"They predicted WWI?!!" Householders don't learn about what it meant before. I don't even think those coming to houses know what came before. I only heard about anything else afterward, and even, it sits there... coincidence, sure... but still one of those strange things that make you wonder, 'what if...?'. This alone would never have convinced me that they were false.
EXACTLY right! This actual real world event was huge and the JW leadership must cling to it with every scathingly clever trick in their book.
The context of the 1914 date setting has been propped up with extraordinary bending, twisting and illogic.
The Great Pyramid folly of Russell was maintained as actual proof even for Rutherford until he'd firmly established his own stranglehold on
the organization.
Compare the changes of measurement and dates below:
In his Studies in the Scriptures series of books he wrote:
"So, then, if we measure backward down the "First Ascending Passage" to its junction with the "Entrance Passage," we shall have a fixed date to mark upon the downward passage. This measure is 1542 inches, and indicates the year BC 1542, as the date at that point. Then measuring down the "Entrance Passage" from that point, to find the distance to the entrance of the "Pit," representing the great trouble and destruction with which this age is to close, when evil will be overthrown from power, we find it to be 3416 inches, symbolizing 3416 years from the above date, BC 1542. This calculation shows AD. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble; for 1542 years BC plus 1874 years AD. equals 3416 years. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1874 was the chronological beginning of the time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation -- no, nor ever shall be afterward. And thus it will be noted that this "Witness" fully corroborates the Bible testimony on this subject..." (Charles Taze Russell, Thy Kingdom Come, Studies In The Scriptures, vol. 3, 1904 edition).
In the 1910 version of the same book, Russell changed his dating from 1874 to 1914, a date that Jehovah‘s Witnesses still hold to as relevant to this very day:
"So, then, if we measure backward down the "First Ascending Passage" to its junction with the "Entrance Passage," we shall have a fixed date to mark upon the downward passage. This measure is 1542 inches, and indicates the year BC 1542, as the date at that point. Then measuring down the "Entrance Passage" from that point, to find the distance to the entrance of the "Pit," representing the great trouble and destruction with which this age is to close, when evil will be overthrown from power, we find it to be 3457 inches, symbolizing 3457 years from the above date, BC 1542. This calculation shows AD. 1915 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble; for 1542 years BC plus 1915 years AD. equals 3457 years. Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 will be the beginning of the time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation -- no, nor ever shall be afterward. And thus it will be noted that this "Witness" fully corroborates the' Bible testimony on this subject..." (Charles Taze Russell, Thy Kingdom Come, Studies In The Scriptures, vol. 3, 1910 edition).
Why did Russell CHANGE the measurements?
Because he needed to shift his predictions and give himself much more leeway!
If 1914 were the END and the end did NOT COME he was proved a liar.
If he shifted 1914 so as to be the BEGINNING of the END....he bought himself time!
He would buy himself at least 40 more years!!
Rutherford ditched the Pyramid "proofs" 18 years later after the true context of Russell's writings had faded from memory in 1928.
