Why was the Watchtower named as such? CT Russell explains.

by biblexaminer 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  biblexaminer

  If you look at the cover of the original 'The Watch Tower' it says;

  THE WATCH TOWER

  AND HERALD OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE

  But why this?

  On page 20 of the Watch Tower 1879 Vol 1, CTR explains.

  "We think we have good solid reasons - not imaginations- not dreams not visions, but Bible evidences (known to the majority of our readers) that we are now "in the days of the Son;" that "the day of the Lord" has come, and Jesus, a spiritual body, is present, ... This is the signification of our subtitle "Herald of Christ's Presence."

  So, the purpose of the subtitle was in fact, according to the first edition of The Watchtower, to convey to the minds of the readers, Russell's teaching that the "parousia" was already ongoing.

  So, for that gas bag to enter the lunchroom in 1914 at Bethel, after his failed prophecy, and announce to everyone that Jesus had indeed come, only invisibly, was a pharisaical affront of immense magnitude.

  That shitebag had been teaching that Jesus was already invisibly there for over 35 years and now he's going to.... what??? ....teach something new??? What?? Jesus came last night??? Holy cow... and now we see it was an invisible coming... STOP THE PRESSES

  And what the hell of the last 35 years up till that, with the Watchtower bearing the title announcing that the invisible coming had been going for the last 35 years...

  How would you have felt, to be sitting there, after a lifetime being taught that the invisible presence was ongoing since before 1879 and then to be told that it just happened last night.

  Would you have had a WTH moment?
• 

  bennyk

  You appear to be confused. CTR claimed since 1876 that the invisible parousia had begun Oktober 1874.

  CTR made the claim on 02. Oktober that the Gentile Times had ended. (Yeah; he was still wrong...)
• 

  Finkelstein

  Russell like other charlatans/preachers of his time and era thought the return of Christ was about to come true.

  These men thought they had broken open a code obscurely placed in the bible to strategical pin point when this return was to come.

  Russell self described himself as one would on top of a Watchtower able to foresee coming events and occurrences.

  Unfortunately he was wrong on all accounts mostly because he drew his theological conclusions from various sources that were not true or novice in nature.
  

  The WTS still used these weakly supported false doctrines ie.1914 of so called accurate bible understandings and interpretations throughout the 20th century and put them into printed publications because they retained alluring attributes toward the proliferation of literature.

  
• 

  Vidiot

  "Why was the Watchtower named as such?"
  

  Unintentional irony.

  All prison camps have watchtowers, after all.
• 

  biblexaminer

  
  

  bennyk18 hours agoYou appear to be confused. CTR claimed since 1876 that the invisible parousia had begun Oktober 1874.
  CTR made the claim on 02. Oktober that the Gentile Times had ended. (Yeah; he was still wrong...)

  Hey Benn. I think you misread my post.
• 

  steve2

  If Russell had replaced his arrogant certainty with humility, the impact of his speculations would have turned out differently: People would have realized he was just another earnest speculator about what lay round the corner.

  Similarly today, if JW org replaced their arrogant certainty with humility, the impact of their story would turn out differently: People would realize JW organization is just another earnest speculator about what lies round the corner.
  
• 

  sir82

  So, for that gas bag to enter the lunchroom in 1914 at Bethel, after his failed prophecy, and announce to everyone that Jesus had indeed come, only invisibly, was a pharisaical affront of immense magnitude.

  Russell never rescinded his view that the "parousia" had commenced in 1874.

  It wasn't until well into Rutherford's reign that the doctrine was changed, to a "parousia" commencing in 1914.
  
• 

  bennyk

  [B]iblexaminer wrote: "So, for that gas bag to enter the lunchroom in 1914 at Bethel, after his failed prophecy, and announce to everyone that Jesus had indeed come, only invisibly, was a pharisaical affront of immense magnitude. That shitebag had been teaching that Jesus was already invisibly there for over 35 years and now he's going to.... what??? ....teach something new??? What?? Jesus came last night??? Holy cow... and now we see it was an invisible coming... STOP THE PRESSES"

  The announcement made on 02. October 1914 was that the Gentile Times had ended. They were not told that the invisible presence had begun the previous evening.