I'm trying to get an accurate understanding of when and how they moved Jesus invisible presence from 1874 to 1914. I guess officially it wasn't until 1943 but it seems that they were talking about it and writing about the change as early as 1925? Please enlighten me on how and why they made the change. I wish to be able to explain this accurately to my daughter. Thanks
The Evolution of Jesus presence moving from 1874 to 1914?
by Crazyguy 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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cofty
I can't remember which book it was but I read one of Rutherford's books when he radically changed previous doctrines on eschatology.
1799 was thrown out as was 1878 and 1914 became the beginning of the end.
I think it may have been from the '40s when it was clear the 1925 prediction and the "millions now living will never die" campaign had failed.
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smiddy
Every time jehovahs witness expectations , evidentlys , dont come to fruition their is new light explaining/excusing how this occured .
smiddy
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rjharris
The Watch Tower organization had nothing to do with "evolution" of the 1914 date as many JWs (and others) have been led to believe. See article at http://www.e-prophetic.com/articles/where-did-the-1914-date-really-come-from
Any "official" position concerning Christs presence is not to be up to any human or human agency, it is up to The Most High God Himself. Jesus said at Matthew 24:36:
"Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father."
It is a dangerous thing to venture off into an arena that belongs only to The Most High God. And what arena is that? Establishing dates on things mankind cannot possibly know. Yet, that is exactly what human agency has done. It has claimed to know what Christ and even the angels do not know.
The way the WTBTS gets away with this is by first selling the idea that its organization is "God's Earthly Organization" and that through this organization "spiritual food" and "truth" are dispensed. Nothing can be further from the truth as that will null-and-void the sending of God's son who is "the way, the truth and the life" and no one comes to the Father but by him.
Any human agency establishing dates on the "presence of Christ" have arrogantly ignored The Masters own words which are given at Matthew 24:42:
"Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming."
Myself a former JW of more than 30 years know that the WT plays with the wording of Matthew 24:42 and say that Jesus did not say what year, but what day. So they reason that it is OK to establish a year for his presence. (even though the establishment of 1914 was not out of the WT organization). What Jesus says at Acts 1:7 settles that argument:
"It does not belong to YOU to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction."
Days, weeks, months, and years are elements of time.
The bottom line is whose position concerning Christs presence should one view as Official?
Jesus said that even he did not have knowledge of such things. So how can an human agency have knowledge of it? Obviously they cannot and establishing dates on Christs presence (and other things) would be false.
No wonder Jesus would say at Matthew 24:42 to "Keep on the watch ..."
Since the WT has long been teaching that 1914 was the year of Christs invisible presence, what need is there now to keep watch over? This period of non-vigilance is how those within the Watch Tower organization (and those outside of it also) have been misled.
An entire belief system has been built upon the foundation of the year 1914. It is a false foundation.
Who Really Is The Faithful and Discreet Slave?
AFTER Jesus gave his warnings at Matthew 24:36 and Matthew 24:42, he asked the question:
"Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?"
This question is easily answered if one looks at the rest of Jesus' illustration concerning the evil and faithful slave given at Matthew 24:46-51.
It should be noted that between these two slaves, it was only the evil slave who was concerned about dates. How so? Notice the reason why the evil slave began to beat the fellow faithful slave ...
"My master is delaying."
If the evil slave felt that his master was delaying, then he was expecting his return at a certain time. Well, is this not what the Watch Tower organization has done? It proclaimed long before the arrival of the year 1914 that it would be the year Christ would be installed as earths king and that year would signal his invisible presence.
This also tells us something else about this evil slave: That he views Christ as his master.
This evil slave would beat his fellow faithful slaves if they did not believe them. Obviously this evil slave would be a majority of the masters slaves in order to have the power and resources to beat the faithful slaves. How are they beaten? By being labled as troublemakers, rebellious, and apostates. They are beaten by expulsion from among the other slaves within Christs household. Their names are slandered.
How are the faithful slaves distinguished from the evil slaves? By this: They membered what their master told them at Matthew 24:42:
"Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming."
These faithful slaves to this very day are relatively unknown to the world at large, but they know the truth and they do not recognize any dates established by men or angels. They "keep on the watch" because they do not know on what day their Lord is coming.
So the official position of Christs presence is not up to humans or angels.
Think about God's command at Luke 9:35:
"This is my Son, the one that has been chosen. Listen to him."
Did Christ ever tell anyone that he would return in 1914 or on any other date? The answer is no! What he did tell us is given at Matthew 24:42.
So what is so difficult about listening to what Christ has told us? And, why has an organization arisen countering what Jesus has said?
R. Jerome Harris
e-Prophetic.com -
Stormcrow
Correction rjharris, it was neither Barbour nor Russell who originated 1914 as the end of the gentile times. It was an Englishman called John Aquila Smith in 1810. I am now going to rake through my dusty tomes, to find a reference for you. Watch this space. Got to go out first with He Who Must be Walked Right now-or he'll knock the door down.
Storm.
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Stormcrow
Correction Stormcrow : John Brown, not Smith.
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designs
Two different religions- Bible Students and JWs. Important to keep them seperate because they have very different eschatologies.
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Crazyguy
John A Brown stated in his book and chart that the gentile times would end in 1917 I believe, and then the adventist started changing the dates and re working the math