Hello everyone,
As promised here below I?m posting the last part
concerning :
***1874 v. 1914 date change?a WTBS Inc?s
masterpiece of forgery and deception .
Part THREE : The WTBS Inc. wordwide 'masquerade' and pathetic
revised / rewritten history concerning the two dates ;
Now, this last part, will present ? convincing evidences ? of the clever way used over decades, by the WTBS Inc. to change/revise/rewrite/ their own history concerning one of the foremost and worldwide preached/published doctrine i.e.
?The time of Jesus Christ ? second coming and the beginning
of his second parousia or presence.?
As the years pass by, so the mention on the date ' 1874 ' fades
slowly, slowly into oblivion to the point that the R& F today
will not believe of its existence and wide use madse by the
WTBS Inc. ! Orwell in comparison to them is a beginner.
But once finished the presentation, let?s begin.
* Quote from the year 1949:
In ?The Watchtower? July 15th, 1949 (page 215, paragraph 22), the statement is made:
? . . . Messiah, the Son of man, came into Kingdom power A.D. 1914 and . . . this constitutes his second coming and the beginning of his second parousía or presence.?
(The above quote is also given as a reminder in the year 1973, in
the book : " God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached' ,
page 209 paragraph 55 .)-
Quote from the year 1952:
*** w52 11/1 p. 658 A Better Basis for Belief ***
16 As for the time of Christ?s second presence, Daniel?s prophecy is again
the one that gives the chronology for it. (Dan. 4:16)
It was figured out as pointing to A.D. 1914, and The Watchtower called
notice to the significance of 1914 in the year 1879.
?.
Predicted were world war, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, sectarian divisions, persecution of his followers, world-wide preaching of the good news of the established Kingdom, widespread delinquency and general breakdown of morals, and many other developments that we have seen since 1914. The generation experiencing the beginning of these things will survive to see their end at Armageddon. (Matt. 24:1-34; 2 Tim. 3:1-5, 13) Thereafter eternal life in endless blessings will begin for obedient persons in a new world.?2 Pet. 3:13?.
* Quote from the year 1954:
*** w54 6/15 p. 370 The Revelation of Jesus Christ ***
4 "Why, then, do the nations not realize and accept the approach of this climax of judgment? It is because they have not heeded the world-wide advertising of Christ's return and his second presence. Since long before World War I Jehovah's witnesses pointed to 1914 as the time for this great event to occur . And since 1914 physical evidences establishing this trut h have been pointed to repeatedly in the columns of The Watchtower. ?
*Please notice also the subtle association :
?? long before World War I Jehovah's witnesses?
***The name change , from Bible Students , to " Jehovah's
Witnesses " took place in the year 1931... i.e. 13 years
after the end of Wold War I ! -
- Quote from the year 1959:
From the book :
? JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN THE DIVINE PURPOSE?
COPYRIGHT,1959
By WATCH TOWER BIBLE &TRACT SOCIETY
OF PENNSYLVANIA First Edition 500,000 COPIES
PUBLISHERS WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY
OF NEW YORK,INC.
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
Brooklyn,New York,U .S .A.
Made in the United States of America
,
(chapter 15 th JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN THE DIVINE PURPOSE page 101 )
For the second time at Cedar Point,Ohio,an
international convention was held, September 5-13,1922. On this second occasion
also,Jehovah's active force upon his or-
ganized people authorized and fortified
them in fulfilling their responsible mission .b
Excitement ran high from the first day,
with keen anticipation particularly for the
session scheduled to be held on Friday,
which had been designated in advance as
"The Day."It proved to be well named .
To add to the interest,large banners
around the grounds had carried the letters
"A D V,"and everyone was trying to
guess what they meant .
Truly a feast of stimulating new truths
LOIS :
CHAPTER 15
was spread before Jehovah's people on this
occasion .Emphasizing the theme of the
Kingdom,Brother Rutherford delivered a
historic lecture on the subject :"The King-
dom.
"He said :
Why has the King come?To set up [God's ]
kingdom and reign as King .But he had a work to do before his reign began,and that is a preparatory work.Since there are to be asso- ciated with him in his reign his body members, these must be gathered together and prepared for the beginning of the reign ....
The Lord foreknew,of course,that Satan would not peaceably yield the kingdoms of earth .He knew that there would be a great conflict,and hence he must prepare for that conflict....The gentile times ended ...1914,and immediately followed the World War ;and since that day there has been upon earth dis- tress of nations,with perplexity .It has been a day of increasing darkness and blackness and suffering .
