# For shorty

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Posted by Cygnus [Cygnus] on October 29, 1999 at 13:52:40 {CAtoZJLIp2QPTcl/wbssL4bdfUTIaI}:

A little ways down the board, you asked if it mattered what Russell believed on certain topics.

For 99% of the world's population, no, it doesn't really matter.

However, say a JW (like myself) comes across this interesting bit of information, that of Russell having quite different beliefs than JWs today regarding chronology, prophecy, and 1914. As a JW, I've convinced myself that it is in my best interests to be solely interested in discovering and disseminating truth, right?

So when my copy of the Watchtower arrives and I read this:

> 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. (w98 9/15 p.15)

. . . I'm naturally going to be curious as to why the faithful slave would print something like that.

Furthermore, if Jehovah's Witnesses didn't discern until many years after 1919 that Jesus had indeed "returned" in 1914, how could they have possibly been appointed by Jesus as the faithful slave class in the first place? Doesn't the prophecy say: "Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so"? How was the slave class "happy" if they didn't know they were appointed?

It was the Cedar Point convention where Rutherford announced that Jesus had "taken up kingdom power" in 1914. That convention was held in 1922, not prior to 1914. But Rutherford's talk also included the words: "...the King of Glory is present, and has been since 1874." So they still hadn't even moved the Parousia to 1914 yet. Why then does the Watchtower above say what it says?

Thought provoking questions for a faithful Jehovah's Witness, aren't they?

I also happened upon this little item on my Watchtower CD-ROM. It is from an article written by Fred Franz about his life and stuff in general.

> *** w87 5/1 26 Looking Back Over 93 Years of Living ***
> Getting to Know Brother Russell

> Upon finishing lunch, he asked if anyone had a Bible question. I asked about the likelihood of Adam's being resurrected in view of the fact that he was an unrepentant, willful sinner. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied: "Brother, you are asking a question and answering it at the same time. Now, just what was your question?"

I find that interchange quite interesting, since Pastor Russell did believe that Adam would be brought back in the general resurrection (in fact I believe that was official Bible Student belief until the 1920s). Why would Fred Franz imply otherwise?

Perhaps these things suggest that JWs aren't the sole possessers of "truth" after all; if they can make such errors regarding their own history, maybe they've got other things goofed up as well?

Here's to intelligent discussion.

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- *For shorty chappy 15:08:20 10/29/99 (0)

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