Posted by Moderator 14 [Moderator14] on March 28, 1999 at 20:53:25 {UtG2kkzAswMZE9XSNozUMWSdrpa5PWFPA}:
In Reply to: Known to be Untrue posted by Captain of My Fate on March 27, 1999 at 23:36:02:
OK, since you've apparently gone to such effort I'll reply. Actually I suspect not a lot of effort was involved in this because I've seen this somewhere before so maybe you just copied it. In any case.
It's just a little hard to know where to start since your original premise is wrong. There is a difference in 'presence' and 'receiving kingly power.' The Organization's statements on this have been consistent as long as we recognize that there was an acknowledged change in view as to time. You show a fundamental lack of understanding as to what they're talking about. Let me summarize:
Russell, influenced by a number of things, believed and published that Christ's presence began in 1874.
He also believed and published, starting in 1877, that the Gentile times would end in 1914 and that would be coupled with Christ's accepting kingly power to rule.
After 1914, indeed starting in the period 1912 - 1914, there was a realization that things hadn't turned out like they thought they were going to.
In 1925 with a Watchtower article, the timing on the beginning of the presence was moved to 1914.
The organization has consistently related this chain of events just as I have stated althought with a lot more verbage. It's been covered repeatedly in various issues of the Watchtower and in a number of books.
Rather than being dishonest, they have been brutally honest in acknowledging their original error and disappointment. There have been no attempt to conceal these facts. In fact, in 1996 this whole matter was discussed twice in every congregation on the face of the earth in two different sections of the Proclaimers book. If they were following the recommendations associated with the Kingdom Ministry School, every Witness also read this material twice, though I'm sure that didn't happen.
If you read the material posted below you'll see that there has been absolutely no attempt to decieve on this matter. I do not expect you to agree with the doctrine but if you're honest you should at least admit that.
I expect no acknowledgement of error or apology because I believe you are incapable of it. Unfortunately I think you are completely captive to your prejudices and illusions.
I apologize for the length and repetition of this material but it's necessary to demonstrate consistency, and I don't think one line quotes are good for much other than misrepresentation. Sources for my statements follow:
Rebuttal 1874
*** w55 1/1 7-8 Part 1: Early Voices (1870-1878) ***
In January, 1876, Charles Russell for the first time received a copy of the monthly
magazine The Herald of the Morning as published by the Rochester group headed by Nelson H. Barbour. A meeting was soon arranged between Russell and Barbour, since it was discovered that their views were the same concerning Christ's second
coming as being invisible. As a result the Pittsburgh Bible group of nearly thirty decided to affiliate with the Rochester group slightly larger in number. Russell became a joint editor along with Barbour for The Herald of the Morning. The
Pittsburgh group on Russell's initiative agreed to finance a small printing place in Rochester for the joint printing undertakings. It was also decided to publish a bound book containing their joint views, the work being completed by 1877.
The 194-page publication was entitled "Three Worlds or Plan of Redemption," by Barbour and Russell as joint authors. During this time Russell at the age of twenty-five began to sell out his business interests and went full time into the
preaching work, going from city to city to talk to various gatherings of the public, on the streets and, Sundays, in Protestant churches, where he could arrange such with the clergy.
This book set forth their belief that Christ's second
presence began invisibly in the fall of 1874 and thereby commenced a forty-year harvest period. Then, remarkably accurately, they set forth the year 1914 as the end of the Gentile times.-Luke 21:24.
*** w55 3/1 140 Part 5: The Warning
Work (1909-1914) ***
HISTORICALLY, the activity of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society from 1909 to 1914 must be viewed largely with respect to the warning work of proclaiming the fateful year 1914. For thirty-two years now since
1877 the Society's zealous volunteer workers, as witnesses of Jehovah, had publicly set forth the chronological proof and the physical facts indicating that the "Gentile times" were due to end in the fall of 1914.
*** w55 6/1 335 Part
11: Restoration of Theocratic Organization ***
Nevertheless, 1925 turned out to be a marked year in that a flood of new spiritual truths came to Jehovah's people. It was in this year that The Watch Tower brought them the sublime
revelations that the name of Jehovah must have its proper place; that the birth of the man-child Kingdom organization occurred in 1914; that Satan had been cast out of heaven and now must confine his operations to the earth; that Jehovah
purposes to make a great and lasting name for himself at the battle of Armageddon; that such battle is not a fight between capital and labor, conservatives and radicals, or by any human parties and nations, but is God's fight against the
entire Devil's organization, invisible and visible; and finally, that Jehovah's servant class on earth have no part in that fight, but must only warn of its coming.
*** w74 8/15 506-7 No Spiritual "Energy Crisis" for Discreet Ones
***
In 1877, Russell joined Nelson H. Barbour in publishing the book Three Worlds, and the Harvest of This World. It indicated that the end of the Gentile Times in 1914 would be preceded by a forty-year period to open with a
three-and-a-half-year harvest beginning in 1874 C.E. According to Bible chronology thereafter adopted, it was understood that 6,000 years of man's existence on earth ended in 1872, whereas six millenniums of human sin concluded and the
seventh millennium began in 1874. Christ's presence was thought to have begun in October 1874, at the start of the great antitypical Jubilee.-Lev. chap. 25; Rev. 20:4.