The physical facts,then,clearly show that the day of preparation was from 1874 forward ;...that the day of preparation ended in1914 ;and that in 1918,or thereabouts,the Lord came to his temple .This coming to the temple was for judgment,because judgment must first begin at the house of God .(1 Peter 4 :17)The judgment would be upon the true church and also the nominal system....
Prior to 1878 the nominal church had grown mighty in the earth .In 1878 God's favor was
withdrawn from the nominal systems .From that time on Brother Russell and the brethren who supported him went throughout the land .endeavoring to turn the hearts of Christen- dom back to a childlike faith in God .The nominal church heeded not .In 1914 these systems
were boasting of their power and influence and said :"We are rich and have need of nothing." When the World War began in 1914,nominal Christendom raised its voice in favor of the
war....
(footontes)
a Light,Book One (1930),pp .102-107 :Light,Book Two (1930),pp .19-67 .b W 1922,pp .323-352 .
101
102 JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN THE DIVINE PURPOSE
....
In January,1919,before the League of Nations was completely born,the Federal Council of Churches boldly issued the following blasphemous statement :.. .c
Judge Rutherford then quoted from the
statement we read earlier,wherein these
clergymen had hailed the League as the
"political expression of the Kingdom of
God on earth ."d
He continued :
Thus they denied the coming of the Lord and his kingdom to bless mankind,and openly allied themselves with the Devil's scheme,and then blasphemously attempted to offer this before the Lord....
Who will go for the Lord Jesus and the Lord Jehovah?Who now,having their lips purged, will voluntarily carry the message?...
The Prophet of the Lord answers :"Bring forth the blind people that have eyes,and the deaf that have ears .Let all the nations be gathered together,and let the peoples be assembled :Who among them can declare this, and show us former things?Let them bring forth their witnesses,that they may be justi- fied ;or let them hear,and say,It is truth .
Ye are my witnesses,saith the Lord [Jehovah ], and my servant whom I have chosen ;that ye may know and believe me,and understand that I am he :before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me .I,even I,am the Lord;and beside me there is no savior.I have declared,and have saved,and I have showed,when there was no strange god among you ;therefore ye are my witnesses,saith the Lord [Jehovah ],that I am God ."-Isaiah 43 :8-12 .
Thus we see that those of the temple class are clearly designated as the Lord's witnesses at this time,to bring a message of consolation to the people,that the Kingdom of heaven is here, and that millions now living will never die . Thus it is seen that God purposes that his name
shall be magnified,that the people shall know that he is Lord .Thus we see that God purposes to have a people in the earth in this time of
stress,clearly marked as separate and distinct
e W 1922,pp .333-335 . d Chapter 14,pp .93,94.e W 1922,pp .335-337.
from all others,standing as his witnesses,fear- lessly crying out the message :"The kingdom of heaven is at hand!"...
Do you believe it?
Do you believe that the King of glory is present,and has been since 1874?
Do you believe that during that time he has conducted his harvest work?
Do you believe that he has had during that time a faithful and wise servant through whom he directed his work and the feeding of the household of faith?
Do you believe that the Lord is now in his temple,judging the nations of earth?
Do you believe that the King of glory has begun his reign?
Then back to the field,0 ye sons of the most high God!Gird on your armor!Be sober,be vigilant,be active,be brave .Be faithful and true witnesses for the Lord .Go forward in the fight until every vestige of Babylon lies deso- late .Herald the message far and wide.The world must know that Jehovah is God and that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords .
This is the day of all days .Behold,the King reigns!You are his publicity agents .Therefore advertise,advertise,advertise,the King and his kingdom.e
TOM : I guess the letters "A D V"on the
banners you spoke of were an abbreviation
of "advertise ."
JOHN : That's right.Something else that
aroused interest and helped fix the minds
of the brothers on the importance of the
message was a large banner,thirty-six feet
long,in three colors,that had been made
by the Society's artist .It had been strung
above the speaker's stand and folded in
such a way that it could not be read until
the psychological moment .When Brother
Rutherford concluded his stirring address
with the dramatic call to advertise the
Kingdom,the strings holding the banner
were cut,and it unfolded before the audi-
ence to reveal its message :"Advertise the
King and Kingdom."In the middle of the
banner was a large picture of Jesus .
LOIs : That certainly must have been a
thrilling occasion,and I notice that Judge
Rutherford placed repeated emphasis on
the matter of being witnesses of the Lord .
