The backtrack on 1914 is going strong!

by hamsterbait 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  hamsterbait

  The Bible Students taught that Christs return in 1914, would be preceded by an invisible presence from 1874.

  When these prophecies failed, Judge Rutherford revised the teachings, and said that Christs return in 1914 was also invisible, and that the world had ended (invisibly!!) in 1914. Hence "The World has ended - Millions now living will never die" talk.

  Even when we were studying in 1969, we were taught that Christ had already come.

  In 1993 the District A$$embly talks gave new interpretations of Mark 13, Luke 21, and Matt 24, and said that many of the features we had been told applied from 1914 were actually still in the future. This meant that he could not have come in 1914.

  Christ did NOT sit down on his Glorious Throne in 1914. Hence noolite on the sheep and goats parable.

  People "faint out of fear" was not at the threat of nuclear annihilation, but terror at the "celestial phenomena" (glorified fireworks, actually) let off by Jehoobie to terrorize those who had not bought the Witchtower.

  Now we see it in Black and white:

  "The Bible Students came to understand that it was in the year 1914 that Christs invisible presence had begun and that this was NOT BY HIS RETURNING (EVEN INVISIBLY) to the vicinity of the Earth. "

  Proclaimers p137.

  Of course this statement undermines the Slave being appointed when the Master "arrives" since he has not yet done so, but most witlesses read the litterature in a coma, and will not connect these statements, so the GB has a bit of time to work out the strategy.

  I am already reading it:

  "the Bible students wrongly believed 1914 to be the end of the Gentile Times. However this enabled them to correctly identify our time as the "conclusion of the System of Things". No other Church was teaching such truths, and therefore Christ appointed the Witchtower Society to look after the Kings belongings until he arrives. They thus became the Faithful Slave spoken of in Matt 24."

  So the ground is already being prepared for newer ones to be told Christ did not return in 1914.

  Hell -if even my Mother can DENY the 1975 stuff they can do anything!!!!

  HB
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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Hammy B, Indeed it is a puzzling backtrack. For everything 1914 was supposed to be, real substance is lacking and continues to vanish. It appears that it was nothing more than the beginning of Jesus invisible heavenly presence. So, if his heavenly presence began in 1914, where was he living before then? Was he visibly living on Pluto or somewhere? If he was enthroned as King of God's Kingdom on 1914, it appears that he became king of nothing except a title. Now I guess he's privileged to be king of the pedophile protectors or something.

  Poor Writing and the GB, no wonder they say the end is sooooooooooooooooo close. Time is certainly not on their side.

  B the X
• 

  hamsterbait

  Did this topic disappear for a while?

  Maybe it was "invisibly present" on the board and I couldn't find it??

  HB
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  The Scotsman

  The sad thing is that it does not matter what the org say - the programmed minds of rank and file JWs will just rationalise the changes.

  Even if it is such a major change as moving the significance of 1914.

  Though what I would say is, if any in the org are feeling some doubts and are not sure about the WTBTS then a major change like this may just get them thinking.

  I also agree with many comments on this board - a change to 1914 is inevitable.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  The sad thing is that it does not matter what the org say - the programmed minds of rank and file JWs will just rationalise the changes.

  Even if it is such a major change as moving the significance of 1914.

  Though what I would say is, if any in the org are feeling some doubts and are not sure about the WTBTS then a major change like this may just get them thinking.

  I also agree with many comments on this board - a change to 1914 is inevitable.

  I have been saying for about two years now, that I believe the changes to 1914 are both inevitable and imminent. I believe those changes will eventually somehow hightlight 2014. I believe they may find a way to move the inaguaration of Jesus to 2014. Why do I believe they could pull this off? History! Look at these quotes in the Society's lit regarding 6000 years of mans history - the start of the 7th Millenium:

  1872 ".. the exact Bible Chronology points to October 1872 as the beginning of the seventh thousand years, or Millennium .." {TKIC 1905 ed 127}

  1872 ".. six thousand years from the creation of Adam .. ended with the Jewish year which began in the autumn of A.D. 1872, and we are, therefore, already in 'the great day of the Lord'; or seventh thousand." {HOTW 67}

  1872 "We are already living in the seventh millennium - since October 1872." {TIAH 1915 ed 363}

  1872 "Six thousand Years from Adam ended in A.D. 1872." {DHMB 6 from end}

  They later moved it to 1873, then 1874. No one blinked. They then dropped the entire discussion for decades, and then finally in 1967 began to revive this prophetic date to 1975. THEY MOVED THE DATE 100 YEARS.No one blinked. I believe they will do the same with 1914. They will move it to 2014, adjust some cockameme chronological calculations somewhere, and buy themselves another 100 years. No one will blink! I may be way off base - but how can they continue to let the King Jesus sit at Jehovah's right hand waiting for the kingdom forever? I believe the R&F will buy a complete change in the date, and the fallout will be insignificant enough that they can recover, and within a couple of decades no one will ever remember 1914. Jeff
• 

  WTWizard

  Well, it looks like they are going to have an encore of 1975 come 2014. And an encore of 1976 when 2015 comes. Then they will try again in 2034, which will be another fiasco. All to keep people going to the Kingdumb Hell for fear that they will die if they don't.
• 

  joelbear69

  I do agree that 1914 will be phased out. But I do not believe

  they will talk about new dates. They will pull off something

  like. You should look at the current signs around you to

  know that the end must be near. The chronology stuff will

  all fade away. People can't understand it anyway. There

  will be more annointed. There will always be some annointed

  around, to keep up the mythology and to keep the guys at the

  top legit.
• 

  MissingLink

  If they phase out the 1914 date, thousands of "faithful" JWs will have to update their ATM PIN codes!
• 

  oneairhead

  ATM Pin Codes.....LOL!!!!!!!HAHAHA
• 

  still_in74

  *** jv chap. 10 p. 137 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.

  ok, I just read your quote from the Proclaimers book myself right off the CD ROM - I had to read it myself because I couldnt believe it.

  Why have I never seen this before? What does this mean???? Is this really saying what it is saying???

  *** w93 5/1 p. 11 Shedding Light on Christ’s Presence ***

  "The Presence of Our Lord"

  4 In our day, then, what is meant by the Biblical expression "the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ"? (1 Thessalonians 5:23) One authority comments that the term "presence," pa·rou·si´a, "became the official term for a visit of a person of high rank, esp[ecially] of kings and emperors visiting a province." So this expression refers to the royal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ as King, from and after 1914, following his enthronement in heaven. He is present invisibly to ‘go subduing in the midst of his enemies,’ actively ruling as King to fulfill this prophetic command. (Psalm 110:2) For some 79 years, humans on earth have been experiencing the effects of Christ’s invisible royal presence.

  I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYONE EVER COMMENT THAT CHRISTS PRESENCE WAS NOT ON EARTH BUT RATHER ONLY IN HEAVEN. WHY DO I FEEL LIKE I AM AN IDIOT FOR NOT HAVING KNOWN THIS BEFORE?