From that understanding, it was thought that the "chaste virgin"
class began going forth to meet the Bridegroom in 1874. (2 Cor. 11:2) Hence, when C. T. Russell began publishing a new religious magazine in July 1879, it was called "Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence." It was heralding
Christ's presence as having begun in 1874. This invisible presence was expected to continue until the Gentile Times ended in 1914, when the Gentile nations would be destroyed and the remnant of the "chaste virgin" class would be glorified
with their Bridegroom in heaven by death and resurrection to live in the spirit. (1 Cor. 15:42-44) Thus would the "discreet virgin" class enter through the door into the wedding.
The "chaste virgin" class endeavored to let their light
shine as they approached the time when they expected to meet their Bridegroom in heaven. Finally, that day arrived-October 1, 1914. The Gentile Times ended, but the anticipated heavenly glorification of the church did not come about. In
fact, it had not occurred by the time Russell himself died on October 31, 1916. Rather, great trouble and persecution came upon those desirous of meeting the Bridegroom. A climax was reached in the summer of 1918, when the Watch Tower
Society's new president, J. F. Rutherford, and seven other Christian men associated with headquarters were unjustly convicted and imprisoned.
1973 God's Kingdom Has Approached
187-8 11 "Here Is the Bridegroom!"
7 From that
understanding of matters, the "chaste virgin" class began going forth to meet the heavenly Bridegroom in the year 1874, as they believed him to have arrived in that year and to be from then on invisibly present. They felt that they were
already living in the invisible presence of the Bridegroom. Due to this fact, when Charles T. Russell began publishing his own religious magazine in July of 1879, he published it under the title "Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's
Presence." He had already become familiar with Wilson's The Emphatic Diaglott, which translated the Greek word pa�rou�si'a as "presence," not "coming," in Matthew 24:3 and elsewhere. The new magazine was heralding Christ's invisible presence
as having begun in 1874. This presence was to continue until the end of the Gentile Times in 1914, when the Gentile nations would be destroyed and the remnant of the "chaste virgin" class would be glorified with their bridegroom in heaven
by death and resurrection to life in the spirit. Thus the class pictured by the five wise virgins would enter through the door into the wedding.
206 11 "Here Is the Bridegroom!"
THE CORRECTING OF A MISUNDERSTANDING
48 It is true
that the editor and publisher of Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence calculated that the "presence" or parousia of the heavenly Bridegroom began in the year 1874 C.E. Also, that the date of the first man's creation by
Jehovah God was in the year 4128 B.C.E., which meant that six thousand years of man's existence on the earth ended in the year 1872 C.E., as calculated by Russell and his associates. This reckoning began to be announced on the front page
of Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence beginning with the issue of July 1, 1906, and this practice continued down through the issue of September 15, 1928. For instance, on the first of such mentioned issues appeared the date
of issue: "July 1, A.D. 1906-A.M., 6034"; whereas the dating of the last mentioned issue was: "Anno Mundi 6056-September 15, 1928." The Anno Mundi or "Year of the World" date was calculated to be the year 4128 before our Common
Era.
209-10 11 "Here Is the Bridegroom!"
55 In the year 1943 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society published the book "The Truth Shall Make You Free." In its chapter 11, entitled "The Count of Time," it did away with the insertion
of 100 years into the period of the Judges and went according to the oldest and most authentic reading of Acts 13:20, and accepted the spelled-out numbers of the Hebrew Scriptures. This moved forward the end of six thousand years of man's
existence into the decade of the 1970's. Naturally this did away with the year 1874 C.E. as the date of return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his invisible presence or parousia. The millennium that was to be marked by the
detaining of Satan the Devil enchained in the abyss and by the reign of the 144,000 joint heirs with Christ in heavenly glory was therefore yet in the future. What, then, about the parousia (presence) of Christ? Page 324 of the above book
positively says: "The King's presence or parousia began in 1914." Also, in the Watchtower issue of July 15, 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 parous�a or presence."
228-9 12 Increasing the King's Belongings
37 Only with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and his parousia or presence would the culmination
come in the fulfillment of the parable of the "talents." In the latter half of the past nineteenth century it was thought that the Lord had returned in the year 1874 C.E. and that with that year his invisible presence in spirit had begun.
But really the "sign" of his presence and of the conclusion of the system of things did not present itself during the succeeding four decades. Not until the end of the Gentile Times in the year 1914, about October 4/5 or the middle of the
Jewish lunar month Tishri. At that time the preaching of the good news of a coming Messianic kingdom of God turned into the preaching of the good news of the established kingdom of God. World events that followed piled up evidence that in
the aforesaid critical year God's kingdom of the heavens was born by the enthronement and crowning of his Messiah, Jesus the son of David the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1) The one had come who has the "legal right" to it. In fact, he had
returned!-Ezekiel 21:25-27.