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°end of page 102 °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Please note that the material was published in 1959, but the events, related
on pages 101, 102 did take place in the year 1922 !
As the years passed by, 10,20,30,40 years from the publication of the
above mentioned book, whenever a reference was made concerning the
'.. international convention that was held on September 5-13,1922 at Cedar Point, Ohio..'
the WTBS Inc. has always failed to mention/refer/quote the central part
of J. Rutherford talk...which as the book shows so clearly, referred to:
'...the King of glory is present,and has been since 1874?'
Furthermore it has to be said that few among the R&F do have a printed copy of
the book, and of course, it is not avalaible in any of the WTBS Inc. CDs!
* Quote from the year 1965:
- -The Watchtower ' , July 15th, 1965 page 428
"Jehovah's Advancing Organization"
As we look back over the years, we can clearly see how God's organization in modern times has progressed in understanding. For example, it learned that Christ's second presence was to be in the spirit, and not in the flesh as many professed Christians believe. His rule would be from the heavens. This was a new revelation of great importance to God's people who had been anxiously awaiting his second presence toward the end of the nineteenth century.
Please do note that , by using the WTBS Inc. literaure, it can be said without any doubt that brother Charles Taze Russel and all the other Bible Students were not "anxiously awaiting his second presence toward the end of the nineteenth century"; for the simple fact that they believed and preached that it had already occurred years past in 1874.
- Quote from the year 1966:
*** w66 2/15 p. 103 Christ?s Return?Do You Know What to Look For? ***
Compare this with what has taken place since the year 1914.
For over thirty years before that date and for half a century since, Jehovah?s witnesses have pointed to the year 1914 as the time for the end of ?the appointed times of the nations? and the time in which Christ would begin his Kingdom rule. (Luke 21:24)
Oh yes, very well indeed , but what about the public statement ,
one of the many :
'...the King of glory is present,and has been since 1874?'
(September 8 th 1922, Cedar Point, Ohio . See also w. 11/1/1922 pages 332-337 )
* Quote from the year 1988:
*** w88 5/1 p. 21 Jehovah Does Not Forsake His Servants
My Early Life
I was born in 1909 in Kure City, Japan, just 16 miles [25 km] from Hiroshima. My parents ran a rice shop and a kimono store. When I was nine, the Spanish flu hit our area, and soon coffins with dead bodies were piled around the crematorium. My elder sister and I caught the disease, and a week later she died. At her sudden death, I began to wonder: ?Why do people die? What happens to them at death??
?.
page 22
Learning Bible Truth
In an effort to make me abandon my faith, Father arranged for me to marry a total stranger, Jizo Ishii, a zealous Buddhist. His elder brother was a chief priest of a Buddhist temple. I was told that although Jizo was not a Christian, he would be understanding about my faith. So I moved to Osaka and at the age of 19 married Jizo, who was a tailor. But contrary to what my father had said, Jizo wouldn?t permit me to attend church.
At the back of our house in Tojo-cho, Osaka, there was a house with a sign: ?Osaka Branch of the International Bible Students Association.? Assuming it to be a Christian group, I visited the house.
?Do you believe in the second advent of the Lord?? I asked the young man who came to the door.
?Christ?s second advent was realized in 1914,? he answered.
In astonishment, I told him that was impossible. ?You should read
this book,? he said, handing me The Harp of God.
?
page 22
Eventually, my husband found out that I was reading a Christian book. However, when I took a firm stand for my faith, he began wondering whether something very important was involved and so read The Harp of God himself. I was baptized the following year, March 23, 1929, and my husband was baptized shortly afterward.
**** This ? memory recollection ? is really misleading. As a matter of fact the quoted book: 'The Harp of God ' edition 1921, mention a few times the 1874 date referring to the "presence" of Jesus, and more precisely on pages: 230, 231, 234, ;
page 235 :
« This date, therefore, when understood, would certainly fix the time when the Lord is due at this second appearing. Applying the same rule, then, of a day for a year, 1335 days after 539 A.D. brings us to 1874 A.D., at which time according to Biblical chronology, the Lord's second presence is due. . . » .
and also pages 236, 237, 241, 244, 271 .- Even later edition of the same book: in 1928, 1937, 1940 retained the same date : the year 1874 , as the date of Jesus' Christ - presence ***
Two year later another « Watchtower « article with a similar misleading memory-recollection :
* Quote from the year 1990
*** w90 9/1 p. 10 Trusting in Jehovah Brings Happiness ***
AS TOLD BY JACK HALLIDAY NATHAN
?
page 11 Finding a Purpose in Life in India
After the war ended in 1918, there was no work available in England, so I rejoined the army and went off to India as part of the peacetime garrison. In May 1920 the malaria flared up again, and I was sent up into the hills to recuperate. There I read all the books I could get my hands on, including the Bible. Reading the Scriptures intensified my interest in the Lord?s return.
