What were the calculations used to arrive at the 1874 date of Christ's return? (page 3)

kaik

The year of 1874 was not dropped from WT publications until the 1930's, so their parousia was preached 50 years after the fact. Another important year for WT was 1844 and 1878, where he calls the era until 1844 a perido of Jesus' disfavor and after spiritual ministry of 33.5 years, he choose C.T. Russell as his God's communication channel.

Vidiot

OnTheWayOut - "I don't think today's information age and current JWs would tolerate another major change in beginning/end of times dates."

Ironic really, considering that - historically - End-Times groups actually need to occasionally "date-set" to keep their membership motivated.

It's not an option for the WT anymore since they've done it unsuccessfuly so often over the past 100-odd years; the option has completly outlived its shelf-life.

Terry

Think of all the confident words lavished on dates in Watchtower history!

The enthusiasm for and eagerness to embrace false proof is astounding.

It occurs again and again and again with the insanity of NEVER LEARNING THE LESSON of caution and plausible deniability.

Going in there is absolute certainty. Coming out there is waffling and blame-shifting.

Jehovah is guiding them and suddenly it was all merely a 'suggestion' others read too much into.

What a tired dance!

Stupidity OR cunning?

Or, maybe just bad habits and amateur nitwittery.

AndDontCallMeShirley

Here's some typical WT hypocrisy and finger pointing where WT attempts to shift blame as a diversion to what WT itself dogmatically promoted:

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"The overthrow of that dominion in 1798 by the French Revolution marked the beginning of the ‘time of the end’..." (Watch Tower, August 1879, p. 24 Society’s reprints). "The year 1799 marked the beginning of the ‘time of the end,’ when various events were to occur." Watch Tower, November 1, 1914, p. 5565 Society’s reprints

"1799 A. D. beginning time of the end" Watch Tower "Topical Index," 1919, p. 6542, Society’s reprints

"Twelve hundred and sixty years from A. D. 539 brings us to 1799, which is another proof that 1799 definitely marks the beginning of ‘the time of the end’." Creation by J.F. Rutherford (1927) p. 315 early editions (Later editions essentially the same, p. 294).

And, only after decades passed and WT figured no JW would remember WT's own teachings, made this statement to make the CC look bad:

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"Some Roman Catholics have claimed that Jesus Christ's thousand Year Reign ended in 1799 when French armies captured Rome and deposed the pope as its ruler, so that he was deported as a prisoner to France, where he died." (Watchtower; Sept. 1, 1989; p. 12).

.

Or, how about this doozy (compared to the above quotes, Re: 1799):

"We see no reason for changing the figures - nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble." (Watchtower July 15, 1894, p 266; p 1677 reprints)

Vs.

"Jehovah’s Witnesses have consistently shown from the Scriptures that the year 1914 marked the beginning of this world’s time of the end and that ‘the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men’ has drawn near." The Watchtower, Aug. 15, 1993, p. 9

MacHislopp

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry fore the long absence but I having health problems.

Yet Zoos please take a look at one of my older researches

i.e; 1874 v. 1914 date change?a masterpiece of forgery and deception!

I did make in TWO parts.

Greetings to all and....a special one to Blondie.

JC MacHislopp

MacHislopp

Hello again,

sorry for the spelling mistakes.

Greetings to all, again

JC MacHislopp

AndDontCallMeShirley

Thanks, Mac. Great references.

I noticed this one right away, which garnered a big "LOL" over my morning coffee. It also made me realize that god (if he actually existed) gets a giant "FAIL!" stamp from me. If WT is the best god has, we are all in deep s**t:

*** w73 7/1 p. 402 Praise Jehovah with His People ***

4 Consider, too, the fact that Jehovah?s organization alone, in all the earth, is directed by God?s holy spirit or active force. (Zech. 4:6) Only this organization functions for Jehovah's purpose and to his praise. To it alone God's Sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book.

How very much true Christians appreciate associating with the only organization on earth that understands the deep things of God?!

MacHislopp

Hello AndDontCallMeShirley

"If WT is the best god has, we are all in deep s**t:"

Spot on, congratulations brief and factually true.

Greetings again

JC MacHislopp

scoobydont

@ VANDERHOVEN7: The entire religion is based on speculation.

I disagree with that view. Please, this is no time to be kind to those wolves ! It might well have been the case when Russell started out...probably the only 'honest-hearted' leader the organisation ever had. But upon his death, Ruddy Judge only saw a business venture or cash cow that needed to be kept up at any cost, of which fabrication, lies, deceit and coersion of members would become the way forward.

Subsequent leaders or GB members who may have believed at some point that the organisation had been divinely appointed were simply too astonished to find, on getting to the very top, that the leadership didn't have the divine connection that previous leaders had claimed !

What a farce, they soon find out! But they are not going to walk away from an organisation that had sucked so much out them. Now, it's their opportunity to take back, with interest, all they had ever given to the organisation - unlike many others who had given their all and had been left by the wayside to face a miserable end.

So, they simply carry on promoting old lies and fabricating new ones to sustain the old. It is this line of thought which has led me to conclude that any serving member of the GB knows TTATT but, hey, show must go on ! It's a bit like that adventure in the Wizard Of Oz.

Vanderhoven7

Scooby: I was more referring to the theological base for WT alleged spirital authority, not the motivation or sincerity of the leadership. Christ's 1914 parousia and the alleged 1919 appointment of the FDS are totally speculation based.

What were the calculations used to arrive at the 1874 date of Christ's return?

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