Mar 3/03 Book Study - Intellectual dishonesty, or outright lie?

by artful 22 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  artful

  In order to build faith in their prophetic prowess, the WTS will tell its modern day readers that they have always pointed toward the year 1914 as a marked year. Of course they will admit that some of the things they thought would come to pass in 1914 did not, but by and large they had the date right. While this has certainly been categorized as 'intellectual dishonesty', I don't believe it amounts to an all out lie.

  However, while reading through the WTS Book Study information for the week of March 3/2003, I came across a historical claim regarding the WTS and its announcing of 1914 as the year of Christs' presence in kingly power. I believe that this 'current truth' from the WTS amounts to more than just intellectual dishonesty.

  Intellectual dishonesty, or outright lie? - You decide.

  Cheers Artful
  (thanks to the Quotes Web site for some of the older WT quotes)

  WTS Book Study article for the week of March 3/2003 Isaiah's Prophecy - Light For Mankind vol 2 page 187 paragraph 1414 Since when in modern times has the cry "Your God has become king!" been heard? Since 1919. In that year at a convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, J.F. Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, stirred his listeners with a talk entitled "Address to Co-laborers." The talk, based on Isaiah 52:7 and Revelation 15:2, encouraged all present to take up the preaching work. Thus, 'comely feet' began to appear on "the mountains. First anointed Christians and later their companions of the "other sheep" zealously went forth to preach the good news that Jehovah had become King. (John 10:16) How had Jehovah become King? He expressed his kingship anew in 1914 when he installed his Son, Jesus Christ, as King in the newly established heavenly Kingdom. And Jehovah made yet another expression of his kingship in 1919 when he liberated "the Israel of God" from Babylon the Great.

  
  WTS study question for paragraph 14:
  How has Jehovah become King in modern times, and since when has this been announced to mankind?

  Answer (according to the information given in paragraph 14): Jehovah has become King since Christ's kingly presence began in 1914. The cry that God (via Christ) had become king in 1914 has been announced to mankind by the Watch Tower Society since 1919.

  COMMENT: The WTS would have the reader believe that since 1919 they have been proclaiming that Christ's kingly presence began in 1914. However, in 1919 (or shortly thereafter) were they really announcing that Christ's kingly presence began in 1914? A quick examination of the WTS publications of that time period will give us the answer.

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  For instance what did Rutherford actually say at another talk given on Friday, September 8th, 1922, at Cedar Point, Ohio? w. 1922, pp. 335-337 (exerpt from Rutherford's 1922 Cedar Point talk printed in 1922 WT) …Do you believe it? Do you believe that the King of glory is present, and has been since 1874? Do you believe that during that time he has conducted his harvest work? Do you believe that he has had during that time a faithful and wise servant through whom he directed his work and the feeding of the household of faith? …

  
  

  *** The Battle of Armageddon, (SS-4), 1912 ed., p. 621 *** Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874, A. D. according to the testimony of the prophets, to those who have ears to hear it...

  
  

  ** The Watchtower, September 15, 1922, p. 278 *** No one can properly understand the work of God at this present time who does not realize that since 1874, the time of the Lord’s return in power, there has been a complete change in God’s operations.

  
  

  *** The Watchtower, March 1, 1923, p. 67 *** The Scriptures show that his second presence was due in 1874…This proof shows that the Lord has been present since 1874…

  
  

  *** The Watchtower, January 1, 1924, p. 5 *** Surely there is not the slightest room for doubt in the mind of a truly consecrated child of God that the Lord Jesus is present and has been since 1874...

  
  

  *** Prophecy, 1929, p. 65, 66 *** The Scriptural proof is that the second presence of the Lord Jesus Christ began in 1874 AD. This proof is specifically set out in the booklet entitled Our Lord's Return.

  ___________________
  
  When was the teaching that the year 1874 marked the return of the appointed king Christ Jesus discarded?___________________
  

  *** God's Kingdom Of A Thousand Years Has Approached. 1973. pp. 206, 209 *** It is true that the editor and publisher of Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Second Presence calculated that the "presence" or parousia of the heavenly bridegroom began in the year 1874 C.E. ...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 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 spelled-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.
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  garybuss

  
  Hi artful, All this is just a numerologist's calculation complete with explanations, re-writes and excuses. None of it has any value except to the application of mythology to numerology, the reductions of a sprit channeler's vacant claims and invisible results, an impossible reach supported by dogmatic claims and denials and threats to any who question. These are the elements of a high control group and they are quickly dismissed by most healthy, rational people.
  
  Claims made by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation that they predicted a tangible event fulfilled in an intangible way is laughable and it amazes me there are any followers left in that group at all.
  
  Best wishes always and thanks for posting. I always enjoy your posts. I look forward to more. gary
  
  

  The Way I See it http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm

  
  
  
  
  
  
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  refiners fire

  Artfull

  I spent many years looking for an out and out WT lie that couldnt be rationalized away somehow. theyre hard to find. Watchtower publications are replete with slippery statements ( some of them VERY slippery) aimed at leading the reader / member to draw false conclusions. Most of the false conclusions are in connection with current beliefs always having been held. In other words maintaining the appearance of infallibility of the Channel. As an example: The current belief that the FDS is a collective, hence it must be conveyed that the Channel God speaks through has always said that the FDS is a collective. I suppose all this is somehow tied into the popular Christian notion that God doesnt change His mind, or contradict Himself, or have to shift His method or plan to fit ever shifting realities.
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  ozziepost

  I suppose all this is somehow tied into the popular Christian notion that God doesnt change His mind

  Are the Dubs really Christian?
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  ozziepost

  Artful,

  Everything to do with the WTS claim that "they" were chosen in 1919 is VERY suspicious.