Months later, down in Kanpur, I started a Bible study group, hoping to learn more about the Lord?s return. It was there that I met Fredrick James, a former British soldier who was now a zealous Bible Student. He explained to me that Jesus had been present since 1914, invisible to man. This was the most thrilling news I had ever heard. My first urge was to get out of the army. The bloodshed and death of the European war had disgusted me. I wanted to be a peaceful missionary and preach this good news about Christ?s presence.
The army did not agree to release me, however. Instead, they sent me to western India, now Pakistan. While there, I read Studies in the Scriptures, by Charles Taze Russell, and became more convinced than ever that I should respond to the call to preach. I began to have nightmares that left me depressed. In desperation I wrote to Brother James, who invited me to his home in Kanpur. The day I arrived was the Memorial of the Lord?s death. That day had a great impact on my life?I resolved both to remain single and to make the full-time ministry my goal in life.
Back in England
In late 1921, I was transferred back to England, and in the spring of 1922, I was discharged from the army. That summer J. F. Rutherford, the second president of the Watch Tower Society, came to England, and I went with my parents to hear his talk at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Afterward, I was moved to offer my services at Bethel, as the branch offices of the Watch Tower Society are called, but I was kindly encouraged to do some colporteur work (full-time preaching) first.?
If we read carefully Jack Hallyday Nathan? s account, he places his experience around the year 1920 - more than a decade before - the WTBS Inc. started to their doctrine concerning Jesus Christ's invisible second coming /return from 1874 to 1914.
Notice also that the WTBS Inc. own publication i.e. ? The Harp of God ?
edition 1921, mention a few times the 1874 date on pages: 230, 231, 234, and also on pages 236, 237, 241, 244, 271.-
Furthemore, Charles Taze Russel in all his published volumes of ? The Studies of the Scriptures ? never used the date ' 1914 ' when referring
to:
****Jesus Christ's invisible second coming /return -
but he always used the date of 1874 .(See Part ONE )
T he WTBS Inc.'s constant desire to rewrite history, is never satisfied, because? 50 years after 1943 the ? change? , they published , and taught worldwide the following :
* Quote from the year 1993:
*** w93 1/15 p. 5 ?Caught Away to Meet the Lord??How? ***
Christ?s ?Presence?
While confirming that faithful Christians then dead would be resurrected, Paul also said: ?The living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death.? (Verse 15) Noteworthy, indeed, is the apostle?s reference to the Lord?s ?presence.? Here the original-language text uses the Greek word pa·rou·si´an, which literally means ?being alongside.?
When a foreign head of State visits a country, the dates of his presence there are generally announced. This has been true of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Watchtower has consistently presented evidence to
honesthearted students of Bible prophecy that Jesus?
presence in heavenly Kingdom power began in 1914.
Events since that year testify to Jesus? invisible presence. (Matthew 24:3-14)
I have only one comment:
'... The Watchtower has consistently presented evidence..."!
* Quote from the year 1993:
From the book : « Jehovah?s Witnesses?Proclaimers of God?s Kingdom ? published by the WTBS in the year 1993:
*** jv chap. 5 pp. 46-47 Proclaiming the Lord?s Return (1870-1914) ***
. ?When we first met,? Russell later stated, ?he had much to learn from me on the fulness of restitution based upon the sufficiency of the ransom given for all, as I had much to learn from him concerning time.? Barbour succeeded in convincing Russell that Christ?s invisible presence had begun in 1874
?
To counteract wrong views regarding the Lord?s return, Russell wrote the pamphlet The Object and Manner of Our Lord?s Return. It was published in 1877.
That same year Barbour and Russell jointly published Three Worlds, and the Harvest of This World. This 196-page book discussed the subjects of restitution and Biblical time prophecies.
Though each subject had been treated by others before, in Russell?s view this book was ?the first to combine the idea of restitution with time-prophecy.? It presented the view that Jesus Christ?s invisible presence dated from the autumn of 1874.?
