# **Covington: 1914/1930/1943

[ HOURGLASS2 OUTPOST ] [ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Tom [Zachary] on October 29, 1999 at 18:50:26 {CAtoZJLIp2p97koDwT8kPaEpA0ijdc}:

In Reply to: *Covington: 1914/1930/1943 posted by shorty on October 29, 1999 at 08:32:38:

Shorty,

If this is true about Russel does it really matter?

No shorty, it doesn't matter that much.

What does matter today in regard to the beliefs of the IBSA is honesty. There are few if any other religious groups besides the Witnesses that refer to their collective body of beliefs as “The Truth.” There are few, if any other religious groups that are as vocal in the viewpoint that past lapses in honesty on the part of other religious organizations merits God’s disapproval. Understandably then, it would be a cause for concern if like most other religious groups, Jehovah’s Witnesses have also given in to the desire to rewrite their own history.

For example, in light of the fact that Russell believed that Christ had returned in the October of the year 1874, and had recieved his kingly power 3 1/2 years later in the Spring of 1878 and believed this clear up until his death in the year 1916 would any of the following quotes be true?

The June 15, 1954 issue of The Watchtower on page 370 said:

> "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."

Obviously the Witnesses “long before World War I” could not possibly have been pointing ahead to 1914 as the date for the Parousia. At no point did the Bible Students ever look forward to the Parousia as a future event since it was taught clear up into the early 1930’s that it had already commenced in 1874

The July 15, 1965 issue of The Watchtower said on page 428:

> "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."

There are two major problems with this quote. First, the Bible students towards the end of the 19th century were not "anxiously awaiting his second presence." They never looked forward to it as a future event. From its inception in 1879, their principal journal was called Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence because its purpose was to call attention to the fact that Christ was already present and had been since 1874. Second, Russell published nothing prior to 1877 indicating that Christ's return would be invisible. Therefore, one cannot truthfully say that Russell taught anything about what "was to be" but only about what had already occurred.

The 1986 publication “Jehovah's Witnesses Unitedly Doing God's Will Worldwide” said on page 8:

> "Russell and his associates also saw that Christ's presence was to be invisible, in spirit. The Gentile Times, during which period God's sovereignty was not being expressed through any government on the earth, were to end in 1914. Then God's Kingdom would be established in heaven. These teachings are identified with Jehovah's Witnesses today. Russell and his companions announced these truths far and wide by talks and printed page."

Russell and his companions did no such thing. They did not teach that 1914 would see a heavenly establishment of the Kingdom, they taught that 1914 would see an earthly establishment of God’s Kingdom. The change of the prophetic application from a physical to a spiritual fulfillment was made long after the 1914 date had come and gone.

The September 15, 1998 issue of The Watchtower said on page 15:

> "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."

The 19th century Bible Students believed that Christ had received his Kingdom power in 1878. They were not looking forward to 1914 as the date when this event would occur. The idea that this event had occurred in 1914 did not appear until 1925.

From this sampling of quotes, it can be seen that revisionism concerning 1914 has been an ongoing practice spanning almost 50 years, and not simply an isolated mistake that was made in one or two publications. This is a cause for concern.

Tom

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject: ***Covington: 1914/1930/1943

Comments:

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ HOURGLASS2 OUTPOST ] [ FAQ ]