  Your very good points have added to their untenable position.

  Cheers, Ozzie
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  Jourles

  Here are some others....

  *** jv chap. 5 p. 47 Proclaiming the Lord’s Return (1870-1914) *** To counteract wrong views regarding the Lord’s return, Russell wrote the pamphlet The Object and Manner of Our Lord’s Return. It was published in 1877. That same year Barbour and Russell jointly published Three Worlds, and the Harvest of This World. This 196-page book discussed the subjects of restitution and Biblical time prophecies. Though each subject had been treated by others before, in Russell’s view this book was "the first to combine the idea of restitution with time-prophecy." It presented the view that Jesus Christ’s invisible presence dated from the autumn of 1874.

  *** Footnote ***

  Footnote jv sect. 2 chap. 10 p. 133 Growing in Accurate Knowledge of the Truth

  This was influenced by the belief that the seventh millennium of human history had begun in 1873 and that a period of divine disfavor (of equal length to a former period considered to be one of favor) upon natural Israel would end in 1878. The chronology was flawed because of relying on an inaccurate rendering of Acts 13:20 in the King James Version, belief that there was a transcription error at 1 Kings 6:1, and failure to take into account Biblical synchronisms in the dating of reigns of the kings of Judah and of Israel. A clearer understanding of Biblical chronology was published in 1943, in the book "The Truth Shall Make You Free," and it was then refined the following year in the book "The Kingdom Is at Hand," as well as in later publications.

  *** w74 8/15 No Spiritual "Energy Crisis" for Discreet Ones *** In 1943 the Watch Tower Society’s book "The Truth Shall Make You Free" did away with the nonexistent extra 100 years in the period of the Judges and placed the end of 6,000 years of man’s existence in the 1970’s. It also fixed the beginning of Christ’s presence, not in 1874, but in 1914 C.E.

  *** ka chap. 11 p. 206 "Here Is the Bridegroom!" ***It is true that the editor and publisher of Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence calculated that the "presence" or parousia of the heavenly Bridegroom began in the year 1874 C.E. Also, that the date of the first man’s creation by Jehovah God was in the year 4128 B.C.E., which meant that six thousand years of man’s existence on the earth ended in the year 1872 C.E., as calculated by Russell and his associates. This reckoning began to be announced on the front page of Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence beginning with the issue of July 1, 1906, and this practice continued down through the issue of September 15, 1928.

  There are many more references to list, but not enough space on this forum.
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  artful

  Gary: Thanks for your comments. Regarding numerology, off topic, but there have been quite a few articles in the paper lately regarding Sir Issac Newton's writings about the Bible. His ideas were very similar to much of the earlier WTS stuff, and no doubt due to his scientific nature, they are primarily focused on numerology - including his establishment of the date of the end, 2060.
  
  RF: Yes, it is very tricky to catch the WTS in an outright lie! They are certainly masters of double-talk! Although in my mind, what they have printed here is blatantly false and they know it!
  
  Ozzie: Thanks for the comment. I just wanted to mention that when I came onto this forum 1 year ago (with great trepidation), you were one of the first people to give me words of welcome and encouragement. Thank you for that ;-)
  
  Jourles: Thank you for posting the extra quotes. You're right, I'm sure there are tons of them. What gets me is that in spite of the abundance of information about 1874 (as recent as 1973) the WTS can still claim that since 1919 they have been proclaiming Christs' kingly presence as having been established in 1914.
  
  Cheers Artful
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  refiners fire

  ..."What gets me is that in spite of the abundance of information about 1874 (as recent as 1973) the WTS can still claim that since 1919 they have been proclaiming Christs' kingly presence as having been established in 1914"....

  What the organization said prior to 1919 is irrelevant, And all beliefs held from prior to that time are irrelevant too. 1919 came along, with Christ inspecting the church organizations on offer as possible representatives and he chose the borg as His Org. They had LOTS of false beliefs and misconceptions which had to be swept out but they were trying to do the will of the Lord at least. They were sincere in their efforts. He chose them on heart condition, not accurate knowledge. 1919 was a complete move and start afresh in a new city. ( to use a housing analogy)
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  refiners fire

  MANS SALVATION OUT OF WORLD DISTRESS AT HAND (1975)

  Page 135. Paragraph 12

  QUOTE:....."

  It may well be asked by many of our readers, Why and how does it come that Jehovah's anointed remnant of spiritual Israel entered into the spiritual paradise first from 1919 C.E. forward? Were they not in a spiritual paradise on earth prior to the outbreak of World War I in 1914 C.E.? Were they not enjoying such a blessed spiritual estate in God's favor from, say, the publication of Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence in July of 1879 C.E. onward? We oldsters who were living for some time prior to World War I and who were then part of the remnant of spiritual Israel can answer No! to such questions."......

  See Artful? They werent in the "spiritual paradise " then, so they arent accountable.
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  artful

  Hi RF: I understand that according to them, they had not yet been chosen by Christ and were therefore not yet spiritually clean.
  Just to clarify though: my post was not to hold them accountable for anything they said prior to 1919, or even anything they said in the few decades following then. My point is that prior to 1943, they were clearly teaching (according to their own publications) that Christ's arrival in kingly power occured in 1874. Therefore until 1943 they were proclaiming that (as the March 3-03 Isaiah study put it) "Jehovah had become king" (via Christ's return) in 1874. However, the Isaiah book study this week clearly states that SINCE 1919 they have been proclaiming that Christ arrived in kingly power in 1914 - when in fact they have only been preaching this since 1943!
  So to sum up: I'm taking them to task for the lie(?) they printed in the Isaiah book being studied this week, not for what they were teaching 84 years ago.
  I hope this makes sense...all of these date are making my head spin!
  Cheers Artful