When was Christ's invisible presence changed to 1914 ? first mention of it?

by run dont walk 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  run dont walk

  kind of a continuation of my previous thread, does anyone know when Christ's invisible presence was changed to 1914 form 1874 ???

  The Prophecy book (1929), mentions it as positively being in 1874, i've seen a few Watchtowers from 1930 say the same.

  Surely there must of been a huge book or Watchtower mentioning the change. This would of been the most important "new light" EVER for Witnesses.

  Does anyone have any idea the first time it was mentioned in writing as being 1914.

  So from 1913-1930 nothing, no one mention of it, WOW !!!!!!!!, but Rutherford received "new light" on the end coming in 1925 & Beth Sarim, but not on Christ's invisible presence til the later 1930's.

  And if the faithful and discreet slave class started in 1919, how come they never knew either.

  How would a loyal JW explain this.
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  Kenneson

  I started a thread on 1914 way back when, but I don't remember if it specifically answers your question.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/78776/1.ashx
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  garybuss

  In 1919 the Bible Students didn't know they were appointed in 1919. I just assumed you'd know that.
  
  
  
  
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  skyman

  I bet it was in 1934 the Truth Book
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  AlanF

  The date of the change is not clear from Watchtower literature. A 1931(?) booklet (I can't remember the name, but I can found out given some time) first mentioned that Christ returned in 1914, with no mention of 1874 or a change. The Watchtower magazine after that contains some very unclear references to 1874, 1914 and other dates, but I've never found anything clear enough to say with certainty that either date was definitely claimed as the date of Christ's return. The first mention I know of about the change was in the 1973 book God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached. It claims that the date was changed in the 1943 book The Truth Shall Make You Free. Both books were written by or under the direction of Fred Franz, so I suppose he ought to know.

  My suspicion is that there was internal uncertainty among top WTS people from the late teens onward, especially Rutherford, Woodworth and Franz, about the date, and that as time progressed and other old dates were dropped, the thinking leaned towards dropping 1874 and hanging everything on 1914. But to change such a fundamental date could be catastrophic in terms of lost membership. I suspect that Franz and Knorr, after Rutherford's death in 1942, decided that that was the time to "fix" a lot of chronological problems. So during the next few years, 1874 was officially dropped and migrated to 1914; 606 was migrated to 607; 536 was migrated to 537; etc. etc. etc.

  AlanF
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  run dont walk

  just purchased "Prophecy (1929) and The Truth Shall set you free (1943) on ebay, now Propecy still says Christ's return was in 1874, I have never read The Truth shall set you free, but the Watchtower claims it says Christs return was in 1914 (and they could be lying) the quote came from God's Kingdom of a 100o years, as mentioned by Alan F in his response.

  Is this the first mention of it ?, 30 years after the fact, maybe the phone line going to the faithful and discreet slave class takes 30 years to receive messages, well, since Christ and Jehovah are so far away, maybe they don't have the technology we do !

  I will post both books when I receive them, this topic has really got me intrigued. If you know of any other publication between 1929 - 1943, that mention 1874 or 1914, could you please let me know.

  I plan on asking my elder brother and special pioneer sister this, and asking whats the deal, how do think they would repond ???

  Quotes if you're out there, do you have any info ?????
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  AK - Jeff

  Just a random here - Didn't Penton state that the year of that change was 1937 or 1938? I will see if I can find the referance.

  Jeff
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  run dont walk

  awesome Jeff thanks, please post if you find it !!!!!!!!!!!!
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  Kenneson

  Go here for the Quotes link:

  http://quotes.watchtower.ca/1914.htm
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  AK - Jeff

  RDW - can't find the specific ref at this moment. Maybe wasn't in Penton's book at all - just sticks in the back of my mind that was where I read it -

  I am surprised that AlanF cannot locate the ref's - he is the guy that always seems to have these things in mind far better than I do.

  If someone has Rutherford's writings on CD they might be able to find that for you. I will see if I find it elsewhere and post it if I do. The last 18 months have been so full of reading these materials to dispel my own mind of any need to believe it was the 'truth' that I have them running together at times. Sorry

  Jeff