End of world predictions/ JW's

by exwhyzee 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

exwhyzee
I thought this was an interesting site that discusses end of world predictions. http://www.humanreligions.info/the_end_of_the_world.html
There are additional links at the end of this page. They should be clickable even if they don't look that way.
Jehovah's Witnesses
Martin Gardner has authored a perfectly good introduction to the Jehovah's Witnesses, which I will quote at length. The JWs initial predictions of the end of the world were based on pyramidology and numerology. This is the use of measurements and dates surrounding the great pyramid in Egypt to predict days. Because the number of potential numbers to use are as plentiful as the imagination, almost any date can be made meaningful. Pyramidology and numerology is thoroughly discredited by mathematicians, and prophecies based on them have had an uncountable number of failures.
An American preacher enormously impressed by Smyth's researches [on pyramid numerology] was Charles Taze Russell, of Allgheny, Pa., founder of the sect now known as Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1891, Pastor Russell published the third volume of his famous series Studies in the Scripture. It is a book of Biblical prophecy, supplemented by evidence from the Great Pyramid. A letter from Smyth is reproduced in which the Scottish astronomer praises Russell highly for his new and original contributions.
According to Russell, the Bible and Pyramid reveal clearly that the Second Coming of Christ took place invisibly in 1874. This ushered in forty years of 'Harvest' during which the true members of the Church are to be called together under Russell's leadership. Before the close of 1914, the Millennium will begin. The dead will rise and be given a 'second chance' to accept Christ. Those who refuse are to be annihilated, leaving the world completely cleansed of evil. Members of the church alive at the beginning of the Millennium will simply live on forever. This is the meaning of the well known slogan of the Witnesses - 'Millions now living will never die.' [...]
To the great disappointment of the Russellites, 1914 ushered in nothing more dramatic than the World War, and the sect lost thousands of members. New editions of Russell's Pyramid study were issues with the wording altered at crucial spots to make the errors less obvious. Thus, a 1910 edition had read, '... The deliverance of the saints must take place some time before 1914....' (p. 228) But in 1923, this sentence read, '... the deliverance of the saints must take place very soon after 1914....'
Judge J. F. Rutherford, who succeeded Russell after the pastor died in 1916, eventually discarded Pyramidology entirely. Writing in the November 15 and December 1, 1928, issues ofThe Watch Tower and Herald, Rutherford releases a double-barrelled blast against it [...] The Judge did not remind his readers in these articles that he, too, had been guilty of a prophetic error. For many years he had taught that 1925 would mark the beginning of the great jubilee year. Alas, it also had passed, without perceptible upheavals. The sect now discourages the sale and reading of Russell's writing, and although members still believe the Millennium is about to dawn, no definite dates are set. ”
Failed End of the World Predictions for 1914 to 1920 made by the Jehovah's Witnesses, compiled by the Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance
Failed End of the World Predictions for 1925 to 1975 made by the Jehovah's Witnesses, compiled by the OCRT
Failed End of the World Predictions from 1975 by the Jehovah's Witnesses, compiled by the OCRT
FingersCrossed

Good one
reslight2

exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
The JWs initial predictions of the end of the world were based on pyramidology and numerology. This is the use of measurements and dates surrounding the great pyramid in Egypt to predict days. Because the number of potential numbers to use are as plentiful as the imagination, almost any date can be made meaningful. Pyramidology and numerology is thoroughly discredited by mathematicians, and prophecies based on them have had an uncountable number of failures.
Charles Taze Russell himself was never a member of the JWs. He did not believe in such an organization.
Russell, however, did not "base" his expectations on pyramidology, and certainly not numerology (the study of numbers, as the figures designating the year of one's birth, to determine their supposed influence on one's life, future, etc. -- Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013). Rather, Russell "based" is conclusions on study of the Bible.
To say that "any date can be made meaningful" through "pyramidology and numerology" simply shows the author's ignorance of Russell's (and the Edgars') Biblical study of the Great Pyramid.

