Hi. I am researching the JW religion...and I was talking to a man who was going to join. He told me something about Satan and his angels not being cast out until 1914...because that's when the first war in Heaven happened.
I don't know how accurate he was, but please, if someone could help clear me on this?
Thanks!
A question about 1914
by chibiwellington 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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chibiwellington
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DanTheMan
Here's a link to an article that goes pretty in-depth. It's heavier than the stuff I would usually read, but if you're the scholarly type you may find it interesting. The whole JW religion hangs on the 1914 date. It is the cornerstone of their theological superstructure.
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jurs
Chibiwellington,
WELCOME !!!! Thats correct info on what JW's believe about 1914. Why are you researching the religion? ]
jurs
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chibiwellington
Hi hi, thank you for welcoming me!
I have a friend who is JW, and he really likes to "debate" religion. He said something about the year, and I didn't want to restart the whole "debate", so I just asked a different person what was so important about it...Then I was confused about what he said..I asked my boyfriend if he knew anything about it (He's getting ready for a mission and so he's trying to get a better understanding on other religions and doing study on different ones) but he didn't know and it became something we were both wondering about.
Thank you so much for your help!
Chibi Wellington
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Shakita
Chibiwellington: The Watchtower Society has taught for almost 100 years that Jesus began to reign invisibly in 1914. According to them, one of Jesus's first act as a King was to throw Satan and the demons out of heaven onto the vicinity of the earth. This is based on a scripture found in Rev12:7-9 in which Michael, who the Wt says is synonymous with Jesus Christ, ousts the Devil from heaven which spells woe for the earth.
What you haven't been told is that at one time, Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Watchtower Tract and Bible Society, taught that the end was going to come in 1874. When it didn't materialize as expected, Russell interpreted Jesus's coming, from the Greek word parousia, as presence. So the reason that mankind couldn't see Jesus return is that his return was invisible to human eyes. This is a tactic that the Watchtower has used many times. If Jesus didn't return according to expectations the Watchtower would just claim that Jesus is invisibly present. So, when the world didn't end in 1914, the Watchtower simply made the claim that Jesus was invisibly present. Although, this just hid the fact that the Wt was a false prophet. You see, they had predicted the end of all things in 1914.
The Watchtower Society has had no problem in setting dates for the coming of Jesus Christ. Each time their prophecies have been proved false. Look at this excerpt from Ray Franz's "Crisis of Conscience", on page 212. He was citing the May 15, 1922 Watchtower. It reads in part: "The fact that all things that some looked for in 1914 did not materialize does not alter the chronology one whit. Noting the date marked so prominently, it is very easy for the finite mind to conclude that all the work to be done must center upon it, and thus many are inclined to anticipate more than has been foretold.(Here they are blaming the reader for the Watchtower Society's false prophecies) Thus it was in 1844, in 1874, in 1878, as well as in 1914 and 1918. (All these dates were at one time believed to have been the end of the world as promoted and prophesied by the Watchtower, thus they were false prophets, up to this point, five times over) Looking back we can now clearly see that those dates were clearly indicated in scripture and doubtless intended by the Lord to encourage his people, (Jesus encourages his people with false prophesy and disillusionment?) as they did, as well as to be a means of testing and sifting when all that some expected did not not come to pass. (Again they are blaming the innocent rank and file for the false expectations and prophecies of the Watchtower) That all that some expect to see in 1925 may not transpire that year will not alter the date one whit more than in the other cases." (1925 was a date Joseph Rutherford set for the end of the world, another false prophecy)
Hopefully, your friend still has an open mind on this subject. I would recommend that he read "Crisis of Conscience" by Ray Franz. This book is illuminating in bringing all the false prophecies of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's false prophecies to light. I would also direct him to the web site freeminds.org. This site has scores of material on the subject of 1914 as being the "alleged" return of Jesus Christ. What I have written on the subject is by no means exhaustive, but I hope that this material has been of some help to you.
Mr. Shakita
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jurs
I left the JW organization 1 1/2 years ago. Its too bad your friend is getting involved. I was in my early 20's when a JW came to my door and I accepted a study. I'm going to pull up the thread "Stupid rules" you should check it out. Its funny but true. You won't hear about these rules from your friend !!! I think you'll get a kick out of it. Just click on latest posts and it should be near the top.
jurs
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Farkel
: He told me something about Satan and his angels not being cast out until 1914...because that's when the first war in Heaven happened.
Actually, the society teaches that the war BEGAN in 1914 and Satan wasn't cast down to earth until 1918 or 1919. The society uses both dates. They are just as confused about what the actual date for the casting down was as they are because they stupidly think that the mighty Jesus Christ as "ruling King" since 1914, together with the permission and backing of the mighty Jehovah God, Creator of everything took at least FOUR YEARS to whup Satan and cast him down to earth.
Either Christ and Jehovah are wimps or Satan is one bad-assed demon. OR, the Watchtower society is totally full-of-shit. "I'll take 'Watchtower is Full of Shit for a $100, Alex."
Farkel
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Goshawk
Farkle!
Shame on you for forgetting to mention the fact that the Michael and the angles had them outnumbered 2 to 1 as well.
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link
Chibiwellington,
You have managed to hit on quite a controversial subject. I have a fairly large library of Watchtower material and 1925 is the very earliest that I can find any evidence that the return of Jesus Christs in 1914 was accepted as Warchtower doctrine. All their literature shows that before 1925, the belief was that Christ had returned in 1874.
I have requested information from several "learned" Jehovahs Witnesses which would contradict this but none has been made available to me.
link
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UnDisfellowshipped
Welcome chibiwellington!
I like everyone's answers so far.
Here are some Web Pages which explain this "1914" Teaching in more depth:
http://www.macgregorministries.org/jehovahs_witnesses/1914.html
http://www.letusreason.org/JW2.htm
http://www.carm.org/jw/1914.htm
The JW's originally taught that Jesus had Returned Invisibly in 1874 and that Armageddon was coming in 1914.
After that Prophecy failed, the JW's dumped the 1874 Date, and then said that Jesus had Returned Invisibly in 1914, and then they predicted Armageddon for 1918, 1925, World War II, 1975, and 2000.