by Zoos 50 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
We all know the calculations used by the WT to arrive at 1914. Fall of Babylon in 607 (false year), gentile times, no zero year, TA-DA, 1914.
What did they use before that? I know it wasn't Russell who came up with it - he just adopted it. I'm just curious what they had to explain away when they made the transition.
I believe they used the same idea's that were behind the 1975 date, they just adjusted their figures by 101 years. The 1975 date was based on 6,000 years into the 7th day.
You can find the explanation of the bogus and bull$hit calculations in the book GODS KINGDOM OF A THOUSAND YEARS HAS APPROACHED published in 1973.It is located in the chapter entitled "HERE IS THE BRIDEGROOM" under the subsection THE CORRECTION OF A MISUNDERSTANDING on pages 206-211. What is so laughable is that someone pulled an imaginary 2 years 'out of their a$$' to allow for Adam and Eve to sin that is added in to make the calculation work. And yes the 1975 fiasco is based on the same calculation.
"The Scriptural proof is that the second presence of the Lord Jesus Christ began in 1874 A.D.
--the book, PROPHECY p.65 (1929)
"The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked in Scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874."
--Watchtower 1/15/1892, p.1355
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"In the year 1943 the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society published the book "The Truth Shall Make You Free." In its chapter 11, entitled "The Count of the Time," it did away with the insertion of 100 years into the period of the Judges and went according to the oldest and most authentic reading of Acts 13:20, and accepted the spell-out numbers of the Hebrew Scriptures. This moved forward the end of six thousand years of man's existence into the decade of the 1970's. Naturally this did away with the year 1874 C.E. as the date of return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his invisible presence or parousia."
--God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years p.209, para.55 (Frederick Franz) (1973)
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And, some pyramidology thrown in for good measure:
"...this measurement is 3416 inches, symbolizing 3416 years.... This calculation shows A.D. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble...." (Russell, Studies in the Scriptures: Thy Kingdom Come, Series III, p. 342, 1897 edition [1916 edition changed to read: "We find it to be 3457 inches, symbolizing 3457 years.... Thus the Pyramid witnesses that the close of 1914 will be the beginning of the time of trouble...."] note: the measurement was the length of an interior passageway discovered inside the Pyramids. It has no reference in Scripture.)
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But please keep this important point in mind with these flip-flops and doctrinal changes:
"At times explanations given by Jehovah’s visible organization have shown adjustments, seemingly to previous points of view. But this has not actually been the case." —The Watchtower, December 1, 1981, p. 27
Also WT, in a roundabout way, blamed god for their miscalculation Re: 1975; the very same error CT Russell made when he promoted the 1874 date. Funny how god's "sole channel of communication on earth", his "faithful and discreet slave", keeps getting vital information horribly wrong, despite the claim that Jehovah is guiding their every move:
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"Later on, during the years from 1935 through 1944, a review of the overall framework of Bible chronology revealed that a poor translation of Acts 13:19, 20 in the King JamesVersion, along with certain other factors, had thrown off the chronology by over a century. This later led to the idea—sometimes stated as a possibility, sometimes more firmly—that since the seventh millennium of human history would begin in 1975, events associated with the beginning of Christ’s Millennial Reign might start to take place then." --Proclaimers, ch.28, pp. 632-633
Thanks for posting that,AndDon'tCallMeShirley.......I am not that tech savvy. My favorite serving of 'spiritual bull$shit' is found on page 208 in the GODS KINGDOM book. "Then the allowance for two years before the entry of sin led to the year of 1874 as the year in which six thousand years of human sin terminated and the seventh thousand years for the elimination of sin by Christ's reign began." Pure imagination and bull$hit. No one has even the slightest idea how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden before the 'Talking Snake' showed up!!!!!! 1874 and 1975 are a fiction and a fantasy based on guesses and conjecture.
1874 and 1975 are a fiction and a fantasy based on guesses and conjecture.
Or a lawn dart to the head.
The result is the same.
The entire religion is based on speculation.
The entire religion is based on speculation.
"Modesty* on the part of the faithful and discreet slave class, commissioned to provide the Christian household with food at the proper time, prevents it from presumptuously running ahead and wildly speculating about things that are still unclear. The slave class strives to avoid being dogmatic. It is not too proud to admit that as of now it cannot answer every question, keeping Proverbs 14:18 clearly in mind. But how thrilling to know that Jehovah, in his own due time and in his own way, will continue to reveal his secrets as to his purposes! Never should we become impatient with Jehovah's arrangement, indiscreetly trying to rush ahead of the Revealer of secrets. How reassuring it is to know that the channel Jehovah is using today does not do so! It is both faithful and discreet." --Watchtower 6/1/97 p.14, par.7
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* if WT is bragging about its modesty, is it really modest??
Isn't that a bit like faking sincerity??
Of course, you are 100% correct Vanderhoven, but WT fails to see its speculating forest for its false date trees.
What did they use before that? I know it wasn't Russell who came up with it - he just adopted it. I'm just curious what they had to explain away when they made the transition.
1874 was partly based on antitype parallels with Jesus' earthly life.
Rough outline:
From 1844 to 1874 the Bridegroom delayed - mirroring Jesus' first thirty years of life on earth;
1874, the Bridegroom's heavenly presence paralleled his presence on earth as the chosen, newly baptized Messiah;
1878 was 3 and a half years after that when he was installed as King in heaven - mirroring the time when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and hailed as king by the people.