Charles Taze Russell, however, never made any prophecies, and God's witness in Egypt (Isaiah 19:19,20) can only be used to confirm the Bible; it cannot be used, of itself, as a source of "prophecy".

http://www.rlbible.com/binfo/?page_id=276
http://www.rlbible.com/ctr/?cat=33
reslight2

exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
An American preacher enormously impressed by Smyth's researches [on pyramid numerology] was Charles Taze Russell, of Allgheny, Pa., founder of the sect now known as Jehovah's Witnesses.
As far as I can tell, Smyth never spoke of "numerology"; as a far as I have been to ascertain, he never tried to apply what is usually defined as "numerology" to his study of the Great Pyramid.
Was Charles Taze Russell the founder of what is now the Jehovah's Witnesses? Actually, Russell preached against the kind of organization that Rutherford created. Russell also preached against the kind of Armageddon message that the Jehovah's Witnesses preach. It would be misleading to say that Russell was not the "founder" of an organization of which he preached against.
http://www.rlbible.com/ctr/?cat=25
reslight2

exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
In 1891, Pastor Russell published the third volume of his famous series Studies in the Scripture. It is a book of Biblical prophecy, supplemented by evidence from the Great Pyramid. A letter from Smyth is reproduced in which the Scottish astronomer praises Russell highly for his new and original contributions.
Most of what Russell presented in his third volume regarding God's Witness in Egypt was actually borrowed and rephrased from what Barbour had written. As far as the basic ideas presented, Barbour had already presented those ideas several years before.
https://www.google.com/search?q=nelson+barbour+%22great+pyramid%22&sitesearch=heraldmag.org
reslight2

exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
According to Russell, the Bible and Pyramid reveal clearly that the Second Coming of Christ took place invisibly in 1874.
One could say that Russell was thoroughly convinced that Christ returned in 1874; I also believe this, although, like Russell, I would not be dogmatic on this so as to say that one had believe this to be a Christian.
exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
This ushered in forty years of 'Harvest' during which the true members of the Church are to be called together under Russell's leadership. Before the close of 1914, the Millennium will begin.
Actually, Russell believed that the millennium itself had already begun in 1874, thus he was not looking for it to begin at any future date.
https://www.google.com/search?q=millennium+began+1874&sitesearch=mostholyfaith.com
exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
The dead will rise and be given a 'second chance' to accept Christ.
Russell believed that the dead will rise, and, as far as the world now blinded by Satan is concerned, they will be enlightened by the the books that are then opened to them.
I don't know that Russell ever spoke of a "second chance" to accept Christ. In effect, Russell believed that the blessing of their enlightenment in the age to come will be their "first", not "second" real opportunity to accept Jesus with clear knowledge of what is involved.
However, in that all mankind lost their "first chance" for everlasting life when Adam sinned, Russell believed that Jesus' ransom sacrifice has given all of us a "second chance" for everlasting life, whether applied in this age, or in the age to come.
https://www.google.com/search?q=first+chance+lost+adam&sitesearch=mostholyfaith.com
reslight2

exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
Those who refuse are to be annihilated, leaving the world completely cleansed of evil.
Yes, Russell taught after having been given a full knowledge of the truth, and after having been given a full opportunity to accept Jesus as their king, after the 1,000 years are over, Satan is to be loosed, and those who prove themselves to be wicked at that time will be fully annihlated, and then the earth will be completely cleansed of all evil. Russell did not believe, as the JWs teach, that millions of people now blinded by Satan are to be eternally destroyed at the beginning of the Millennium. Russell believed and taught that Armageddon was to be a period of time in which the people of the nations were to be chastised, not eternally destroyed, and that Armageddon was to prepare the nations for the blessings that were to follow.
exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
Members of the church alive at the beginning of the Millennium will simply live on forever.
Russell did not at all teach this, not unless by this you mean that he taught that the "church" would be changed from human glory to that of spirit glory, and then they will live forever. Actually, when Brother Russell referred to "the church" or "the saints", he most often meant the 144,000 joint-heirs with Christ. Russell believed that at the begining of the millennium, these were being raised in the first resurrection to the celestial (not terrestrial) glory. Believing that the millennium had begun in 1874, by means of several scriptural applications and parallels, Russell concluded that the first resurrection had begun in the year 1878 and, since he believed that the first resurrection only consisted of the 144,000 (I disagree with this), then he believed that the first resurrection would continue until every member of the 144,000 had been raised, after which Satan was to be abyssed, and the blessing of the nations (heathen) could begin.
exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
This is the meaning of the well known slogan of the Witnesses - 'Millions now living will never die.' [...]
While I have not found anyplace that Russell ever said that millions living during his lifetime would never die, he, in effect, did believe that millions of those now blinded by Satan who would be living at the time of Satan's abyssment (whenever that may be) would never die. Russell, however, from 1904 onward, was not expecting this to happen in 1914, but rather sometime after 1914.
reslight2

exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
To the great disappointment of the Russellites, 1914 ushered in nothing more dramatic than the World War, and the sect lost thousands of members.
Actually, the Bible Students, although many were disappointed that they had not been changed to spiritual glory in 1914, were rejoicing that the expected time of trouble had begun in 1914, and admidst this the reports of that time show that several thousand joined themselves to the association f Bible Students.
exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
New editions of Russell's Pyramid study were issues with the wording altered at crucial spots to make the errors less obvious. Thus, a 1910 edition had read, '... The deliverance of the saints must take place some time before 1914....' (p. 228) But in 1923, this sentence read, '... the deliverance of the saints must take place very soon after 1914....'
The above was changed in the year 1915, not 1923; nevertheless, Russell had stated this -- that the completion of the change of the saints may not be completed until sometime after 1914 -- to be a possibility several times long before 1914. Indeed, since Russell, from 1904 onward, was no longer to expecting the time of trouble to end in 1914, but rather that it was to begin in 1914, the logical conclusion that would conform to this would be that the first resurrection would continue for sometime after 1914. The restatement authorized in 1915 edition, however, was made simply to conform to the facts. Russell in no way sought to hide these changes, since he publicly printed the "changes" in the Watch Tower magazine, which is still made available to all on many sites on the internet.
http://www.rlbible.com/ctr/?p=692
exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
Judge J. F. Rutherford, who succeeded Russell after the pastor died in 1916, eventually discarded Pyramidology entirely. Writing in the November 15 and December 1, 1928, issues ofThe Watch Tower and Herald, Rutherford releases a double-barrelled blast against it [...]
Rutherford, by the manner in which presented the matter, in effect, attributed Satan with having knowledge of the Bible long before most of the Bible had been written.
See Morton Edgar's remarks concerning this:
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/contents/treatises/edgar%20gp%20discourse.htm
exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
The Judge did not remind his readers in these articles that he, too, had been guilty of a prophetic error. For many years he had taught that 1925 would mark the beginning of the great jubilee year.
The year 1925 had been discussed by Russell several times before he died. Russsell himself consistently stated that he saw so significance in the date, although some of his associates seemed to believe that 1925 would see the the end of the first resurrection.
exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
Alas, it also had passed, without perceptible upheavals. The sect now discourages the sale and reading of Russell's writing, and although members still believe the Millennium is about to dawn, no definite dates are set.”
Rutherford caused a show-down in the mid 1920s over the "Jehovah's organization" dogma. As a result, during the years 1925 to 1928, more than 75% of the Bible Students openly rejected Rutherford's "Jehovah's visible organization" dogma, by which dogma Rutherford claimed authority over all the Bible Student congregations. The Bible Student movement still exists today, totally separate from the JW organization that Rutherford created.
http://www.rlbible.com/?page_id=500
Bible Students today, as in Russell's day, do not all agree with Russell that the Millennium began in 1874. Russell, unlike Rutherford, never sought to take authority over the Bible Students so as to dictate that all had to agree with him.
reslight2

exwhyzee posted 3/28/2013
Failed End of the World Predictions for 1914 to 1920 made by the Jehovah's Witnesses,
Before 1914, there was no "Jehovah's Witnesses" organization, and thus there were no "Jehovah's Witnesses" making any predictions; the vast majority of the "Bible Students" in 1914 never became "Jehovah's Witnesses" and never became members of the JW organization.
http://www.rlbible.com/?p=488
However, as far as I know, none of the Bible Students associated with Charles Taze Russell were expecting the "end of the world" in 1914. Most of them were expecting the "time of trouble" to begin in 1914, and that some time after that, the blessing of the nations would begin.
never a jw

End of world predictions/ JW's

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