I?m rather amused, that in the year 1993, the WTBS Inc. uses the words : « It presented the view?? because, 6 years after C.T.Russell?s death, a Watchtower article, dated November 1st, 1922 pages 332-337 , gave details of a public talk delivered by J.F. Rutherford at Cedar Point, Ohio, Friday September 8th, 1922
Quote :
?;;;;Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to appear for the second time in the year 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt that he did appear in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy is otherwise designated the physical facts; and these facts are indisputable.?
The same book : « Jehovah?s Witnesses?Proclaimers of God?s Kingdom ? states:
*** jv chap. 10 pp. 133-134 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth ***
In 1876, when Russell had first read a copy of Herald of the Morning, he had learned that there was another group who then believed that Christ?s return would be invisible and who associated that return with blessings for all families of the earth. From Mr. Barbour, editor of that publication, Russell also came to be persuaded that Christ?s invisible presence had begun in 1874.( °)Attention was later drawn to this by the subtitle ?Herald of Christ?s Presence,? which appeared on the cover of Zion?s Watch Tower.
(°) Footnote :
*** jv chap. 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth ***
This was influenced by the belief that the seventh millennium of human history had begun in 1873 and that a period of divine disfavor (of equal length to a former period considered to be one of favor) upon natural Israel would end in 1878.
The chronology was flawed because of relying on an inaccurate rendering of Acts 13:20 in the King James Version, belief that there was a transcription error at 1 Kings 6:1, and failure to take into account Biblical synchronisms in the dating of reigns of the kings of Judah and of Israel.
A clearer understanding of Biblical chronology was published in 1943, in the book ?The Truth Shall Make You Free,? and it was then refined the following year in the book ?The Kingdom Is at Hand,? as well as in later publications.
Notice the ?blame, the excuses etc.etc.
Still, the same book : « Jehovah?s Witnesses?Proclaimers of God?s Kingdom ? , 500 pages later states:
*** jv chap. 28 pp. 631-632 Testing and Sifting From Within ***
It was only natural that they should wonder when and how these things would occur. Did the inspired Scriptures provide any clues?
Using Bible chronology that had first been laid out by Christopher Bowen of England, they thought that 6,000 years of human history had ended in 1873, that thereafter they were in the seventh thousand-year period of human history, and that they had surely approached the dawn of the foretold Millennium.
The series of books known as Millennial Dawn (and later called Studies in the Scriptures), which were penned by C. T. Russell, drew attention to the implications of this according to what the Bible Students understood from the Scriptures.
Something else that was seen as a possible time indicator involved the arrangement that God instituted in ancient Israel for a Jubilee, a year of release, every 50th year. This came after a series of seven 7-year periods, each of which ended with a sabbath year. During the Jubilee year, Hebrew slaves were freed and hereditary land possessions that had been sold were restored. (Lev. 25:8-10)
Calculations based on this cycle of years led to the conclusion that perhaps a greater Jubilee for all the earth had begun in the autumn of 1874, that evidently the Lord had returned in that year and was invisibly present, and that ?the times of restitution of all things? had arrived.?Acts 3:19-21, KJ.
Based on the premise that events of the first century might find parallels in related events later, they also concluded that if Jesus? baptism and anointing in the autumn of 29 C.E. paralleled the beginning of an invisible presence in 1874, then his riding into Jerusalem as King in the spring of 33 C.E. would point to the spring of 1878 as the time when he would assume his power as heavenly King.(°)
Footnote:
That 1878 was a year of significance seemed to be fortified by reference to Jeremiah 16:18 (?Jacob?s double,? KJ) along with calculations indicating that 1,845 years had apparently elapsed from Jacob?s death down till 33 C.E., when natural Israel was cast off, and that the double, or duplicate, of this would extend from 33 C.E. down to 1878.
Extending the parallels further, it was stated that the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. (37 years after Jesus was hailed as king by his disciples when he rode into Jerusalem) might point to 1915 (37 years after 1878) for a culmination of anarchistic upheaval that they thought God would permit as a means for bringing existing institutions of the world to their end.
This date appeared in reprints of Studies in the Scriptures. (See Volume II, pages 99-101, 171, 221, 232, 246-7; compare reprint of 1914 with earlier printings, such as the 1902 printing of Millennial Dawn.) It seemed to them that this fitted well with what had been published regarding the year 1914 as marking the end of the Gentile Times.
Compare the rendering in The Emphasised Bible, translated by J. B. Rotherham; see also the footnote on Acts 13:20 in the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures?With References.
