by peacefulpete 89 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
About 1914,,,,they did a 'double switch' on that date with most JW's not even suspecting a thing.
1) It was the 'end" of trouble and NOT the beginning.
&
2) Christ 'parousia' did NOT start at 1914 until 1944,,,,when it was then understood He took 'parousia'. Which was then 2 years since the passing of the Judge Rutherford.
The above 2 things blew may away. Until about 4 years ago,,,I had no idea about such the above 2 things.
Is there documented evidence that the 1914 parousia was not believed and taught by Watchtower until Rutherford's death?
''Is there documented evidence that the 1914 parousia was not believed and taught by Watchtower until Rutherford's death?''
That's just it. Finding evidence of it. I know it was the understanding but trying to find documented evidence of it is another,
If someone on here reads these posts who's privy to such evidence, let's hope they can upload it.
Yes I'd like to see one of the first times WTS literature points to 1914 as the date for Christ's visitation instead of 1874.
A few years ago, I think it was around 2012-13, the Snarky Apologist uploaded a youtube video with comments from bridgetfromAZ below it.
The narrator was doing just an outstanding job debunking the WT 1914 narrative explaining the entire 1914 fiasco and how it evolved the years prior to Rutherford and the years following his death, He was explaining did the WT have 'oil in their lamps'. Then he explained how the WT could ''pull a fast one on you''.
I dont think he does videos anymore. I believe he got busted by the WT for copyright infringement. It's been a few years since he uploaded a video.
Watchtower/1974/8/1/pg.507-Footnote
Beth Sarim:
Most JW's don't realize that up until after Rutherfords death in 1942, Christ's invisible parousia did NOT occur until 1914, that switch happened 2 years after the Judge's death in 1944.
I'm not sure where this claim comes from that the 'parousia' was only changed to 1914 in 1944. On my website, I have given the year of the change as 1935 (though I'm happy to correct this if someone knows of it being stated earlier).
Because it is the reign of Christ Jesus that constitutes the Second Presence or Parousia, it would seem to be not improper to say that the Second Advent occurred on Lifeday, King 10, Edenic day No. 2170097, Y.R. 1882 (Thursday, October 1, A.D. 1914), under moon No. 73486.
It was again stated in 1940 before Rutherford's death. The Watchtower, 1 October 1940, page 294:
At the time of the coming of the Lord Jesus as King in 1914 all the religious organizations called ''Christendom" rejected Christ as King and insisted on the world's being ruled by selfish men.
The Truth Shall Make You Free (1943), page 324:
The King’s presence or parousia began in 1914, and then his appearing or epiphaneia at the temple came in 1918.
By 1943, '1874' was already 'the chronology' of 'the evil slave'. The Watchtower, 15 July 1943, page 217:
"That evil servant" means a class of men and women once servants of Jehovah God and associated with his visible organization. They once devoted themselves to God in consecration and were begotten of his spirit and taken into his household as spiritual sons and were for a time apparently faithful. But they do not endure to the end in God's service, and turn evil. At the time that the Lord begins judgment at the temple their evil conduct is exposed. So they manifest themselves from and after 1918. Their trouble begins with the heart, the seat of affection and motivation. (Prov. 4: 23) In the heart this class says: "My lord delayeth his coming." True, this class may claim to believe in Christ's invisible presence and that his presence, or parousia, began at 1874 according to their understanding of chronology.
“The Truth Shall Set You Free”….. we used to have copies of that in the house when I was young , heaven knows where they are now. That is a good catch Atlantis.
As for 1914 , I used to believe it. Not because I had any real knowledge but because the WT Society taught it and I figured that they knew more than I did.
As time went on though , decades went by and in the late nineties I was concerned. I just could not see that we would pass into the twenty first century and still be in the old world . As that got closer I dared to think the unthinkable, and seriously asked myself whether it was really true, or just another religion of men ?
And here I am….
Excellent, I thought that 1874 was changed to 1914 in the early 1930s. I stand corrected. Thank you!
The year 1914, therefore, marks the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of glory.(This was already correctly indicated on the Jehovah’s Witnesses and 1914 page but got missed in the Pure Worship review, which has been fixed.)
