WHAT THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA HAD TO SAY ABOUT WHAT WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAPPENED in 1874

 

AWAKEN                                                     Issue #33

 

1874 - WHAT THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA

       HAD TO SAY ABOUT WHAT WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAPPENED THEN.

 

This issue will comprise mainly of quotes from Watch Tower publications.

Present day Jehovah's Witnesses are unlikely to be aware of any of this

material. Why ? The Watch Tower had changed it's theology and does not

bother to let it's followers know facts about the past especially since

the present theology is totally contradictory to what was promoted in the

past. Both sets of incompatible conjectures were promoted as being found 

and proven in Scriptures. Prior to 1943 if a follower of the Watch Tower

questioned any of the Watch Tower's teaching about 1874, that person

risked getting kicked out of the group thus risked being shunned by

his/her family and any friends who followed the Watch Tower. After 1943

the teaching regarding 1874 was totally changed by the Watch Tower.

 

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 3, Thy Kingdom Come, first published in

1891, from page 234 :

    "...a most reasonable inference...that in the spring of 1878 all the

     holy apostles and other 'overcomers' of the Gospel age who slept in

     in Jesus were raised spirit beings"

 

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 4, The Battle Of Armageddon, first

published in 1987, from page :

    "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October

    1874 A.D.... and the inaugural of his kingly office dates from

    April 1878, A.D."

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, first published 

in 1917, from page 58 :

     "The Laodicean period of the Church extends from the fall of 1874

     to the spring of 1918, three and one-half years of preparation,

     and forty years of harvest."

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, from page 60 :

     "Fall 1874 A.D. Second Advent of the Lord"

 

 

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, from page 64 :

     "the beginning of the Times of Restitution, A.D. 1874"

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, from page 301 :

     "...six thousand years of evil which ended in 1874."

Studies In The Scriptures, Vol 7, The Finished Mystery, from page 386 :

     "The Millenium began in 1874, with the return of Christ"

Creation, first published in 1927, from page 289 in early editions and

page 310 from later editions :

     "The second coming of the Lord therefore began in 1874"

Creation, from page 291 in early editions and page 312 from later

editions :

     "...the clergy would not understand these times and seasons,

     because they form a part of Satan's organization"

Creation, from page 291 in early editions and page 312 from later

editions :

     "To understand the events concerning the Lord's second presence

     from 1874 to 1914 requires one to be spiritually minded; and the

     clergy are not spiritually minded"

 

Prophecy, first published in 1929, from page 65 :

     "The Scriptural proof is that the second presence of the Lord

     Jesus Christ began in 1874 A.D."

Watchtower, Oct 1890, from page 1243 :

     "...the Scriptural declaration that the Millenium of peace and 

     blessing would be introduced by forty years of trouble, beginning

     slightly in 1874 and increasing until social chaos should prevail

     in 1914"

 

Watchtower, Jan. 15, 1892, from page :

     "The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked

     in Scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its

     beginnings dating from October, 1874"

Watchtower, Dec. 01, 1916, from page 5998 :

     "Pastor Russell...believed and taught that we are living in the

     time of the second presence of our Lord, and that his presence

     dates from 1874"

 

Watchtower, Sept. 15, 1922, from page 278 :

     "No one can properly understand the work of God at this time

     who does not realize that since 1874, the time of the Lord's

     return to power, there has been a complete change in God's

     operations"

Watchtower, Mar. 01, 1923, from page 67 :

     "The Scripture show that the second presence was due in 

     1874...This proof shows that the Lord has been present since 1874"

Watchtower, Jan. 01, 1924, from page 5 :

     "Surely there not the slightest room for doubt in the mind of

     a truely consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present 

     and has been since 1874"

The Watch Tower maintained that Jesus's second coming occured in 1874.

This was in effect until 1943 when the new book "The Truth Shall Make

You Free" was published. From then on the theology and chronology as

presented by the Watch Tower changed and it's followers were expected

to again NEVER question what the Watch Tower was teaching.