A few pages further:
*** jv chap. 28 pp. 632-633 Testing and Sifting From Within ***
Later on, during the years from 1935 through 1944, a review of the overall framework of Bible chronology revealed that a poor translation of Acts 13:19, 20 in the King James Version, along with certain other factors, had thrown off the chronology by over a century.(°)
This later led to the idea?sometimes stated as a possibility, sometimes more firmly?that since the seventh millennium of human history would begin in 1975, events associated with the beginning of Christ?s Millennial Reign might start to take place then.
(°) Footnote :
*** jv chap. 28 Testing and Sifting From Within ***
See ?The Truth Shall Make You Free,? chapter XI;
?The Kingdom Is at Hand,? pages 171-5;
also The Golden Age, March 27, 1935, pages 391, 412
. In the light of these corrected tables of Bible chronology, it could be seen that previous use of the dates 1873 and 1878, as well as related dates derived from these on the basis of parallels with first-century events, were based on misunderstandings.
I do believe that there is no need for a comment !
Only 5 years later, in the year 1998 , i.e. 55 years after 1943 , the mighty WTBS Inc. came out with the following:
* Quote from the year 1998:
*** w98 9/15 p. 15 Waiting in ?Eager Expectation?
?The eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.??ROMANS 8:19.
THE situation of true Christians today resembles that of the first-century Christians. A prophecy helped Jehovah?s servants of those days to identify when the Messiah was due to appear. (Daniel 9:24-26)
The same prophecy foretold Jerusalem?s destruction but contained no elements enabling Christians to know in advance when that city would be destroyed. (Daniel 9:26b, 27)
Similarly, a prophecy providentially caused sincere 19th-century Bible students to be in expectation.
By linking the ?seven times? of Daniel 4:25 with ?the times of the Gentiles,? they anticipated that Christ would receive Kingdom power in 1914.
(Luke 21:24, King James Version; Ezekiel 21:25-27).-
and pages 16-17 :
?Why Does Jesus Christ Come?
6 Although present as King since 1914, Jesus Christ must yet judge systems and individuals before executing judgment on those he finds to be wicked. (Compare 2 Corinthians 5:10.)
Very recently? 60 years after ? , not yet satisfied to imitate the Pharahos of Egypt, well known for their habit of
rewriting history, the mighty WTBS Inc. published, and taught worldwide this material ? on the book :
« Isaiah?s Prophecy ? Light for all Mankind -
Volume II « published in the year 2001 )
*** ip-2 chap. 28 pp. 408-410 A Light for the Nations ***
13 Some of those ?brothers out of all the nations? were present on the day of Pentecost when holy spirit was poured out on Jesus? disciples. The account reads: ?There were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, reverent men, from every nation of those under heaven.? (Acts 2:5) They came to Jerusalem to worship according to Jewish custom, but when they heard the good news about Jesus Christ, many exercised faith in him and were baptized.
14 Does this prophecy have a modern-day fulfillment? Yes, indeed.
Following World War I, Jehovah?s anointed servants
discerned from the Scriptures that God?s Kingdom had been
set up in heaven in 1914.
Through careful Bible study, they learned that additional Kingdom heirs, or ?brothers,? were to be gathered. Intrepid ministers traveled to ?the most distant part of the earth,? using all manner of conveyance, in search of prospective members of the anointed remnant, most of whom came out of Christendom?s churches. When these were located, they were brought in as a gift to Jehovah.?Acts 1:8.
The above quote was part of the material , for the ? worldwide - congregation?s book study , beginning on Monday, October 13th , 2003 .-
Conclusions:
Which Scriptural text/texts can the WTBS Inc. use to justify their
written statement/claim that they were:
**** '...appointed in 1919 ' by Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, to teach ..." spiritual truths " to the entire world and such ' spiritual truths ' would include that :
- Jesus Christ 'parousia ' took place in the year 1874 .
(Date officially accepted and taught since the year 1877 #)
(#) *** yb75 37 United States of America (Part One) ***
In 1877, Barbour and Russell jointly published Three Worlds, and the Harvest of This World. This 196-page book combined information about Restitution with Biblical time prophecies. It presented the view that Jesus Christ?s invisible presence and a forty-year period opening with a three-and-a-half-year harvest dated from the autumn of 1874.
The great problem, in all this, was that a huge change in God's plan , was in store...and that such change ... remained unknown to the WTBS Inc., organization .