1993 Proclaimers
47 5 Proclaiming the Lord's Return (1870-1914)
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.
133-4 10 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.
134-5 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth
Early in 1876, C. T. Russell received a copy of Herald of the Morning. He promptly wrote to Barbour and then
spent time with him in Philadelphia during the summer, discussing, among other things, prophetic time periods. Shortly thereafter, in an article entitled "Gentile Times: When Do They End?", Russell also reasoned on the matter from the
Scriptures and stated that the evidence showed that "the seven times will end in A.D. 1914." This article was printed in the October 1876 issue of the Bible Examiner. The book Three Worlds, and the Harvest of This World, produced in 1877
by N. H. Barbour in cooperation with C. T. Russell, pointed to the same conclusion. Thereafter, early issues of the Watch Tower, such as the ones dated December 1879 and July 1880, directed attention to 1914 C.E. as being a highly
significant year from the standpoint of Bible prophecy. In 1889 the entire fourth chapter of Volume II of Millennial Dawn (later called Studies in the Scriptures) was devoted to discussion of "The Times of the Gentiles." But what would the
end of the Gentile Times mean?
135 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth
The Bible Students were not completely sure what would happen. They were convinced that it would not result in a burning up of the earth and a blotting
out of human life. Rather, they knew it would mark a significant point in regard to divine rulership. At first, they thought that by that date the Kingdom of God would have obtained full, universal control. When that did not occur, their
confidence in the Bible prophecies that marked the date did not waver. They concluded that, instead, the date had marked only a starting point as to Kingdom rule.
Similarly, they also first thought that global troubles culminating in
anarchy (which they understood would be associated with the war of "the great day of God the Almighty") would precede that date. (Rev. 16:14) But then, ten years before 1914, the Watch Tower suggested that worldwide turmoil that would
result in the annihilating of human institutions would come right after the end of the Gentile Times. They expected the year 1914 to mark a significant turning point for Jerusalem, since the prophecy had said that 'Jerusalem would be
trodden down' until the Gentile Times were fulfilled. When they saw 1914 drawing close and yet they had not died as humans and been 'caught up in the clouds' to meet the Lord-in harmony with earlier expectations-they earnestly hoped that
their change might take place at the end of the Gentile Times.-1 Thess. 4:17
136 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth
The Watch Tower of February 1, 1916, specifically drew attention to October 1, 1914, and then said: "This
was the last point of time that Bible chronology pointed out to us as relating to the Church's experiences. Did the Lord tell us that we would be taken [to heaven] there? No. What did He say? His Word and the fulfil[l]ments of prophecy
seemed to point unmistakably that this date marked the end of the Gentile Times. We inferred from this that the Church's 'change' would take place on or before that date. But God did not tell us that it would be so. He permitted us to draw
that inference; and we believe that it has proven to be a necessary test upon God's dear saints everywhere." But did these developments prove that their glorious hope had been in vain? No. It simply meant that not everything was taking
place as soon as they had expected.
137 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth
As the events following 1914 began to unfold and the Bible Students compared these with what the Master had foretold, they gradually came to
appreciate that they were living in the last days of the old system and that they had been since 1914. They also came to understand that it was in the year 1914 that Christ's invisible presence had begun and that this was, not by his
personally returning (even invisibly) to the vicinity of the earth, but by his directing his attention toward the earth as ruling King. They saw and accepted the vital responsibility that was theirs to proclaim "this good news of the
kingdom" for a witness to all nations during this critical time of human history.-Matt. 24:3-14.
138 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth
By 1914, the faithful pre-Christian servants of God had not been resurrected on earth
as princely representatives of the Messianic King, as had been expected, nor had the remaining ones of the "little flock" joined Christ in the heavenly Kingdom in that year. Nevertheless, The Watch Tower of February 15, 1915, confidently
stated that 1914 was the due time "for our Lord to take up His great power and reign," thus ending the millenniums of uninterrupted Gentile domination. In its issue of July 1, 1920, The Watch Tower reaffirmed that position and associated
it with the good news that Jesus had foretold would be proclaimed earth wide before the end.
138-9 10 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth
However, at that time the Bible Students felt that the setting up of the Kingdom, its
full establishment in heaven, would not take place until the final members of Christ's bride were glorified. A real milestone was reached, therefore, in 1925, when The Watch Tower of March 1 featured the article "Birth of the Nation." It
presented an eye-opening study of Revelation chapter 12. The article set forth evidence that the Messianic Kingdom had been born-established-in 1914, that Christ had then begun to rule on his heavenly throne, and that thereafter Satan had
been hurled from heaven down to the vicinity of the earth. This was the good news that was to be proclaimed, the news that God's Kingdom was already in operation. How this enlightened understanding stimulated these Kingdom proclaimers to
preach to the ends of the earth!
*** w97 6/1 16 A Secret Christians Dare Not Keep! ***
o 1925 C.E.: The Watch Tower explains that the Kingdom was born in 1914; the "sacred secret" about the Kingdom must be publicized.-Revelation
12:1-5, 10, 17