 

The Truth Shall Make You Free, first published in 1943, from page 152 :

     "From Adam's creation to the end of 1943 A.D. is 5971 years. 

     We are therefore near the end of six thousand years of human

     history"

 

God's Kingdom Of A Thousand Years Has Approached, first published

in 1973, from pages 209-210 :

     "In the year 1943...published the book The Truth Shall Make You

     Free...This moved forward the end of six thousand years of man's

     existance into the decade of the 1970's. Naturally this did away

     with the year 1874 C.E. as the date of the return of the Lord

     Jesus Christ"

 

This is a perfect example of why I wonder how anyone can trust any

chronology as presented by the Watch Tower. Scripture was said to

show that the second presence BEGAN in 1874. The Millenium also

began in 1874, with the return of Christ. The Watch Tower stated

that the clergy did not agree with the Watch Tower about Christ's 

second presence beginning in 1874, because they were being

influenced by Satan. 

The Watch Tower's present day teaching regarding 607 B.C.E. are not

supported by ANY Archaeological evidence found since the middle of the

last century. 

 

The Watch Tower's present day teaching regarding 1914 is totally 

different from what it taught in the past.

 

As I have shown above, the Watch Tower's present day teaching about 1874

differs dramatically from what was taught as the truth in the past.

 

Yet, Jehovah's Witnesses will cheerfully claim that they are members in 

the Truth. I guess that would depend on some new definition of the Truth,

because it sure does not match the dictionary definition of Truth. If Jesus

did not return in 1874, then for OVER FIFTY YEARS the Watch Tower had

MISLED it's followers. The Watch Tower's present day chronology which

is fixed on the date of 607 B.C.E. for the destruction of Jerusalem is

INVALID and the Watch Tower KNOWS. There is NO EVIDENCE to support the

date 607 B.C.E. ALL THE EVIDENCE points to 586-587 B.C.E. Again, the

Watch Tower knows it (see the file AWAKEN31.ZIP for complete details),

but they totally disregard such facts.

 

How can Jehovah's Witnesses be sure that the Watch Tower is not still

misleading them as was the case with 1874. Any Encyclopaedia will show

that Jerusalem was destroyed in 586-587 B.C.E. There is no evidence that

Jehovah's Witnesses are in the Truth. Quite the contrary, it seems that

they can never be sure of what exactly the Truth is, since the Watch Tower

given time can and has changed what it presented as being Truth.

George Orwell, in his classic book 1984, wrote :

     "The key word here is BLACKWHITE...Applied to a Party member, 

     it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when 

     Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability 

     to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black

     is white, and to forget that one ever believed the contrary."

 

     "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.

     It was their final, most essential command."

    ============= end of AWAKEN Issue #33 ================

Please share the info found in these issues of AWAKEN with other

members of the faith to which you belong. Consider using this

info within publications issued to members of your faith. One

example is to use this info within Church bulletins. People need

to become informed about the Watch Tower and it's teachings. Why ?

Jehovah's Witnesses go door to door preaching whatever the

Watch Tower has told them to preach. They are trained weekly to

respond to any and all objections to their preaching. They are

told by the Watch Tower that the Watch Tower is the only TRUTH

and that the Watch Tower is the only TRUE religion. They are 

told by the Watch Tower that all other faiths, teach

false teachings because all other faiths are agents of SATAN.

They have no qualms attacking any and all aspects your belief

system, when they come on their un-asked for visits. They are

trained to SELL you on the Watch Tower's teachings, just as they

themselves had been SOLD. 

By becoming informed about the Watch Tower, one will be better 

prepared to decide whether one should get involved with this group.

 

 

Copyright (C) 1993 by Vince Banial, Toronto Ontario Canada.

All rights reserved. This material cannot be incorporated into any 

book without the empress and written permission of Vince Banial. 

This file may be freely uploaded to any BBS, as long as it remains unchanged.  

Please Upload this file to every BBS which you call. Thanks in advance.