He wrote a three part series for the Golden Age (I am not sure if these were actually published) that laid out his justifications for how this new calendar was more accurate and of course, was right in line with the Divine Plan. The calendar was published in the 1935 yearbook, but the Watchtower magazine later published a retraction to the calendar. From what I have read, Judge Rutherford gave Woodworth a horribly abusive 'dressing down' in front of Bethel staff over the calendar.
The three part article and Woodworth's crazy calculations attest to the claims that Woodworth was an obsessive compulsive. He must have invested a tremendous amount of time and energy into constructing 'Jehovah's Memorial Calendar'.
Please follow this link to download the three-part Golden Age articles, the calendar as it was published in the 1935 yearbook, and the subsequent Watchtower references to the article.
Woodworth's calendar (AKA Jehovah's calendar) was based on a lunar measurement system - "The Second Hand in the Timepiece of God".
Woodworth claimed that it was superior to the Jewish lunar calendar:
That the Jews are confused is self-evident........................*keep in mind that this calendar was conceived of shortly after the transformation of the 'Zionist' Bible Students into Rutherford's 'army' - the Jehovah's witnesses. The dual covenant doctrine that Russell had campaigned valiantly for had been dropped for Rutherford's 'replacement theology'.
Jehovah's people have nothing to learn from the Jews on this subject; the Jews have lost the "key of Knowledge".
A few highlights of the new calendar:
Woodworth's calendar is a '6000 year calendar' that claims to count time back to the very moment of Adam's creation - he numbers the days and months forward from that zero beginning and also changes the names of the days of the week and the names of the months. He designates the era before 1935 with the letters B.R. - Before Ransom - and calls 1935 the Year of the Ransom.
The day starts at 6 pm and the year starts at......I think.... the vernal equinox.
Here are his descriptions of the new names for the days of the week (sans Bible verses):
Lightday, the first day of the week, is commemorative of the great gift of light in creative epoch No. 1.
Heavenday, second day of the week, is commemorative of the gift of the atmosphere, necessary to sustain the life of breathing creatures.
Earthday, third day of the week, is commemorative of the making of the beautiful home which god made for man and other breathing creatures.
Starday, fourth day of the week, is commemorative of the unfoldment of the magnificent pageantry of the heavens, suns, moons and stars inconceivable in number and beauty; the matchless spectacle of the universe.
Lifeday, fifth day of the week, will ever be commemorative of the great epoch in which the Creator first bestowed upon earthly creatures the unspeakable boon of life.
Mansday, sixth day of the week, will ever remind man of the gracious act of God in making the human creature and will remind him of the time when he was not in existence. It was not at all necessary to the happiness of God that such a creature as man should ever have lived.
Godsday, seventh day of the week, reminds man for ever of the source of all his joys and hopes and the eternal resting place of his love.
And the names of the months are as follows:
Redemption – (first month); Life; Visitment; Freedom; Vindication; Hope; King; Peace; Order; Logo; Jehovah; Temple
The calendar is hinged upon two events: Adam's creation and Jesus' life.
from Pg 428 – April 10, 1935 – part 3 :
The evidence herein seems to clearly prove that the day of Christ’s birth was King 3, Edenic day No. 1470658, completing week No. 210094, god’s month No. 49801, B.R. 34 (Oct.1, B.C.2). He was born on a Mansday (Friday), and died on the same day of the week, which, as in hereafter be shown, was Redemption 14, Edenic day No. 1482894, completing week No. 211842, god’s month No. 50215, year of Ransom 1 (Friday April 1, A.D. 33). The time of his death was 9:00 D. (“the ninth hour” of the day, 3:00 p.m.)Woodworth goes on to devote the next couple pages to calculating the exact time of the last Supper, and all the details of Jesus' death and resurrection.
