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

I knew Blondie would come thru on this one - Thanx.

What I cannot connect is this statement in the text you posted;

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. as the date of return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his invisible presence or parousia.

How did the moving of the 6000 years of man's history up 100 years, "Naturally..[do] away with the year 1874 as the date of return of the Lord Jesus Christ...."

Weren't these doctrines separate and distinct? I don't recall any literature that tied these two together. Did I miss something or was this just another smoke screen to make the movement of dates easier to accomplish?

Jeff

Don't you find all these dates and truths a little confusing especially for an organization that claims to be lead by the almighty himself...someone, either god or the GB is a out of wack...1874...oops christ slept in so he came on a later bus and arrived in 1914...does that sound right?

Now we have past truth, present truth, official truth...new light old light bud light miller light...what's next...

GIVE ME A BREAK, IT'S JUST A LOAD OF WT BS

Christ's presence (1874)

Christ taking kingship (1878)

Were 2 separate dates during Russell's time

End of the Gentile Times/beginning of Armaggeddon was how 1914 was explained.

Eventually the WTS put

Christ's presence, Christ taking kingship, and the end of the Gentiles Times into (1914) and put Armageddon off into the future (actually 1925, then 1975, and by implication 1984 and 1994).

Blondie, wasn't the end of the world, the great tribulation, and Armageddon, three separate things? I read in the 1940's Watchtower magazines that the world ended in 1914. And in the 50's I remember the Witness meetings saying the great tribulation was cut short in 1918 so more people could be added to the saved list.

Now, aren't the end of the world, the great tribulation, and Armageddon all about one and the same?

Actually, the great tribulation is now said by the WTS to consist of

1. Destruction of Babylon the Great

2. Gog of Magog turning on the anointed on earth (and their companions the great crowd) which starts

3. Armageddon

Up until 1970, the WTS taught that the great tribulation had started in 1914 and was interrupted in 1918 to start at a later date, but no longer.

The WTS has not taught ever that the "end of the world" is the end of the planet or all humans, which you know. But rather the end of a system of things. 1914 was considered the end of the Gentile Times, the end of rule by men without interference by God, the "end of the world." I have never found anything in the 1940's WT publications that said they still taught that Armageddon had come in 1914. But the GT they did interpreting the fall of Babylon the Great which they said happened in 1919 as the beginning of its destruction to be completed at a future time.

Proclaimers book chap. 28 p. 635 Testing and Sifting From Within ***

In its issue of October 15, 1913, The Watch Tower had stated: "According to the best chronological reckoning of which we are capable, it is approximately that time—whether it be October, 1914, or later. Without dogmatizing, we are looking for certain events: (1) The termination of the Gentile Times—Gentile supremacy in the world—and (2) For the inauguration of Messiah’s Kingdom in the world."

*** w53 12/15 p. 754 Everlasting Praise Due the New World’s Sovereign ***

But, instead of destroying them with the world, Jehovah cut short the days of tribulation upon Satan’s organization by interrupting it with a period of undeserved kindness before the battle of Armageddon is allowed to break out. He saved his remnant who were yet in the flesh and afforded them an opportunity to work out their own salvation by taking up bold service as his witnesses and Kingdom ambassadors in this postwar era. His mercy to them in cutting short the days of tribulation and reinstating them in his witness work has resulted in mercy to others, namely, to a "great crowd" of other sheep of his Right Shepherd, Jesus Christ.—Matt. 24:21, 22; Rev. 7:1-17.

Of course, all this was just a way of explaining why Armageddon had not come in 1914 as Charles Taze Russell had predicted. The WTS has a new explanation for things every time their "predictions" fail to materialize. New light--meaning that at any given moment the WTS is really in the dark. They managed to pull of the re-explanation of the 1914 generation. They count on the older generation dying off or leaving and books becoming out of date and difficult to obtain. But the internet is a wonderful source of information that they try to hide.

Blondie

On pp. 206, 209, God's Kingdom Of a Thousand Years Has Approached said:

"It is true that the editor and publisher of Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence calculated that the "presence" or parousia of the heavenly bridegroom began in the year 1874 C.E. [...] In the year 1943 the Watchtower 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."

Interesting !!!!!!!

run

On pp. 206, 209, God's Kingdom Of a Thousand Years Has Approached said:

"It is true that the editor and publisher of Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence calculated that the "presence" or parousia of the heavenly bridegroom began in the year 1874 C.E. [...] In the year 1943 the Watchtower 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."