"In September 1914, William Irvine was ousted for some sort of scandal (sexual misconduct behaviors) and he was teaching false doctrines also. He had written many letters to the friends all over the USA and Canada to sell their homes, farms, and invest their money in railroads, fisheries, canneries, shipping, etc. He was under the awful delusion that he is one of the two witnesses of Revelations, Chapter 11, and prophesies a worldwide drought and famine beginning 8/1/1914. William Irvine probably continued going to the meetings from 1914-1918, from some statements he made from his letters to the workers and the friends. "Revelation didn't open up" to him until the fall of 1918. So, he didn't prophesying until the late 1918 that he was one of the Two Witnesses in Revelations, Chapter 11. Or that they were in the Judgment day period of Revelations as of 8/4/1914; and that the time of mercy and grace was over, etc. It appears from 1918 William Irvine was in California until he left for Jerusalem in 11/1918 to wait for the Prophesies of Revelations Chapter 11, as one of the Lord's anointed ones. He died of throat cancer in Jerusalem in 1947. 12/17/2001Hi, George (Gittins, is currently preaching in Canada)."
http://www.homestead.com/prosites-hobarker/williamirvine.html
"The growing size and wealth of the movement started to affect Irvine. The dedication of his early years gave way to a grab for privileges and power. He spent most of his time travelling around the world to speak at conventions and increasingly exercised a dictatorial control over the church. Opposition grew. His fall came when he allowed himself to be influenced by C.T. Russell the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses. He adopted Russell's second coming theology - 1914 was the end of the age of grace. He saw himself and John as the "witnesses" from the book of Revelation. His strange teachings disturbed may and so in 1913 John Hardie did not allow Irvine to take the stand at the Woodside convention in South Australia. Opposition grew and finally in 1914, William Carroll, the Overseer in Victoria, Australia, decided to take control. Overseers worldwide acted to exclude Irvine from the movement. It was simply reported that his health was not "as good as usual". He continued to write to many members, prophesying a worldwide drought in 1919. He then travelled to Jerusalem and lived there till his death in 1947. Naturally, some members continued to support Irvine and were summarily excommunicated."
Edited by - ffeidrik on 23 November 2002 17:52:18