it be said that they were alone in believing/not believing in these things? Surely 'Jehovah' was used by others, and surely some didn't believe in the trinity and/or Hell? Were they the only group at that time that held all these beliefs in combination, though?

  If so, that could possibly be used by a JW apologist to show that for all their flaws, they did in fact differ from other groups on the most important topics. If so - how would you counter that notion?
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  Nathan Natas

  They believed, among other things:

  * that jesus returned invisibly in 1874

  * that Napoleon was a major player in the fulfilment of bible prophecy

  * that Egypt was the "King of the South"

  * (unrelated to the above) that the Great Pyramid at Gizeh (Giza) was the "bible in stone."

  * that the industrial revolution was a proof of Jesus invisible reign.
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  OnTheWayOut

  You would enjoy CAPTIVES OF A CONCEPT which examines what Jesus would have
  found on his inspection of 1918/1919, and why all JW's make the mistake of just
  accepting that Jesus approved of Watchtower Corporation.

  You can download it to your computer or buy the book at lulu.com

  http://www.lulu.com/content/128319 for $5 instant download.
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  ninja

  what about the bible students who left when rutherford took over.....didn't they have much the same beliefs??......and further didn't some leave because rutherford encouraged the buying of war bonds???
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  Awakened07

  Yes, thanks for the replies - we all know that they held what would now be viewed as wrong beliefs (and maybe that's enough to stop the conversation).

  -But what things did they believe that truly separated them from all other denominations? That's what I wanted to know.
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  writetoknow

  Those that left continue in a worship of Russell writings. Their movement is another form of creature worship.
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  dust

  Well, at least in 1917 they believed that they had been chosen as God's channel of communication already from the start:

  The WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY is the greatest corporation in the world, because from the time of its organization until now the Lord has used it as his channel through which to make known the glad tidings to many thousands, which glad tidings the whole world soon shall know. (wt 1917/1/15)

  And in 1921 they still believed that the time of the end started in 1799, not 1914:

  "The time of the end" embraces a period from A. D. 1799, as above indicated, to the time of the complete overthrow of Satan's empire and the establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah. (The Harp of God 1921 p. 231)
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  writetoknow

  I don't understand what your getting at. JW's still believe they are God's only choosen channel on earth. They still believe everyone else has it wrong. They still believe they are the only ones that are saved through the end of the world.

  Their ideas came through Russell and Russell like all other religion took ideas from all sorts of studies and groups throughout the history of religion and forned his own ideas. Subsequenly, many of those teachings are now rejected by JW's.
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  dust

  JW's still believe they are God's only choosen channel on earth.

  Yes, but they now believe that they were chosen only in 1919.
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  writetoknow

  I understand about 1919, but as we know JW's are always adjusting their teachings to fit the problem at hand. The teaching regarding 1919 was promoted to clear the society of false teachings of Russell and those that left.

  In other words, they needed to make prophecy fit into a last days inspection and cleaning of God's channel. 1919 was the chosen date because that when comformity to Rutherfords rule started.