The Demise Of 1874

by TD 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  TD

  
  

  We all know that C.T. Russell held that Christ's return was realized in 1874. We also know that this date was moved forward by 40 years, to 1914 during the Rutherford Presidency.

  The dishonesty of the Society in printing things that either openly state, or strongly imply that a 1914 Parousia is what the Bible Students taught from the very beginning has been the subject of discussion lately.

  I think what is far less clear is when and how this change from 1874 to 1914 actually happened. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to document the demise of the 1874 date with actual scans from the literature.

  During the Russell era, one of the most emphatic statements concerning 1874 appeared in the May, 1881 issue of Zion's Watch Tower on page 5:

  The Harp Of God, a Rutherford era book intended for Bible study with the masses was also quite clear about the significance of 1874:

  Rutherford era Watch Towers frequently taught the 1874 date in what was almost a bombastic tone:

  The last clear, unambiguous reference to 1874 ever to appear in the literature can be found in the 1929 book, Prophecy

  Now begins the demise of the 1874 date. In contrast to the clarity of the previous quotes, notice the vagueness of the October 15, 1930 issue of The Watch Tower on page 308:

  Even more indeterminate is the next quote, which appeared in the November 1, 1932 issue on page 325:

  The first distinct reference to 1914 as the date for Christ's Second Coming did not appear in The Watchtower until the December 1, 1933 issue (p. 362)

  It was at this point that the 1874 date was discarded entirely.
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  ballistic

  I truly believe they will eventually do away with 1914. It will seem more and more antiquated and embarassing the longer time goes on, especially as we pass 2014. I guess in many years time, the next generation of ex-jw's that follow in our footsteps will be posting 1914 quotes, the doing away of the 'generation' doctrine and the last vague reference to 1914.
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  DannyHaszard

  TD appreciate the home work.

  Typical J-dub response;none of that matters because we don't serve jehover for a date Jehovah's Witnesses Millerite mutation right down to the very month. Always do a regression analysis just where did 1914 come from? Time sneered that it was a "Great Disappointment." Nevertheless, millennial expectations persisted, leading to Seventh-day Adventism and the Jehovah's Witnesses .. Read from this newspaper article: The problem with Millennialism Naples Daily News, FL "......In 19th-century America the preacher William Miller was persuaded that the Second Coming of Christ would take place on the night of Oct. 22, 1844. When Jesus failed to keep that date, newspapers of the time sneered that it was a "Great Disappointment." Nevertheless, millennial expectations persisted, leading to Seventh-day Adventism and the Jehovah's Witnesses."
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  There you have it folks backup confirmation that Jehovah's Witnesses are "mutated millerites" a spinoff of second adventist. LOOK and open your eyes!! Why even the "Armageddon will come in month of October" false prophecy time line comes from William Miller a civil war army captain. Growing up born a JW I have heard/read that Armaggedon will come in "October" at least a hundred times,(World War one started and Satan cast out in "October") There is nothing that made me gasp in horror of all WT/JW falsehoods more then this finding that it all came from the Millerite movement! Yes,the "great disappointment" of Oct 22 1844 has never falted... it lives on in the Seventh day Adventist (who admit it) AND the Jehovah's Witnesses who deny it Must see video clip http://www.dannyhaszard.com/cultvideos.htm
  The Millerites: Armageddon (History Channel) 4 min clip
  This is the highly credible HISTORY CHANNEL (Roger Mudd) not the "apostates" exposing Jehovah's Witnesses as a spin-off of the William Miller movement of 1844
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  garybuss

  Good job! This thread's a keeper.
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  Leolaia

  The idea that events should start fulfillment at the beginning of the year in the old Hebrew calendar (i.e. October) is just one element inherited from Millerite Adventism. Another is the notion (which Miller had himself inherited) that 1799 marked the beginning of the "time of the end". Also the "day for a year" rule and other things.....the 2,520 year interpretation of Daniel also comes from early 19th century speculation....

  Russell also of course inherited ideas from the Adventist successors of Miller, many of which are still taught today....
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  nilfun

  Love the way you break it down, TD.
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  Cygnus

  Well, remember too, that according to Russell, October 1874 marked the start of the antitypical Jubilee, the end of six millenniums of sin among mankind. Fred Franz, in the '40s, with his "reliable Bible chronology" and realizing the error of 100 years in the KJV changed the end of such six milleniums to 1975 (plus however long [edit] it took to create Eve). Notice:

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  jv chap. 28 pp. 631-632 Testing and Sifting From Within ***

  Something else that was seen as a possible time indicator involved the arrangement that God instituted in ancient Israel for a Jubilee, a year of release, every 50th year. This came after a series of seven 7-year periods, each of which ended with a sabbath year. During the Jubilee year, Hebrew slaves were freed and hereditary land possessions that had been sold were restored. (Lev. 25:8-10) Calculations based on this cycle of years led to the conclusion that perhaps a greater Jubilee for all the earth had begun in the autumn of 1874, that evidently the Lord had returned in that year and was invisibly present, and that "the times of restitution of all things" had arrived.—Acts 3:19-21, KJ.

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  ka chap. 11 pp. 209-210 "Here Is the Bridegroom!" ***

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

  Thank you for the good scans. Can anyone point me to a thread on the change from using "grace" to "undeserved kindness", I did read a thread the other day that quoted from Ruthersford book "Children" that was given at 1941 convention he referred to "the Lords grace", yet I do not see "grace" being used by Jehovah's witnesses or at least since I was baptised in 1980.

  Any help on this would be appreciated.

  Peace

  Sheri
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  TD

  Hey Cygnus,

  You're right as rain. 1874 continued to be a "millenium marker" clear up until the 1940's (Sort of like 1975 is today)