# JWs lie for WTS?

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Posted by nimrod [nimrod] on October 30, 1999 at 02:20:37 {G0PnT/qYmkzgQRPel3DwYlrZ1MnHis}:

WTS occasionally publishes life stories and experiences of long-standing Jehovah’s Witnesses in WT and Awake magazines.

I am somewhat wary of such anecdotage recollections as sometimes a whole lot of nonsense and embellishment goes into such stories! The hapless old JWs relate (or are they made to relate?) details which are sometimes obviously false.

Here is one example:

In his life story Basil Tsatos (some 80 years old at time of writinghis story) indicates that he was disappointed that no date for the return of Christ was given in WTS’s publication The Harp of God.

In fact 1874 is the distinct date of Christ’s return in The Harp of God given in all of its editions. (1921, 1928, 1937 and 1940).

This is what Mr. Tsatos says:

> One day when I was about 12, my father received a book from his brother who lived in the United States. It was entitled The Harp of God, published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. I looked down the table of contents, and my eyes lit up when I saw the chapter "Our Lord’s Return." I read it with great interest, but I was disappointed that no year was given for the return. The book, however, indicated that it was not far off. (WT 1993 August 1. p. 21)

(A footnote in the WT indicates that," On December 13, 1992, while this life story was being completed, Brother Tsatos fell asleep in death." (p. 25))

Following are some of the quotations from The Harp of God (1921 ed) which provide the 1874 date as it relates to Christ’s second coming. Also Mr Tsatos’ statement that "The book, however indicated that it (Jesus’ return) was not far off" was obviously not to be found in the book by me.

> The most important thing to which all the prophecies point and for which the apostles looked forward has been the second coming of the Lord. It is described by the Prophet as a blessed time. Daniel then says: "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty [1335] days". (Daniel 12: 12) The watchers here, without question, are those who were instructed by the Lord to watch for his return. This date, therefore, when understood, would certainly fix the time when the Lord is due at his second appearing. Applying the same rule, then, of a day for a year, 1335 days after 539 A. D. brings us to A. D. 1874, at which time, according to Biblical chronology, the Lord’s second presence is due. If this calculation is correct, from that time forward we ought to be able to find some evidences marking the Lord’s presence. (p. 230)

> The time of the Lord’s second presence dates from 1874, as above stated. The latter period is within the first named, of course, and at the latter part of the period known as "the time of the end". (p. 231)

> It was in the year 1874, the date of our Lord’s second presence, that the first labor organization was created in the world. (p. 234)

> From 1874 forward is the latter part of the period of "the time of the end". From 1874 is the time of the Lord’s second presence, as above stated. (p. 234)

> From that time forward there has been a marvelous increase of light and the inventions and discoveries have been too numerous for us to mention all of them here, but mention is made of some of those that have come to light since 1874, as further evidence of the Lord’s presence since that date, as follows: Adding machines, aeroplanes, aluminum, antiseptic surgery, artificial dyes, automatic couplers… (p. 235)

> We mark a wonderful fulfillment of this statement of the Lord as further corroborative proof of the Lord’s second presence from 1874 forward. (p. 237)

> The great work of the harvest, that is to say, the proclaiming of the second presence of the Lord and the gathering together of those who truly love his appearing, has been so remarkably fulfilled since 1874 that it is one of the most striking and conclusive proofs of the Lord’s second presence. (p. 241)

> His presence beginning in 1874, he has carried on his harvest work from 1878 forward, but has not interrupted the gentile dominion until that dominion should end. The end of the gentile rule, therefore, would mark necessarily the end of the present order; therefore, the end of the world. (p. 244)

What could be the reason for WTS to "overlook" this glaring error in Mr. Tsatos’ statement?

Could it be that the 1984 date for Christ’s return, since it is an embarrassment to the WTS now, was being covered up in this 1993 article?

Or is it possible that no one in WTS bothered to read Mr. Tsatos’s input before publishing it? (Mr Tsatos did not live to see his article in print.)

My above latter surmise is not really plausible because the WTS affirms elsewhere that:

> The literature published by the Watch Tower Society is published in the name of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Regardless of who may write certain articles, they are checked carefully by members of the governing body before they are published; so they are properly viewed as coming from the Society…With these things in mind, we encourage all who seek the Bible truth to see the prime necessity of the possession of the holy spirit on the part of those who are responsible for the material that goes into the publications of our Society. The evidence of the holy spirit in the quality and content of the writings published by the Watch Tower Society should be the thing that satisfies, that convinces… (WT 1959 October 1, pp. 607, 608)

Does any one have any idea why WTS permitted such an obvious error by Mr. Tsatos to be posthumously published? Or am I missing something here?

nimrod

Follow Ups:

- *JWs lie for WTS? WorldlyWitness 07:05:48 10/31/99 (0)
- *JWs lie for WTS? AF 08:20:15 10/30/99 (5)
  - **JWs lie for WTS? WW 07:39:03 10/31/99 (2)
    - ***JWs lie for WTS? Rational 09:51:50 11/02/99 (0)
    - ***JWs lie for WTS? AF 23:11:46 10/31/99 (0)
  - **JWs lie for WTS? nimrod 14:54:50 10/30/99 (0)
  - **JWs lie for WTS? Gedanken 14:19:03 10/30/99 (0)
- *JWs lie for WTS? Ken 07:15:41 10/30/99 (0)
- *JWs lie for WTS? lazy writers 06:04:35 10/30/99 (0)
- *JWs lie for WTS? roamer 05:03:02 10/30/99 (0)

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