by sylvlef 65 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
So what is the rationalisation for saying That the kingdom was specifically to Begin in october 1914?
explanation: the irrational exhuberance of CT Russell built upon the irrational exhuberance of the Adventists.
I guess October is the wrong month to stop sniffing glue.
So what? Now that August is almost over, and they have hyped up this month, now they are moving to the next project. They have a reason for us to get up off our couch. Here is what other events we can look forward to
Nov = Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire
Dec= Christmas truces declared amoung the nations ( we won't advertising that one
Jan = Armaggeddon
All this is a constant reminder of how gullible many of us were! If we just investigated just a little bit we would have found that this was all built on a mountain of BUllS&%$. It makes me sick!
Of course, what the 2014 KM ignores, and what WT has ignored for decades, is that for nearly 60 years WT proclaimed Jesus' presence began in 1874, not 1914:
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The Scriptures show that the second presence [of the Lord] was due in 1874 . . . . This proof shows that the Lord has been present since 1874.
--The Watch Tower, 1 March 1923, page 67
Surely there is not the slightest room for doubt in the mind of a truly consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present and has been since 1874.
--The Watch Tower, 1 January 1924, page 5
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WT taught that Jesus began ruling in 1878, and 1914 was proclaimed to be the year of Armageddon, not the beginning of Jesus' presence:
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"Be not surprised, then, when in subsequent chapters we present proofs that the setting up of the Kingdom of God is already begun, that it is pointed out in prophecy as due to begin the exercise of power in A.D. 1878, and that the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty (Rev. 16:14) which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced. The gathering of the armies is plainly visible from the standpoint of God's word." (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 2, The Time Is At Hand, 1889 Ed., p. 101. The 1915 Edition of this texts changed "A.D. 1914" to read 'A.D. 1915')
"In the coming 26 years [1914/1915] , all present governments will be overthrown and dissolved." (C.T. Russell, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 2, p. 98-99, 1889)
You say 1874, I say 1914.
Let's call the whole thing off.
Splash
2nd Oct 1914 has always been the end of the Gentile times. The Watchtower just hopes people don't notice that WW1 does not sync up with the start of the last days.
To this day I still kick myself over this. I actually figured that out before I was baptized. There was some older publication I was reading that specifically referred to October 1914. Most of the newer publications don't use the month and year preferring simply to focus on 1914 as the start of the end time. I have always been interested in history and knew WWI had begun in the summer of that year. I remember bringing this up to a young, zealous JW who was a few years older than me and between the two of us we couldn't figure out an explanation. I remember dropping the subject since in my naive opinion there was so much truth I was being exposed to and this subject was nothing in comparison to the great truths the Witnesses possessed.
I wish I had looked deeper into this subject, but this was happening in the mid-90s when the internet wasn't widely available.
*** w66 8/15 pp. 504-505 Doing God’s Will Has Been My Delight (edited) ***
I (A.H. Macmillan) have seen many severe trials come upon the organization and testings of the faith of those in it. I have seen the wisdom of patiently waiting on Jehovah to clear up our understanding of Scriptural things instead of getting upset over a new thought. Sometimes our expectations for a certain date were more than what the Scriptures warranted. So I learned that we should admit our mistakes and continue searching God’s Word for more enlightenment. So there was no need for us to let our faith be weakened by unfulfilled expectations or changes in views.
I remember the time I was a speaker at a convention at Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1914. I spoke on the subject “The End of All Things Is at Hand; Therefore Let Us Be Sober, Watchful and Pray.” I believed it myself sincerely—that the church was “going home” in October. During that discourse I made this unfortunate remark: “This is probably the last public address I shall ever deliver because we shall be going home soon.”
In that talk I tried to show the friends that perhaps some of us had been a bit too hasty in thinking that we were going to heaven right away, and the thing for us to do would be to keep busy in the Lord’s service until he determined when any of his approved servants would be taken home to heaven.
Although our expectations about being taken to heaven were not fulfilled in 1914, that year did see the end of the Gentile Times, as we had anticipated.
Poor old Macmillan. Fancy expecting to go to heaven but ending up stuck in the same old routine for another 55 years.
At least he learned patience and to admit mistakes.
Splash
but, he comforted himself for those wasted years and dashed hopes with, " that year (1914) did see the end of the Gentile Times."
Sorry Mac, wrong again.
I wonder how heaven plans on celebrating.
I wonder how heaven plans on celebrating.
Invisible cupcakes and party hats
