Most recently I have been examining such invisibly occurring events as the 1918 “resurrection of the saints” and this week Ive looked into the Watchtower claim that Babylon the Great “Fell” in 1919. There was scant evidence and little biblical support for the WT claim about the resurrection occuring . In fact, the key line of “proof” of the resurrection was that Rutherford was released from jail in 1919. Does the claim of “Babylons fall” in 1919 fare better? What is the proof offered by the WT that this, in fact, occurred?
BABYLON THE GREAT HAS FALLEN (1963) : “ Historically, this modern Babylon the Great had a fall in the year 1919. The Babylonish world empire of religion still exists, but that fact does not disprove its fall in that year. We must remember that, after ancient Babylon’s surprise fall to the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C., the city kept standing for centuries till finally it disappeared, to fulfill Bible prophecy. Likewise, modern Babylon the Great suffers a significant fall”
FALLEN AND JUDGED. WT. 1 May 1989: “However, although Babylon’s power over the Jews was broken, it did not mean the end of ancient Babylon… Indeed on the surface the private lives of Babylonian citizens appear to have changed very little under Persian rule. Religious forms were preserved and commercial activity prospered. Thus, in spite of her fall, Babylon continued to function, but with one big difference—God’s people, Israel, were no longer held captive. They returned to Jerusalem to restore true worship there”
Already we can see the claim that the falling of Babylon was connected to the “release of Israel from captivity”. As well, though it has “Fallen” it continues to exist to such a degree that it APPEARS to continue on with business as usual. Thus any “fall” is only discernable to those with eyes of understanding. Natural men cannot see its occurring. Indeed, the same ones who had eyes to perceive the invisible enthronement of Christ in the heavens in 1914 are the ones who also see the other significant invisible events of the early 20 th century.
BABYLON THE GREAT HAS FALLEN (1963): “ A.D. 1914 Babylon the Great, or the world empire of Babylonish religion, approached her most critical period in world history. In 1914 the seven times of the Gentiles ended, and the question was, Would Babylon the Great continue to make the nations drink this potion that made the nations drunk with trouble and desperation, or would she use her religious power and influence to prevent the violent, oppressive course of the nations?….., would she bring the nations into peaceful harmony with God’s kingdom, which was due to be born in the heavens in 1914 at the end of the Gentile Times? (Revelation 12:1-12) Would Christendom recognize as King the “Lamb of God,” when he stood up on heavenly Mount Zion?….To these questions history gives as its answer World War I. In the very heart of Christendom it broke out in the summer of 1914. It continued into the fall of 1918”
From this quote one could draw the conclusion that Jehovah was still, in 1914, indecisive as to whether the Catholic church was fit to represent His interests on Earth ! It appears it was only WW1 and Christendoms refusal to recognize the “reality” of the Invisible reign of Christ that decided Gods mind. Meanwhile, the same old history of the WT organization again resurfaces and is quoted as “proof” of the interpretation that the Org was captive to Babylon
“On July 17, 1917, this Society published and put into their hands the book entitled “The Finished Mystery,”.. On Sunday, December 30, 1917, there was a general distribution of the large, four-page tract, Bible Students Monthly No. 99, with the feature article “The Fall of Babylon,” with quotations from The Finished Mystery. Within two months from then that book and the Bible Students Monthly were banned in Canada. Shortly afterward the banning of these in the United States followed. Then came the arrest and trial of the president of the Watch Tower Society and seven others of the office personnel of the Society. On June 21, 1918, they were sentenced each to eighty years’ imprisonment in a Federal penitentiary….Christian Bible Students, who had been proclaiming Jehovah’s judgments against Babylon the Great, found themselves in a captive condition under her power, and with their worldwide organization broken up… Like ancient Babylon, which never opened the prison doors to let Jehovah’s witnesses out, modern Babylon the Great thought to keep the modern Christian witnesses of Jehovah suppressed and in captivity forever. But in March of 1919 the prison doors were forced open to Jehovah’s witnesses, and out they came and stayed out”
Nothing more is claimed as support for the belief in Babylons fall than the release of the ” Watchtower 7” from jail! The very fact they are released from the can is proof that “Babylon” fell and that the Saints were “resurrected”. As this final quote shows, Babylon was condemned to fall because of her conduct POST 1914.
BABYLON THE GREAT HAS FALLEN (1963) : “Jehovah’s witnesses were again free, boldly proclaiming God’s kingdom publicly! What had happened? It must have been that Babylon the Great had fallen! This, although she had not yet been destroyed. The Lamb of God on the heavenly Mount Zion had played his role as the Liberator greater than Cyrus but as foreshadowed by Cyrus…. Condemned by her misconduct since the end of the Gentile Times in 1914, she stood condemned before the heavenly tribunal of Jehovah God. His judgment was rendered against her, and she fell in the spring of the year 1919.”
The matter of the Fall of Babylon is discussed over 5 pages in the 1963 “Babylon Book”, Interesting to note thru those 5 pages is the sparcity of scriptural quotation as backing for the claimed fulfillment. Though no specific date for Babylons fall is offered, doubtless the WT Conceives that it coincided, largely, with the release of the WT7 from the hoosgow.