The same organization which claimed/ taught and still does , worldwide , that they were and still are:
*** 'God's channel on earth';
***'God's visible organization on earth';
***among them there is ? a remnant of spirit anointed
men and women, part of Jesus Christ?s bride.
The change was :
- Jesus Christ 'parousia ' took place in the year 1914
and not in the year 1874 -
Yet they ... although being " Jesus ?s Christ earthly ambassadors " and members of ' a royal priesthood '? not even ONE of all those ? anointed ? who partook of the emblems at the memorial of Jesus' death in the year 1902 :
*** w55 2/15 105 Part 4: Going on the Offensive *** '... the 1902 Memorial report showing that in only 175 congregations the total attendance exceeded 4,700, representing an individual-congregation average of more than twice that for the preceding year.'
Or in the year 1915:
*** w55 3/1 142 Part 5: The Warning Work (1909-1914) ***
'For 1915 the partial number reported as attenders of the annual Memorial celebration of Christ?s death was 15,430, and by this time there were 55,000 Watch Tower subscribers, thus indicating the approximate number associated in the warning and witness work.'
Or in the year 1917 :
*** w55 4/1 206 Part 7: New Administration Amid World War I *** 'However, in 1917 the partial report of the Memorial (April 5) showed 21,274 in attendance as associates of the Society. '
Or in the year 1918 :
*** w55 4/1 206 Part 7: New Administration Amid World War I *** 'By Memorial time, March 26, 1918, the separation had become irreconcilable, as the opposers chose to celebrate the death of Christ apart from the Society?s faithful congregations.
It had been the Society?s usual practice to publish a partial report of the Memorial attendance as sent to the Society by congregations in this land and abroad, but due to the 1918 disturbances, both internally and externally, the attendance figures were not gathered.'
Or in the year 1919:
*** yb75 94 United States of America (Part One) *** 'At the Memorial celebration on April 13, 1919, a partial report gave an attendance of 17,961. Though incomplete, these figures make it clear that far less than 4,000 had ceased walking with their former associates in God?s service.'
Strangely then, none of the 'anointed remnant class' knew absolutely nothing of the great event at 'the ..time of its supposed occurence' i.e. the year 1914 and even worst ...the event remained , hard to believe , officially unknown for many, many more years ,
.... more precisely 24 years , from 1919 to 1943 !
Then, all of the sudden ... as by a magician touch, the same event is transformed into doctrine/revelations/viewpoint/public worldwide teaching .. . about
- 29 years after the...supposed time of the event !!!
As if this was not enough , the same magician' touch , had the effect of altering/ modifying and even nullifying what was a public worldwide teaching teaching/doctrine /viewpoint/revelation .
This because the WTBS Inc. publications were considered and still are, even equal to God's Word, because such ' teaching ' are coming from God's visible channel/ God's own visible organization .
For this very reason the WTBS Inc;?s teaching on the second coming/return
of Jesus Christ was considered as Biblical "truth " by millions , for a period lasting from the year 1877 to the year 1943 i.e.
over 60 years !
As you have seen from quotes of the WTBS Inc., as the years went by, from 1943 onward, gently, gradually, subtly the historical development of the issue were changed...so much that it is now ' a fact ' that the WTBS Inc. not only KNEW the event but they preached it...many years in advance!
The saddest part, or rather pathetic truth is ...that most of the 'R&F' don?t really have an '....accurate knowledge ' of all the above things. For the vast majority of them, it is really difficult even to imagine for a moment the possibility to challenge or to have a difference in view/opinion from the WTBS Inc. offficially presented views/opinions/rules/doctrines.
Furthermore, I woulkd like to add that the mighty WTBS Inc. should remember and apply to themselves first, what they published for all congregations worldwide, as part of the ...' Watchtower ' study
scheduled for Sunday, September 14th, 2003 .-
' The Watchtower ' August 1st, 2003 pages 15-16 § 8-10 ;
Jehovah's Servants Are Truthful
Like Jehovah, his faithful Witnesses are truthful.
Jesus Christ, the preeminent Witness of Jehovah, affirmed the truth by the things he taught and by the way he lived and died.
True Christians follow the pattern that Jesus set in being truthful with others.
Paul counseled fellow believers: "Speak truth each one of you with his neighbor; because we are members belonging to one another." (Ephesians 4:25)
To many, lying may seem a convenient tool to obtain certain advantages. People lie to escape punishment, to profit in some way, or to gain the praise of others.
Yet, a practice of lying is a vice. What is more, a liar cannot gain God's approval. When we are known to be truthful, others believe what we say; they trust us.
