I composed the file at
http://www.jwstudies.com/Christ_is_Coming_Very_Soon.pdf
in response to a Jehovah’s Witness’s comment that people had “looked forward to 1914”.
It was my intention to use original material to show:
• Russell taught that Christ’s parousia (presence) had taken place in 1874.
• He taught there would be a 40-year harvest ending in 1914. During that harvest period, there would be unbelievable trouble in the world and that the church would be glorified.
• He taught that Gentile domination of Jerusalem would cease in 1914, and that God’s kingdom would be ushered in at that time under the auspices of the Jews, and it would bring peace to the world.
I wanted to use original material to show that such ideas had previously been promoted by many others, with vigour. Russell was just one of a horde of prophetic interpreters, with each giving their own definite date for Christ’s coming and for the return of the Jews to God’s favour.
I hoped this might help them gain a better perspective on their own actions, in that what they were doing was nothing new and would form just another part of the long history of failed expectations.
I wanted to demonstrate that others after Russell continued to promote the same messages, including Rutherford throughout the 1920s.
The material is indicative only, as so much more could have been presented, such as the views of the innumerable splinter groups that formed following Russell’s death in 1916. However, I constrained myself to material relevant to my Witness friend’s initiating comment.
The material is referenced chronologically, according to the date of the person’s views.
Doug