Nelson Barbour
Barbour set forth his view that the "6,000 years" from Adam's creation ended in 1873 (pp. 76-77). Jesus returned in 1874, and the "Harvest" would be from 1874 to 1914. 1914 would see the end of the "Gentile Times," the setting up of the kingdom of God on earth, etc. In the chapter on "The Times of The Gentiles" Barbour wrote (pp. 83, 84):
Hence, it was in
B. C. 606, that God's kingdom ended, the diadem was removed, and all the earth given up to the Gentiles. 2520 years from B. C. 606, will end in A.D. 1914, or forty years from 1874; and this forty years upon which we have now entered is to be such "a time of trouble as never was since there was a nation." And during this forty years, the kingdom of God is to be set up. (But not in the flesh, "the natural first and afterwards the spiritual)," the Jews are to be restored, the Gentile kingdoms broken to pieces "like a potter's vessel." and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and the judgment age introduced.
These are some of the events this generation are to witness....
I am not willing to admit that this calculation is even one year out.
All of this Russell carried with him with little modification when he started Zion's Watch Tower magazine in 1879.
After receiving a copy of the Herald magazine (Barbour published) in about 1876, Russell was impressed with Barbour's "invisible presence" views on Christ's coming (which Russell apparently came to believe independently from Barbour) and he accepted much of his chronological views. His acceptance of Barbour's chronology came about in the following manner: After reading the Herald, Russell wrote to Barbour about his chronology. Later in 1876, Russell arranged a meeting with him in Philadelphia to see if he could convince him, in Russell's words, "that the prophecies indicated 1874 as the date at which the Lord's presence and the 'harvest' began." "The evidence satisfied me," Russell said.
During these meetings Russell accepted all of Barbour's time calculations, including his calculation of the Gentile times. While still in Philadelphia, Russell wrote an article entitled "Gentile Times: When do They End?" which was published in George Storrs' periodical the Bible Examiner in the October 1876 issue.
Pyramidology influence
Lutheran minister Joseph Seiss had a peculiar and telling influence on Russell's teachings. It is clear Russell was aware of Seiss' book on Pyramidology, A Miracle in Stone, as he quoted it favorably in his Thy Kingdom Come in the chapter on Pyramidology. Penton also claimed that Seiss believed Jesus was not resurrected in the flesh, but as a spirit, something JW's believe to this day. Seiss also produced other books such as The Gospel in the Stars on a Christianized Astrology. Seiss had numerous occult/fringe beliefs, many of which were also believed by Adventists, including Russell.
Influence of Henry Drummond
Carl Olof Jonsson demonstrated that Henry Drumond in 1828 first advocated the idea of an invisible second presence of Christ with his "two-stage coming doctrine." This was picked up later by Seiss and Jonsson concludes Russell probably "plagiarized" the works of Seiss in his "invisible presence" doctrine in his Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return booklet
Carl Olof Jonsson, The Gentile Times Reconsidered (Atlanta: Commentary Press), 1986, p. 27. Hereafter, Jonsson.
Robert Crompton, Counting the Days to Armageddon Jehovah's Witnesses and the Second Presence of Christ (Cambridge: James Clarke & Co.), 1996, pp. 20- 21. Hereafter, Crompton.