However, if we are caught telling even a single lie, others may doubt the truthfulness of anything we say in the future.
An African proverb states: "One falsehood spoils a thousand truths."
Another proverb says: "A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth."
Truthfulness means more than merely telling the truth. It is a way of life. It defines who we are. We make the truth known to others not only by what we say but also by what we do.
If we are to impart truth to others, we must be truthful in all our ways. Our reputation for truthfulness and honesty will have a powerful impact on how people respond to what we teach.
Jehovah's Servants Reveal the Truth
Of course, others besides Jehovah's Witnesses may tell the truth and try to be honest. However, as servants of God, we have a particularly great responsibility to uphold what is true. We have been entrusted with Bible truths - truths that can lead one to everlasting life.
Finally, due to the 'evidence of contraddictory statements ' appearing in
various publications, even shortly spaced in time and to answer the frequently asked question concerning the revising/control exercised by the WTBS Inc. on all the publications, I can reassure you that two answers were already given on this specific subject: one in the year 1987 and the other one in the year 1995.
Here below the quotes:
*** w87 3/1 14-15 'Upon the Watchtower I Am Standing' ***
16 How would The Watchtower maintain the purity of its printed message? The magazine?s first editor, C. T. Russell, instituted safeguards to make certain that what was printed in The Watchtower was the truth as then understood. One of those safeguards is identified in his will made on June 27, 1907. (Russell died on October 31, 1916.) His will states:
?I direct that the entire editorial charge of ZION?S WATCH TOWER shall be in the hands of a committee of five brethren, whom I exhort to great carefulness and fidelity to the truth. All articles appearing in the columns of ZION?S WATCH TOWER shall have the unqualified approval of at least three of the committee of five, and I urge that if any matter approved by the three be known or supposed to be contrary to the views of one or both of the other members of the committee, such articles shall be held over for thought, prayer and discussion for three months before being published?that so far as possible the unity of the faith and the bonds of peace may be maintained in the editorial management of the journal.?
17 Each member of the Editorial Committee, according to Russell?s will, had to be ?thoroughly loyal to the doctrines of the Scriptures? and had to exhibit, as prominent characteristics, ?purity of life, clearness in the truth, zeal for God, love for the brethren and faithfulness to the Redeemer.? Also, Russell stipulated that ?it shall not in any manner be indicated by whom the various articles appearing in the journal are written . . . that the truth may be recognized and appreciated for its own worth, and that the Lord may more particularly be recognized as the Head of the church and the Fountain of truth.?
18 To this day the Governing Body follows similar guidelines.
Each article in both The Watchtower and Awake! and every page, including the artwork, is scrutinized by selected members of the Governing Body before it is printed.
Furthermore, those who assist in writing articles for The Watchtower are Christian elders who appreciate the seriousness of their assignment. (Compare 2 Chronicles 19:7.)
They spend many hours in researching the Bible and other reference material to make sure that what is written is the truth and that it faithfully follows the Scriptures. (Ecclesiastes 12:9, 10; 2 Timothy 1:13)
It is not unusual for one magazine article?that you may read in 15 minutes?to take from two weeks to over a month to prepare.
19 Therefore, you can read The Watchtower and Awake! with confidence.
and
*** w95 5/15 22-3 Flashes of Light-Great and Small (Part 2) ***
For many years the Governing Body of Jehovah?s Witnesses was synonymous with the board of directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, and matters were largely in the hands of its president.
As shown in the 1977 Yearbook of Jehovah?s Witnesses (pages 258-9), in 1976 the Governing Body began to function with six committees, each assigned to care for certain aspects of the worldwide work.
The Personnel Committee deals with personnel matters, including the interests of all who serve in the worldwide Bethel family.
The Publishing Committee handles all secular and legal matters, such as property and printing.
The Service Committee concerns itself with the witness work and supervises traveling overseers, pioneers, and the activities of congregation publishers.
The Teaching Committee is responsible for congregation meetings, special assembly days, circuit assemblies, and district and international conventions as well as the various schools for the spiritual education of God?s people.
The Writing Committee supervises the preparation and translation of publications in all forms, making sure that everything is in line with the Scriptures.
These words, do not need comments.
With my conclusions ends Part THREE, the last one on this subject.
I do hope that those who?ll take the time to read it?will appreciate it. Btw, many thanks to 'Dirtclod.com'.-
Greetings, J.C. MacHislopp
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