The 1859 publication of John Taylor's book, "The Great Pyramid: Why Was It Built? And Who Built It?" ushered in the late 19th century diversion called "modern pyramidology."
By 1881 "Pastor" Charles Taze Russell, the first president of The Watchtower Society, strongly supported the doctrine of the divine origin of the Great Pyramid. For example, he wrote, "We have great respect for it, though we do not build our faith upon it. It has well been called "a miracle in stone" and it commends itself to us as a work of God, and not planned by men, for it seems in every respect to be in perfect accord with God's plan as we are finding it written in His Word, and this it is that causes us to respect it." "...the Pyramid corroborates scripture..."
Russell wrote that the pyramid supported the 1874, 1878, 1881 and 1914 dates that he had determined by his Bible chronology. Of the year 1914 C.T. Russell wrote, "the close of the year 1914 -- namely, about October 1914 -- will mark the closing of the Times Of The Gentiles, and the beginning of the messianic reign."
The Watch Tower of May 15, 1925 says that "the great Pyramid of Egypt, standing as a silent and inanimate witness of the Lord, is a messenger; and its testimony speaks with great eloquence concerning the Divine Plan."
In 1926 the November 3 issue of the Watchtower publication Golden Age said that "advanced Bible Students (as JWs were then known) believe that the Great Pyramid at Giza is the witness to the Lord in the land of Egypt, mentioned by the prophet. (Isa. 19:19)"
C.T. Russell was so sure of the Pyramid being "the bible in stone" that he predicted that the mute testimony would come under attack. In 1891 he wrote in the book "Thy Kingdom Come," "We thus introduce this 'witness' because the inspiration of its testimony will doubtless be as much disputed as that of the scriptures, BY THE PRICE OF DARKNESS, THE GOD OF THIS WORLD, AND THOSE WHOM HE BLINDS TO THE TRUTH."
And so, in the fullness of time it came to be.
"Then Satan put his knowledge in dead stone, which may be called Satan's Bible, and not God's stone witness. In erecting the pyramid, of course, Satan would put in some truth, because that is his method of practicing fraud and deceit." "It is certain that the pyramid of Giza was not built by Jehovah God; nor was it built at his command." To teach about it "is a waste of time. It is diverting the mind away from the Word of God and from His service."
Who dared impugn the "stone witness"?
The SECOND President of The Watchtower, "Judge" Joseph Franklin Rutherford, in the fourteen page, two part article titled "The Altar in Egypt" published in The Watch Tower of 11/15 and 12/1 in 1928.
So I leave it to you, dear reader, to decide: WHO was the false prophet?
Was it Russell, who predicted the attack on the testimony of the pyramid by the Prince of Darkness?
Was it Rutherford, who identified the pyramid as the fraudulent and deceitful Bible of Satan?
Or might it be both of them?
Edited by - Nathan Natas on 9 June 2002 13:41:50
Edited by - Nathan Natas on 10 June 2002 18:50:17
