Back in the 13th century, the rumors coming to western Europe of things happening in central Asia could have been much worse. Events then were about as apocalyptic as anything we have experienced in our own day. Much of the world was coming under new management, that of the descendants of Genghis Khan. His armies and those of his successors eradicated cities and armies that resisted from China to Hungary and Poland and the middle eastern heart of the Islamic world. His descendant Mongke ruling from remote Karakorum in Mongolia, anticipated ruling the world from Pacific to the Atlantic and communicated with the outside world accordingly.
What follows is a simplification, but it will set the table for the presentation of an argument. If anyone is curious about more detail about this era, I suggest "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World", by Jack Weatherford, a best seller of several years back.
Anyway, the Mongols themselves had their own religious beliefs and traditions and had assimilated some others from their conquests. But what ensued during the 1250s was a court-sponsored debate among the great faiths of the era. By invitation mullahs, monks (Christian and Buddhist) and other missionaries travelled to Karakorum via the Silk Route, in some cases en route for a year. We have some record of the discourse. William of Rubruck a Franciscan monk was in the contingent arguing for western Europe's Roman Catholicism. Actually many of the Mongols had married wives from conquered regions where Syrian or Eastern Orthodox christianity held sway; and as a result believers of this variation of Christianity already was widespread in the court. But ultimately the Khans either turned to Islam or Buddhism. In part because the Christian sects squabbled to no advantage, were not as learned as their Muslim counterparts and ruling China just had a way of influencing them.
Now, let us imagine a new debate in a new court if somewhat imaginary. I am not one of the Khans, but I will play the part as someone who is not entirely versed in JW beliefs and their foundations. Easy enough to do, because it is true. Ready?
From from lengthy reading, discussion and debate elsewhere I have learned that JW or the WTBTS believe that
1. Christ returned to reign on Earth in 1914.
2. Satan the devil was thrown out of heaven at about the same time.
3. Under God's auspices a lengthy search of Earth's believers was conducted and circa 1918 or 1919, it was settled that an organization ( WTBTS) was determined to be God's Theocratic Government on Earth.
4. All of this process was invisible.
5. All of this process was unheard.
Now questions arise.
1. Did I state items 1 through 5 correctly?
2. Aside from C. T. Russell concluding that WWI must have been indicator of 1 and 2, how do we know?
3. Since C. T. Russell was no longer around in 1918 or 1919, what was the evidence of the subsequent search?
4. Did heaven wait for Joseph Rutherford to complete his WTBTS corporate takeover?
5. Was the decision announced by Mr. Rutherford?
6. If this was invisible how was this event perceived? ( I don't mean pointing to several Bible verses)
7. Did Rutherford or Russell have any other witnesses?
8. How do you witness an invisible event?
9. How do you corroborate your observations with others unless they also saw exactly nothing?
10. How come this organization was subsequently so unsuccessful in predicting much of anything else beside this invisible event?
11. If the event is invisible as claimed, why should I not be just as open to other claims of invisible events entirely unrelated?
12. In this case, why should I not conclude that we are dealing with an oxymoronic expression?
A little later, I'll come back with an account of other events produced by another organization that were more visible and involved three (3) children as simultaneous witnesses ( time and a half enough to provide sufficient testimony in other clerical matters). We can then examine how it compares.
I'll get back a little later to tell about some similar miraculous events that were going on during this era ( post 1914)